INTRODUCTION
Christ’s presence in our midst in the wonder of the holy supper is cause for singing. The nearness of the God in prayer, in every circumstance, is cause for rejoicing. The coming of one “more powerful” than John, even with a winnowing fork in hand, is good news—and cause for exultation—for us who are being saved. Great joy is the tone for the third Sunday of Advent.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
* CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, alive in the world, reviving creation,
arriving soon. Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another..
God of mercy,
we confess that we have sinned. We trust earthly powers and human authority alone. We grow fearful. We cling to false comforts.
God of might,
we confess that we have sinned. We have turned away from our neighbors. We have trusted false promises.
God in our midst,
we confess that we have sinned. We plead: come to us. Bring your mercy to birth in us.
A righteous branch springs forth: it is Christ the Lord, our Savior, in whom we have forgiveness, life, and mercy. By the power of the Holy Spirit,
receive the grace and forgiveness of God through Christ Jesus,
whose day draws near. Amen.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
Stir up the wills of your faithful people, Lord God, and open our ears to the preaching of John, that, rejoicing in your salvation, we may bring forth the fruits of repentance; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
* GATHERING SONG Awake! Awake, and Greet the New Morn (ELW 242)
FIRST READING: Zephaniah 3:14-20
14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
18 as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
19 I will deal with all your oppressors
at that time.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the LORD.
ADVENT 3 CANDLE LIGHTING
CONGREGATIONAL SONG HE CAME DOWN (ELW 253) Verse 4
SECOND READING: Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
GOSPEL Luke 3:7-18
The holy gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.
7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come 8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do ” 11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do ” 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do ” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION Pastor Wende Bleam
* HYMN OF THE DAY Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers (ELW 244)
* NICENE CREED
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.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
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,*
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who 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.
OFFERING OF TITHES AND GIFTS TO GOD
Please place your offering in the plate near the Sanctuary door any time during or following worship. Your offering and tithes may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
* OFFERING PRAYER
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
As we prepare for Emmanuel, God-with-us, let us pray for all people and places that long for God’s presence.
God who reforms, fill your church with courage to do your will. Empower your people in taking risks that bear fruit. Raise up leaders who will proclaim the good news. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
God who creates, you hold in balance diverse ecosystems. Encourage efforts to protect wild lands from devastation. Care for animals and people in the path of destructive fires, storms, and other disasters. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
God who leads, this world cries out for true justice. Guide legislatures, judges, and lawyers in actions steeped in love and restoration. Increase the desire to advocate for all who are confronted with discrimination and oppression based on race, gender, sexuality, class, or age. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
God of mercy, be with the people who have lost family, friends, homes or been injured from hurricanes, tornadoes and seas. Comfort them as they grieve and as they rebuild in their lives from this disaster. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
Lord, we pray for the people of Israel and Palestine, for those the Gaza Strip who are suffering the ravages of war, send your peace into their hearts and let their fighting end, We also pray for the Ukrainian people that they be surrounded by your love and protection against the attacks on their country. Lift all these people up, protect them, and end this war against them. Lord, let your peace reign. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
God who embraces, help us notice the places where your people are hurting or sick. Show your compassion and remember your people in love. We pray especially for Carol, Talayia, Tiana, Vince, Danielle, Barbara. Scarlet, Deb, Connor, Dawn, Elaine, Rich, Robert, Anna, Don, Bryant, Lois, Bill, Curt, Calvin, Robin, Ana, Helen, Hoon, Pat, Joe, Ruth, Lisa, Jacklyn, Lillian, Alexis, and those we now raise before you in our hearts. We pray for those affected by the Covid virus in mind, body or spirit. Grant them healing and wholeness. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
God who abides, you dwell among the people of this congregation. Deepen our relationships with one another, and make us aware of the diverse talents and gifts present here. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
God who consoles, we thank you for the time we have had with loved ones who have died. Comfort us with the promise of everlasting life in you. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
Savior of the nations, come, and receive these prayers and the pleas of our hearts, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
* LORD'S PRAYER
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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.
PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.
* THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift the to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior, Jesus Christ. 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 to judge the world in righteousness . And so with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
* HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
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.
* INVITATION TO COMMUNION
Christ's table is spread before you and Jesus invites you to come.
Gather here with all the saints.
COMMUNION SONG
May the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in His grace. Amen.
CONGREGATION HYMN O Lord, How Shall I Meet You (ELW 241
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
*BLESSING
God of endings and beginnings, God in the darkness and the light, God, our hope for the journey, bless and keep you now and forever. Amen.
* SENDING SONG In Thee Is Gladness (ELW 867)
DISMISSAL - Go in peace. Prepare the way for Emmanuel. Thanks be to God.
The Eternal Candle is sponsored for the month of December by the McCombs family in memory of Joan Stinsman.
YOU CAN HELP! You can be a good steward AND get your grocery shopping done. Did you know that if you purchase a grocery food gift card from St. John’s, our congregation will receive 5% of all sales of gift cards. Please see MaryAnne Rossi if you wish to purchase and gift cards. Thank you for helping us raise that 5% for helping to continue our ministry.
Each week, we collect food for our hungry neighbors in need in our SHARING GOD'S BOUNTY WAGON. Hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Please consider making a donation of a food item each week. If you are in need of food, please notify Pastor Wende and she will let you know what we have available.
The Social Ministry Committee would love to hear from you if you have any ideas for small fundraising and/or social ministry events that we could pull off with minimal effort. Challenge us with your ideas!!
With our church building getting older, we need everyone’s eyes and ears to help keep her in good repair. If you see any problems like a burnt out light bulb, please let Barb or Bud know or drop a note in the offering plate on Sunday. We need to get a jump on current or upcoming problems.
Our Financial Response (November)
CURRENT
Budgeted costs per month $ 8,443.07
Offering last month $ 4,558.14
Budget required to date (11 months) $ 92,873.77
Total received to date $ 58,492.70
MISSION SUPPORT
Budget required to date (11 months) $ 4,400.00
Total received to date $ 3,941.98
Please continue to support St. John's. Our expenses continue each month.
Your offering and tithes may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
Upcoming St. John's Events:
Fall Food collection:
November 24 - vegetable oil, potato flakes
December 1 - flour, sugar, biscuit mix
December 8 - tuna fish, spam, canned meat
December 15 - shelf stable milk, juice
You are welcome to bring in any food, not just what is on the list! Thank you in advance for your donations. The food will be packaged following coffee talk for delivery to Mt. Zion Church, Sharon Hill.
Advent week 1: December 1 - We will have coffee talk, sponsored by MaryAnne and Kim, and following that, we will decorate the church for Christmas. Then we will view The Chosen: The Shepherd: A Story of the First Christmas
Advent week 2: December 8 - We will have a soup coffee talk and soup sale afterwards. Then we will view The Chosen: The Messengers: Special Christmas Episode
Advent week 3:December 15 - We will have coffee talk, sponsored by Walt, will package up the food for Mt. Zion and write Christmas cards to send along with the food. Then we will view The Chosen: Christmas with the Chosen: Holy Night.
Advent week 4: December 22 - We will have coffee talk, sponsored by Martie, and everyone is invited to bring Christmas cookies to share. We will also view The Chosen: Jesus Loves the Little Children
December 24, Christmas Eve Worship at 7:00 pm
December 29, Lessons and Carols
This year we will again adorn the sanctuary with beautiful poinsettias. You may choose from red, white or pink poinsettias. Or, you can choose to donate to ELCA World Hunger program. The cost of each is $8.00.
The deadline for ordering this year is December 15th.
