Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: December 2017

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Isaiah 9,1-6. Christmas Vesers

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

Isaiah 9,1-6 0518

Christvesper 05

Adam and Eve

24. Dezember 2017

1. О Lord, this is the day You have made, we will rejoice and be glad in it! Save us, we pray, and give us success! Blessed is Jesus who arrives in the Name of the Lord. Arise my soul, use this feast for the glory of God and for our edification, so that we praise our Heavenly Father’s love, grace and mercy (Starck 57). Amen.

2. But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time the Lord brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.The people who walked in darkness have seen a Great Light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. You have multiplied the nation; You have increased its joy; they rejoice before You as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, You have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be uponHis shoulder, and His name will be calledWonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

3. When the Prophet Isaiah spoke the words of the Lord, Judah was in dire straights; they were in the midst of a 16-year rule by the wicked King Ahaz. He worshipped false idols and had offerings made to them on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree (2. Kings 16,4). Worse still, he offered up one of his sons to the fire of Moloch (2. Kings 16,3). Child sacrifice was part of Moloch worship: the large bronze statue had the head of a bull, the torso and arms of a man and the base was a furnace: children were thrown into the fire and sacrificed.

4. Isaiah told Ahaz to repent: »If you do not stand firm in the faith of the Lord, then you shall not stand at all« (Isaiah 7,9). »The Lord will bring on you and on your people such days as have not been seen since the day Israel in the north was taken into captivity by the king of Assyria« (Isaiah 7,17). Isaiah promised a time of gloom and anguish for idolatrous Judah; the Lord judged Judah’s sin 100 years later when He sent the nation into Babylonian Captivity.

5. Nevertheless, the gospel shone forth. »But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time the Lord brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.The people who walked in darkness have seen a Great Light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.« The antiphon for 21. December proclaims:

℣ O Morning Star, splendor of Light Everlasting and Sun of Righteous- | ness: *

℟ Draw near and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shad- | ow of death.

Jesus is the Morning Star whose Divine Light shines upon us, bathing us in His righteousness, and enlightening us who sat in our sin and the shadow of gloom. „Jesus Christ is the Morning Star and Bright Light in the heavens, who descended to mankind upon this Earth, His radiance is brighter than the sun, more radiant above all the stars, who illumines forever all the tides of time! He is God indeed begotten of God, True Son of the True Father, eternal without beginning in heavens’s glory, His handiwork is sorely needed, and He has entered our midst as the Radiant Sun to enlighten us who for too long were wrapped around with darkness and here in gloom, have sat the lifelong night; shrouded in sin death’s dark shadow we have endured. Now we faithfully trust in the salvation Christ brings to the host of men through His Father’s own Word“ (Cynewulf 104-120).

6. The Prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Lord’s Messiah would: »break the yoke of our burden and the bar across our shoulders.« We celebrate the birth of this Savior tonight. »For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be uponHis shoulder, and His name will be calledWonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.« »He shall inaugurate endless peace for He shall establish and uphold this peace with justice and righteousness forever and ever« (Isaiah 9,7).

7. The very Son of God was incarnate in the virgin Mary, has taken into His Godhood human flesh and was born in the city of David. Christ birth brings peace from God to you for He is born to be your Redeemer from sin and the devil. In Christ, you have peace, joyous peace. Rejoice and be merry, for unto you this day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

8. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, Born this day our Savior, on this day appears to us which God has sanctified. Help us to see this glorious gospel in Word and Carol which proclaims that today the Great Light descends upon the earth, so that we can rejoice in all things and give thanks to You who is the greatest gift given to us by our Heavenly Father. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

2. Corinthians 1,18-22. Rorate Caeli

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

2. Corinthians 1,18-22 0318

Rorate Caeli (4. Sunday in Advent) 04

Adam and Eve

24. Dezember 2017

1. O Christ, Thou Precious Ransom, only Hope for sinful mortals, be in our midst, O Savior of the world, for open to Thee are all portals. O Thy beauty let us see, so that anxiously we wait for Thee. Amen. (Starck 51; LSB 350,1).

