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 22, 2024

St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, Outline for Worship (with sermon)
Sunday, December 22, 2024 – 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, alive in the world,
reviving creation, arriving soon.
C: Amen.

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

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: God of mercy,
C: we confess that we have sinned. We trust earthly powers and
human authority alone. We grow fearful. We cling to false comforts.

P: God of might,
C: we confess that we have sinned. We have turned away from
our neighbours. We have trusted false promises.

P: God in our midst,
C: we confess that we have sinned. We plead: come to us.
Bring your mercy to birth in us.

P: A righteous branch springs forth: it is Christ the Lord, our Saviour, in whom
we have forgiveness, life, and mercy. By the power of the Holy Spirit, receive the
grace and forgiveness of God, through ☩ Jesus Christ, whose day draws near.
C: Amen.

ENTRANCE HYMN - My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness (ELW #251)

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 binds us, that we may receive you in
joy and serve you always, for you live and reign with the Father and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen

WORD

FIRST READING: Micah 5:2-5a
2 But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is
from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labour has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall
return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the
strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth;
5 and he shall be the one of peace.

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

PSALM 80:1-7
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.

SECOND READING: Hebrews 10:5-10
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and
offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, 'See, God, I have come to do your will, O God' (in the scroll
of the book it is written of me)." 8 When he said above, "You have neither
desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings
and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added,
"See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish
the second. 10 And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

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 Luke 1:39-55
C: Glory to you, O Lord.

39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill
country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry,
"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?
44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb
leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a
fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." 46 And Mary said, "My soul
magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, 48 for he has
looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all
generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things
for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for those who fear him from
generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has
scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down
the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the
hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped
his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise
he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

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

SERMON
Luke 1:39-55
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

When reflecting back on the year 2024 as it draws to a close, one realizes
that during this past year it has been hard to make sense of what is going
on in the world. One has only to watch the news on the television or read the
newspaper to be overwhelmed and confused. The news about the growing
numbers of covid cases in Canada, the wars in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza,
the environmental crisis, not to mention what is going on south of the border
and never mind what is happening in each of our own lives. It is hard to
make sense of it all, and it is all so confusing.
In the face of such overwhelming loss, grief, and confusion, words are often
feeble at best, and sentimental at worst. What on earth is there to say that
doesn’t seem silly, feeble, or sentimental?
The life of two cousins, Jesus and John the Baptist, over two thousand years
ago was not any different than it is for us today. Like us, they lived in the
face of loss and grief and fear. They did not know how to make sense of
it all. They heard the stories of random killings and senseless violence.
They had probably seen some of it themselves. They knew about the
military occupation of their country, disease, lost hope, and tragic death.
Like us, they had to somehow make sense of it all, and it was no easier
for them than it is now for us. Like us, words for them were often feeble
at best, and sentimental at worst. What on earth is there to say that
doesn’t sound silly, feeble, or sentimental?
In three days, we will be celebrating Christmas Day. In some homes reeling
from death, loss, violence, and natural disasters what on earth is there to say?
Words are often feeble at best, and sentimental at worst. How on earth can
we sing in the face of such overwhelming loss, grief, and tragedy?
Yet, Mary and Elizabeth did just that; they sang, not in denial of the world
they knew, but in hope of the world that could be. They sang not out of a
sense of sentimental wishful thinking, but out of a conviction that God was
about to do a great thing, in spite of and because of, it all. They sang, not as
a way to turn their backs on the loss, grief, and fear of their lives, but as a
way to stare those losses, griefs, and fears, in the face. They sang and
sang and sang:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely from
now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done
great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear
him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he
has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down
the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the
hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his
servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he
made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Imagine the stories they
shared with each other, the questions they asked, the listening and weeping
that took place. Imagine the encouragement of companionship together as
they waited. Mary and Elizabeth, both women of faith, believing in what they
could not see or explain. They embraced and exclaimed, blessed and sang
with joy and gratitude, with heartache and question. Mary and Elizabeth,
bearing new life in their wombs, waited with uncertainty, shame and trouble,
with promise, provision and faith.
For some, Christmas is the high point of sentimentality. They forever attempt,
and mostly fail, to achieve the Hallmark movie moment. Yet for others,
and I hope for all of us, Christmas is not a time of sentimental wishful
thinking, but a time to sing, not in denial of a world that is, but in hope of a
world that could be. Mary and Elizabeth knew firsthand about tragedy, grief,
loss, and fear. And who does not have their own version of that?
It seems to me that we have a choice at Christmas. We can either wrap our
Christmas in feeble and sentimental words, trying to achieve that Hallmark
movie moment for ourselves and our world, or we can sing. We can sing not in
denial of the world as it is, but in hope of a world that could be, a world of mercy,
justice, and peace, a Magnificat world.
The promise of God in the Magnificat which Mary sings is not a feeble or
sentimental promise, full of wishful thinking, denying that things ever are as
bad as they truly are. The promise of God that Mary sings in the Magnificat
is a bold conviction of how things can be. And that is what we celebrate at
Christmas, not in denial of the world as it is, but in the hope of how things
in the world could be.
This Sunday, Advent 4, we sing! We sing in the face of the growing numbers of
covid cases, the wars in Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza, the environmental crisis,
and the growing tension between the United States and Canada. We sing
in the face of our own losses, griefs, and tragedies. We sing with Mary
and Elizabeth, and the countless women and men who have sung through
the ages, perhaps feebly, but certainly not sentimentally. We sing, not
turning our back on a world that is, but facing a world that God is making,
even now: a world of mercy, justice, and peace, a Magnificat world.
So, let us sing today, and tomorrow, and the day after that, and work to help
God bring about a Magnificat world, a world where God’s dream of mercy,
justice, and peace is not a sentimental dream, but a reality for all the world.
AMEN

