https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6_8MO3nEq4

We wait Expectantly for the Shoot of Jesse which gives life to all believers!

 SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT – December 4, 2022

ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH – LCMS 700 Main St.  P.O. Box 220   Clyman, WI  53016

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

AS WE GATHER- “In the opening verses of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, John greets the readers of his epistle in this way: “Grace to you and peace from Him who is, who was, and who is to come” (Revelation 1:4).  John is confident that God’s grace is readily available for the readers of his letter who are scattered in many Christian gatherings across the area of Asia.  He is also certain that the peace of God can reach all his readers in their very different and individual situations and lives.  The Advent season brings us the assurance that God’s plan is still unfolding and that we continue to abide in His peace.  In this season of busyness, and in a sinful world, we can have His peace.  We can also share His peace, with all people!  The peace of the child born in Bethlehem, His Son, Christ the Lord!

Ringing of the Bell and Welcome

Hymn  “When All the World was Cursed”          LSB 346

 We light the 2nd Advent Candle – The Bethlehem Candle

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

 Opening Sentences Psalm 105:4–8; antiphon: Isaiah 40:3- A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”  Lectern:  Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually!  Pulpit:  Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He uttered, O offspring of Abraham, His servant, children of Jacob, His chosen ones!  Lectern:  He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.  Pulpit:  He remembers His covenant forever, the word that He commanded, for a thousand generations.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.  A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

 Confession and Absolution- O God, our Father, You have set forth the way of life for us in Your beloved Son.  We confess with shame our slowness to learn of Him, our failure to follow Him, and our reluctance to bear the cross.  Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your steadfast love.  We acknowledge our sinful nature and confess our sinful thoughts, words, and deeds.  Create in us clean hearts, O God, and put a new and right spirit within us.

Upon this your confession and by the command of our Lord, I, as a called and ordained servant of Christ, forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the X 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 at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it. Go in X  peace.    Amen  We go in the peace of our Lord.  Amen

 Kyrie-  In peace let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, have mercy.  For the peace from above and for our salvation, for the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.         Lord, have mercy.  For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, have mercy.  Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.  Amen

Salutation- The Lord be with you.       And also with you.

 Prayer of the Day- Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come to us with Your presence.  Restore to us the joy of Your salvation and grant us a deep and abiding peace for all of our days.  By the working of the Holy Spirit, lead us to share that joy we now know as Your gift.  Keep us in the one true faith until the coming of Your everlasting kingdom where You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.    Amen.

Old Testament Reading              Isaiah 11:1–10   (A shoot shall come forth from the stump of Jesse.)

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.  The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him–the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord–and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.  He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.  He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.  Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.  The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.  The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.  The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.  They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

Psalm of the Day-    Psalm 72:1–7   Give the king Your justice, O God, and Your righteousness to the royal son!  Lectern: May He judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice!  Pulpit: Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness!  Lectern: May He defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!  Pulpit: May they fear You while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!  Lectern:  May He be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!  Pulpit: In His days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Epistle (New Testament Reading- Romans 15:4–13  (Paul points to Christ as the source of hope.)

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.”  Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”  And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.”  And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 Gradual and Verse  Zechariah 9:9; Psalm 118:26, alt.; Luke 3:4b, 6-  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem.  Lectern:  Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation.  Pulpit:   Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless You.   Alleluia. Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight; all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia.

 Holy Gospel           Matthew 3:1–12    (John the Baptist preached in the wilderness.)

The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the third chapter.     Glory to You, O Lord.

 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”  This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'”  John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.  Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.  And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’  I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.  The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.  “I baptize you with water for repentance.  But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”               This is the Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to You, O Christ.

The Apostle’s Creed   The Second Article-  In the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed, echoing the proclamation of John the Baptist, we confess Jesus to be the Savior, the One who fulfills God’s promises.  I believe 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.         What does this mean?     I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

 Hymn On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry”          LSB 344

Sermon

 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

We Celebrate the 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- It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for You have established Your kingdom of peace among us and have brought into our lives the joy of Your salvation.  Above all, we bless You and give thanks for the limitless love shown to us when You sent Your only begotten Son as the fulfillment of Your great promises.  Through the working of Your Holy Spirit, bestow upon us Your strength and presence, now and forever.  Together with the angels and archangels and with all who rejoice in the courts of heaven we praise Your glorious name and sing:

Sanctus                                                                         LSB 178

Prayer of Thanksgiving-  Blessed are You, O Lord of heaven and earth.  We bless You for having sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, to give Himself as a perfect sacrifice for us so that our lives may know true peace and everlasting joy.  Invited by Your grace, we come to Your Table with thankful hearts.  Strengthen us through Christ’s body and blood that we may continue as Your people of peace in Your kingdom, awaiting the coming of our Lord and the eternal feast in glory everlasting.  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 180

 We Celebrate the Sacrament of our Lord   Distribution Hymns:

 “Arise, O Christian People”   LSB 354      “What Hope!  An Eden Prophesied”   LSB 342                                              “Lo, How a Rose…”  LSB 359

Post-Communion Canticle –    Nunc Dimittis                                                                LSB 182

Post-Communion Thanksgiving- Gracious God, our heavenly Father, You have again welcomed us at Your Table and have given us a foretaste of the feast to come in Your eternal kingdom.  Grant that the body and blood of our Lord now within us, keep us joy-filled and secure in Your love.  Bless us through this divine gift that we may live with assurance and confidence, even in times of earthly sadness and sorrow.  Grant that Your Holy Spirit enlighten us with His gifts that we can be Your children who rejoice in Your promises and live to Your glory.  We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Savior.       Amen.

