Christmas 2023
31 December 2023
First Sunday After Christmas
The Eve of the Circumcision of Our Lord
New Year’s Eve
Ringing of the Bell
– The bell rings as the call to worship, reminding us to discontinue conversation and reverently prepare for worship.
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Lutheran Service Book Divine Service Setting Three
Stand
367 Angels from the Realms of Glory LSB 367 sts. 1, ref, 3–5
1
Angels from
the realms of glory,
Wing your
flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang
creation’s story,
Now
proclaim Messiah’s birth. Refrain
ref
Come and
worship, come and worship;
Worship
Christ, the newborn King.
3
Sages,
leave your contemplations,
Brighter
visions beam afar;
Seek the
great Desire of nations,
Ye have
seen His natal star. Refrain
4
Saints
before the altar bending,
Watching
long in hope and fear,
Suddenly
the Lord, descending,
In His
temple shall appear. Refrain
D
5
All
creation, join in praising
God the
Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore
your voices raising
To
the_eternal Three in One. Refrain
Text (sts. 1, ref, 3–4):
James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.; (st. 5):
Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, Salisbury, alt.
Text:
Public domain
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
Invocation
P In the name of the Father and of the TSon and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Exhortation
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
Confession of Sins
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
Absolution
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the TSon and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
SERVICE OF THE WORD
Gloria in Excelsis
P Glory be to God on high:
C and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee,
we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee, for Thy great glory.
O Lord God, heav’nly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord.
Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,
art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Let us pray.
O God, our Maker and Redeemer, You wonderfully created us and in the incarnation of Your Son yet more wondrously restored our human nature. Grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Psalm Psalm 111; antiphon: v. 9a, b
Praise the Lord!
I will give
thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the
upright, in the congregation.
Great are
the works of the Lord,
studied by all who
delight in them.
Full of
splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness
endures forever.
He has
caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides
food for those who fear him;
he remembers his
covenant forever.
He has
shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the
inheritance of the nations.
The works
of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are
trustworthy;
they are
established forever and ever,
to be performed with
faithfulness and uprightness.
He sent
redemption to his people;
he has commanded his
covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is
his name!
The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom;
all those who practice
it have a good understanding.
His praise endures
forever!
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 61:10—62:3
I will greatly rejoice
in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in
my God,
for he has
clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with
the robe of righteousness,
as a
bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a
beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns
herself with her jewels.
For as the
earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes
what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord
God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before
all the nations.
For Zion’s
sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her
righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a
burning torch.
The nations
shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your
glory,
and you
shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the
Lord will give.
You shall
be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in
the hand of your God.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Galatians 4:4–7
When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
C Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Holy Gospel Luke 2:21–40
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the second chapter.
C Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
“Lord, now
you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your
word;
for my eyes
have seen your salvation
that you have prepared
in the presence of all peoples,
a light for
revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your
people Israel.”
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
Sit
384 Of the Father’s Love Begotten LSB 384 sts. 1, 3–5
1
Of the
Father’s love begotten
Ere the
worlds began to be,
He is Alpha
and Omega,
He the
source, the ending He,
Of the
things that are, that have been,
And that
future years shall see
Evermore
and evermore.
3
This is He
whom seers in old time
Chanted of
with one accord,
Whom the
voices of the prophets
Promised in
their faithful word.
Now He
shines, the long-expected;
Let
creation praise its Lord
Evermore
and evermore.
4
O ye
heights of heav’n, adore Him;
Angel
hosts, His praises sing.
Pow’rs,
dominions, bow before Him
And extol
our God and King.
Let no
tongue on earth be silent,
Ev’ry
voice in concert ring
Evermore
and evermore.
D
5
Christ, to
Thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy
Ghost, to Thee
Hymn and
chant and high thanksgiving
And
unending praises be,
Honor,
glory, and dominion,
And eternal
victory
Evermore
and evermore. Amen.
Text: Aurelius
Prudentius Clemens, 348–c.
413; (sts. 1, 3–4): tr. John Mason
Neale, 1818–66,
alt.; (st. 5): tr. Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text:
Public domain
Sermon - Pastor Eric Ash
Circumcision of Our Lord December 31, 2023 Luke 2:21-40
Circumcision
This night and tomorrow have been celebrated throughout church history as the Eve of the Name of the Jesus and the Circumcision of Our Lord. On December 31 last year, the topic of our sermon was the Name of Jesus. Tonight our sermon will focus on our Lord's Circumcision. In our culture circumcision is an awkward, uncomfortable subject to discuss. It is something we rarely speak about. That it is a such a taboo topic is kind of strange because two of the world's major religions, Judaism and Islam, require circumcision of the males of their faiths for religious reasons, and many other people in the world, including most Western Christians, circumcise boys for health reasons.
