https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4efLs5Sm7k

Our Christmas Morning Celebration –   December 25, 2023

ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH – LCMS

700 Main St.  P.O. Box 220   Clyman, WI  53016

The Son of God became one with Us! 

Mary gave birth to her first born, a son and laid Him in a manger!

 Pastor Dan 1-(920)-341-2025  shepherdatzion@gmail.com

Bulletin Announcement email: zionclyman@gmail.com

Guests.  Merry Christmas and Welcome!  We are glad to have you worship with us on this Christmas morning.  Please sign our guestbook located in the Narthex.  About Holy Communion:  We welcome to the Lord’s Table all who have repented of their sins and seek to amend their sinful life; all who believe that Jesus is truly present in, with, and under the bread and the wine; and all who believe that through the words “given and shed for you” forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given.  If this is your confession and you are a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, then come with a thankful heart and join us.   If you are a visitor and would like to commune, please talk with Pastor Dan before the service.  To help in preparing to receive Holy Communion open the front cover of the Burgundy hymnal or turn to pages 329 & 330.  Gluten free wafers are available, please talk with an Elder or Pastor before the service if you would appreciate them.  

AS WE GATHER –   What is true Christmas weather?  Reading the words of well-known hymns and carols, one might conclude that cold weather and wintry precipitation were being experienced in Bethlehem when Jesus was born, but we do not know for sure!  While the weather on that first Christmas is certainly up for debate, the fact that our Savior was born, the son of Mary and Joseph, the descendant of David, is not.  The songs of praise from the angelic host when our Lord was born are echoed in our hymns and carols.  Paul encouraged the Ephesians to be “singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart” (Ephesians 5:19). Whatever the weather may be outside, today is a day for singing to the Lord!  Praising Him with all our hearts as He came to earth for us!

Ringing of the Bell and Welcome

Hymn  “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”              LSB 380

Opening Sentences –  Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.        The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them a light has shined.  For  the God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.         For Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given!  Alleluia!

Invocation – In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.    Amen

 Confession and Absolution –  Let us come before our loving Father, confident of His forgiveness which comes to us because of what His Son, the Babe born in Bethlehem did for us.  Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination

Let us confess our sins to God, our heavenly Father.

O Almighty God, merciful Father, I, a poor miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You, and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment.  But I am heartily sorry for them, and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy, and for the sake of the Holy, innocent, bitter, sufferings and death, of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being.  Amen

God be merciful to you and strengthen your faith by and through God the Holy Spirit.      Amen

Do you believe that the forgiveness I proclaim to you, is not my forgiveness, but God your heavenly Father’s forgiveness given to you through His Son Jesus Christ?

Yes, I do so believe.

Let it be done for you as you believe.  In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.      Amen

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body, be kept blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.  God in peace.

Amen and Amen, so shall it be, let it be so.  Amen.

Our heavenly Father promises, “I will remember My covenant, which is between you and every living creature.  Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as wool…, thus says the Lord”  “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us…”      Amen.

 Introit   Psalm 98:1–4; Isaiah 9:6 –    Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.       The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.  He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.        Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.             For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Hymn of Praise  “Now Sing We, Now Rejoice”    LSB 386

Prayer of the Day – Almighty God, grant that the birth of Your only-begotten Son in the flesh may set us free from the bondage of sin; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.    Amen.

Old Testament Reading   Isaiah 52:7–10 (God’s salvation is made known to all.)

 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”  Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy.  When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.  Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.  The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

Hymn  “God Loves me Dearly”               LSB 392

Epistle Hebrews 1:1–12  (Buried and raised with Christ, we walk in newness of life.)

 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.  So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.  For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father?  Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?  And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”  In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.”  But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.  You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”  He also says, “In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.  They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.  You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed.  But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”

Gradual and Verse –   To us a child is born, to us a son is given;  and the government shall be upon His shoulder.  And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things!  Alleluia. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. Alleluia.

Holy Gospel John 1:1–18     (The Word becomes flesh on earth.)

