Order of Worship and Litanies by Lisa Frenz © 2002, 2003, 2007
Below are some worship resources which you are welcome to use at no charge. Please just use a copyright acknowledgment "Copyright Lisa Frenz. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission."
Order For Worship
▲ = Please stand as you are able
▼ = Please sit
Prelude & Lighting of Altar Candles
Call to Worship:
Vocal Solo: Precious Lord Take My Hand - vs 1.
Text: Thomas A. Dorsey, 1899-1993
Music: Thomas A. Dorsey, 1899-1993, based on MAITLAND, George N. Allen
P: (Soloist hums “Precious Lord” under reading): I believe that I cannot come to my Lord Jesus Christ by my own intelligence or power. But the Holy Spirit called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as He calls, gathers together, enlightens and makes holy the whole Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus in the one, true faith. In this Church, He generously forgives each day every sin committed by me and by every believer. On the last day, He will raise me and all the dead from the grave. He will give eternal life to me and to all who believe in Christ. Yes, this is [most certainly] true!
(The Small Catechism[1] of Martin Luther, Translation by Robert E. Smith, May 22, 1994, Version 1.1 -- December 22, 1994, Updated for Contemporary Readers, Frank West, July 22, 2001)
Lighting of the Advent Wreath:
Congregational Song: Light One Candle Week 1 - vs. 1, Week 2 - vs. 2, Week 3, vs.3, Week 4, vs. 4
Text: Wayne L. Wold, b. 1954
Tune Name: TIF IN VELDELE
Music: Yiddish folk tune
▲ P: Blessed is the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens;
Just as God chose us to be in Christ
before the foundation of the world,
God chose us to be holy and blameless
before God in love.
God destined us for adoption through Jesus Christ
According to the favor of God’s will,
For the praise of the glory of God’s grace
which God gave us in the beloved, Jesus Christ,
In whom we have redemption through his blood—
the forgiveness of our sins—
According to the riches of God’s grace
Which he lavished on us
in all wisdom and insight.
God has made known to us the mystery of the divine will
According to the favor which God set forth in Christ
As a plan for the fullness of time
to sum up all things in Christ—
all the things of heaven
and all the things of earth in him—
In whom we also were chosen,
destined according to the purpose of the one
who sets everything in motion
According to the council of God’s will
For we exist to praise the glory of God—
we who first hoped in Christ
Ephesians 1:3-12 (tr. Annal Frenz)
Praise Song:
Advent Litany:
P: O Sapientia,
C: Wisdom, come.
P: O Adonai,
C: Sacred Ruler of Israel, come.
P: O Radix Jesse,
C: Stock of Jesse, come.
P: O Clavis David,
C: Key of David, come.
P: O Oriens,
C: Rising Sun, come.
P: O Rex Gentium,
C: Ruler of all, come.
P: O Emmanuel,
C: God with us, come.
Congregational Song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Tune Name: VENI, EMMANUEL
Text: Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, Koln, 1710; tr. composite
Music: French processional, 15th cent.
O come, o come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Week 1:
P: (Spoken over music) The Lord is wise beyond our foolish insight,
knowing,
seeing,
the lineaments of the universe,
the sinews of life,
the pathways of time,
the foundation of the world.
C: Come, O Wisdom, come.
A: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of strength, a spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. Come, O Sapientia, come;
C: Feel our longing. See our need,
A: Fulfill your promise, “Tomorrow I will be there.”
C: For Christ is the source of our life, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
A: For wonderful is his counsel and great his wisdom. Come, O Sapientia, come.
C: O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High. You fill the universe and hold all things together in a strong yet gentle manner. O come to teach us the way of truth.
Song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who orders all things mightily,
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
P: (Spoken over music) The Lord is commanding beyond our unruly expertise,
governing,
ordering,
the precepts of the universe,
the flow of life,
the process of time,
the kinetics of the world.
C: Come, O Sacred Lord, come.
A: Indeed the Lord will be there with us, majestic; yes the Lord our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our Ruler, it is he who will save us. Come, O Adonai, come;
C: Feel our longing. See our need,
A: Fulfill your promise, “Tomorrow I will be there.”
