Good morning on this rainy day right and well we all like to drink and take showers you um and welcome welcome to worship on this first Sunday in Advent um there are a few things a bunch of things that I have to share with you this morning so let me kind of go
Through them um please please please stay today for congregational meeting um this is uh a meeting scheduled by our Constitution and it is to consider budget and elect council members and yes um if you are having thoughts still about joining Council please have them um they can there will be opportunity
For nominations from the floor and yes you can nominate yourself so um Wednesday this Wednesday starts December December the 6th starts our worship with the other Eastern Area Lutheran Churches um and and so you don’t forget United Fellowship in Wilson St John’s downtown east ARS in Fort St
Paul’s II on Newberg Road in Palmer and of course us all right um we’ll be worshiping together on the three Wednesdays in Advent when this Wednesday we we start with United Fellowship followed by St Paul’s III and then we are the anchor um 6:00 soup and 7:00 worship is Shirley here there Shirley
Yeah we we need yeah she she hates it when I do this but we need soup all right and Shirley will coordinate it so she will taste anything you bring to see if it I have the SN no pressure not really but we do need soup and and she
Is coordinating that so please see her um to that effect um 6:00 soup and 7even worship Christmas Eve boy that’s right around the corner who gave it permission to be December anyway um but uh there will be no Worship in the morning as as Christmas Eve is on a
Sunday um there will be a 400 p.m. service and that will be it they will our services will certainly go to have candle um the 400 PM will be Geared for for children um the sermon will be a prolonged kind of story children time together so kind of have fun sitting up
Here together with the kids um 7:00 uh p.m. we will have uh worship as well that’ll be more Geared for adults a more quiet kind of thing a prolong time of candle lighting that kind of that um so that’s coming um we thank Diane for her work on the the church bulletin boards
Um kind of this way as you go out um the one over by the kitchen she wanted me to let you know is interactive so that means you have to go over there and read it um so it’s over there go over there um and last but a bummer um as as our
Audiovisual people came in this morning and tried to power up the computer it would not power up what that means is um for oh and and there was another all right um um I’m getting a note from my husband from the back from another announcement I forgot
Um but that means we will not be able um to Post online um as we typically do that that posting from uh that you can find on our website and we will be able to Via Zoom do Audio Only um for those who are in um that
Land who normally would be able to use the camera and be able to see what’s going on so um for those in that land I apologize you all so you all know that that’s what’s going on um we cannot know at this point exactly what the issue is
Um because it just happened um so so that’s that now um presents to bring in for the giving trade um that is due When I’m looking right at Jeff that’s a 10 that’s really it all right there oh that’s right boy I had that mixed up sorry um time to go back um the 10 or next Sunday so please have everything invite then and thank you in advance for
That okay enough there was a lot wasn’t there um so we begin our time of worship this morning with prayer let us pray stir up your power Lord Jesus and come by your merciful protection awaken us to the threatening dangers of our sins and keep us blameless until the
Coming of your new day for you live and reign with the father and the Holy Spirit one God now and forever amen both of our service now this is a one service Sunday but both of our services we will be using the Advent um hymns that are n ew this this
Season um and they will be Advent until the 24th just so you’re aware we start with har the Glad sound Heart [Applause] the We light the first candle of our re stands up for verse One [Applause] Please be seated Jesus said in those days after that Suffering The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light and the Stars will be falling falling from Heaven and the powers in the heavens will be shaken then they will see the son of man
Coming in clouds with great power and glory and then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the Four Winds from the ends of the Earth to the ends of Heaven from the fur tree learn its lesson as soon as its Branch becomes tend
And puts forth its leaves you know that summer is near see also when you see these things taking place that you know that he is near at the very Gates truly I tell you this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place Heaven and Earth will pass away
But my words will not pass away but about that day or hour no one knows neither the angels in Heaven nor the son but only the father be aware keep alert for you do not know when the time will come it is like a man going on a journey
When he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge each with his work and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch therefore keep awake for you do not know when the Master of the House will come in the evening or at midnight or a cockro or at dawn or else he may
Find you asleep when he comes suddenly and what I say to you I say to all keep awake our reading all those young or young at heart come on down good morning oh and where’s your sister walking in the back yeah and we sit like so I can see you all
