St Stephen Lutheran Church Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Holy Communion on the Second Sunday of Advent

December 5, 2021

Second Sunday of Advent

‘For he is like a refiner’s fire…’ Malachi 3:2

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT

The color blue, used for the vestments and paraments of Advent, is redolent of the deep blue of twilight just before dawn, symbolic of the Christian hope for the coming of the Light of the World.

OLD TESTAMENT: The messenger of the covenant is described in Malachi as a ‘refiner’s fire,’ and ‘fuller’s soap,’ cleansing agents that are powerful in their action and potentially destructive. Only repentant hearts can receive the message of God for its intended purpose, which is to purify the heart from sin and make it prepared for its creator.

NEW TESTAMENT: At the outset of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he prays in thanksgiving that God is working change in the hearts of the people, ‘that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.’ The Holy Spirit continues to be active in the Church as the Gospel message of hope and salvation is proclaimed, cleansing our hearts and making us ready for the day of our Lord’s appearing.

GOSPEL: The Lord who is coming with salvation needs a people prepared for him. At a certain time in history (Luke marks the time with precision) John the Baptist appears on the scene. Repentance and forgiveness are at the heart of John’s message. People must turn away from sin and towards God in order to be ready when God’s salvation is seen by all flesh.

OPENING MUSIC

Comfort, Comfort Now My People - Paul Manz

The Lord Will Come and Not Be Slow - Donald Busarow

Stand

X OPENING HYMN The Lord Will Come and Not Be Slow

Stanza 1: Choir

1 The Lord will come and not be slow;

his footsteps cannot err;

before him righteousness shall go,

his royal harbinger.

To those who name his name in fear,

salvation is at hand!

And soon his glory shall appear

and dwell within our land.

2 Then truth shall brighten ev’ry eye

like flowers fresh unfurled;

and justice, firmly throned on high,

shall reign throughout the world.

O Lord, who made both great and small

by power measureless,

arise and come as judge of all;

our wicked ways redress.

3 Then all the lands which you have made

shall come and bend the knee

and, bowing low before their Lord,

confess your sov’reignty.

For greatness, Lord, is yours alone,

and, by your mighty hand,

the rule established by your throne

forevermore shall stand.

Text: John Milton, 1608-1674, adapt.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

The day of justice and righteousness dawns upon us.

Standing in the light of the second candle,

we turn to God with sorrow for sin and hope for salvation.

Heavenly Father, you call us to repent of our sins:

soften our proud and stubborn hearts. Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you declared the forgiveness of God:

teach us to forgive one another. Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Holy Spirit, you search our hearts and show us the truth:

direct us in your way of righteousness. Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Almighty God, who in Jesus Christ

has given us a kingdom that cannot be destroyed,

forgive you your sins,

open your eyes to his truth,

strengthen you to do his will

and give you the joy of his kingdom.

Amen

APOSTOLIC GREETING and PRAYER OF THE DAY

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,

and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way for your only Son.

By his coming, give us strength in our conflicts and shed light on our path through the darkness of this world; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen

CALL TO THE WORD

John the Baptist went proclaiming a baptism of repentance

for the forgiveness of sins. Luke 3:3

Let us hear the Word of the Lord.

Sit

First READING Malachi 3:1-4

¹See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. ²But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; ³he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. ⁴Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

PSALMODY: Benedictus Dominus Deus (Canticle of Zechariah)

In the tender compassion of our God,

the dawn from on high shall break upon us.

⁶⁸Blessed be the Lord, the ^| God of Israel,
he has come to his people and ^| set them free.
⁶⁹He has raised up for us a ^| mighty Savior,
born of the house of his ^| servant David.

⁷⁰Through his holy prophets, he promised of old

        that he would save us ^| from our enemies,
           ⁷¹from the hands of ^| all who hate us.
⁷²He promised to show mercy ^| to our fathers,
      and to remember his ^| holy covenant.
⁷³This was the oath he swore to our ^| father Abraham:
      ⁷⁴to set us free from the hands of our ^| enemies,
free to worship him ^| without fear,
⁷⁵holy and righteous before him, all the days ^| of our life.
⁷⁶And you, my child, shall be called the prophet of ^| the Most High,
      for you will go before the Lord to pre- ^| pare his way,
⁷⁷to give his people knowledge ^| of salvation
      by the forgiveness ^| of their sins.
⁷⁸In the tender compassion ^| of our God
      the dawn from on high shall ^| break upon us,
⁷⁹to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and in the shad- ^| ow of death,

and to guide our feet into the ^| way of peace. R

Luke 1:68-79

SECOND READING Philippians 1:3-11

³I thank my God every time I remember you, ⁴constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, ⁵because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. ⁷It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. ⁹And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight ¹⁰to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, ¹¹having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Stand

VERSE Isaiah 40:3 Setting by Robert Wetzler

Alleluia. Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight his paths; all nations shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia.

Gospel Luke 3:1-6

The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke.

Glory to you, O Lord.

¹In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, ²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, ⁴as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
⁵Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
⁶and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sit

SERMON

Stand

X HYMN OF THE DAY Comfort, Comfort Now My People

Stanza 2: Choir (Setting by John Ferguson)

1 “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.

2 For the herald’s voice is crying

in the desert far and near,

calling us to true repentance,

since the kingdom now is here.

Oh, that warning cry obey!

Now prepare for God a way!

Let the valleys rise to meet him,

and the hills bow down to greet him!

3 Straight shall be what long was crooked,

and the rougher places plain!

Let your hearts be true and humble,

as befits his holy reign!

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.

Text: Johann G. Olearius, 1611-1684; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878, alt.