C: For Christ is our ruler who will govern God’s holy people.
A: Great is the Lord, faithful and true. Come, O Adonai, come.
C: O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.
Song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty, and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Week 2:
P: (Spoken over music) The Lord is gracious beyond our futile success,
rescuing,
renewing,
the structure of the universe,
the establishment of life,
the basis of time,
the underpinning of the world.
C: Come, O Stock of Jesse, come.
A: On that day, the Root of Jesse, set up as a sign for the nations, will be sought by the Gentiles, and his dwellings will be glorious. Then shall the Lord again extend his hand and recover his people. Come, Radix Jesse, come;
C: Feel our longing. See our need,
A: Fulfill your promise, “Tomorrow I will be there.”
C: For Christ is our justification, the source of our being, the Word of our creation.
A: Merciful is the Lord, who rescues his people. Come, O Radix Jesse, come.
C: O stock of Jesse, you stand as a signal for the nations; kings fall silent before you whom the peoples acclaim. O come to deliver us, and do not delay.
Song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, O Rod of Jesse free,
Thine own from Satan's tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
P: (Spoken over music) The Lord is merciful beyond our abusive justice,
uplifting,
amending,
the compass of the universe,
the scope of life,
the sweep of time,
the solidity of the world.
C: Come, O Key of David, come.
A: Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. Come, O Clavis David, come;
C: Feel our longing. See our need,
A: Fulfill your promise, “Tomorrow I will be there.”
C: For Christ is our freedom, the heir and son, who inherits the kingdom of God.
A: Blessed is Lord, who comes to set us free. Come, O Clavis David, come.
C: O Key of David and scepter of Israel, what you open no one else can close again; what you close no one can open. O come to lead the captive from prison; free those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Week 3:
P: (Spoken over music) The Lord is incandescent beyond our dim enlightenment,
illuminating,
enlightening,
the plight of the universe,
the uncertainty of life,
the sterility of time,
the barrenness of the world.
C: Come, O Rising Sun, come.
A: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of darkness has a light shown. Come, O Oriens, come;
C: Feel our longing. See our need,
A: Fulfill your promise, “Tomorrow I will be there.”
C: For Christ is the light of the world, the dawn of life to the lifeless.
A: Wondrous is the Lord, who illumines our darkness. Come, O Oriens, come.
C: O Rising Sun, you are the splendor of eternal light and the sun of justice. O come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer,
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
P: (Spoken over music) The Lord is dynamic beyond our ineffectual management,
reuniting,
reconciling,
the chaos of the universe,
the brokenness of life,
the disruption of time,
the disunity of the world.
C: Come, O King of all, come.
A: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; upon his shoulders rests the dominion of the world. He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. Come, O Rex Gentium, come;
C: Feel our longing. See our need,
A: Fulfill your promise, “Tomorrow I will be there.”
C: For Christ is our hope, the holy Lamb of God.
A: Worthy is the Lord, steadfast and full of glory. Come, O Rex Gentium, come.
C: O King whom all the peoples desire, you are the cornerstone which makes all one. O come and save humankind whom you made from clay.
Song: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, Desire of nations, bind,
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Prayer of the Day
The Word:
▼ First Lesson
Psalm
Second Lesson
▲ Holy Gospel:
P: The Gospel according to _________.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
The Holy Gospel is read
P: The Word of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
▼ Music for Meditation
Message
▲ Theme Song:
Testimony of Faith:
I believe in God, our Creator, who at the beginning of time made us to be sons and daughters: who, after we separated ourselves from God, still gave us hope in the promise of the Word.
I believe in God, our Savior, Christ Jesus, who is one with the Creator. Who at the beginning of time called us to be sons and daughters; who loved us so much that he limited himself to life as a human; who was born at Bethlehem, lived in Galilee, walked in Palestine and Israel; who through his life and death and resurrection in this world reunited us with God, bring to us, in his person, God’s all encompassing love and peace.
