Bulletin: December 29, 2024

First Lutheran Church                                                                Christmas 2
PO Box 153 - 240 Elm Street West                                             December 29, 2024          
Amery, WI   715-268-7135                                                            www.flcamery.org
Our mission is to know Jesus and to make Jesus known. Jn. 17    

PRELUDE     
                                                                                               
HYMN:                                     “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful”
Oh, come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant! Oh, come ye,
oh, come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him – born the king of angels;
 
Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him
Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
 
The highest, most holy, Light of light eternal, Born of a virgin,
a mortal he comes;  Son of the Father, Now in flesh appearing! … Refrain
 
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning; Jesus,
to thee be glory given; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; … Refrain

Prayer:  Beloved in Christ, we are gathered together this Christmas to prepare our hearts for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ; to meditate upon the mystery of that Incarnation by which our nature is redeemed, and to receive with joy the message of our salvation.
Prayer: Almighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him. Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen

I. MARY
 
HYMN:                                            “What Child is This”    
What Child is this, who laid to rest, On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King, who shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, the Babe the Son of Mary.
 
Why lies He in such mean estate, Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh, The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Luke 1:26-35  In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words, and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God. " Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."
 
Prayer: Almighty God, in choosing the virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son, you made known your gracious regard for the poor and lowly. Grant us grace to receive your Word in humility, and so to be made one with your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen 
 
II. JOSEPH 
 
HYMN:                                   “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
 
O little town of Bethlehem,  How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by;   Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;  
The hopes and fears of all the years  Are met in thee tonight.
 
O holy Child of Bethlehem!  Descend to us, we pray;  Cast out our sin and enter in,  
Be born in us today.  We hear the Christmas angels  The great glad tidings tell;  
O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel!
 
Matthew 1:18-21 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
 
Prayer: O God, who from the family of your servant David raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your Son and the spouse of his mother: Give us grace to imitate his life and his obedience to your commands. Amen          
 
III. ANGELS  
 
HYMN:                                 “Angels We Have Heard on High”
Angels we have heard on high Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply Echoing their joyous strains. … Refrain
 
Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
 
Come to Bethlehem and see Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King.  … Refrain

Luke 2:8-14 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see -- I am bringing you good news of a great joy for all the people; to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

Prayer: Almighty God, you have made yourself known in your Son, Jesus, redeemer of the world. We pray that his birth as a child will set us free from the old slavery of our sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen 
  
IV. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

Luke 2:1-7 In those days a decree went out from the Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

HYMN:                                     “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly”
Infant holy, infant lowly, For his bed a cattle stall; Oxen lowing, little knowing                   Christ the child is Lord of all. Swiftly winging, angels singing, Bells are ringing, tidings bringing; Christ the child is Lord of all! Christ the child is Lord of all!
 
Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping Vigil till the morning new                                   Saw the glory heard the story, Tidings of a Gospel true.  
Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow, Praises voicing, greet the morrow:                                     Christ the child is born for you! Christ the child is born for you.

SERMON

HYMN:                          “Silent Night, Holy Night”
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar.  Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!  Christ the Savior is born. Christ the Savior is born.
Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light, Radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord at thy birth. Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

OFFERING:

PRAYER: Loving God, like Mary and Joseph, who trusted in your grace despite their fear, their poverty, their lack of certainty, we offer ourselves and our gifts to you.  Bless our offering and hallow our every thought and action, that Christ may be born in us and through us be revealed to those who yet walk in darkness. 

Lord’s Prayer

Song of Simeon:  Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to lighten the nations and the glory of your people Israel. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen  (Luke 2:29-32) 

HYMN:                                          “Joy to the World”
 
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive its King;
Let every heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
 
No more let sin and sorrow grow Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as the curse is found.
 
He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness And wonders of his love,
And wonders of his love, And wonders, wonders of his love

Thanks for worshipping with us.  God bless you.