Hymn “Brightest and Best of the Stars of the Morning” LSB # 400
1 Brightest and best of the stars of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
2 Cold on His cradle the dew-drops are shining;
Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall;
Angels adore Him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Savior of all.
3 Shall we not yield Him, in costly devotion,
Fragrance of Edom and off'rings divine,
Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest and gold from the mine?
4 Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
Vainly with gifts would His favor secure,
Richer by far is the heart's adoration;
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
5 Brightest and best of the stars of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
P: In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C: who made heaven and earth.
P: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C: and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
(We reflect on God’s Word and examine ourselves)
P: O almighty God, merciful Father,
C: I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You, and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P: Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
The Introit is read…
(Sung)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
The Antiphon is read…
(Sung)
Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.
(Glory be to God on high)
…and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory. O Lord God, heav’nly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord. Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray.
Collect of the Day:
P: Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of your people and grant us your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Hymn “Hail, O Source of Every Blessing” LSB # 409
1 Hail, O Source of ev'ry blessing, Father of our human race!
Gentiles now, Your grace possessing, In Your courts obtain a place.
Grateful now, we fall before You, In Your Church rejoice to live,
See Your glory and adore You, Thankful for the grace You give.
2 Once far off but now invited, We approach Your sacred throne,
In Your covenant united, Reconciled, redeemed, made one.
Now revealed to Eastern sages, See the Star of Mercy shine,
Myst'ry hid in former ages, Myst'ry great of love Divine.
3 Hail, O all-inviting Savior! Gentiles now their off'rings bring,
In Your temples seek Your favor, Jesus Christ, our Lord and King.
May we, body, soul, and spirit, Live devoted to Your praise,
Glorious realms of bliss inherit, Grateful anthems ever raise.
Scripture Readings
Old Testament Reading (Isaiah 49:1-7)
Listen to me, O coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The Lord called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
in his quiver he hid me away.
3 And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
and my recompense with my God.”
5 And now the Lord says,
he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
7 Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading (1 Corinthians 1:1-9)
Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
P: The holy Gospel according to St. John, the 1st chapter.
C: (sung) Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
(John 1:29-42a)
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: (sung) Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
Confession of Faith -- Apostles’ Creed
C: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence 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.
Hymn “Christ, the Word of God Incarnate” LSB # 540
1 Christ, the Word of God incarnate, Lord and Son of Abraham;
Christ, the radiance of the Father, Perfect God, the great I Am;
Christ, the light, You shine unvanquished, Light and life You bring to all;
Light our path with Your own presence, Grant us grace to heed Your call.
2 Christ, the living bread from heaven, Food for body, food for soul;
Christ, the manna daily given, Nourish, strengthen, make us whole.
Feed us with the food of heaven, Fore-taste of the feast to be;
Quench our thirst with living water Springing up eternally.
3 Christ, the shoot that springs triumphant From the stump of Jesse’s tree;
Christ, true vine, You nurture branches To bear fruit abundantly.
Graft us into You, O Savior; Prune our hearts so we remain
Fruitful branches in Your vineyard Till eternal life we gain.
4 Christ, our good and faithful shepherd, Watching all Your lambs and sheep;
Christ, the gate that guards the sheepfold, Never failing vigil keep.
When we stray, Good Shepherd, seek us, Find us, lift us, bear us home;
Lamb of God, our shepherd, keep us; Let us hear Your voice alone.
5 Christ, the way that leads unfailing To the Father’s home on high,
Christ, the truth that frees the captive, Christ, the life that cannot die.
Mediator to the Father, Sacrifice and great High Priest:
Lead us to Your heav’nly mansions, There to share Your wedding feast.
6 Christ, the Alpha and Omega, Christ, the firstborn from the dead,
Christ, the life and resurrection, Christ, the Church’s glorious head:
Praise and thanks and adoration And unending worship be
To the Father and the Spirit And to You eternally.
Sermon
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in your mercy,
C: Receive our prayer.
The 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
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And with thy spirit.
P: Bless we the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Benediction
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 + give you peace.
C: Amen.
Closing Hymn “Alleluia! Let Praises Ring” LSB # 822
1 Alleluia! Let praises ring! To God the Father let us bring
Our songs of adoration. To Him through everlasting days
Be worship, honor, pow'r, and praise, Whose hand sustains creation.
Singing, ringing: Holy, holy, God is holy; Spread the story
Of our God, the Lord of glory.
2 Alleluia! Let praises ring! Unto the Lamb of God we sing,
In whom we are elected. He bought His Church with His own blood,
He cleansed her in that blessed flood, And as His Bride selected.
Holy, holy Is our union And communion. His befriending
Gives us joy and peace unending.
3 Alleluia! Let praises ring! Unto the Holy Ghost we sing
For our regeneration. The saving faith in us He wrought
And us unto the Bridegroom brought. Made us His chosen nation.
Glory! Glory! Joy eternal, Bliss supernal; There is manna
And an endless, glad hosanna.