December 27, 2020 - The Light of Salvation
“Tested by families, for families (and others too). Church at Home is an interactive, weekly worship service to be held from the safety of your own home. Each service will be centered around one theme and will have 3 songs, readings, and prayers, a short (4-5 min) message for children, and a longer (10 min) message for the whole family.”
Thank you for joining us for our Church at Home service!
Directly below in English and here in Spanish is an at-home worship service to be held with the family or as an individual or small group. Included are links to songs and pastoral messages (English, Spanish, Bilingual, and children's message) which will be made available every Saturday on Youtube. The head of the household can lead (L) and others can respond (C) or everyone can take turns. Use the links for the songs and messages at the appropriate time. Please do not feel pressured to go through the whole thing in one sitting. Rather, use each element of this service so that it serves as a blessing to you and your family.
If you have any prayer requests, or if you worship in this way this weekend, please use or fill out our online connect card, or linked below in the service. Comment to let us know how it went and any suggestions you may have!
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Finally, for this week’s news update or more information about our church, click here.
May God bless your Church at Home worship service this week.
Pastor William Dunn
Life & Light
The Light of Salvation
December 21st will be the longest night of the year. Maybe 2020 feels like the longest year in recent history. Darkness, despair, and death seem to be taking over. But wait! December 24th is Christmas Eve. The days will get longer. The darkness will flee. The Light of the World has come to bring Life and Light. This Christmas season, we will preach on the Gospel lessons, focusing on the Life and Light that Jesus brings. On Christmas Eve, the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth (Luke 2:14)!” The glory of the Lord would shine on the world as he came to bring light to a world that was dark and doomed. On Christmas Day, we’ll marvel at how the one whose word created light at the beginning had returned to the world to scatter the darkness. “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world (John 1:9).” Finally, we will celebrate Epiphany, when God placed a star in the sky and led the wise men to the Christ-child. The light of Jesus shines, and the nations will praise him. Merry Christmas. We pray that God blesses you with Life and Light this Christmas Season!
Jesus Christ is the Savior — the only Savior — for the whole world. In him, we have justification and peace. Let us, therefore, do everything for him with grateful hearts.
Opening Song - Angels We Have Heard on High
Invocation
L. In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C. Amen.
Confession and Absolution
We begin the service by recognizing how we have fallen short of God’s will and desire for our lives, and we receive the good news that we are forgiven in Jesus Christ.
L. Let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.
C. Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin. For faithless worrying and selfish pride, for sins of habit and sins of choice, for the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do, you should cast me away from your presence forever. O Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake.
L. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ just as he proclaimed to the paralytic: "Take heart, your sins are forgiven.” Let us take this forgiveness to heart and proclaim it to each other in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer of the Day
L. Almighty God, in mercy you sent your one and only Son to take upon himself our human nature. By his gracious coming deliver us from the corruption of our sin and transform us into the likeness of his glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C. Amen.
First Lesson - Isaiah 45:20-25
God calls everyone to come to him for salvation because he is the one who justifies. Although everyone sins and rebels against God in thought, word, and deed, God, in his love, calls them to salvation.
20 Gather! Come! Draw near together, you survivors from the nations. They have no knowledge—those who are lifting up their idols of wood and praying to a god that cannot save.
21 Make an announcement and come close. Let them consult together. Who made this known ahead of time? From time past who announced it? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no god except me, a righteous God and Savior. There is no one except me.
22 Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, because I am God, and there is no other.
23 I have sworn by myself. From my mouth a righteous word has gone out, and it will not return unfulfilled. Indeed, to me every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance.
24 “Only in the LORD,” they will say of me, “Only in the LORD is there true righteousness and strength.” To him they will come and be ashamed—all those who are angry at him.
25 In the LORD, all the descendants of Israel will be justified. They will be praised by him.
Second Lesson - Colossians 3:12-17
Saint Paul encourages us, “as God's elect,” to lead holy lives to thank God for all that he gives us.
12 Therefore, as God’s elect, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint against anyone else. Forgive, just as Christa forgave you. 14 And, in addition to all these things, put on love, which ties things together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ control your hearts, to which you were also called, in one body. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And everything you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Gospel - Luke 2:25-40
When Joseph and Mary were taking the baby Jesus to the temple for the rite of purification, they encountered a man named Simeon whom God had promised would see the Savior of the world before he died. Seeing the infant Jesus, Simeon praised God for keeping his promise of the Savior. In the same way, the elderly Anna also thanked God for sending the Savior and spoke of him with all "who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem."
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, waiting for the comfort of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, 28 Simeon took him into his arms and praised God. He said,
29 Lord, you now dismiss your servant in peace, according to your word, 30 because my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared before the face of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.
33 Joseph and the child’s mother were amazed at the things that were spoken about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Listen carefully, this child is appointed for the falling and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 Anna, a prophetess, was there. She was a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old. She had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37 and then she was a widow of eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple complex, since she was worshipping with fasting and prayers night and day. 38 Standing nearby at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord. She kept speaking about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When they had accomplished everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town, Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
Song - Oh Holy Night
Children's Message
Song - Nunc Dimittis - Song of Simeon
English Sermon -or- Bilingual Sermon
Confession of Faith - The Apostles' Creed
We speak the truths of the faith that have united the church for thousands of years.
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 - Facebook or PayPal
Out of thanksgiving for God’s message of grace and forgiveness, if you would like to support our ministry with a financial gift you may do so with zero fees through our Facebook page or with a small fee included through Paypal. We thank you for your gracious support.
Online Connection Card
Please use the link to connect with us online! Let us know that you worshiped with us or submit a prayer request.
General Prayer
Use this time to pray to God about anything that is on your heart and mind. Remember who God is and how he describes himself in the Bible. Focus on his eternal perspective. Consider not only your own life, but also the lives of others. Finally, pray with confidence knowing that God hears you, and pray in the name of your savior, Jesus Christ.
The Lord's Prayer
Pray the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
The Blessing
Just as God told Aaron to bless his people in this way, we ask God’s blessing on us as we go forth in our lives.
L. The Lord bless us and keep us.
The Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us.
The Lord look on us with favor and ☩ give us peace.
C. Amen