2. AS surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in Him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

3. Human beings can be irritatingly fickle. Some of the Corinthian Christians were frustratingly so for the Apostle Paul. In his previous epistle he had informed them of his plans to soon visit them. Unfortunately, those plans were unexpectantly changed and Paul was unable to visit like he had told them. Some of the Corinthians took offense at this and accused Paul, the apostle who had preached to them the gospel before anyone else had, of vacillating and alternating between different intentions and actions. This happens in our fallen world as well: we intend one thing but do another; it may be deliberate or caused by things beyond our control; it can be done with good intentions or to sow discord. Paul says he wanted to visit Corinth but that unforeseen circumstances prevented his visit. 4. Sometimes we single humans attribute to God a likewise vacillating attitude or action: He tells us one thing but does another. Some accuse God of this in regard to His promise to send the Messiah. After mankind’s fall into sin, God promised Eve that from her would be born the Messiah who would overturn mankind’s sin and curse. She thought Cain might be the fulfillment of their promise, but alas things go horribly wrong as Cain murders his younger brother Abel. Fallen humanity plunges deeper and deeper into wickedness so that surely by the time of Noah the Messiah would be born to save humanity from disaster, but alas things get worse and God destroyed the world save Noah and his family. On and on throughout history, when mankind needed the Messiah most, yet He did not appear. Some would argue: clearly God is telling us Yes and No at the same time; He withholds His Messiah even though the human race desperately needs Him. Therefore, God cannot be trusted to fulfill His promise or He simply is incapable of fulfilling His promise. Either way, He is no God, goes their argument. Perhaps some Corinthians were thinking that way too.

5. The Apostle Paul addresses the issue straight on: »The Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, was not Yes and No, but in Christ it is always Yes.« Paul is referring to the promises that God the Father made throughout Scripture to send the Messiah. »All the promises of God find their Yes in Christ.« God had promised Eve, and through her all of humanity, that her offspring will strike the Serpent’s head (Genesis 3,15). St. Luke tells us in his Gospel that Mary’s Son is the fulfillment of this promise: blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by God (Luke 1,45). Luke tells us that there is a direct line from Eve to Mary. This line spans over 4000 years of human history, history that has seen great advances but also horrendous tragedies, heroes who saved the day but also heels who have brought great pain, but throughout hat complex tapestry of human history God weaved His promise to redeem the world beginning with Eve, ending with Mary and along the long and winding road telling people of His promise. Elizabeth knows how great this praise is for she proclaims: Mary, blessed is the fruit of your womb, for as soon as I heard your getting the child in my womb leaped for joy (Luke 1,42.44). Mary herself then sings with praise: The Lord has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, according to the promise He made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever (Luke 1,54-55).

6. Saint Paul proclaims: »When the fullness of time had arrived, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons« (Galatians 4,4-5). This Son is Jesus and He is the Yes, the Fulfillment, of His Father’s promise to redeem and restore fallen humanity.

7. We rejoice because Jesus brings us grace and truth. „The law says: ‘Do this’, and it is never done. Grace says: ‘Believe in Christ’ and everything is already done“ (Heidelberg Thesis 26). Christ is our righteousness, and when we believe in Him we have His righteousness as our own. Jesus imputes His righteousness to us by grace and we receive it by faith. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and we only come to the Father through Him (John 14,6). Jesus is the Truth, and the Truth sets us free (John 8,32).

8. Through Mary, Yahweh blessed all the nations with a savior. This Child, Jesus, is the Son of God; He is both God and man in one person. Thus Mary is rightly honored to be called the θεοτοκος. Everything that happens in today’s pericope is a response to the presence of God in the flesh––the baby inside Mary (Just 75). In four days, we will celebrate this Baby’s birth. In four days it will be a Merry Christmas, for it will be the celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus, who is called the Son of God (Luke 1,35), the Son of Man (Luke 5,24), Immanuel, God is with us (Matthew 1,23), Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9,6), the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5,5), the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22,13). Jesus was born to save all people from their sins (Matthew 1,21), and He has completely and fully redeemed us from our Heavenly Father’s wrath. Amen.

9. Let us pray. O Lord, Thou Song that pleases every human heart, pour out the grace and joy of Your heavenly Verse so that we hear and believe that Jesus is our King and Savior. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Soli Deo Gloria

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4^th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

All quotations from the Book of Concord are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using Die Bekenntnisschriften der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche, 12. Edition © 1998 by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

O Emmanuel antiphon. 23. December

O Emmanuel

℣ O Emmanuel, our King, Law-giver and LORD, the Longing of the nations and their | Savior: *

℟ Draw near and save us, O | LORD our God.

Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign. Look, the virgin is with Child and shall bear a Son, and shall name Him Immanuel (Isaiah 7,14).

The Apostle Matthew proclaims in his Gospel the fulfillment of Isaiah 7,14: Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,

and they shall call His name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.

Prayer: O Christ Jesus, our Immanuel, draw near us and be with us in Your Word and Sacraments so that we may rejoice and celebrate Your birth into our world. Amen.

O King of the nations antiphon. 22. December

O Rex Gentium

℣ O King of the nations, the Ruler they long for, the Cornerstone uniting all | people: *

℟ Draw near and save mankind, whom You formed | out of clay.

For to us a Child has been born and a Son has been given; authority rests upon His shoulders, and He is called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9,6). He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for all people; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2,4). Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a Stone, a Tested Stone, a Precious Cornerstone, of a Sure Foundation; Whoever believes will not be in haste. (Isaiah 28,16). For Jesus Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2,14).

Jesus is the King of the nations and the Cornerstone of His Church. He is the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the one who is all and fulfills all. This incarnate Jesus was born to redeem fallen mankind from sin, death and hell; He was born to restore mankind's broken fellowship from God the Father. All that has been sundered will be rebound; all that is lost will be found; all who are built on Him will endure for ever and ever.

Prayer: O Christ Jesus, King of the nations, send forth the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel so that in hearing we are grounded upon the solid foundation of the prophets and the apostles with You the Cornerstone, our everlasting salvation. Amen.

O Morning Star antiphon. 21. December

O Oriens

℣ O Morning Star, Splendor of the Eternal Light and Sun of | justice: *

℟ Draw near and give light to those who sit in darkness and the shad- | ow of death.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a Great Light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them Light has shined (Isaiah 9,2). Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me (Isaiah 60,2). But unto you that fear My Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall (Malachi 4,2).

Jesus is the Morning Star who shines down the Divine Light upon mankind. His Majestic Light drives away the darkness. His Light reveals the path of righteousness and salvation, a path that leads to the darkness of the cross, death and the grave, but also a path that leads from the tomb with the light of resurrection.

Cynewulf writes in his Anglo-Saxon poem of Christ:

Hail Morning Star, Brightest of angels Thou,

sent unto men upon this middle-earth,

Thou art the True Brilliance of the sun,

radiant above the stars, and from Thyself

illuminest forever all the tides of time!

And as Thou, God indeed begotten of God,

Thou Son of the True Father, wast from aye

without beginning in the heavens glory,

so now Thy handiwork in its sore need

prayeth Thee boldly, that Thou send to us

the Radiant Sun, and that Thou come Thyself

to enlighten those who for so long a time,

were wrapt around with darkness and here in gloom,

have sat the lifelong night; shrouded in sin

death’s dark shadow had they to endure.

Hopeful now we trust in the salvation

brought to the hosts of men through God’s own Word,

which was in the beginning co-eternal

with God, the Almighty Father and is now

flesh void of blemish, that the maiden bare

to help the wretched. God was seen ’mong us

in all His sinlessness; together they dwelt

the Creator’s Mighty Son and the Son of Man

in peace on earth wherefore as it is meet

we may well thank the Lord of Triumph aye,

that He vouchsafed to send to us Himself (Crist 104-129).

Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, the Morning Star, shine upon us with the light of Your grace and mercy, so that we may bask in the glory of Your righteousness that You have merited for us. Amen.

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Christmas Eve Service

Please join us for the celebration of Jesus' birth on

Sunday December 24th at 7:30 pm

for our traditional Carols and Lessons Service.

O Key of David antiphon. 20. December

O Clavis David

℣ O Key of David and Scepter of the house of Israel, You open and no one can close, You close and no one can | open: *

℟ Draw near and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shad- | ow of death.

I will place on His shoulder the key of the house of David; He shall open, and no one shall shut; He shall shut, and no one shall open (Isaiah 22,22)

His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and His kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore (Isaiah 9,7).

To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house (Isaiah 42,7).

