Ad Te Levavi—First Sunday in Advent
02 December 2018
“Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”
St. Matthew 21.5
The Lord Jesus Comes in Humility to Redeem Us
The new Church Year begins by focusing on the humble coming of our Lord. “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey” (St. Matthew 21.5). Even as He was born in a lowly manger, so Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a beast of burden. For He bears the sin of the world. He is the Son of David riding to His enthronement on the cross, where He shows Himself to be “The LORD is our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23.5–6). Our Lord still comes in great humility to deliver His righteousness to us in the Word and Sacraments. Before receiving Christ’s body and blood, we also sing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (St. Matthew 21:9) And as we receive the Sacrament, we set our hearts on His return in glory, for “our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Romans 13.11).
Parish News
Congregational Assembly Annual Meeting follows Divine Service. The meeting includes approving the annual budget for 2019, presentation of end-of-year reports from the Council of Deacons and congregational boards. Nominees for the Council of Deacons will be approved and elected to serve. Refreshments from the YPI will be provided prior to the meeting.
The “8 Habits of a Highly Successful Christian” Our class on Christian piety is Tuesdays at 6:30pm. Contact Pastor Sutton if you need a book. You may join the class whenever you are able. Class on December 2: The Sixth Godly Habit: “Confessing Christ.” The one who has tasted the joys of trusting in the Lord and experienced for himself how good it is simply cannot refrain from urging others to enjoy tasting this goodness too: the goodness of trusting in the Lord.
Advent Daily Reflections from Higher Things are available in the Narthex and outside the Parish Office. You can download these yourself or obtain them for your kindle/e-reader at media.higherthings.org/reflections.
Advent Midweek Evening Prayer is this Wednesday at 7pm. The Lord bless us all with eager hearts to gather and hear His good news of the promised Savior, who has come for our redemption, still comes in His Church to bless and preserve His flock, and will come again at the last day to raise the dead and bring all believers in Him into eternal life.
A Mobile Lutheran Bible Study Issues, Etc. is a radio show and podcast produced by Lutheran Public Radio and hosted by Pastor Todd Wilken. This week’s topics include: 4th Century Pastor Saint Nicholas of Myra, The Movie “Fantastic Beasts 2,” 16th Century Ruler Philipp of Hesse, The Book of Amos, 8th Century Hymnwriter John of Damascus, The Birth of Jesus Foretold and more. You can listen at your convenience at www.issuesetc.org and on the LPR mobile app.
Prepare for Next Sunday
Malachi 4.1–6; Romans 15.4–13; St. Luke 21.25–36
Hymns: 340 – 514 – 355 – 398 – 515 – 336
Order of Daily Prayer
L Make haste, O + God, to deliver me.
R Make haste to help me, O Lord.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia!
Psalm 25
Scripture Readings:
[S] from Divine Service
[M] St. Matthew 11.25-30; Genesis 3.1-24
[T] Acts 3.22-26; Genesis 9.1-19
[W] Colossians 1.15-29; Genesis 22.1-19
[Th] Hebrews 1.1-4; Genesis 49.1-28
[F] Hebrews 2.1-4; Numbers 24.14-25
[S] Ephesians 3.1-12; Deuteronomy 18.15-19
Hymn of the Day or Month Savior of the Nations, Come (332)
Catechism (bulletin)
Apostles’ Creed
Kyrie: L Lord, have mercy upon us; R Christ, have mercy upon us; Lord, have mercy upon us.
Our Father
Collect of the Day (bulletin)
Luther’s Morning or Evening Prayer
L Bless we the Lord. R Thanks be to God.