I believe in God, our Counselor, who is one with the Creator and the Christ. Who from the beginning of time gathers us to be sons and daughters; who feeds us with wisdom, strength, faith and love so that we may come back to God restored to the wholeness for which we were created.
Prayers of the Church
Greeting of Peace:
P: God has received us, pardoned us and loved us; let us forgive each other in love and share the peace of Christ. Peace be with you.
C: And also with you.
All may greet one another in the name of the Lord.
▼ Offering
▲ Offering Song:
Offering Prayer:
A: Let us pray. Lord of Love,
C: You gave us the greatest gift of all, our Savior Jesus Christ. We ask that you accept the gifts we bring: our goods, our time and our talents. Use them as You will for your purpose. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Eucharist:
Prayer:
P Now, God who was and is before all things moved over the mists of nothingness and called all things into being: light and dark, stars and planets, sea and land, plants and fish, birds and animals. All things did God create.
And God formed and breathed life into humankind. Walking and talking with them. But the man and the woman sought fulfillment through other things. Things forbidden. And so God banished the betrayers of this trust into a broken world. A world of pain and sorrow and death.... Yet, God did not abandon humanity nor all the things brought into being. From before time and creation God set into motion the salvation of all creation and all humanity....
For I received from the Lord
that which I also handed down to you—
that the Lord Jesus
in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
and after giving thanks, He broke it and said,
“This is My body, which is for you;
do this in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant which is in My blood;
do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
I Corinthians 11:23-26 (tr. Annal Frenz)
So marvelous are your works, O God! So wondrous are your deeds. Hidden from our eyes, you move to save us. In the quietest of ways you set in motion the greatest of tasks. Intricately wrought, eternal in scope, human in execution, you bring your saving love to fulfillment.
God’s Word flowed out and took human form. An ocean contained in a stream. A star cupped in a hand. God – conceived, carried and born of a woman. The plan from before time put into time and space.... As promised, the virgin conceived and bore a son. And he was named Jesus... Emmanuel... God With Us.
Lord’s Prayer:
C: 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. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
▼ Distribution of Holy Communion
▲ Dismissal from Holy Communion:
P: Now may the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you always in God’s grace.
C: Amen.
Post-Communion Prayer:
A: Let us pray. So marvelous are your works, O God!
C: So wondrous are your deeds. Hidden from our eyes, you move to save us. In the quietest of ways you set in motion the greatest of tasks. Intricately wrought, eternal in scope, human in execution, you bring your saving love to fulfillment through our Savior, Jesus the Christ. Empower us to carry that love with us and move us to do your will in this world. Amen.
Closing Litany:
P: The Lord is preeminent beyond our feeble understanding,
nourishing,
growing,
the beauty of the universe,
the sacredness of life,
the incorruptibility of time,
the integrity of the world.
C: Come, O God With Us, come.
A: All the nations shall be shaken and the house of Israel made glorious, for Mary the wife of Joseph shall bear a son, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and his name shall be Jesus. Come, O Emmanuel, come;
C: Feel our longing. See our need,
A: Fulfill your promise, “Tomorrow I will be there.”
C: For Christ is our deliverer, who was spoken of by the prophets, redeemer of the nations.
A: Magnificent is the Lord, who sanctifies us with new life. Come, O Emmanuel, come.
C: O Emmanuel, you are our ruler and judge, the One whom the peoples await and their Savior. O come and save us, Lord, our God.
P: Sapientia,
C: O Wisdom.
P: Adonai,
C: O Sacred Ruler of Israel.
P: Radix Jesse,
C: O Stock of Jesse.
P: Clavis,
C: O Key of David.
P: Oriens,
C: O Rising Sun.
P: Rex Gentium,
C: O King of all.
P: Emmanuel,
C: O God with us.
P: Ero cras,
C: Tomorrow I will be there. . .
Sung Blessing: The Lord Bless You
Text & Music: Ronald E. Nitz
OR
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you.
The Lord look upon you with favor,
and give you peace.
Amen, amen, amen.
▼ Announcements
▲ Sending Song:
A: Go in peace. Serve the Lord!
C: Thanks be to God.
Postlude