Advent Messages from Isaiah:

“The Savior’s Work”

Peace Lutheran Church 2090 Commerce Drive

North Mankato, MN 56003

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“Serving Christ with united hearts and hands and voices”

Church Staff

Pastor Timothy Hartwig: 507-382-6826

Vicar Matthew Behmer 763-516-1967 Church Office: 507-385-1386

Jesus’ Lambs at Peace Preschool

Teacher/Director: Joslyn Moldstad

Phone: 507-385-7752

Email: joslynm@chartermi.net

Divine Service – 6:30 PM

December 16, 2015 Third Wednesday in Advent

Welcome to Peace! – The purpose of our congregation is to worship God, who gives life through Word and Sacrament; to serve one another in love and fellowship; and to proclaim forgiveness and salvation to all through Jesus Christ alone.

Before Worship As you prepare to worship your Lord this evening, spend a few quiet minutes in prayer before the service. Review the lessons, the service notes, and pray this prayer:

Prayer of the Day Hear our prayers, Lord Jesus Christ, and come with the good news of Your mighty deliverance. Drive the darkness from our hearts and fill us with Your light; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

For the Children A Cry-Room is available if your little ones need a moment. It is the first room on the left as you walk into the church building. Sound and video are piped into the room to enable you to hear and see the service.

Facilities Restrooms are located down the hall and on the right side.

Peace Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Synod

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Advent Vespers

Advent Messages from Isaiah: “The Savior’s Work”

The Confession of Sin

P: Dearly beloved! We have come together in the presence of God our heavenly Father, to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at His hand, to set forth His most worthy praise, to hear His holy Word, and to ask for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and salvation. O come, let us worship Him! Let us kneel and bow down before Him. Let us confess our sins with penitent hearts, and obtain forgiveness by His infinite grace and mercy.

C: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed the devices and desires of our hearts. We have offended against Your holy law. We have done those things which we should not have done, and we have not done those things which we should have done. Have mercy on us, O Lord! Spare us and restore us, according to the promises You have declared to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord. For His sake grant that we may live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Your holy name.

P: The almighty and merciful Lord has granted us pardon and forgiveness of all our sins, grace for true repentance and amendment of life, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Hymn #99, “The Advent of Our King”

The Versicles P: O Lord, open my lips.

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P: Make haste, O God, to deliver me.

The Psalmody – Psalm 130

P: Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord;

C: O Lord, hear my voice.

P: Let your ears be attentive

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C: to my cry for mercy.

P: If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,

C: O Lord, who could stand?

P: But with you there is forgiveness;

C: therefore you are feared.

P: I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

C: and in his word I put my hope.

P: My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,

C: more than watchmen wait for the morning.

P: O Israel, put your hope in the Lord,

C: for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

P: He himself will redeem Israel

C: from all their sins.

All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, forever more. Amen.

The Lection – Isaiah 60:1-9 1“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

4“Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. 5Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. 6Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come,

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bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD. 7All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; They will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple. 8“Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests? 9Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your sons from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.

A Responsory P: O Lord, have mercy upon us.

The Sermon Hymn: #109, “Hark the Glad Sound! The Savior Comes”

The Sermon - Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Savior’s Work” 1The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach 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, 2to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty

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instead of ashes, the oil of gladness 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.

The Offering The members of Peace Lutheran Congregation have joined together to do the Lord’s work in this community and around the world. Visitors need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry.

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

II Corinthians 9:7 Please fill out the Friendship Register.

The Versicle P: Let my prayers rise before You as incense:

The Canticle Hymn: #47, “My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord”

The Prayers, beginning with The Kyrie

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The Lord’s Prayer

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The Collect P: Abide with us, Lord, for it is toward evening and the day is far spent. Abide with us

and with Your whole Church. Abide with us in the end of the day, in the end of our life, and in the end of the world. Abide with us with Your grace and goodness, with Your holy Word and Sacrament, with Your strength and blessing. Abide with us when the night of affliction and temptation comes upon us, the night of fear and despair when death shall come. Abide with us and with all the faithful through time and eternity.

The Benedicamus P: Let us bless the Lord.

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The Benediction P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the

Holy Spirit be with you all.

The Closing Hymn #121, “Behold, a Branch Is Growing”

Thank you to those who served in our service today: Organist: Katie Hartwig; The ushers; Cover artwork: Don Moldstad.

To God be the Glory!

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Christmas Worship Schedule

12/18 6:30PM Preschool Children’s Christmas Program

12/20 8:30AM Divine Service 10:45AM The Sunday School Children’s Christmas Program

One Worship service at 9:00am on December 27th.

No Sunday School or Bible Class on December 27th. Classes resume again January 3rd.

No Solid Grounds Bible Study on December 22nd or 29th. Class resumes on January 5th.

No Confirmation Class on December 23rd or 30th. Class will resume on January 6th.

Christmas Eve Worship Service

6:30pm

Christmas Day Worship Service

9:00am

New Year’s Eve Scripture & Song Service

6:30pm