Restless
“Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.” --Augustine of Hippo, Confessions
The call of Advent is a call to rest in the heart of God, to let our spirits settle, and prepare our hearts for the restless call of a God with us. This Advent, we will learn together how to rest in the Spirit of God by grounding our daily lives in faith. We all need some rest. So join us each Sunday as we welcome the stillness of God’s mercy and love.
Luke 3:15-16 (John the Baptist on baptism)
Psalm 91:1-6 (God is our refuge)
9:00 AM Service
Bulletin
PRELUDE
Lucy Bigelow, Hannah Willette, Megan Willette, Dorothy Fleming, Adler Florek
CALL TO WORSHIP
“Sing We Now of Christmas” (arr. Linda Scholes)
Ring of Fire, Linnae Stole (Director)
WELCOME
CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
“Mary Said Yes!”
NARRATION
SONG
“Get Ready”
Sunday School Children, Starlight Singers, Sonshine Singers
SCENE 1: MARY
SONG
“Be Born in Me” (Bernie Herms, Nichole Nordeman)
Anna Woods, Tim Graf
Scene 2: Joseph
Scene 3: Innkeeper
SONG
“Away in a Manger”
Starlight Singers, Hannah Fleming, Emma Tewes (Directors)
SCENE 4: THE SHEPHERDS
SONG
“Angels We Have Heard on High”
Sunday School Children, Starlight Singers, Sonshine Singers
NARRATION
SONG
“The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy”
Sonshine Singers, Jill Boyd (Director)
EPILOGUE
The Rest of Us
SONG
“Go Tell It on the Mountain”
Sunday School Children, Starlight Singers, Sonshine Singers
CAROL
“O Come, All Ye Faithful” (St. 1-3)
ELW # 283
HOMILY
Pastor Matthew
PRAYERS OF GOD’S PEOPLE
THE LORD’S PRAYER
OFFERING INTRO
OFFERING OF MUSIC
“Carol of the Bells” (arr. Douglas E. Wagner)
Peace Ringers, Linnae Stole (Director)
OFFERING PRAYER
Gracious Lord,
As we wait for you in desert places, we offer these gifts with glad and expectant hearts. As you come to dwell among us, bless these gifts that are given from the abundant store of all that we have first received from you. Make us a people who celebrate this joyous season with acts of kindness and charity that tell of your love. Amen.
BEFORE YOU GO
BENEDICTION
God of endings and beginnings,
God in the darkness and the light,
God, our hope for the journey,
☩ bless and keep you now and forever.
Amen.
HYMN
“Joy to the World” (St. 1-2, 4)
ELW # 267
SENDING
Go now in peace. Prepare the way for Emmanuel.
Thanks be to God!
POSTLUDE
Tim Graf
Musicians for Today’s Worship
- Tim Graf (Director of Worship & Music)
- Barb Carroll (Organist)
- Anna Woods
- Sunday School Children
- Ring of Fire
- Peace Ringers
- Linnae Stole (Director)
- Starlight Singers
- Hannah Fleming, Emma Tewes (Directors)
- Sonshine Singers
- Jill Boyd (Director)
- Lucy Bigelow
- Hannah Willette
- Megan Willette
- Dorothy Fleming
- Adler Florek
10:30 AM Service
Bulletin
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLE
“Drive Out the Darkness”
WELCOME/CALL TO WORSHIP
SONG
“Glory (Let There Be Peace)”
READINGS
Isaiah 11:1-10
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[c] will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be[d] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
SERMON
Pastor Matthew
SONG
“Mary’s Lullaby”
PRAYERS OF GOD’S PEOPLE
THE LORD’S PRAYER
OFFERING INTRO
OFFERING
OFFERING OF MUSIC
“Heaven Everywhere”
BEFORE YOU GO
BLESSING
CLOSING SONG
Joy to the Word (Unspeakable Joy)”
Musicians for Today’s Worship
- Tim Graf (Director of Worship & Music)
- Elliana Meier
- Kate Neiss
- Tim Graf
- Corwin Holk
- Steve Levens
- Kevin Mills
Prayers
As a community of faith, we are connected through joy, sorrow, worship, and prayer. Please pray for the people listed below.
Your prayers are greatly appreciated!
We ask for God’s loving embrace to hold all those who mourn, especially:
- Trudy, Tom, Turner, and Tatum Gunderson on the death of dad/grandpa, Gary Presser
- Jerry, Jeremy, and Jeff Peterso, after the death of Sharon, their wife and mother
- Family and friends of Yvonne Kemple
- Prayers for Mike Howes (Kris) and family on the death of his father, Michael Howes
- Prayers for Penny Meier and family on the death today of her mother, Mavis
- Ramona Larson and family on the death of her husband, Douglas
Prayers of Mourning:
- Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice.
–Psalm 130:1–2 - For I am convinced that neither death nor life… nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
–Romans 8:38–39 - Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.’
–John 11:25–26
As we are praying for all members of the St. Andrew community, this week we pray especially for God’s comfort, healing, protection, and strength to be present with:
- Jonathan King
- Joyce Hetherington
- Kathy Olson
- Stacy Trenda
- Sharon Peterson and family
- Debbie West
- Johnny and Reba Khodai
- Dave Lorence
- Joyce Harstad
- Cathy Schweitzer
- Elva Lareau, Paul Lareau’s mother
Long Term Prayers:
- Donna Jones and her family
- Collin Buzzel
- Crosby Urlick
- Hugo Herman
- Nicholas Priest
- Madelyn Astry
- Paul Skoog’s Brother, Dan
- Jim Hornbacher
- Julie Bergquist
- John Rostad
- Kathy Hoagland
- Ron Wolfbauer
- For the people of Haiti, who are enduring ongoing political upheaval, severe economic challenges, and gang-related violence.
- For the people of the Middle East and Ukraine, non-violence and peace.
- All those in the military serving our country
General Prayers:
- Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you.
–Psalm 55:22a - Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
–Matthew 11:28
Names will remain listed until more are added unless otherwise requested. To add a name to the prayer list, click Prayer Requests or contact Pastor Peter Johnson.