Sometimes, the Prophet Isaiah is called the Fifth Evangelist or Gospel because he has many verses prophesying about the Messiah. The O Antiphons contain several of them. The Scriptures are also clear that the Messiah descends from the House of David. This is why many thought at the time of Jesus that the Messiah would be a earthly king similar to David, and that He would rule over a united Israel after driving out all the pagans and their idolatrous culture, but Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom is a heavenly kingdom that is concerned with saving mankind, both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus was born to redeem all men and women.

Prayer: O Christ Jesus, Thou Key of David, unlock the hearts of the unbelievers so that when they hear the gospel they will believe and be counted as citizens in Your reign. Amen.

O Root of Jesse antiphon. 19. December

O Radix Jesse

℣ O Root of Jesse, standing as an Ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom the nations will do | homage: *

℟ Draw near quickly to de- | liver us.

A Shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. On that day the Root of Jesse shall stand as a Signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of Him, and His dwelling shall be glorious (Isaiah 11,1.10). But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He go forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5,2). And again, Isaiah says: There shall be a Root of Jesse, and He shall arise to reign over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles trust (Romans 15,12).

The Apostle Paul writes: The Jews are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever (Romans 9,4-5). Jesus is the Jewish Messiah promised to all the patriarchs. His lineage stretches back through David, Jesse, Judah, Jacob (Israel), Isaac and Abraham. But Paul also says that Jesus is also the Christ of the Gentiles (the nations). The Prophet Isaiah even foretold this (11,10). Jesus is thus the Savior of the entire world: no nation, race or people is left out; He was born to redeem all men and women. Through Abraham's offspring all the Earth has been blessed.

Prayer: O Jesus Christ, Thou Root of Jesse, send forth the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel so that all nations and people may hear and believe that Jesus was born and has obtained eternal life and salvation for all people. Amen.

O Adonai antiphon. 18. December

O Adonai

℣ O Adonai and Ruler of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush and gave him the Law on | Sinai: *

℟ Draw near with outstretched arm and re- | deem us.

The LORD shall judge the poor with righteousness, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around His waist and faithfulness the belt around His loins (Isaiah 11,4-5), for the LORD is our Judge, Ruler and our King; He will save us (Isaiah 33,22). And Moses said: I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt (Exodus 3,2). The LORD said to Moses: Draw near to Me onto the mount, and I will give you tablets of stone, a law and commandments which I have written; so that you may teach them (Exodus 24,12).

Adonai is Hebrew for "Lord". In this antiphon we confess that Jesus is the LORD. We tend to confine Jesus to only the New Testament, but as this antiphon reminds us: He also appears in the Old Testament. We call these pre-incarnation appearances of Jesus "theophanies" (Theophany is Greek and means "the appearance of God to a human being"). Jesus is the one who who walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Jesus is the one who spoke the law to the serpent but gospel to Eve. Jesus is the one who appeared in the Burning Bush to Moses. These all show that Jesus appears to redeem His people. He fulfilled those promises in the New Testament with His death and resurrection. His birth in Bethlehem heralds that great redemption.

Prayer: O Jesus Christ, Thou our LORD, send out Your grace through the gospel so that we may be assured that You have purchased our forgiveness and earned for us eternal life. Amen.

O Wisdom antiphon. 17. December

O Sapientia

℣ O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Most High, pervading and permeating all creation, mightily ordering | all things: *

℟ Draw near and teach us the way of | prudence.

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest on Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11,2-3), for He is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom(Isaiah 28,29). I came out of the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth as a cloud (Sirach 24,3). Wisdom reaches from one end to another mightily: and sweetly does she order all things (Wisdom of Solomon 8,1).

The Gospel according to John tells us that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh (John 1). Jesus preceded from His Father and was incarnate upon this earth through the Virgin Mary. Jesus is the very image and likeness of His Father; He has arrived to restore fallen mankind to that Divine image and likeness.

Jesus is also the Wisdom of God. In the Divine wisdom of the Triune God, the Second Person of the Trinity would be sent to Earth in order to redeem fallen mankind. Advent prepares us for the celebration of His arrival in the little town of Bethlehem. This Child of Mary would then grow up, and as the Messiah and Christ, He would be the Light to the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel.

