The Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Day) 2024

 

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

Today's Speaker Rev. Michael W. Mohr, Associate Pastor Holy Cross Lutheran Church & CID President

 

 

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

 

Opening Hymn~

 

334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You

Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; Paul Gerhardt, 1607–76
Tune: Johann Crüger, 1598–1662
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

The sign of the cross T 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 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.

 

"Silent Reflection before Confession"

 

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.

 

Introit Psalm 98:1–4; antiphon: Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is | given;*
and the government shall be upon his | shoulder,
and his name shall be called Wonderful | Counselor,*
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, | Prince of Peace.
Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done | marvelous things!*
His right hand and his holy arm have worked salva- | tion for him.
The Lord has made known his sal- | vation;*
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the | nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of | Israel.*
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation | of our God.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, | all the earth;*
break forth into joyous song and sing | praises!
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.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is | given;*
and the government shall be upon his | shoulder,
and his name shall be called Wonderful | Counselor,*
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, | Prince of Peace.

 

Kyrie LSB 152

 

Gloria in Excelsis LSB 154

 

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray.

Almighty God, grant that the birth of Your only-begotten Son in the flesh may set us free from the bondage of sin; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Please be Seated

 

Old Testament Reading Exodus 40:17–21, 34–38

¹⁷In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. ¹⁸Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. ¹⁹And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²⁰He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. ²¹And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. . . .

³⁴Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁵And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ³⁶Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. ³⁷But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. ³⁸For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Gradual Psalm 98:3b–4a, 2

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

 

Epistle Titus 3:4–7

⁴When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Please Stand

 

Alleluia and Verse LSB 156

 

Holy Gospel John 1:1–18

P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the first chapter.

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹²But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵(John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

 

Please be Seated

 

389 Let All Together Praise Our God

 

5 He is a servant, I a lord:
    How great a mystery!
How strong the tender Christ Child’s love!
    No truer friend than He,
    No truer friend than He.

 

6 He is the key and He the door
    To blessèd paradise;
The angel bars the way no more.
    To God our praises rise,
    To God our praises rise.

 

D 7 Your grace in lowliness revealed,
    Lord Jesus, we adore
And praise to God the Father yield
    And Spirit evermore;
    We praise You evermore.

Text (sts. 1, 3–7): tr. F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001; (st. 2): tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text and tune: Nicolaus Herman, c. 1480–1561
Text (sts. 1, 3–7): © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Text (st. 2) and tune: Public domain

 

Sermon ~ "In Their Sight" ~ Rev. Michael W. Mohr, Associate Pastor Holy Cross Lutheran Church & CID President

 

Please 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.

 

Prayer of the Church

 

Please be Seated

 

Offering

 

Offering Hymn

 

Please Stand

 

334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You

Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–76; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Tune: Johann Crüger, 1598–1662
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Offertory LSB 159

 

Preface LSB 160

 

Proper Preface (Abbreviated) LSB 161

P It is truly good, right, and salutary . . . 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

 

358 From Heaven Above to Earth I Come

Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Tune: Geistliche lieder, Leipzig, 1539, ed. Valten Schumann
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Agnus Dei LSB 163

 

Please be Seated

 

Distribution Hymns

 

367 Angels from the Realms of Glory

Text (sts. 1, ref, 2–4): James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.; (st. 5): Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, Salisbury, alt.
Tune: Henry T. Smart, 1813–79
Text and tune: Public domain

 

376 Once in Royal David’s City

Text: Cecil F. Alexander, 1818–95, alt.
Tune: Henry J. Gauntlett, 1805–76
Text and tune: Public domain

 

368 Angels We Have Heard on High

Text: tr. The Crown of Jesus, 1862, Part 2, London, alt.
Text and tune: French
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Please 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

 

364 Away in a Manger

Text (sts. 1–2): Little Children’s Book, 1885, Philadelphia; (st. 3): Vineyard Songs, 1892, Louisville, alt.
Tune: James R. Murray, 1841–1905
Text and tune: Public domain

 

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.

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