4TH SUNDAY IN ADVENT (Rorate Coeli) - 2023

 

Today's Service Leader Rev. Brett Cornelius, Pastor Holy Cross Lutheran Church

 

 

Today's liturgy is the Divine Service, Setting One, LSB pages 151ff.

 

334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You

 

5 Sin’s debt, that fearful burden,
    Cannot His love erase;
Your guilt the Lord will pardon
    And cover by His grace.
He comes, for you procuring
    The peace of sin forgiv’n,
His children thus securing
    Eternal life in heav’n.

 

6 He comes to judge the nations,
    A terror to His foes,
A light of consolations
    And blessèd hope to those
Who love the Lord’s appearing.
    O glorious Sun, now come,
Send forth Your beams so cheering,
    And guide us safely home.

Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–76; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Tune: Johann Crüger, 1598–1662
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

 

Invocation

P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

Exhortation 151

P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

"Silent Reflection before Confession"

 

Confession of Sins LSB 151

P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.

C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

 

Absolution LSB 151

P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

Introit Psalm 19:1, 4–6; antiphon: Isaiah 45:8a

Shower, O heavens, | from above,*
and let the clouds rain down | righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may | bear fruit;*
let the earth cause them | both to sprout.
The heavens declare the glo- | ry of God,*
and the sky above proclaims his | handiwork.
Their measuring line goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end | of the world.*
In them he has set a tent | for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his | chamber,*
and, like a strong man, runs its | course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the | end of them,*
and there is nothing hidden | from its heat.
Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
Shower, O heavens, | from above,*
and let the clouds rain down | righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may | bear fruit;*
let the earth cause them | both to sprout.

 

 

Kyrie LSB 152

A In peace let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

C Amen.

 

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray.

Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Please be Seated

 

Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 18:15–19

¹⁵“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— ¹⁶just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ ¹⁷And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. ¹⁸I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. ¹⁹And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.’”

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Gradual Psalm 145:18, 21

The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

 

Epistle Philippians 4:4–7

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Please Stand

 

Verse of the Day Psalm 40:17b

You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!

 

Holy Gospel Luke 1:39–56

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the first chapter.

C Glory to You, O Lord.

³⁹In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, ⁴⁰and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, ⁴²and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

⁴⁶And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
⁵⁰And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
⁵²he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

⁵⁶And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to You, O Christ.

 

Please be Seated

 

 

357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (First Four Stanzas)

Text: Latin, c. 12th cent.; Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, 1710, Köln; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Tune: French, 15th cent.
Text and tune: Public domain

 

 

Sermon~Rev. Brett E. Cornelius, Pastor Holy Cross Lutheran Church - Deuteronomy 18:15-19

 

 

Please Stand

 

Nicene Creed

C I believe in one God,

     the Father Almighty,

     maker of heaven and earth

          and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

     the only-begotten Son of God,

     begotten of His Father before all worlds,

     God of God, Light of Light,

     very God of very God,

     begotten, not made,

     being of one substance with the Father,

     by whom all things were made;

     who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven

     and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary

     and was made man;

     and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

     He suffered and was buried.

     And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures

          and ascended into heaven

     and sits at the right hand of the Father.

     And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,

     whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,

     the Lord and giver of life,

     who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

     who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,

     who spoke by the prophets.

     And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,

     I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,

     and I look for the resurrection of the dead

     and the life T of the world to come. Amen.

 

Prayer of the Church

 

Please be Seated

 

Offering

 

Offering Hymn

 

357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Last Three Stanzas)

Text: Latin, c. 12th cent.; Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, 1710, Köln; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Tune: French, 15th cent.
Text and tune: Public domain

 

The offering is presented on the last stanza

 

Please Stand

 

Offertory LSB 159

 

Preface LSB 160

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Lift up your hearts.

C We lift them to the Lord.

P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

 

Proper Preface (Abbreviated) LSB 161

P It is truly good, right, and salutary . . . evermore praising You and saying:

 

Sanctus LSB 161

 

 

Prayer of Thanksgiving 161

P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.

Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Lord’s Prayer LSB 162

P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:

C Our Father who art in heaven,

     hallowed be Thy name,

     Thy kingdom come,

     Thy will be done on earth

          as it is in heaven;

     give us this day our daily bread;

     and forgive us our trespasses

          as we forgive those

          who trespass against us;

     and lead us not into temptation,

     but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom

     and the power and the glory

     forever and ever. Amen.

 

The Words of Our Lord

P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

 

Pax Domini LSB 163

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C Amen.

 

Agnus Dei LSB 163

 

Please be Seated

 

 

Distribution

 

Distribution Hymn

 

628 Your Table I Approach

 

5 O grant, most blessèd Lord,
    That earth and hell combined
May not about this sacrament
    Raise doubt within my mind.

 

6 Oh, may I never fail
    To thank You day and night
For Your true body and true blood,
    O God, my peace and light.

Text: Gerhard Wolter Molanus, 1633–1722; tr. Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.
Tune: Trente quatre Pseaumes de David, 1551, Geneva, ed. Louis Bourgeois
Text and tune: Public domain

 

348 The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns

Text: John Brownlie, 1859–1925, alt.
Tune: Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second, 1813, Harrisburg, ed. John Wyeth
Text and tune: Public domain

 

934 My Soul Now Magnifies the Lord

Text: Luke 1:46–55; adapt. Stephanie K. Frey, 1952
Tune: Geistliche Lieder auffs new gebessert, 1535, Wittenberg, ed. Joseph Klug
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

 

Please Stand

 

Nunc Dimittis LSB 165

 

Post-Communion Collect

A Let us pray.

We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Benediction LSB 166

P The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.

C Amen.

 

 

Closing Hymn - Of the Father’s Love Begotten

Text: Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, 348–c. 413; (sts. 1–4): tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.; (st. 5): tr. Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Tune: Plainsong, 13th cent., mode V
Text and tune: Public domain

 

 

Acknowledgments

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.