Immanuel Lutheran Church - South Lyon, MI
God's Service of Word and Sacrament
celebrating
The Nativity of our Lord
Service of the Word
OPENING HYMN
Oh, Come, All You Faithful
Christian Worship #55
Please stand as the final verse of the hymn is sung. As we focus on the front of the chancel, the Crucifix, and the Altar serves to symbolize the theme and focus of Christian worship.
Pastor: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the f fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Congregation: And also with you.
P: Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
C: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. You have set your glory above the heavens.
P: Give thanks to the Lord of lords, to him who alone does great wonders, who by his understanding made the heavens, who spread out the earth upon the waters, who made the great lights – the sun, to govern the day, the moon and stars to govern the night.
C: Great is the Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
P: But our iniquities have separated us from our God; our sins have hidden his face from us, so that he will not hear. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. We look for deliverance, but it is far away.
C: For our offenses are many in his sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our sins.
P: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
C: From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
P: “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord our Righteousness.”
C: Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
P: Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
C: Let the name of the Lord be praised forever and ever. Alleluia!
Hymn of Praise:
Angels We Have Heard on High
Christian Worship #63
The Gloria in Excelsis (Latin for “Glory [to God] in the highest”) has been the traditional song of praise sung at the beginning of Christian services for centuries. The text of the Gloria may be found on pages 16-17 in Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal. The hymn quotes the opening words of the Gloria, the same words that the angels first sang on Christmas night.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Let us pray. Lord God, heavenly Father, we give thanks to You that of Your mercy and compassion You caused Your Son to become incarnate, and through Him redeemed us from sin and everlasting death: We beseech You, enlighten our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, that we may ever be thankful for such grace, and comfort ourselves thereby in all tribulation and temptation, and at last obtain eternal salvation; through the same, Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Please be seated.
FIRST LESSON Isaiah 9:2,6-7
To us a child is born
Hymn
Joy to the World
Christian Worship #62
The First Lesson is normally followed by a psalm. The hymn, “Joy to the World,” is based on the words of Psalm 98, which is the psalm appointed for Christmas Day.
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SECOND LESSON Hebrews 1:1-9
God has revealed himself to us through his Son
HYMN
All Praise to You, Eternal God
Christian Worship #33
Martin Luther prepared this Christmas hymn to be sung between the Epistle (Second Lesson) and Gospel. “Alleluia” is traditionally sung between the Second Lesson and Gospel to express the congregation’s joy as they anticipate hearing about their Savior Jesus in the Gospel. Each stanza of this hymn concludes with an “alleluia.”
GOSPEL John 1:1-14
The Word became flesh and lived among us
Please stand for the Gospel. Turn to the center aisle to face the Gospel Procession as the Gospel is read in the midst of the people. The Gospel is read from the center of the congregation to symbolize that Jesus Christ became man and lived among us as he accomplished our salvation as our Savior.
After the Gospel, the minister and congregation respond:
P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: (sing) Praise be to you, O Christ!
Please be seated.
HYMN OF THE DAY
Of the Father’s Love Begotten
Christian Worship #35
SERMON
After the sermon, please stand.
CONFESSION OF FAITH Excerpts from the Athanasian Creed
It is necessary for eternal salvation truly to believe
that our Lord Jesus Christ also took on human flesh.
Now this is the true Christian faith.
We believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son,
is both God and man.
He is God, eternally begotten from the nature of the Father, and he is man, born in time
from the nature of his mother, fully God, fully man, with rational soul and human flesh.
equal to the Father as to his deity, less than the Father as to his humanity;
and though he is both God and man, Christ is not two persons, but one,
one, not by changing the deity into flesh, but by taking the humanity into God;
one, indeed, not by mixture of the natures, but by unity in one person;
for just as the rational soul and flesh are one human being,
so God and man are one Christ.
He suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose the third day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty,
and from there will come to judge the living and the dead.
This is the true Christian faith.
Whoever does not faithfully and firmly believe this cannot be saved.
Please be seated.
OFFERING
Please stand.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P: On this holy day, dear Father, we rejoice to hear the good news of great joy that a Savior has been born for us. For fulfilling your prophecies and in the fullness of time sending your Son to be our Savior, we give you our heartfelt thanks and praise.
C: Unto us a child is born! Unto us a Son is given!
P: What a great mystery of our faith this is: that God has become fully human for our salvation! Even though he is the all-powerful Lord of all, he is wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.
C: Help us always believe that this precious child was born as our substitute to be our Savior.
P: In the midst of our joy, we grieve for the many people in our world who do not know that Jesus has come to bring them forgiveness and healing. As the shepherds spread abroad the good news of the birth of the Savior born for all the world, may we also make use of the unique opportunities this holiday presents to tell others of what we have seen and heard concerning the child.
C: Grant that the true peace between God and fallen mankind may comfort all people.
Special prayers and intercessions may follow.
P: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.
Silent prayer.
P: As the angels sang out their praise, move us also to sing out our praise to
you, today and every day, as the joy of Christmas remains in our hearts.
C: Glory to God in the highest! Amen.
SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
The major canticles (songs) of the service will be replaced with stanzas from Christmas hymns that reflect the thoughts and words contained in the regular canticles of the Communion service. The texts for the customary canticles of the Communion service may be found on pages 22-23 or pages 34-35 in Christian Worship
P: The Lord be with You.
C: And with Your Spirit.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them up unto the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
C: It is good and right so to do.
P: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In love he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. When the time had fully come, he sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ. To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and thanks and honor and glory forever and ever.
HYMN
Now Sing We, Now Rejoice
Christian Worship #34:1,4
THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION
P: Taught by our Lord and trusting in His promise, we are bold to pray ...
C: 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.
P: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: Amen.
HYMN
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Christian Worship #65:3,4
DISTRIBUTION OF CHRIST'S BODY AND BLOOD
(We respectfully ask that only those who are members in good standing at Immanuel or our sister WELS and ELS congregations approach the table of our Lord. Thank you.)
(you may kneel at the supper if you so choose.)
Distribution Hymn:
From Heaven Above to Earth I Come
Christian Worship #38
PRAYER
P: Hear the prayer of your people, O Lord, that the lips which have praised you here may glorify you in the world, that the eyes which have seen the coming of your Son may long for his coming again, and that all who have received in his true body and blood the pledge of your forgiveness may be restored to live a new and holy life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
BLESSING
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.
C: (sing) Amen, Amen, Amen
RECESSIONAL HYMN
Let Us All with Gladsome Voice
Christian Worship #64
After the hymn, please be seated.
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● Thank you to all those who helped set up and decorate the tree and the church in preparation for our Christmas celebrations.
● Thanks to those who donated Poinsettias for beautifying God's House.
● Thank you to all those who have helped to beautify our Christmas Services this year in instrument and voice.
May the Lord Bless You this Christmas Season!!
~Pastor, Melissa, & Sophia Minzlaff
Join us in Celebrating Christ's Birth:
Saturday December 31st – Divine Service with Communion – 7:00pm
Sunday January 1st – Divine Service with Communion – 10:00am
The Historic Lessons for Christmas Day
Isaiah 9:2,6-7 NKJV
2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. 6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Hebrews 1:1-9 NKJV
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”? 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
John 1:1-14 NKJV
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.