 The Holy Gospel according St. John, the first chapter.       Glory to You, O Lord.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.    Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.  He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.  He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.  The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'”  From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.      This is the Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to You, O Christ.

 Hymn  “From Heav’n Above to Earth I Come”   LSB 358

Sermon

Apostles’ Creed –   I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.  And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers of the Church

 The Lord’s Prayer –   Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.       Amen.

We Gather our Tithes and Offerings

Service of the Sacrament

Preface   2 Timothy 4:22 –    The Lord be with you.     And also with you.     Lift up your hearts.     We lift them to the Lord.     Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.      It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

Proper Preface and Prayer of Thanksgiving  

It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, because in Your loving kindness You sent forth Your only Son, Jesus, to be the true light that enlightens all people.  Blessed are You, Lord God Almighty, for You have sent Your Son, Jesus, to bring the fullness of divine light to shine on us with all of its beauty and grace.  We bless You for the joy of this day and for the blessed fellowship we share at Your Table of grace where we receive His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.  Grant that we walk in Your light at all times as we journey on this earth, to which our Savior was willing to come, until we rejoice in the light eternal of Your heavenly kingdom.  This we ask in the saving name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Words of Our Lord – Consecration of the Elements

Pax Domini – The peace of the Lord be with you always.      Amen

Agnus Dei                                                                     LSB 198

Distribution Hymns:   “O Come, All Ye Faithful”   LSB 379                                    “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”  LSB 366                                                               “The People That in Darkness Sat”    LSB 412

Post-Communion Thanksgiving    2 Peter 3:14      We give thanks, heavenly Father, that You have refreshed us through this Sacrament, and we pray that, walking in the true light of Christ, we shall ever put our hope in Jesus, Your Son and our King; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.            Amen.

 Benediction      Numbers 6:24–26 –  “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace”    Amen

Hymn  “Go Tell It on the Mountain”                        LSB 388

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 *Announcements*

From the Board of Stewardship and Evangelism:   John 1:12 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” What a joy to be called the children of God! We have a Father who cares for us and loves us. Therefore, we have no need to fear, for perfect love casts out fear. And with our fear set aside, we are free to serve the Christ who has become flesh and made His dwelling among us.

The Pewpoint – THEME OF THE DAY –   The Living and Life-Giving Word of God Dwells Among Us in the Flesh

The Lord sends out His ministers of the Gospel to make disciples “of all the nations,” so that “all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” For the Lord has “bared his holy arm” in the incarnate Christ (Is. 52:7, 10). The child in the manger, born of the Virgin Mary, is the very Word of God, the only begotten Son of the Father, “whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Heb. 1:2). As “all things were made through him” (John 1:3), so are all things redeemed and made new in Him. In His body of flesh and blood, we behold “the radiance of the glory of God” (Heb. 1:3), “glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). He dwells among us in peace, that we might have life and light and salvation in Him. For by His Word of the Gospel, we are born again as the children of God, bearing His name and sharing His eternal life.

Dates to Remember:  

Dec 31st – New Year’s Eve @ 830am

Jan 2^nd – The Chosen Bible Class @ 6pm

Jan 4^th – quilting 11am to 2pm

Jan 4^th – Council Meeting 6pm

Jan 10^th –  Voice Choir @ 6pm

Jan 10^th – Mid-week services resume @ 7pm

Jan 14^th – Choir singing “The Lord is My Rock”

Jan 16th – The Chosen Bible Class @ 6pm

Jan 22^nd – Bell Choir starts and church and continues each Sunday until Easter

Jan 30th – The Chosen Bible Class @ 6pm

Wish a Happy Birthday and Blessed Anniversary to these members

 

Felix & Janet O	12/29
Kevin & Sandra S	12/29

 

Karen H	12/25
Douglas S	12/28
Carl F	12/30

 

The small evergreen tree on the stairs going to the altar is from Mary Jo Kohlhoff in memory of her husband Allen’s birthday.