Advent Evening PrayerTrinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Nicollet, Minnesota

December 12, 2018

Suggested silent prayers: Hymns 305 and 274

all rise (see page 54 in the hymnal for music)

M: (*) Jesus Christ is the Light of the world,C: (*) The light no darkness can overcome.

M: (*) Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,C: (*) And the day is almost over.

M: (*) Be our light and scatter the darkness,C: (*) And hear our evening hymn of praise.

M: Blessed are you, O Lord God, King of the universe, who led your

people Israel with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Enlighten our darkness by the light of your Christ. May his Word be a

lamp to our feet and a light for our path, for you are merciful, and you

love your whole creation. We, your creatures, glorify you: Father, Son

and Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

All sit to sing Psalm 141:1–2, then pause for brief meditation.

C:

M: Let our prayers be acceptable in your sight. Come and help us in time

of need that we may sing your praise in holy joy now and forever,

through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C: Amen.

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PSALM 85 page 97 in the front of the hymnal

Pastor sings the first line; all sing the indented, second line.

All sign the refrains and “Glory be to the Father ...”

After the psalm is sung, brief silence is kept for meditation.

M: God of love and faithfulness, you showed favor to your people by

sending your one and only Son to be our Savior. Grant us to trust in him

as our gracious Redeemer and so enjoy the peace he came to bring, who

lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and

forever.

C: Amen. (spoken)

LUKE 1:26–56

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town

in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a 27

descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to 28

her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with

you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind29

of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, 30

Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and 31

give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be 32

great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will

give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the 33

house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”34

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and35

the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be

born will be called the Son of God.

“Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old 36

age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For 37

nothing is impossible with God.”

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“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as38

you have said.” Then the angel left her.

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill39

country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted 40

Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her41

womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice 42

she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child

you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord 43

should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached 44

my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has 45

believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit46 47

rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble 48

state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.49

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to 50

generation.

“He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered 51

those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down 52

rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the 53

hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has 54

helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and 55

his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then56

returned home.

M: (*) The Lord will come again in glory.

The Spirit and the Church cry out: Come, Lord Jesus, come.

HYMN “Mary of the Incarnation”

1. Mary of the incarnation, (Luke 1:26–58)

Youthful mother of her King,

Listening, trusting, traveling, working:

See her wonder, hear her sing!

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O, for such a mind as Mary’s,

Thinking psalms, as notes combine;

Quick to learn, by speech or silence, (John 2:1–12)

When the water flowed as wine!

2. Mary of the crucifixion, (Luke 2:35)

Warned of her heart-rendering role,

Following close where nails and scourges (John 19:25)

Tear her Son and pierce her soul.

O, for such a love as Mary’s,

Costly, pure, enduring long,

Sharing threats and thorns and darkness

When most helpless, thus most strong!

3. Mary of the resurrection, (Acts 1:14)

True disciple, Spirit-born:

All her joy, still, God her Savior; (Luke 1:47)

Bless’d the mother made to mourn!

O, for Easter faith like Mary’s,

Life that death cannot erase,

Greeting new-found brothers, sisters,

One in Christ for prayer and praise!

(use space below for notes, if you wish)

SERMON ON LUKE 1:26–38

“Open My Eyes to See ..”

1. Your mother’s heart

2. Gabriel’s counterpart

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SONG OF MARY page 57 in the front of the hymnal

(*) My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

My spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

The Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy—

the promise made to our fathers,

to Abraham, and to his children for ever. Amen.

OFFERING Please sign the friendship register, too.

During the offering:

Love incarnate, love divine. Star and angels gave the sign.

Bow to Babe, on bended knee, the Savior of humanity,

Unto us a Child is born. He shall reign forevermore.

Refrain:

Noel, noel. Come and see what God has done. Noel, noel.

The story of amazing love,

the light of the world given for us, noel.

Son of God and Son of man, there before the world began.

Born to raise us from the grave, Christ, the everlasting Lord.

He shall reign forevermore.

Refrain

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All rise after the offering.

PRAYER

M: (*) In the closing hours of this day, hear us as we pray, O Lord;

C: (*) Lord, have mercy.

M: (*) For the well-being of people everywhere, for the growth of your

church in all the world, especially for new efforts to reach out and

connect with believers in Rwanda and Burundi, and for the

strengthening of all who serve and worship here, we pray, O Lord;

C: (*) Christ, have mercy.

M: (*) For John Maas’ family, for those recovering from surgery, for all

whom we love who suffer depression, for your blessings that come with

every stage of life, and for joy in doing your will, we pray, O Lord:

C: (*) Lord, have mercy.

M: (*) For our governor, Mark Dayton, our representative and governor-

elect, Tim Walz, and for all our public servants who work day and night

to bring protection, justice, learning, and health to this and every place,

we pray to you, O Lord;

C: (*) Lord, hear our prayer.

M: (*) For favorable weather and safe roads, for clothing and food, for

health of body, mind, and spirit, and for final deliverance from the

darkness of all sin and every form of evil, we pray to you, O Lord:

C: (*) Lord, hear our prayer.

M: (*) For the faithful who have gone before us, who have shared with us

your good news, whose souls are now at rest in your heavenly kingdom,

we give you thanks, O Lord;

C: (*) Thanks be to God.

M: (*) In thanksgiving for your many and varied gifts to us, we now

commend ourselves to your care. Be our shield and strength, O Lord.

C: (*) Amen.

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C: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done on earth

as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

now and for ever. Amen.

M: Lord God, all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works come

from you. Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot

give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments. Defend us

also from the fear of our enemies that we may live in peace and

quietness, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and

reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

M: (*) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the

fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

C:

CHORAL CLOSING

“Comfort, comfort now my people; Tell of peace!” So says our God.

Comfort those who sit in darkness, Mourning under sorrow’s load.

To God’s people now proclaim That God’s pardon waits for them!

Tell them that their war is over; God will reign in peace forever!

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel!

O come, blest Dayspring, come and cheer

Our spirits by your advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel!

Straight shall be what long was crooked, And the rougher places plain!

Let your hearts be true and humble, As befits his holy reign!

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For the glory of the Lord Now on earth is shed abroad,

And all flesh shall see the token That God’s Word is never broken.

+ + +

Please come again next Wednesday. The sermon will walk us through one

of the paintings in our Fireside Room.

Thanks to Lori Enter, our organist and choir accompanist, to our choir, to

Mandi Russow, our soloist, and to our ushers for their service help.

Our church council will meet tonight at 8:00 p.m.

Children’s Christmas Bag: A member of the school board will be in the

narthex after the service, receiving small cash donations for the candy bags

which children will receive at the last rehearsal before our 3:30 p.m.

Christmas Eve service (the morning of December 23).

Please pick up your envelopes from your mailbox, but please do not use

new 2019 envelopes until January.

Acknowledgments: This service of Evening Prayer is copyright © 1993 by

Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved. • All Scripture in this service is

from the Holy Bible, New International Version, 1984, and is reprinted by

permission of Biblica.• Our hymn, “Mary of the Incarnation,” is by Christopher Idle,

and is copyright © 2004 The Jubilate Group (admin. Hope Publishing Company).

Reprinted via OneLicense.net #A715-790. Our tune: “Jefferson.” • Our choral

closing is “Advent,” by Lani Smith, copyright © 1991 by Lorenz Publishing.

604 Main Street, Nicollet, MN 56074

507-232-3938 (office) • Pastor Daniel Witte • 941-705-0774 (his cell)

www.trinitynicollet.org • Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

www.wels.net • office@trinitynicollet.org