Description
Mark 13:24-37
The season of Advent invites us to wait impatiently for the consummation of hope, longing to know God as fully as we have been known; to see no longer through a dark pane, but face to face; to love as we have been loved; to experience Jesus Christ as he is, and in so doing, to become like him. As we approach the end of the liturgical year the readings remind of us this aspect of Jesus’ teaching: his glorious return to the earth. The day of his coming heralds the salvation and vindication of the righteous, a day of joy rather than fear. Yet we need to watch out so as not to be caught unawares when that mysterious day comes. I thank Jesus for these comforting words and ask for the grace to lead a watchful rather than a superficial life.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include video countdowns, worship song videos, welcomes), CDs, or live music.]
Welcome & Time of Greeting
Pastor / Worship Leader
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Worshipers
And also, with you.
Time of Praise and Worship
Build Your Kingdom Here
Rend Collective Experiment, ©2011 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Way Maker
Osinachi Okoro, © 2016 Integrity Music Europe (Admin by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Confidence
Chris Rohman, Dustin Lolli, Ethan Hulse, Matthew Armstrong, © 1978 Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Be Essential Songs (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Bluehouse Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Caelum Terra Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) EGH Music Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) So Essential Tunes (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Fair Trade Tunes (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC]) Curb Wordspring Music (Admin. by W.C.M. Music Corp.) Eyes Up Songs (Admin. by W.C.M. Music Corp.)
[Traditional Options]
For All The Saints
BH75 144; BH91 355; CH 767; CHH 637; EH 287; ELW 422; HWC 546; HFG 614; HLC 533; HGP 25; LBW 174; LSB 677; LW 191; NCH 299; PH 526; RH 667; STTL 685; TFWS 2283; WC 751; UMH 711; WAR 529; WHM 597; WIS 310
Your Kingdom, O God, is My Glorious Treasure
LSB 654
Christ is Surely Coming
LSB 509
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word, I put my hope.
Worshipers
My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Pastor / Worship Leader
O Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
Worshipers
For with the Lord there is unfailing love, with him there is plenteous redemption. Amen.
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
God of justice and peace, from the heavens your rain down mercy and kindness, that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder before your marvelous deeds.
Worshipers
Raise our heads in expectation, that we may yearn for the coming day of the Lord and stand without blame before your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
Dear Heavenly Father, we lower our heads before you and we confess that we have too often forgotten that we are yours. Sometimes we carry on our lives as if there was no God and we fall short of being a credible witness to You. For these things we ask your forgiveness and we also ask for your strength. Give us clear minds and open hearts so we may witness to You in our world. Remind us to be who You would have us to be regardless of what we are doing or who we are with. Hold us to You and build our relationship with You and with those You have given us on earth.
Worshipers
Almighty God, who does freely pardon all who repent and turn to Him, now fulfill in every contrite heart the promise of redeeming grace; forgiving all our sins, and cleansing us from an evil conscience; through the perfect sacrifice of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Isaiah 64:1-9
In Isaiah 64:1-9 the pain is brought on by the consequences of the people’s iniquities, experienced most deeply as anger and alienation from God. Their appeal is for God’s intervention — to heal the alienation and to halt the damage of their sins. These verses are part of a larger psalm of communal lament (Isaiah 63:7-64:12) that begins with a praise-filled account of God’s mighty acts of deliverance throughout Israel’s history.
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.
