+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
E100:17.d – Paul to the Churches
Rejoice in the Lord – Philippians 4:2-9 (NLT)
Words of Encouragement
Philippians 4:2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
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“Rejoice in the Lord always” – George Rathbone (1874-1951)
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Prayer:
O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you! Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies! (Psalm 141:1-4)
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Closing Sentence
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Traditionally, today is called Gaudete Sunday, which means ‘a day for rejoicing.’ The reason for celebration is that the day of the Lord’s coming is nearer.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening Prayer:
Almighty God, You sent your Son into a world where the wheat must be winnowed from the chaff and evil clings even to what is good. Let the fire of Your Spirit purify our hearts and consecrate our lives so that we may find our peace in You and You may delight in us. Grant this through Him whose coming is certain, whose day draws near: Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
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Hymn: “O Come O Come Emmanuel” – Enya
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A Reading from the Old Testament: Zephaniah 3:14-18a (NLT)
[Zephaniah appeals for joy. The Lord is in the midst of the people, so there is no need for fear.]
Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster.
On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
“I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals; you will be disgraced no more.
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A Reading of a Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-6 (NLT)
See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”
With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is! Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”
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“Made me glad” – Hillsong
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A Reading from the Letters: Philippians 4:4-7 (NLT)
[Be happy, says Paul, and be considerate: the Lord is very near.]
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again — rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 3:10-18 (NLT)
[John the Baptist announces the Good News, and declares he is not the Messiah.]
St. John the Baptist Preaching Mattia Preti, c. 1665 Museum of Fine Arts, San Francisco
The crowds asked, “What should we do?”
John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”
Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?”
He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”
“What should we do?” asked some soldiers.
John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”
Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am — so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.
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Hymn: “God is the strength of my heart”
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Intercessions:
Lord God: You are our strength and our salvation – hear our prayers.
+ For all who follow Christ – that we may have joy as we prepare for the Lord’s coming…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who suffer from hunger and want – that we may generously share what we have…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all whose hearts are broken – that we may remember them and befriend them…. Lord, hear us.
+ For refugees and all who are far from home – that they find comfort and peace at Christmas…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those suffering from the devastation of terrorism – that they may find strength and courage in You, God…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those we love and people who are in any kind of need – that You, God, may be with them…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all who have died in Christ – that the peace and joy of eternal life may be theirs…. Lord, hear us.
God our Savior, we rejoice in Your mighty deeds, help us now through these troubled times, we pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Hymn: “Gaudete” – Steeleye Span
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Benediction:
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (Revelation 22:20-21)
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Peanut Gallery 