Description
John 1:6-8, 19-28
The Apostle John begins his gospel describing Jesus as the Word, as life and the light of all mankind. He then tells of John the Baptist, ensuring his readers understand that John (who had followers) was not the light, but was a witness to the light. The Jewish leaders question John the Baptist as to who he is. He testifies that he is not the Messiah. He quotes the prophet Isaiah and states he is the voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include video countdowns, worship song videos, welcomes), CDs, or live music.]
Welcome & Time of Greeting
Time of Praise and Worship
Build My Life
Brett Younker, Karl Martin, Kirby Elizabeth Kaple, Matt Redman, and Pat Barrett © 2016 Martin, Karl Andrew, Kaple Music, Capitol CMG Genesis, Housefires Sounds, Said And Done Music, sixsteps Music, Thankyou Music, worshiptogether.com songs, Bethel Music Publishing
Noel
Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Matt Redman © 2015 Alletrop Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) S. D. G. Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Said And Done Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) sixsteps Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Worship Together Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Worth of It All
David Brymer | Ryan Hall © 2012 Common Hymnal Publishing; Innerland; Underground Treasure; Wayfinder Music
[Traditional Options]
Let Our Gladness Have No End
ELW 291; LBW 57; LSB 381; LW 69
O God of God, O Light of Light
LBW 536; LSB 810; LW 83
Once in Royal David’s City
CH 286; CHH 165; EH 102; ELW 269; HWC 155; HLC 109; LBW 376; LSB 376; LW 58; NCH 145; PH 49; RS 526; STTL 170; WC 161; UMH 250; WOV 643; WAR 183
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
Our souls proclaim your greatness, O God. And our spirits rejoice in you.
Worshipers
We will praise you as long as we live. We will sing praises to you our whole lives long.
Pastor / Worship Leader
We will not trust in the power of this world but will trust in you–Creator of heaven and earth.
Worshipers
We rejoice in the reality of who you are. We live within the joy of your love for us.
Pastor / Worship Leader
We will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; Our souls magnify the Lord; With our mouths we proclaim God’s faithfulness to all generations.
Worshipers
Our spirits rejoice in God our savior. We declare that your steadfast love is established forever.
His mercy is to those who fear him from generation to generation.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. You are our Father, our God, and the Rock of our salvation. Amen!
Worshipers
Amen!
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
Lord, as John the Baptist came to prepare the way for your coming, may we, the church, seek to prepare the way for you to come into the lives of others. Help us so to follow Christ that in all our relationships with other people something of his love may be seen, something of his nature understood. Lord, as John the Baptist came to call the people to repentance, may we, the church, offer to others by our witness and example, an alternative way of life, a way of life based on love and truth, rather than selfishness and complacency. Help us to keep a clear view of your goodness, so that our values may reflect our faith and not the values of the society around us. We ask that by our words, prayers, and actions, we may be forerunners for the salvation of humankind. Amen!
Worshipers
Amen!
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
Lord, we confess
Worshipers
We confess that too often, Lord God, we are hesitant in our proclamation; seeking safe and suitable opportunities to speak of our faith.
Pastor / Worship Leader
We Lord are half-hearted in our service; reluctant to stand out from the crowd or to attract criticism.
Worshipers
We live as if dependent wholly on our own resources, relying on our perceived skills and modest insights.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Forgive the poverty of our efforts and the frailty of our faith and open wide our hearts and minds to the immanent presence of our Risen, Living and Ascended Lord Jesus Christ.
Worshipers
God, you loved this world so much that you sent your own son, Jesus Christ to live and die among us, in order that we might have life. Forgive us for keeping that abundant life to ourselves.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Amen!
Worshipers
Amen!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
The Prophet Isaiah in beautiful prose and poetry, with the Spirit of the Lord upon him, prophesies and proclaims good news to the poor, the brokenhearted, captives and prisoners, those who mourn. The Lord loves justice and will reward his people. They will be known among the nations and will be blessed.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” 10 I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
