Second Sunday After Christmas ~ 2026

 

Today's Service Leader Rev. Brett Cornelius, Pastor, Holy Cross Lutheran Church

 

 

Today's liturgy is the Divine Service, Setting One, LSB pages 151ff.

 

379 O Come, All Ye Faithful

Text: tr. Frederick Oakeley, 1802–80, alt.
Text and tune: John F. Wade, c. 1711–1786
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

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 T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

Exhortation LSB 151

P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

Kneel/Stand

 

Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.

 

Confession of Sins LSB 151

P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.

C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

 

Absolution LSB 151

P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

Stand

 

Introit Psalm 8:1, 4–6; antiphon: v. 2

Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have established strength because | of your foes,*
to still the enemy and the a- | venger.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in | all the earth!*
You have set your glory above the | heavens.
What is man that you are mind- | ful of him,*
and the son of man that you | care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly | beings*
and crowned him with glory and | honor.
You have given him dominion over the works | of your hands;*
you have put all things under | his feet.
Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have established strength because | of your foes,*
to still the enemy and the a- | venger.

 

Kyrie LSB 152

 

Gloria in Excelsis LSB 154

 

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P Let us pray.

Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word. Grant that this Light may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

Sit

 

Old Testament Reading Genesis 46:1–7

¹So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ²And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here am I.” ³Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. ⁴I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

⁵Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. ⁶They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, ⁷his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Gradual Psalm 106:47; Isaiah 63:16b

Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the | nations,*
that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory | in your praise.
You, O Lord, are our | Father,*
our Redeemer from of old | is your name.

 

Epistle 1 Peter 4:12–19

¹²Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. ¹⁷For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

¹⁹Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Stand

 

Alleluia and Verse LSB 156

 

Holy Gospel Matthew 2:13–23

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the second chapter.

¹³When [the wise men] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” ¹⁴And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt ¹⁵and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

¹⁶Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. ¹⁷Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

¹⁸“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

¹⁹But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” ²¹And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²²But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. ²³And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

 

Sit

 

Installation of Officers-2026 Sat-01/03 Sun-01/04

 

385 From East to West

Text: Coelius Sedulius, 5th cent.; tr. John Ellerton, 1826–93, alt.
Tune: Geistliche lieder, 1539, Leipzig, ed. Valten Schumann
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Sermon ~ Rev. Brett E. Cornelius, Pastor

 

Stand

 

Nicene Creed

C I believe in one God,

     the Father Almighty,

     maker of heaven and earth

          and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

     the only-begotten Son of God,

     begotten of His Father before all worlds,

     God of God, Light of Light,

     very God of very God,

     begotten, not made,

     being of one substance with the Father,

     by whom all things were made;

     who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven

     and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary

     and was made man;

     and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

     He suffered and was buried.

     And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures

          and ascended into heaven

     and sits at the right hand of the Father.

     And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,

     whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,

     the Lord and giver of life,

     who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

     who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,

     who spoke by the prophets.

     And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,

     I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,

     and I look for the resurrection of the dead

     and the life T of the world to come. Amen.

 

Prayers Of The Church

P Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have restored Your divine image to mankind. In Holy Baptism, You give that image to us. Give us joy in our adoption as Your sons and daughters. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P O Lord, bless the work of pastors and missionaries. Bring forth Your harvest from the seeds they sow. Support those who endure fiery trials for Your name. As they shine the light of the Gospel into hostile darkness, guard them with the sign of Your cross. Let them rejoice that in tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword, they share in Your very sufferings. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Heavenly Father, You prepared a place for Your Son, Jesus, in the womb of the Virgin Mary and in the home of Mary and Joseph. Bless our homes and all who dwell in them, that Your Word would be heard and Your mercy be shown therein. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Gracious Lord, uphold Donald, our president; _____________, our governor; and all our leaders. Direct their work toward the common good of all people as found in God’s Law written on our hearts and in Your righteous decrees — especially to protect the unborn and those who cannot speak for themselves. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Merciful Father, You promise to be near to the brokenhearted and to save the crushed in spirit. Look with compassion on the sick and suffering [especially _____________]. Grant that they would cry out to You in their trouble and be delivered from their distress, according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Lord God, give grace to all who approach Your holy altar today, that they would receive this sacramental mystery worthily, the New Testament of our divine Redeemer, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P O Lord, grant us strength in times of trial and perseverance in grace during the day of trouble. Especially care for all who are persecuted for the sake of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P O Lord God, heavenly Father, You allowed Your Son, Jesus Christ, to become a stranger and sojourner in Egypt for our sake and led Him safely home to His fatherland. Mercifully grant that we poor sinners, who are strangers and sojourners in this perilous world, may soon be called home to our true fatherland, the kingdom of heaven, where we shall live in eternal joy and glory; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Sit

 

Choir ~ "Weary of All Trumpeting"

 

Offering

 

Stand

 

Offertory LSB 159

 

Preface LSB 160

 

Proper Preface

P It is truly good, 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 LSB 161

 

Lord’s Prayer LSB 162

P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us 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.

 

The Words of Our Lord

P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

 

Pax Domini LSB 163

 

Agnus Dei LSB 163

 

Sit

 

372 O Jesus Christ, Thy Manger Is

 

5 Remember thou
    What glory now
The Lord prepared thee for all earthly sadness.
    The angel host
    Can never boast
Of greater glory, greater bliss or gladness.

 

6 The world may hold
    Her wealth and gold;
But thou, my heart, keep Christ as thy true treasure.
    To Him hold fast
    Until at last
A crown be thine and honor in full measure.

Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–76; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Tune: Kenneth T. Kosche, 1947
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: © 1996 Kenneth T. Kosche. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518

 

969 Sweet Flowerets of the Martyr Band

Text: Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, 348–c. 413; tr. Henry W. Baker, 1821–77, alt.
Tune: Daniel Vetter, d. 1721
Text and tune: Public domain

 

370 What Child Is This

Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98
Tune: English, 16th cent.
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

Nunc Dimittis LSB 165

 

Post-Communion Collect

A Let us pray.

We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

Benediction LSB 166

 

918 Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer

Text: William Williams, 1717–91, abr.; (st. 1): tr. Peter Williams, 1722–96, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. William Williams, 1717–91
Tune: John Hughes, 1873–1932
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Acknowledgments

Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book

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 © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.