St Ansgar Lutheran Church, London

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Sunday Morning

We invite you to join us for the following worship services:

Sundays
10:30 a.m. Worship service

Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and other locations in the church for
your use.

Washrooms will be available for use.

In the service: The service will be shown on the screen. The offering will not be gathered and presented, but there will be an offering plate at the back of the sanctuary where you can put your offering as you enter or leave. Pastor David distributes the communion wafers and an Assisting Minister distributes wine or grape juice in individual glasses.

We have coffee and fellowship time available again in Luther Hall after the service.

We will continue to evaluate our worship service procedures on a monthly basis.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, DECEMBER 21, 2025.

St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, Outline for Worship (with sermon)
Sunday, December 21, 2025 – Fourth Sunday of Advent
Based on ELW Setting Four

GATHERING

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

LIGHTING THE FOURTH ADVENT CANDLE
Waiting, Preparation, Joy, Light
At last! The fourth Sunday of Advent! The first candle gave us light to wait,
and it was a long wait. We sing the first verse as the first candle is lit.

ADVENT SONG – Light One Candle to Watch for Messiah (ELW # 240)
Light one candle to watch for Messiah:
let the light banish darkness.
He shall bring salvation to Israel,
God fulfills the promise.

The second candle gave us light to prepare, and we are almost ready.
We sing the second verse as the second candle is lit.
Light two candles to watch for Messiah:
let the light banish darkness.
He shall feed the flock like a shepherd,
gently lead them homeward.

The third candle helped us to celebrate God’s promise to come.
We sing the third verse as the third candle is lit.
Light three candles to watch for Messiah:
let the light banish darkness.
Lift your heads and lift high the gateway
for the King of glory.

Now we light the fourth candle to remind us that Jesus, the light of the world,
is coming to us. We sing the fourth verse as the fourth candle is lit.
Light four candles to watch for Messiah:
let the light banish darkness.
He is coming, tell the glad tidings.
Let your lights be shining!

From Isaiah 9: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined.
Let us pray: God of love, you have sent your Son as the light of the world.
Even now that light is breaking in upon us. May we reflect the light of your love,
even as we wait for you to come again.
Amen.

BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, whose home is heaven
and earth, whose salvation is sure.
C: Amen.

P: Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Long-expected God,
C: we confess that we look to ourselves for the peace and security
only you can provide.
We reach for swords and spears, reluctant to release our grip on
the ways of war.
We become impatient while waiting and weary of keeping awake.
Free us from self-reliance, and teach us to live in harmony with
our neighbours. Increase our trust in God’s timing, and awaken
us to your advent among us, that we may abound in the hope
you have promised. Amen.

P: God judges us not as we deserve, but according to God’s
own righteousness. ☩ You are freed and forgiven, saved by grace,
and ready to welcome the Saviour.
C: Amen.

ENTRANCE HYMN - Canticle of the Turning (ELW #723)

GREETING
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you

KYRIE
A: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God,
and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE (sung) (ELW p. 149)
P: This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
C: Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power and riches and wisdom and strength,
and honour and blessing and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God
and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing and honour and glory and might
be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God,
for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign.
Alleluia. Alleluia.

PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Let us pray.
P: Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. With your abundant grace
and might, free us from the sin that hinders our faith, that eagerly we may
receive your promises, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen

WORD

FIRST READING: Isaiah 7:10-16
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask a sign of the LORD your
God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask,
and I will not put the LORD to the test. 13 Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house
of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman
is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. 15 He shall
eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose
the good. 16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose
the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM 80: 1-7, 17-19
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock;
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O God;
let your face shine upon us, and we shall be saved.
4 O Lord God of Hosts,
how long will your anger fume when your people pray?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbours,
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine upon us, and we shall be saved.
17 Let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
the one you have made so strong for yourself.
18 And so we will never turn away from you;
give us life, that we may call upon your name.
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
let your face shine upon us, and we shall be saved.

SECOND READING: Romans 1:1-7
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the
gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the
holy scriptures, 3 the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from
David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be Son of God with power
according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ
our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring
about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name,
6 including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7 To all God's
beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
C: Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
P: The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 1:18-25
C: Glory to you, O Lord.