Whether or not circumcision has health benefits has been a subject of debate recently. The general medical consensus, as I understand it, is generally in favor of circumcision at this time. Research seems to indicate that circumcision helps prevent the development and spread of some diseases. However, there have been legislative initiatives in recent years to both require and to ban circumcision. It's become an issue of religious freedom and public health. There are even surgical procedures intended to reverse circumcision. Whatever people might think about circumcision, it is a fact that it is different today than it was in Bible times. The modern procedure is more radical but, of course, the equipment and technology are better. But whenever, however circumcision is done, it is painful and there is blood.
Where did circumcision come from, anyway? Circumcision was a gift from God. “Some gift!” we might be tempted to say. God instructed Abraham to circumcise all the males of his tribe as a sign of the covenant He had made with them, namely that He would be their God and they would be His people. That the Jews would be circumcised at a time when no one else in the world was, would serve as a constant, physical, visible reminder that the Jews were God's special, unique, chosen people. Circumcision marked the Jews as God's own. Like the experience of circumcision itself, being a Jew, being God's chosen people, often involved pain and bloodshed, as they, throughout their history endured warfare, slavery, exile and more. Being God's chosen people did not give the Jews super wealth or superpowers; it meant they were chosen to bring God's Messiah into the world for our salvation, and that's messy, painful, bloody business.
Jesus, God's Messiah, was born to an observant Jewish family. Mary and Joseph had Jesus circumcised on the eighth day after he was born, as the law of Moses required for all Hebrew boy babies. What incredible foreshadowing there! Baby Jesus, only eight days old, for the sake of the Law, suffers pain and sheds his holy blood, just as he would thirty-three years later, on the cross, for the sake of our salvation. Just as circumcision identified the Jews as God's covenant people, so does our faith in Christ's atoning death mark us as people of the New Testament.
So why don't we Christians require circumcision? In a world such as ours, where participation in a religion or church often requires little commitment or sacrifice, a ritual such as circumcision for adults would separate the serious believers from the halfhearted. As it is though, circumcision is part of what we call the Old Testament's “ceremonial law.” When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, he went on to give him over six hundred laws for the Jews to live by. Some were moral laws, such as “Thou shalt not bear false witness” and “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Other laws concerned rituals and ceremonies. These included things like not eating shellfish and not wearing clothing of mixed fibers. And some laws dealt with social interactions, such as how to determine if a disease is leprosy and how to punish criminals.
As Christians we are only obliged to follow the moral law of the Old Testament. You can eat clams and lobster, you can wear a cotton/poly shirt, but you cannot murder people or lie about them. Nothing is a surer sign of bad theology than when someone tells you committing adultery is no worse than eating shrimp. Don't fall for it. That's not why Jesus died.
When Jesus died, He not only fulfilled all the Law, He took all the guilt we incurred from breaking the law upon himself and put it to death. The merit Jesus earned, the atonement He won for us, is communicated to us, it is transferred to us, in Holy Baptism. Baptism for the Christian serves a similar purpose as circumcision did for the Jew. Both are gifts marking us as God's people. But now that Jesus is born, now that Christ has come into our world, the Old Covenant of Law is past and we live in the age of grace and faith. Early on in the Christian church there were those who insisted on circumcision for all Christians. You must be circumcised to be a Christian, they said. Saint Paul and others were moved by the Spirit to declare that circumcision was no longer necessary. Paul got so angry he said that he wished those who preached circumcision would mutilate themselves. We are not saved by a mark on our flesh, we are saved by faith in Christ.
Even today there are those who try to force things like circumcision on us. They say to be a Christian you have to have a certain kind of conversion experience, or you have a practice particular spiritual gift, or you have to adhere to a specific cultural or social agenda. Don't fall for it! Salvation comes through faith in Christ alone, not “faith in Christ plus this” or “faith in Christ plus that.” Christ alone spilled his blood for us, first at his circumcision and then on the cross. The name of Jesus is alone the name at which all beings in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will someday kneel – some in reverent praise and some in fear of their judgment.
Judgment is another awkward, uncomfortable, taboo subject in society today. But we need to let the world know about God's love and the great danger of dismissing his spilled blood as inconsequential. We are blessed to know Jesus as the name of our salvation. That is what we celebrate this night. That is what we proclaim. All power, glory and might be to Him now and forever. Amen.
