The Virtual Service for December 20, 2020

Worship for
Fourth Sunday of Advent  

PRELUDE

GATHERING

INTRODUCTION OF THE DAY

God keeps the promise made to David to give him an everlasting throne. The angel tells Mary that God will give David’s throne to her son Jesus. She is perplexed by Gabriel’s greeting and by the news of her coming pregnancy, but she is able still to say, “Count me in.” We who know that Jesus is called king only as he is executed still find it a mystery hard to fathom, but with Mary today we hear the news of what God is up to and say, “Count us in.”

GATHERING SONG 
My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness (WOV 730)
Performed and arranged by Robert Prester and Adriana Samargia

1.  My soul proclaims your greatness, Lord;
      I sing my Savior's praise!
      You looked upon my lowliness,
      and I am full of grace.
      Now ev'ry land and ev'ry age
      this blessing shall proclaim—
      great wonders you have done for me,
      and holy is your name. 

2.  To all who live in holy fear
      your mercy ever flows.
      With mighty arm you dash the proud,
      their scheming hearts expose.
      The ruthless you have cast aside,
      the lowly throned instead;
      the hungry filled with all good things,
      the rich sent off unfed. 

3.  To Israel, your servant blest,
      your help is ever sure;
      the promise to our parents made
      their children will secure.
      Sing glory to the Holy One,
     give honor to the Word,
      and praise the Pow'r of the Most High,
      one God, by all adored.

Text: With One Voice, 1995, based on the Magnificat.
Text © 1995 Augsburg Fortress.

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit,
whose forgiveness is sure
and whose steadfast love endures forever.
Amen.

Together let us honestly and humbly confess
that we have not lived as God desires.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Loving and forgiving God,
we confess that we are held captive by sin.
In spite of our best efforts, we have gone astray. We have not welcomed the stranger;
we have not loved our neighbor;
we have not been Christ to one another.
Restore us, O God.
Wake us up and turn us from our sin.
Renew us each day in the light of Christ. Amen.

People of God, hear this glad news:
by God’s endless grace
your sins are forgiven, and you are free—
free from all that holds you back
and free to live in the peaceable realm of God.
May you be strengthened in God’s love,
☩ comforted by Christ’s peace,
and accompanied with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH

O come, O King of nations, come,
O Cornerstone that binds in one:
refresh the hearts that long for you;
restore the broken, make us new.  Refrain

We praise you, O God, for this wheel of time
that marks our days of preparation for Christ’s advent.
As we light the candles on this wreath,
open our eyes to see your presence
in the lowly ones of this earth.

Enlighten us with your grace,
that we may sing of your advent among us
in the Word made flesh.

Grant this through Christ our Lord,
whose coming is certain and whose day draws near.
Amen.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.  Refrain 

GREETING

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you. 

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray. Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. With your abundant grace and might, free us from the sin that would obstruct your mercy, that willingly we may bear your redeeming love to all the world, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WORD

THE READING
Romans 16:25-27

A reading from Romans.

Paul closes his letter to the Romans by praising God because, in the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, God has revealed the promised, divine plan of salvation for all humanity. Paul proclaims this gospel of Christ in order to bring about the obedience of faith among all nations.

25Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL
Luke 1:26-38

The holy gospel according to Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.

26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He 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. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The 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 Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ. 

SERMON
Finding Possibility in the Impossible!
Pastor Harkness 

HYMN OF THE DAY
The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came (WOV 632)
Performed and arranged by Robert Prester and Adriana Samargia 

1.  The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
      with wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame:
      "All hail to thee, O lowly maiden Mary,
      most highly favored lady." Gloria! 

2.  "For know a blessed mother thou shalt be,
      all generations laud and honor thee;
      thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
      most highly favored lady." Gloria! 

3. Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
     "To me be as it pleaseth God," she said.
      "My soul shall laud and magnify God's holy name."
      Most highly favored lady, Gloria! 

4.  Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
      in Bethlehem all on a Christmas morn,
      and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
      "Most highly favored lady." Gloria! 

Text: Basque carol; para. Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834-1924 

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

God of power and might, tear open the heavens and come quickly to this weary world. Hear our prayers for everyone in need.

A brief silence.

The response to “Lord in your mercy” is “hear our prayer.”

The prayers conclude:
Draw near to us, O God, and receive our prayers for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

OFFERING

ANTHEM
"Somebody Build a Manger," Raney
Virtual Choir

 OFFERING PRAYER

Generous God,
you have created all that is,
and you provide for us in every season.
Bless all that we offer,
that through these gifts the world will receive your blessing.
In the name of Jesus, Emmanuel, we pray. Amen. 

LORD’S PRAYER

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.

SENDING 

BLESSING

The Creator of the stars bless your Advent waiting,
the long-expected Savior fill you with love,
the unexpected Spirit guide your journey,
☩ now and forever.
Amen.

DISMISSAL

Go in peace. Prepare the way of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

SENDING SONG
Joy to the World (LBW 39)
Performed and arranged by Robert Prester and Adriana Samargia

1.  Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
      Let earth receive her king;
      let ev'ry heart prepare him room
      and heav'n and nature sing,
      and heav'n and nature sing,
      and heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing.

2.  Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
      Let all their songs employ,
      while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
      repeat the sounding joy,
      repeat the sounding joy,
      repeat, repeat the sounding joy. 

3.   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.

4.   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. 

Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

POSTLUDE 

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