Right this is a busy time of year and you probably see in your parents more than in yourselves huh and and what are you all waiting for why what you know the right [Applause] Answer what are you really waiting for what makes this exciting presents getting presents now there’s an honest answer yeah getting stuff yeah do you think do you think that on is it on Christmas that there’ll be presents with your name on them yes yeah would that be A oh so the friend’s pajamas in your house there’s a lot of traditions in houses aren’t there I going to suggest another one okay and I’m going to give it to you and then you all have to provide well I’ll give it to you Yeah so what do you think you have to do with these yeah and what’s that about that Advent this is a Time get ready it isn’t a time to do this and get ready for presents because really what’s Christmas about well family’s a good thing but what what’s Christmas really really
About what do we celebrate really really thank you keep Going yeah we celebrate Jesus being Born that’s that’s really the thing and that’s what this reminds us of because Jesus brings us the kind of stuff that we all need all year right because you’ll grow out of your pajamas I guarantee will you’re going to get taller well there you go you do know you w his
Size and I have clothes That Hand I know I that I I was one of five I had those too but Jesus gives us St hope peace joy and love that’s the kind of stuff we have all year that’s what we’re waiting for so your part of your job is to get your crayons or your
Markers or your whatever color pencil whatever you have and do this once a week so which one do you do this week the one candle right and that will be your clue how however many were like right that’s the one you pick all right so I gave you
Homework I know I gave you coloring homework and and the other homework is for the adults you go home with talk about these big words what does hope mean and so on okay all right thanks for coming on Grace and peace to you from from God our Father and our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ amen last week I talked about understanding where the texts were in relation to things that were said before it and after it and all that kind of thing right anybody remember what book of the Bible we were in last week oh see all right give all test Matthew
Matthew right you can always guess an M gospel because that’s 50% your right but it was Matthew we jump to mark because Advent is the beginning of the church year and so at that point we always flip we’re on a three-year cycle how it works right every year is a
Matthew a Mark or a Luke and John is smattered in there these were decisions made long before I was alive um but but that that is if you go to any Mainline denomination we’re all going to be talking about the same if you go into a Roman Catholic church or an episcopari Church
Presbyterian Church Methodist Church some Lutheran Churches these are this is the mainline lectionary that we follow so we go now to Mark now when we go to mark Mar Mark is the shortest of the Gospel we are at Mark 13 so we are at the tail end two days before the
Passover so that’s the context of this this is not before the birth mark doesn’t have a birth story like we’re used to with Matthew and Luke for that matter but Mark has has a a way and and a move on this getting ready and so the context again again is
About getting ready for the death and Resurrection because all of those little things I gave to the kids to color that’s where hope comes from the resurrection peace comes from the resurrection Joy comes from and love comes from all there that’s why we celebrate it now because we all
Like this this homework feeling of this peaceful Advent thing right when we think of Christmas Eve what do we think of the pastor’s sermon thank you of a peaceful Church holding the candle and singing yeah come on now but really and I’m not going to mess that up on Christmas Eve but
Really Jesus comes to cause a lot of trouble that this this whole piece right of of being ready this whole thing of watching for the the trees tender branches all of those those kinds of things in this text that we’re talking about here first of all in Jerusalem those those trees tend
Or branches are are as common there as as us watching the Maple Leaves come on the trees and fall and we have to rake them up um in in the fall part right that’s what they are common common stuff Jesus is talking about here this is not something that people oh
Just and and pretty much this whole thing of getting ready please do not like I said last week do not take this text by any means to to talk about end of time it’s not what this is about Jesus is prepping his disciples for his death that’s what he’s
Doing it has nothing to do with the second coming like I said how could he be talking about the second coming when he’s still there right so we don’t want to go there with that we can’t go there with that so what do we do to get Ready do we all have lists stuff you got to do nobody wants to admit this one and you got to get the cards and you got to get the presents and you got to make the cookies and you got to and you got to and you got to and you got to and
We don’t like this time of the year really until till this time of the year is over yeah see you wouldn’t giggle you know what I’m me it’s so crazy isn’t it it get so wrapped up in the stuff we got to do and I’m not thinking that’s what
Jesus is talking about here is it I know this will sound radical but I’m saying toss it all out all and maybe spend some time at sa par check check your PR ation by checking your relationship with other people it’s a different kind of thing don’t we get so wrapped up
Right in in what we’re getting what we’re Gathering or what we’re giving to other people so they can have more stuff I’ve said this before George Carl insting on stuff who remembers that you do yeah I’m not into his language thing here but but this this accumulation of