Silence is kept for reflection.

HYMN OF THE DAY – Canticle of the Turning (ELW #723)

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: As we prepare for Emmanuel, God-with-us, let us pray for all people and
places that long for God’s presence.
A: God of our church, send forth your Spirit as we pray for our Bishops Susan
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. Lord, in your mercy,
C: receive our prayer.

A: God our uniter, increase communication and cooperation in our relationships
with those of other traditions and religions. Root your church in the radical
message of your incarnation, and enable us to pursue your justice in the world.
Lord, in your mercy,
C: receive our prayer.

A: God our creator, we praise you for the beauty that surrounds us. Awaken in
us a renewed sense of care for the wildlife in our communities. Form us into
faithful stewards of what you have made. Lord, in your mercy,
C: receive our prayer.

A: God our sovereign, Mary proclaims a new way of life that lifts up the lowly and
fills the hungry with good things. Nurture in local governments and municipalities
a desire to care for all who are overlooked and ignored. Lord, in your mercy,
C: receive our prayer.

A: God our beacon, as the northern hemisphere begins its slow turn toward more
daylight, remind us that even in the deepest nights, you are there. Comfort
the lonely and bereaved. Hold close the frightened, anxious, depressed, and
ill, especially Beth, Jean, Mary Margaret, Kristine, Shirley, Karen, Pastor Bob,
Debbie, family and friends of Ken Schoenroth, and those others who are in
our hearts. Lord, in your mercy,
C: receive our prayer.

A: God our guide, shepherd the leadership of this congregation. Bless the
council and staff in discerning future ministry and open their hearts to the
voices of the community. Lord, in your mercy,
C: receive 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. Lord, in your mercy,
C: receive our prayer.

A: God our life, you remember the promises you have made to your people.
In gratitude for those who have died, we praise you for your faithfulness
throughout history. Lord, in your mercy,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Saviour of the nations, come, and receive these prayers and the pleas of our
hearts, in the name of Jesus Christ.
C: Amen.

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

SPECIAL MUSIC – Noah Griffin, 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: 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.
C: Amen.

SENDING HYMN – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (ELW #257)

DISMISSAL
A: Go in peace. Prepare the way for Emmanuel.
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.