December 11 online worship

Preparations for Worship:

• Do your best to eliminate distractions like the phone, TV, etc.
• Worship actively! Whether you are by yourself or with others, try reading the parts of the service aloud (responses, lessons, and prayers).
• This service is for children too. Help them participate. Ask those who have that ability to read a prayer or lesson aloud. Take a moment to describe what’s happening. Ask questions. Encourage little ones to draw what they are hearing while you all listen. Unlike our more typical Sunday worship at church, you can pause at any time for questions and discussion.
• Before you begin, load each of the videos below. (You might first have to get past a distracting ad.)
• Pause for a moment of quiet meditation. Then pray:
  “Heavenly Father, I have come to worship you. Draw near to me in your gracious Word, and assure me of your loving kindness. Curb my wandering thoughts, that with undivided attention I may hear your voice and speak your praise. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.”

CONFESSION OF SINS

The grace of our Lord (+) Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. And also with you.

We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children.  But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment.  Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth.  In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child.  But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love.  Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins.  By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever.  You are his own dear child.  May God give you strength to live according to his will. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Hear our prayers, Lord Jesus Christ, and come with the good news of your mighty deliverance. Drive the darkness from our hearts, and fill us with your light; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

LESSON – ISAIAH 35

The wilderness and the desert will be glad.  The wasteland of the Arabah will rejoice and blossom like a crocus.  ²It will bloom lavishly, and there will be great joy and singing.  The glory of Lebanon will be given to it.  It will be excellent like Carmel and Sharon.  They will see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.  ³Strengthen the weak hands, and make the shaky knees steady.  ⁴Tell those who have a fearful heart: Be strong.  Do not be afraid.  Look! Your God will come with vengeance.  With God’s own retribution, he will come and save you.  ⁵Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unplugged.  ⁶The crippled will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy.  Waters will flow in the wilderness, and streams in the wasteland.  ⁷The burning sand will become a pool, and in the thirsty ground there will be springs of water.  There will be grass, reeds, and rushes where the haunts of jackals once lay.  ⁸A highway will be there, a road that will be called the holy way.  The impure will not walk there.  It will be reserved for those who walk in that holy way.  Wicked fools will not wander onto it.  ⁹No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious animal go up on it.  They will not be found there, but only the redeemed will walk there.  ¹⁰Then those ransomed by the Lord will return.  They will enter Zion with a joyful shout, and everlasting joy will crown their heads.  Happiness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

LESSON – JAMES 5:7-11

⁷Therefore, brothers, be patient until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the valuable harvest from the ground, patiently waiting for it, until it receives the early and late rain. ⁸You be patient too. Strengthen your hearts because the coming of the Lord is near. ⁹Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look! The Judge is standing at the doors! ¹⁰Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering with patient endurance. ¹¹See, we consider those who endured to be blessed. You have heard of the patient endurance of Job and have seen what the Lord did in the end, because the Lord is especially compassionate and merciful.

DEVOTION – MATTHEW 11:2-11

CONFESSION OF FAITH

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended into hell.  The third day he rose again from the dead.  He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.  From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen.

OFFERING

Offerings may be given on-line at tithe.ly/risensavior, mailed to the church, or dropped off at the church.

Our members have joined together in faith and love to do the Lord’s work in this community and around the world.  Guests need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

O God, You have sent messengers to prepare the way of Your Son’s coming.

Grant us ears to hear and hearts to believe the words delivered by pastors and all who bear Your Word.

Gracious Lord, You have instituted the home to be a refuge for husbands and wives and a place of growth and safety for children.

Look with favor upon the homes of our land, and grant that the faith might be delivered from one generation to the next.

O Lord, the prophet Isaiah looked for the day when blind eyes would see, deaf ears would hear, lame legs would leap and mute tongues would sing. Until the final day of restoration, draw near to all who have requested our prayers, and give them healing according to Your gracious will.

Bind up those who grieve, that they may look for the resurrection of all flesh.

Heavenly Father, we ask you to bless Zion Lutheran Church as they reach out with your gospel in Lodi, WI, with the help of WELS Home Missions. Thank you for providing Zion with a ministry center in Lodi.  Please open doors of opportunity for your witnesses to testify to the truth in that place, in our community, and around the world. 

Grant success to your servants as we proclaim Jesus Christ to lost souls.

O God, Your love invites us to rejoice in Your goodness. In every circumstance of life, teach us the joy that comes from knowing Your Son, and eagerly expecting His gracious visitation; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who taught us to pray…

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 LORD’S BLESSING

Brothers and sisters, go in peace.  Live in harmony with one another.  Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. Amen

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