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his
mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together,
she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph,
being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace,
planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this,
an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of
David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in
her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him
Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to
fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 "Look, the
virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,"
which means, "God is with us." 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did
as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no
marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON
Matthew 1:18-25
Let us pray: May the words of my mouth, and the prayers of our hearts,
always be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our Strength, and our Redeemer.
AMEN
We would not have much of a Bible without the narratives, but sometimes
the biblical authors leave us with minimal information. We almost always want
more details. We want to know where the characters came from, and we want to
know what happens to them. Just as we are starting to identify with a character,
he or she will disappear. When Matthew begins his narrative in our lesson this
morning, he glosses over many details. He only says, “When his mother Mary
had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to
be with child from the Holy Spirit.” We wonder, was she worried about how she
would tell Joseph? Surely, his first impulse would be that she betrayed him.
Even though Matthew tells us that Joseph was a good man, surely, he was
confused by the story Mary told him. He knew nothing to the contrary until he had
that dream in which the angel told him, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to
take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived by her is from the Holy Spirit.”
But because Joseph was a good man, he does not punish Mary. “He planned to
dismiss her quietly.” Even as much as we admire Joseph’s character, we wonder
about the inner struggle when he tried to decide what to do about Mary’s pregnancy.
However, these details might have drawn us more into the narrative, but they
only hover briefly in the background for Matthew. He touches on them only
briefly to provide background for the narrative. What takes centre stage for
Matthew is how God is working in the relationship between Joseph and Mary.
Mary’s pregnancy is of the Holy Spirit. This is far too mysterious for us to speak
of in much detail. Notice that God takes the initiative in this narrative. God takes
so much initiative that we even wonder if Mary felt overwhelmed. However difficult
and awkward the pregnancy may have been for Mary and Joseph, God was
acting for the salvation of creation.
God is working through this pregnancy and birth. The baby that is growing,
moving, kicking in Mary’s womb is God’s act of salvation. This baby, beyond any
ability we have to explain, is God in human flesh. Matthew quotes Isaiah as a way
of saying what can’t be said. “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” This quote
from Isaiah is strategically placed in our lesson by Matthew to help us see who
Jesus is. The proclamation that Jesus is God with us, God in human flesh, may
seem strange to us. We may struggle to think of any words to express what this
means that make much sense. Nevertheless, that affirmation is at the heart of
our faith. Jesus is God with us and for us. As one theologian puts it, “According to
the witness of the New Testament, the very basis of our salvation, the very
ground of our hope consists in the fact that we are permitted to believe, know,
and confess the authoritative presence of God in the human life and destiny
of Jesus.
The angel tells Joseph to name the baby Jesus. Jesus is the Greek form
of Joshua, which in Hebrew means “Yahweh saves.” God acts in Jesus to
save us from our sins. God saves us from the effects of our sins. Those effects
include the hurts other people have caused us. For all the ways we have
been neglected, for all the times someone took their problems out on us,
for all the ways people have held us back. God saves us. God soothes our
hurts and gives us strength to move on. God saves us from the things we
have done that we cannot undo. For the regrets that seem to hold us hostage.
God offers us release. God saves us from the big sins to which we all contribute.
For pollution, and racism, for poverty, and the ways we just let things keep going,
God saves us. God does not want us to keep letting these things be, but God
saves us. God saves us from the guilt of our sins. On our own we cannot
reestablish the relationship we might have once had with God. That relationship
has been broken multiple times. Only God can pick up the crushed pieces of
that relationship and reform them. In Jesus, in the birth we cannot explain,
God saves us.
We always need to hear that God took the first step to save us. Especially at this
time of year, though we need to hear that God acted to save us during our often
hectic, and at times overwhelming, everyday lives. If our lives are messy, full of
tough decisions and awkward moments, we take heart knowing that God has
been with us through it all. God’s act of salvation did not take place in a sweet,
serene little family. Mary may have cried her eyes out while telling Joseph about
her pregnancy. Joseph’s heart may have felt shattered when he decided he had
to dismiss her quietly. Matthew does not let us know those details, but certainly
this narrative has its share of loose ends. God brings salvation out of those
loose ends. Theologians tell us Jesus was both human and divine. Matthew,
a theologian who tells stories, tells us Jesus’ humanity was the result of the
same pain and family conflict that marks our lives. Christmas time can bring
out the tensions that often lie just under the surface. We need to hear that
God is working salvation in those tensions.
Look at how Matthew’s Gospel starts and how it ends. Joseph was going to
dismiss Mary quietly, in secret. No one would have known. It would not have
mattered to anyone. Look, though, at how Matthew’s Gospel ends. Jesus
commissioned his disciples. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” What almost
was snuffed out in secret ends up changing the whole world, all the nations.
However things look to us now, God is working. God is healing. God is saving.
When God takes the lead, we never know how it will turn out.
What do we think is important in these few days before Christmas? Are we
scurrying around, enslaved to our to-do list? Are our travel plans finished?
Can we make the end-of-the year deadlines on all things personal and professional?
We may have no choice in the excitement of this season. In all of those details
let us not forget that they are really behind the scenes stuff. What we think really
matters might rate only half a line from Matthew. Matthew wants us to see what
God is doing in the craziness of Christmas. Let us see how God is acting, even in
situations that seem to us to be pure pain. Let us see how, no matter how lost
and broken we may feel, God is saving us. Let us see that, no matter how
stressed we are, or how hostile our world seems, God is always with us.
AMEN

