Description
Matthew 2:13-23
The tree is sagging. The toys are broken or discarded. The lights are burned out. The lawn Santa is toppled. The carolers are silent. There is nothing so over as Christmas. For one holy night, all seems right with the world. Peace. Joy. Hope. And now it’s back to the real world. Disease. Loneliness. Worry Christmas doesn’t cover life with a gingerbread veneer. Life is hard. There are enemies. There is struggle. We see that in the life of the baby Jesus. There are those who want Him dead. He has to flee. Innocents are slaughtered. But the plan of God is not thwarted. God is in control. And through the faithfulness of obedient people, like Joseph, the Kingdom of God moves forward. As it does in our lives, as we live in response to the great Gift God has given. This is a real Savior, for a real world, for real people – like us.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]
Time of Praise and Worship
*Come, Now Is The Time To Worship partnered with O Come, All Ye Faithful
Brian Doerksen, ©1998 Vineyard Songs; John Francis Wade, ©Public Domain
What Can I Do (Christmas Version)
Graham Kendrick & Paul Baloche, ©2006 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music; Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Jesus Son of God
Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, & Matt Maher, ©2012 Sixsteps Songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Worship Together Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing), A Thousand Generations Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing), Valley Of Songs Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing), Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing), Sony/ATV Timber Publishing (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC), Open Hands Music (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC)
Mary Did You Know?
Buddy Greene & Mark Lowry, ©1991, 1993 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
Rufus Music (Admin. by Gaither Copyright Management
[Traditional Options]
Once He Came In Blessing
EH 53; LBW 312; LSB 333; LW 30
What Hope! An Eden Prophesied
LSB 342
On Christmas Night All Christians Sing
ELW 274; LSB 377; LW 65; NCH 143; WC 168; WAR 222
Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme
Pastor: In the name of the Father, Who sent His Son into a world of sin;
In the name of the Son, Jesus Christ, born into a world that rejects Him,
In the name of the Holy Spirit, Who makes salvation real in our lives..
ALL Amen
Opening Prayer
Pastor Almighty God, You are Reality. Outside of You, and Your Kingdom, all is transient and fading. You sent Your Son into our world that we might know the reality of Your love, in the midst of all the turmoil that surrounds us. We gather this day before Your throne, worshipping You in Spirit and Truth, and we leave this place to live within Your Kingdom, as Your people.
ALL Amen.
Time of Greeting
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor It’s the Sunday ‘after’. The glow is fading. The carols are echoes. It’s back to ‘the real world.’ Today’s Gospel tells us that the birth of Jesus did not make the world into a gingerbread fantasy. Jesus’ birth brought opposition, and death. The world of sin reacted to the birth of the Savior in predictable ways. There are those who would say sin, and death and treachery and struggle are the ‘real world’. And yet, the Reality is the Kingdom of God, ushered in through a Son, born of a virgin, Who died and rose again for us. We acknowledge, on this day, that we often confuse what is Real, with what is not
(a time of silence)
Father, we confess before You
ALL How easily we are confused. We want to keep Christ in Christmas, when He is meant for more than Christmas. We ‘visit’ the manger, sing our carols, feel good, and then go on about our living as if our living is the ‘real world’, and the Kingdom is nothing but a doctrine.
Life is hard. Relationships are broken. We find ourselves at odds with so many people. Peace is shattered into pieces. There are struggles. We worry.
Our attention is focused on things that do not last.
For us, the ‘real world’ is money, job, demands, bills, spam, updates, sound bytes, gas prices, in-laws, deadlines and on and on.
Pastor Here is the reality. God so loved the world He gave His Son to restore the Kingdom. Through the cross of Jesus and the resurrection, we are now Kingdom people. Reality, for us, is love and joy and peace; a stewardship of grace; an approach to neighbors that is embracing; a realization that all the world counts as essential, is fading and fleeting.
ALL We are Kingdom people. Really!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading: Isaiah 63:7-14
God restores His rebellious people.
7 I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. 8 He said, “Surely they are my people, children who will be true to me”; and so he became their Savior. 9 In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 10 Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. 11 Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people— where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, 12 who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses’ right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown, 13 who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; 14 like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name.
