December 1, 2024
Prelude - Zechariah's Song
Call to Worship
Gracious God help us to meet you as you come to us. Help us to prepare your way in our lives, and to announce your coming in love to others. Take, O God, what we give and transform it, to your glory. Take, O God, what we do and transform it to your acting. Take, O God, what we say and transform it to your singing. Lord, hear our prayer. Amen.
Hymn - O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Invocation and Lord's Prayer
Father God, giver and Lord of life, we pause in this hour to acknowledge our need for your presence and grace. In our worship today, visit us with presence, strength, power, and Spirit as we repeat the prayer your Son taught us saying: 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Scripture Reading - Luke 1:5-20
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Joys and Concerns
Lord, on this Sunday of preparation, this Sunday which celebrates your peace, help there to be peace in our lives and peace in our churches, and peace in our world. Where we have sinned, move us to repentance, and help us confess to those we have grieved and seek their forgiveness; and where others have sinned against us help us to trust in your vindication and grant that those who have hurt us might see your light and be made new in Christ.
Hymn - Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Sermon - The Superiority of Christ - Our High Priest
For Video version, click below.
Hymn - Let All Immortal Flesh Keep Silence
Benediction
Let us go now with the good news that Jesus is our priest interceding for us. Amen.