Description
Mark 13:24-37
Jesus had been teaching in the temple during the last week of His life. As He is leaving, Jesus speaks of the end times and His second coming! He teaches them how to recognize the signs and especially to be on alert, for no one knows the day or hour of His return. They are to keep watch!
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
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Andrews)
Charles Wesley, Jacob Sooter, Meredith Andrews, Rowland Hugh Prichard, © 2017 Jacob Sooter Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Not Just Another Song Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) So Essential Tunes (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Vertical Church Band Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Curb Word Music (Admin. by WC Music Corp.) Mesmerized Music (Admin. by WC Music Corp.)
A Christmas Alleluia
Chris Tomlin & Jonas Myrin, © 2015 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) S. D. G. Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Sixsteps Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Son of the Lion (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Worship Together Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
*Come, Now Is The Time To Worship partnered with O Come, All Ye Faithful
Brian Doerksen, ©1998 Vineyard Songs
*adapt text to “gladly serve You now…”
[Traditional Options]
O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
ELW 241; LBW 23; LSB 334; LW 19; NCH 102; PH 11
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
BH 75 79; BH 91 77; CH 244; CHH 125; EH 66; ELW 254; HWC 124; HFG 168; HLC 102; LBW 30; LSB 338; LW 22; NCH 122; PH 1,2; RH 115; RS 496; STTL 157; WC 135; UMH 196; WAR 153; WHM 121; WIS 181
The Advent of Our King
LBW 22; LSB 331; LW 12
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth.
Worshipers
Within your church, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Praise awaits you, our God; to you, our vows will be fulfilled. You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.
Worshipers
You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
Pastor / Worship Leader
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
Worshipers
My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Amen!
Worshipers
Amen!
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
Lord Jesus Christ, we await your coming. We wait filled with hope, knowing your light will shine in the darkness. We wait, anticipating your peace, believing that one day it will fill our world. We wait, embracing your love. Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty, to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Worshipers
Amen!
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
Lord, we confess our iniquities; We are troubled by our sin.
Worshipers
Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Worshipers
We confess that we do not keep our eyes on you. We do not wait and watch for you. We confess that we may indeed be asleep when you return. We are not, as You said, on guard. We are not on alert.
Pastor / Worship Leader
We pray to you Lord and confess: You are the Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him.
Worshipers
We confess our sins; You are faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Lord do not forsake us; do not be far from us, our God. Come quickly to help us, our Lord and Savior.
Worshipers
Amen!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Isaiah 64:1-9
The Prophet Isaiah laments the sins of Israel and the anger of God. He pleads “How can we be saved?” All of Israel is unclean. But Isaiah calls on the Lord to remember His ways even though His face is hidden. He says, “You are our Father, do not remember our sins forever!”
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! 2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! 3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. 4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. 5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? 6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. 7 No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. 8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.