Stuff if we all brought in all our stuff there wouldn’t be enough room in this room would there R sale is what she said have you been in this place during the march and then there’s people that call the day after the r say I want to bring their Stuff and we get wrapped up in that and we get wrapped up in that most especially this Time of the Year this stuff and we get so blast busy that we forget who sits next to us getting ready has to do with caring about the relationship ship that we
Have with the people who God gave us and it’s a different thing to go to the food bank and feed them than it is to go to Target and look for the sales right there’s a difference there right you’re talking needs versus wants and that’s that’s distinction now I’m not trying to make
You get all guilty that whenever the present thing happens in your opening and he’s like well don’t tell pastor we [Applause] Did all right try try to replace some caring about the relationships with those who struggle to have none imagine imagine the homeless Soul sitting on the step boy what a meal means to that person that’s preparation that’s how we get ready is to focus there take your
Lists make one maybe two batches of cookies that’s enough hear what I’m saying and focus on and when that we celebrate that baby boy you will experience a love like we haven’t experienced before amen GL will The We join together in our statement of Bel I believe in god father almighty creator of heav and Earth I believe in Jesus Christ God’s only son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Spirit born of the Virgin Mary suffered under pontious pilot was crucified died
And he descended to the on the third day he rose again he ascended into heaven he is seated at the right hand of the father and he will come to judge the living the I believe in the Holy Spirit the Holy Catholic Church the communion of saints the Forgiveness of s the
Resurrection of the body and the life Everlasting Amen let us pray dear God come into our hearts and our spirits and help us to prepare for the coming of love into the world for the coming of your son who would die and rise to save us prepare dear help us to prepare dear God by building
Relationships by caring for the those around us for reaching out in love Heavenly God help us to trust you and not worry about when the end times might or might not be help us to know that we are in your hands so that we might focus on things
You would have us to focus on dear God be with those who struggle in this holiday season those who say goodby to loved ones those who Miss loved ones and who they have spent their lives with those dear God who need your care Comfort dear God lift them
Up help them and help us to be with them so they may approach this season and see its Joy dear God we ask for peace peace in your world peace in Israel peace in Gaza peace in Ukraine Heavenly God bring an end to war dear God we pray for those who who are
Ill we pray that you would be with them and and lift them up and into your care that you would be with those who work with them and and all those who who work in The Healing Arts this day dear God we name before you Diane Ral and Mas Brit Shirley Mona and
CH Nat Trisha and Marilyn Ron Rachel and Joseph Matt Andy and Pam Rebecca Mike and Charlotte Nicholas Rodney and those who we name before you either aloud or in our hearts and dear God as we come together as a congregation to meet and talk about things important to the future of this
Congregation we pray dear God that you would be with us that our decisions would reflect your will dear God we pray all these things to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Amen We arees we LIF our we lift our Liv up to you we are Lord our voices Lord our hands Lord our Liv we are all that we have all that we are all that we to we we to you we to you we LIF our voices we lift our
Hands we lift our eyes up to you we are in free we are in free we lift our voices we lift our hands we lift our livto you we areer lord use our voices our our heart are all that we have all all that we are all that we love
To to you we give to you our voes we lift our hands we lift our livto you we are we are as we prepare for communion it was right here in front of me and I apologize to the yers but Carol’s sister has passed from Death
To life eternal and I would like to offer prayer for the family dear Lord Heavenly God we ask your blessing upon the ER family and all the family of Peggy Carol who has passed from Death to life with you dear God help us to know that she is in
Peace and help the family be strengthened by the gift of love that you give amen in the night in which he was betrayed our lord Jesus Took bread 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 We join together in the prayer Our
Lord taught us to say when we pray Our Father in Heaven be your name your kingdom come your will be done on Earth as in heaven give us today our daily bread forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us save us from the time of Tri
And Deliver Us from Evil for the kingdom the power and the glory are yours now and forever Amen [Applause] [Applause] H [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] blood of Christ sh blood of Christ share [Applause] you [Applause] J [Applause] [Applause] To Mer [Applause] [Applause] Sh You [Applause] All IUS To you [Applause] Will re ice and my heart is of Jesus heart for youing you to I receive I Re heart I You my heart [Applause] is I Re my is Of my heart is [Applause] Oh For for those in the pews and those who join us in home the body of Christ given for You body the blood of Christ shed for you now May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the gifts of his body and blood strength and keep and unite us now and forever amen let us pray God for whom we wait in this meal
You give us a foretaste of that day when the hungry will be fed with good things send us forth to make known your these and to proclaim the greatness of your name through Jesus Christ Our Savior and Lord amen blessed be the god of Israel Might SA All h