First Sunday of Advent, November 28, 2021
Holy Communion at 8:30 and 11am
Livestream at 8:25am
Bulletin for the service
Prayer of the Day
Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection alert us to the threatening dangers of our sins, and redeem us for your life of justice, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Scripture
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 21:25-36
Sermon
“Ready or Not”
Luke 21:25-36
The days are surely coming! Yes, Christmas is coming and for many of us this is a time of busy preparation. But as we enter Advent today, we are called to a different sort of preparation. Today, our readings point us not toward the birth of Jesus but to his return. The Kingdom of God is near, Jesus tells us. We can neither hasten nor delay its coming, and none who live upon the earth can avoid it. But we need not live in fear. Long ago the prophet foretold a righteous Branch that would spring up with salvation. We shall one day live in peace. In the hope of that promise, we can live now seeking the justice and righteousness of God. Let us stay alert, alive to the presence of the Christ who is with us now and who shall come again in glory.
Hymns
Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers, LBW 25
Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending, LBW 27
My Lord, What a Morning, WOV 627
Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying, LBW 31
LBW, Lutheran Book of Worship
In our prayers we remember Lutheran Social Services of Illinois.