Prayer: O Jesus Christ, Thou Wisdom of God the Father, pour forth upon us Your wisdom so that we see that the Holy Scriptures speak of You and Your redemption of men and women. Amen.

The Sundays in Advent

Advent 1: Populus Zion

Advent prepares the Church for celebrating Christ's birth. Like Lent, Advent is a penitential season of preparation through repentance.

The 1. Sunday in Advent is Populus Zion (People of Zion) from Psalm 24,7-10 and Zechariah 9,9:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is drawing near to you; He is justifying and saving, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, so that the King of Glory may enter in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, so that the King of Glory may enter in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory!

✠ We preach Christ and Him crucified ✠

Iesus Nazarenus rex Iudaeorum

The beginning of Advent continues the theme from the last there Sundays in the Liturgical Year of the Church, which focuses on the last day and Christ's return or second advent. Populus Zion also focuses our attention on the mission of Jesus' first advent: to redeem fallen humanity from sin, death and the grave. Thus, the Historic Lectionary Gospel is Matthew 21,1-9 (Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday). This event begins Holy Week and culminates with Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Prayer: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and draw near, so that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Advent 2: Ad te Levavi

The 2. Sunday in Advent is Ad te Levavi (Unto You, I lift up my soul) from Psalm 80:1-2.14-15.19 and Luke 21,28):

Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your might and save us! Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that Your right hand planted, and for the son whom You made strong for Yourself. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let Your face shine, so that we may be saved!

Ad te Levavi continues the theme of repentant preparation for Jesus' second advent. The Historic Lectionary Gospel is Luke 21,25-33 where Jesus gives the signs that will herald His return on the last day. This 2. Sunday in Advent also draws to a close the theme of the last day and its five-week focus in the Church Year from the 3. Last Sunday in the Church Year until Advent 2.

Jesus in His Divine Glory

Prayer: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your Only-begotten Son, so that by His advent we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Advent 3: Gaudete

The 3. Sunday in Advent is Gaudete (Rejoice!) from Psalm 85,1-2.4.9.11 and Philippians 4,4-5):

O LORD, You were favorable to Your land; You restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Restore us again, O God of our Salvation, and put away Your indignation toward us. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, so that glory may dwell in our land. Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. Rejoice in the LORD always; Rejoice: The LORD is at hand.

Advent is a penitential and repentant season of preparation for the birth of Jesus on Christmas. Gaudete Sunday may be traditionally pink or purple. The liturgical color pink is a softer shade of purple and thus symbolizes that Gaudete is a break from the penitence of the season of Advent. The theme is one of rejoicing for the Lord Jesus Christ brings forgiveness and salvation.

The historic lection reading from Isaiah 40,1-2 summarizes this nicely: Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfareis ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.To receive double for sin is to receive abundant grace and mercy. It is Isaiah's way of saying that all sins, no matter how serious and wicked, are covered and forgiven by God's grace. This gospel is manifest in the person of Jesus Christ who paid for our sin and gives us more than enough grace to cover all our iniquity. Truly, it is a time to rejoice!

Gabriel announces to Mary that she bears the Messiah: the very Son of God

Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Advent 4: Rorate Caeli

The 4. Sunday in Advent is Rorate Caeli (Shower down, you heavens) from Psalm 102,13.19-21 and Psalm 102,16):

O LORD, You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has arrived. The LORD looked down from His holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, so that they may declare in Zion the Name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem His praise. For the LORD builds up Zion; He appears in His glory.

This is the Sunday immediately prior to the birth of Jesus and as such its theme focuses on Gabriel, Mary, Elizabeth and John the Baptizer. The historic election reading from Isaiah 52,7: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion: „Your God reigns.“ Gabriel was a messenger to Mary, Mary was a messenger to Elizabeth and Elizabeth and John were messengers to Mary. Each proclaimed the gospel to the others and in doing so unfolded different facets of the gospel jewel God the Father had sent to the Earth.

That message continues to be proclaimed this day. It is preached from the pulpit by the pastor, but then you also speak this message to others in your every day activities. The season of Christmas with its music, TV specials and decorations make your witness to the gospel so much easier because every one is already thinking about Christmas even if they do not believe in Jesus. Go, and tell others the real message of Christmas: the birth of our savior, Jesus the Christ.

Prayer: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and draw near and help us by Your might, so that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church