Thanks be to God for his remarkable gift of his Son to the church and the world, Isaiah 9.1-7.
The LORD has granted this world the Messiah, the anointed Savior who will arise and wipe away the gloom and darkness from Gentile domination. The people who have sat in darkness and in the shadow of death have seen a great light that has dawned on them. God has sent the gift of his child, Jesus Christ, who has ushered in God’s eternal kingdom and will complete it at his return.
Invocation
We’re so thankful to you, eternal God, that you’ve sent your Son, our Messiah, to wipe away our gloom and darkness. The people who sat in darkness and under the shadow of death have seen a great light, the light of Jesus our Lord. With him you have inaugurated your rule, and you will complete that reign when he returns. All glory be to you, Amen.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.
Chronological Scripture Readings for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the entire Bible in one year in chronological order.
Sunday: Heb. 4.14-7.28
Lectionary Readings for Today
Our readings from the Psalms, the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Epistles are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Lord’s Day.
Psalm: Psalm 90.1-12
Old Testament (or Acts [during Eastertide]): Zeph. 1.7, 12-18
Gospel: Matthew 25.14-30
New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 5.1-11
Click here for all of this week’s Scripture readings
The Lord has granted the world the gift of his Son, the Messiah who has granted light to those who once sat in gloom, darkness, and shadow, Isa. 9.1-7.
Reflection
God’s great gift to all peoples is the promise of Messiah, his Son, whom he would use to transform his creation. It is through the coming of the Messiah that the gloom and darkness will be lifted. His arrival would signal universal peace and righteousness for all the peoples of the world. He is God’s ultimate gift to creation, and his second coming will usher God’s reign of righteousness established throughout the entire universe.
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, The Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God,
Begotten not created, of the same essence as the Father,
through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became human.
Who for us too, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, 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 and life-giver,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Who together with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified.
Who spoke by the prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sin,
and we look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the age to come. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Benediction
Thank you, eternal God, for sending your Son, our Messiah, to erase our darkness. You gave us Jesus, our Savior and Lord who brought great light to those who sat in darkness and under the shadow of death. Your reign began with him, and will be completed when he returns. Till then, help us glorify your name. Amen.
Scripture Memory
Acts 17.29-31 (ESV)
29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
Book Reading and Reflection
“One way of dealing with the problem of structure [in the Church’s worship] is to draw upon the tradition of the early church. While we do not know as much as we would like about the worship of the early church, we do know that the broad and generally accepted approach to worship included four acts. The two most central acts of Sunday worship were the service of the Word and the service of the Eucharist—the apostolic teaching and the breaking of the bread. Through Word and Eucharist the early church proclaimed, enacted, and celebrated the gospel story. Early Christian worship also included singing, baptism, creeds, benedictions, doxologies, tongues, prophecies, and ministry . . . All these acts of worship are related to the proclamation of the gospel story.”
~ Robert E. Webber, Worship Old and New. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1985, page 2756 (electronic edition).
Let God Arise! Focus
We are the church of the living God in Jesus Christ, Eph. 2.11-22.
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