CONFESSION OF FAITH

The pastor and people confess the faith of the Church in the words of the Nicene Creed.

X At the words ‘For us and for our salvation,’ and continuing through ‘and was made man,’ a solemn bow is appropriate to praise the incarnation of our Lord.

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

X For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven;

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man. X

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

Watchful at all times,

let us pray for strength to stand with conﬁdence

before our Maker and Redeemer.

Silence is kept.

That God may bring in his kingdom with justice and mercy,

let us pray to the Lord:

Lord, have mercy.

That God may establish among the nations

his scepter of righteousness, let us pray to the Lord:

Lord, have mercy.

That we may seek Christ in the Scriptures

and recognize him in the breaking of the bread,

let us pray to the Lord:

Lord, have mercy.

That God may bind up the brokenhearted,

restore the sick and raise up all who have fallen,

let us pray to the Lord:

Lord, have mercy.

That the light of God’s coming may dawn

on all who live in darkness and the shadow of death,

let us pray to the Lord:

Lord, have mercy.

That, with all the saints in light,

we may shine forth as lights for the world,

let us pray to the Lord:

Lord, have mercy.

We commend ourselves and all for whom we pray

to the care and protection of our heavenly Father.

The pastor reads the names submitted for prayer.

The people may offer silent or spoken intercessions and thanksgivings.

…let us pray to the Lord:

Lord, have mercy.

Almighty God, as your blessed Son Jesus Christ ﬁrst came to seek and to save the lost; so may he come again to ﬁnd in us the completion of his redeeming work; for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

Amen

PEACE

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

And also with you.

The people exchange a sign of peace with the simple words, Peace be with you.

Sit

The Lord’s Table is prepared.

Stand

OFFERTORY Luke 13:29. 14:15 Setting by Robert Wetzler

And many shall come from the east and the west, from north and south,

and sit at table in the Kingdom of God. Blessed are they who shall eat

bread in the Kingdom of God!

PRAYER OF PREPARATION

Hear us, O Lord Jesus Christ, from your dwelling place,

from the glorious throne of your kingdom, and come and cleanse us.

You are seated on high with the Father,

and you dwell also with us here, although unseen.

By your mighty hand render us worthy to receive in holy communion

your spotless body and your precious blood.

Amen

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.

It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times

and in all places offer thanks and praise to you,

O Lord, holy Father, almighty and ever-living God.

You comforted your people with the promise of the Redeemer,

through whom you will also make all things new

in the day when he comes again

to judge the world in righteousness.

And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven,

we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy LORD, God of power and might!

Heaven and earth are full of your glory;

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!

Hosanna in the highest! (Isaiah 6:3, Matthew 21:9)

The pastor leads the people in praying the Eucharistic canon:

Blessed are you, O Adonai, Most High and Holy God,

for the wonder of your goodness

which creates, establishes, and permeates

the heavens and the earth.

We praise you for the promises you made to the Patriarchs,

as you led your chosen people out of slavery

into the land of promise,

giving them your Law on Sinai’s heights.

You promised, through the prophets,

that the Messiah would come,

the very branch of Jesse –

before whom all nations would keep silent.

Then, at the appointed time,

you sent your beloved Son, Jesus our Emmanuel,

the key of David born of Mary by the power of the Spirit.

He came to rescue the uprooted,

to bring life to the lifeless

and voice to those who were without hope;

on Calvary’s heights gave His life

to draw all people to Himself

and to your promise of mercy.

In the night in which He was betrayed

our Lord Jesus took bread and gave thanks,

broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying:

Take and eat; this is my Body, given for you.

Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, He took the cup, gave thanks,

and gave it for all to drink, saying:

This cup is the new covenant in my Blood,

shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.

Do this for the remembrance of me.

Together, let us proclaim the mystery of faith:

O Christ, you are the splendor of life everlasting:

We laud your death and resurrection,

and await your return in glory.

Blessed are you, O Adonai, Lord of might.

You fulfilled your promises

in the death, resurrection and ascension of your Son,

the King of all nations.

We praise you for embracing us

as the people who now dwell in the brightness of His glory.

Send now your holy and life-giving Spirit

upon this Bread of Life and this Cup of Salvation,

that we, in this holy communion,

may be united to Him who is our cornerstone,

the One who gives us His very body and blood

to sustain us in His forgiving love.

With all the people of your promises,

we await our Lord’s final coming

when we will share in that feast which shall never end.

Amen. Come, O precious Ransom, come!

In the presence of Christ, we pray to his Father using the words he gave us.

Christ is in our midst.

By the power of the Spirit,

we pray to his Father, saying:

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 Matthew 6:9-15

This is the bread of God which gives life to the world.

Glory to you, O God, forever. John 6:33

Wisdom has built her a house;

she has mixed her wine;

she has set her table.

Glory to you, O God, forever. Proverbs 9:1

We adore Christ with the words of the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

Grant us peace. John 1:29, see also Luke 17:13

Sit

DISTRIBUTION

Admission to the Sacrament is by invitation of the Lord, presented through the Church to those who are baptized.

They may receive the Lord’s Body and Blood who are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, who commune in their home churches, and who believe that Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is truly present in, with, and under the forms of bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

The communicants will be invited forward one family unit at a time. Please do not come forward until the pastor directs you to come forward, do not approach all the way to the table until the pastor has retreated.

When the pastor says ‘The body of Christ, given for you,’ eat the bread. When the pastor says, ‘The blood of Christ, shed for you,’ drink the wine. Please take the plate and the glass(es) and place them on the table that is indicated.

CHOIR

Come, Jesus, Come - Text/ Herbert Brokering

Music/ Robert Wetzler