Votum
P The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
C Amen.
Stand
Apostles' Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS
Prayer of the Church— 31 December 2023
Eternal Lord God, in the fullness of time, You sent forth Your Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem us and give us the adoption as Your sons and heirs. Hear us, Father, as we call to You in His name. Give us grace to rejoice in Christ’s blessed incarnation, and grant us a glad new year. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lead Your Church, Lord, to follow the example of blessed Simeon, that all baptized Christians would embrace the Christ Child by Word and faith, and so be ready to depart whenever they are called. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood on earth is named, bless Christian families with Your promises. Give parents diligence and delight in their work, and grant Your favor on all children, that they may grow in strength and wisdom. Bless widows, orphans and broken families also with Your mercy, and give them joy in the redemption You have won for us in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, mighty Lord, You have given power to the nations and to those who govern for the good of their people. Bless our president, Congress, governor and all our leaders, that justice may prevail and Your people would be free to live at peace with all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed Lord, help the sick and suffering, especially those who desire our prayers [including _____________]. Surround them with Your love in Christ and, according to Your gracious will, heal them. Comfort those who mourn, [especially _____________,] and fill their hearts with the certain hope of the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen in Your mercy, C hear our prayer
Sit
Offertory Invitation, Christmas
Scripture tells us "God loves a cheerful giver." Let us with gladness, then, now give our tithes and offerings to the Lord.
The Choir sings the Offertory as the offerings are being collected.
Stand
Offering/Offertory
955 Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful LSB 955
1
Let the
vineyards be fruitful, Lord,
And fill to
the brim our cup of blessing.
Gather a
harvest from the seeds that were sown,
That we may
be fed with the bread of life.
Gather the
hopes and the dreams of all;
Unite them
with the prayers we offer now.
Grace our
table with Your presence, and give us
A foretaste
of the feast to come.
Text: John W. Arthur,
1922–80
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of
Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no.
110004199
Offertory Prayer
P: Merciful Father,
C: we offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us --ourselves, our time, and our possessions, signs of your gracious love. Receive them for the sake of him who offered himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
Preface LSB 194
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them up unto the Lord.
P Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
C It is meet and right so to do.
Proper Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for in the mystery of the Word made flesh You have given us a new revelation of Your glory that, seeing You in the person of Your Son, we may know and love those things which are not seen. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
C Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
heav’n and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
The Words of Our Lord
P On the night, in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same also, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood, shed for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Lord's Prayer Invitation
As God's children we pray with confidence the words our Savior gave 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.
Fraction
P Come for all things are now ready, the gifts of God for the people of God.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
C O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Thy peace. Amen.
Sit
The pastor and those who assist him receive the body and blood of Christ first and then distribute them to those who come to receive, saying:
Distribution LSB 199
Take, eat; this is the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins.
Amen.
Take, drink; this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, shed for the forgiveness of your sins.
Amen.
Stand
In dismissing the communicants, the following is said:
The Dismissal
P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart Tin peace.
C Amen.
Thank the Lord LSB 164
C Thank the Lord and sing His praise; tell ev’ryone what He has done.
Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and proudly bear His name.
He recalls His promises and leads His people forth in joy
with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanksgiving LSB 200
A O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,
C and His mercy endureth forever.
Post Communion Prayer
P: We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life; and we pray that in your mercy you would strengthen us, through this gift in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
Post-Communion Collect
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Bless we the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Organist plays "Carol of the Bells" (Leontovych)
"Ring Out, Wild Bells" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
383 A Great and Mighty Wonder LSB 383 sts. 1, ref, 2, 4–5
1
A great and
mighty wonder,
A full and
holy cure:
The virgin
bears the infant
With virgin
honor pure! Refrain
ref
Proclaim
the Savior’s birth:
“To
God
on high be glory
And peace
to all the earth!”
2
The Word
becomes incarnate
And yet
remains on high,
And
cherubim sing anthems
To
shepherds from the sky. Refrain
4
Since all
He comes to ransom,
By all be
He adored,
The infant
born in Bethl’em,
The Savior
and the Lord. Refrain
5
All idols
then shall perish
And Satan’s
lying cease,
And Christ
shall raise His scepter,
Decreeing
endless peace. Refrain
Text: Germanus, c. 634–c.
734; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66,
alt.
Text:
Public domain
CLOSING RESPONSE
P Go in Peace! Serve the Lord!
C Praise be to God!
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.