Benedicamus- Let us bless the Lord.     Thanks be to God.

Benediction – The blessing of almighty God, the Father, the X  Son, and the Holy Spirit be and remain with you always.  Amen.

 Hymn:  “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”        LSB 338              

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*Announcements*

Our Advent theme is “Prepare!”

Join us each Wednesday as we “Prepare” for the coming King, the Christ Child born in Bethlehem!   On Dec. 7^th, “Prayer”– communicating with our heavenly Father as we wait for Christ, learning from Zechariah.  On Dec. 14^th, “Praise” will be our theme as we celebrate the coming birth along with Elizabeth who rejoiced at the news of the coming birth of Christ!  Our final Advent service on Dec. 21^st, John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, will show us how to have courage in “Proclaiming” the news of the Christ Child along with our faith in the One who was born to save all people!

 

From the Board of Stewardship and Evangelism:  Matthew 3:1-2 – “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” John prepared the way for Jesus by preaching repentance. Then, when Jesus’ ministry was complete and He was raised from the dead, He sent out His disciples to preach “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 24:47). We never outgrow the need for repentance — for examining our lives, turning away from our sins, and turning toward Jesus in faith to receive his forgiveness and strength for a renewed life of godliness.

The Pewpoint – THEME OF THE DAY – By the Preaching of Repentance, We Are Prepared for the Coming of the Lord!     “John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent’” (Matt. 3:1–2). His preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins prepared people for the coming of Christ into the world. St. John’s work was historically complete with the incarnate advent of Jesus, but his vital ministry continues in preaching Law and Gospel. The Son of God has come in the flesh, “a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots” (Is. 11:1), and continues to bear the fruits of righteousness. His good tree of the cross is “a signal for the peoples” (Is. 11:10), by which He calls the nations to repentance. “With the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips” (Is. 11:4), He slays the wicked and brings the dead to life, making sons of Abraham out of lifeless stones. So also the “root of Jesse” comes to us, “even he who arises to rule the Gentiles” (Rom. 15:12), that “we might have hope” and be filled “with all joy and peace in believing” (Rom. 15:4, 13).

YES IN CHRIST  —  Saying Yes With Our Treasures  Needed per week to make budget: $3,025

Sunday Envelopes $1,260   Plate $105  General Memorial – Eli Dornfeld $50

 Attendance:  Sunday Service:  46     Communed:     45        Advent Service:  22    Communed:     20

 Brothers and sisters in Christ to lift up in prayer!

1) Carleen who was hospitalized, and needs continued healing.

2) Carole, sister to Dave.  Carole has responded and able to eat some soft foods.  Carole continues to need healing and it will be a long process.  We keep Carole’s entire family in  prayer.

3) We pray for Dee Dee’s brother Ross, who is dealing with heart issues and blockages.

4)  Deanne as her students continue to inspire her, and she challenges and enlightens their hearts and minds with knowledge and the news of Christ.

Upcoming Events 

December 7^th – Choir Practice @ 6pm     December 7^th – Advent Service @ 7pm

December 14^th – Choir Practice @ 6pm   December 14^th – Advent Service @ 7pm

December 18^th – Sunday Service @ 8:30 – No Children’s Program

December 24th – Christmas Eve service 7pm

December 25^th – Christmas Day Service 8:30am

January 1^st – New Year’s Day Service 8:30am

January 2^nd – Elder’s Meeting @ 6pm

January 5^th Council Meeting @ 6pm

January 8^th – Installation of Officers

Wish these people a Happy Birthday.

 

Helen	12/4
Cindy	12/8
Joelle	12/11
Kevin	12/14
Jadelyn	12/15
Warren	12/17
Ronald	12/17
Malachi	12/20
Karen	12/25
Douglas	12/28
Carl	12/30

We wish these Couples the best on their Anniversaries

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

Needed!  New people to mow and trim the Church’s lawn!

Dick and Nancy Basol have decided to retire from mowing the church’s lawn.  Thank you Dick and Nancy!  Zion is looking for someone who would be interested in taking over their duties, which include both mowing and trimming.  If you are interested, please let one of the Trustee’s know. That would be Dave Huebner, Tim Dornfeld or Dan Finger.