Silence is kept for reflection.

HYMN OF THE DAY – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (vs 1-4, 8) ELW #257

INSTALLATION OF CHURCH COUNCIL

NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
A: In our waiting and watching, we come to you in prayer, O God, trusting your
promise to renew the church, the nations, and the whole creation.
A: God of our church, send forth your Spirit as we pray for our Bishops
Larry and Carla. Empower them with your wisdom to lead the church.
We also pray for the Thames Ministry area, especially Pastor Nadine
Schroeder-Kranz and the people of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Zurich.
God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: In the anticipation of these days, prepare our hearts for your arrival.
Stir our spirits through the gifts of artists, musicians, poets, and preachers,
as together we proclaim your advent among us. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: The earth breaks forth in singing as it heralds the Messiah’s coming.
Fill our hearts with wonder as we join heaven and nature in announcing
this holy birth. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: You send your saving grace and peace to the nations. Lead us in work
for justice and care for the common good. May we meet the Christ-child
we seek in the faces of our neighbours. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: When tears of grief, exhaustion, or loneliness come, or physical or
emotional hurt overwhelms us, come to our aid. Uphold all who are anxious,
who know the challenges of depression, or who are ill, especially Beth,
Jean, Mary Margaret, Kristine, Karen, Emma, Cathy, Lene, Grethe, Lyra,
Donna, Ahlan, and those others who are in our hearts. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: Surround expectant parents and those suffering from infant loss with
communities of support. Bless young children and new parents. Guide us
in ways that provide safety for all children and those who care for them.
God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: Merciful God, we pray for peace as war continues to rage in Ukraine
and in Israel and Gaza. Shelter all living in fear; protect those seeking refuge
in neighbouring countries; sustain families separated by the horrors of war;
tend to those who are injured; comfort all who mourn their dead.
Direct your people into the way of peace. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: We give thanks for all who have treasured the gospel and lived in
faithful service. Strengthen our earthly journeys until, at the last,
your face shines upon us and we are held in your love. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: Draw near to us, O God, as we commend all for whom we pray,
trusting in your mercy through Jesus Christ, Emmanuel.
C: Amen.

PEACE
P: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.

SPECIAL MUSIC – Ave Maria: Joan Celestin (Piano)

LORD’S PRAYER
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.

SENDING

BLESSING
P: May God who comes among us, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit,
grant you patience in waiting, peace in the darkness, and good news
to share today and always.
C: Amen.

SENDING HYMN – Blest Are They (ELW #728)

DISMISSAL
A: Go in peace. Keep awake.
C: Thanks be to God.

DISMISSAL HYMN – Go Now in Peace
Go now in peace, never be afraid.
God will go with you each hour of every day.
Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true.
Know He will guide you in all you do.

Go now in love, and show you believe.
Reach out to others, so all the world can see.
God will be there, watching from above.
Go now in peace, in faith, and in love.