Welcome to
SAINT PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH - MISSOURI SYNOD
915 - 27th Street, Marion, Iowa 52302
e-mail: office@stpaulsmarioniowa.org
www.mystpauls.org
Phone: (319)377-4687

“In Nomine Iesu"

First Sunday in Advent
December 3, 2023

WELCOME – Ballet, basketball and many other activities have appropriate stances or forms that are needed to execute the beauty of the event.  One shift of a foot to the right or left can cause an imbalance that throws off an entire routine or game.  The ‘form” or “stance” of Advent is repentance, seeking the 
patient forgiveness of God.  
“May His goodness continue to lead us to repentance.”
Romans 2:4

In the celebration of Holy Communion we joyfully receive the true body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ in, with, and under the bread and wine. This is also a sign of our common confession of faith. We welcome to the Lord’s supper all those who are presently confirmed members of a congregation of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. 

Please take a moment to fill out the attendance card found in the pew racks.  Just jot down the name of all in attendance and hand it to an usher or place the card in the basket in the narthex as you leave the service. 

Join us Wednesday evening for our first Advent Midweek Worship at 6:30. Come and prepare yourself during the Advent of our King!

Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship ~ Ringing of the Bells

The Order of Worship
Lutheran Service Book – DS One with Communion

Hymn of Invocation   “The Advent of Our King”	 LSB #331

Invocation  (please remain standing)
P	In the name of the Father and of the (+) Son 
and of the Holy Spirit.
C	Amen.

Confession and Absolution
P	If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C	But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Silence for reflection on God's Word
and for self-examination.
	
P	Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C	Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

Absolution
P	Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C	Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit	Ps. 25:1-3; antiphon: Zech. 9:9b
P	Behold, your king is coming to you;
C	righteous and having salvation.

P	To you, O LORD,
C	I lift up my soul.

P	O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame;
C	let not my enemies exult over me.

P	Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
C	they shall be ashamed who are wantonly 
	treacherous.

All	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.

P	Behold, your king is coming to you;
C	righteous and having salvation.

Kyrie
P	In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C	Lord, have mercy.

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

P	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.

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

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

Salutation	
P	The Lord be with you.
C	And also with you.

Collect of the Day
P	Let us pray.
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C	Amen.

(be seated)

Choir Anthem        "An Invitation For Advent"
Words & Music by Ruth Schramm; Arranged by Douglas Nolan

Dedication of the New Advent Wreath

Old Testament Reading	 Isaiah 64:1-9

     1Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—2  as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!  3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.  4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.  5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways.  Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?  6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.  We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.  7 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.  8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.  9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever.  Behold, please look, we are all your people.’ 

L	This is the Word of the Lord.
C	Thanks be to God.

Epistle	 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

     3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
     4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

L	This is the Word of the Lord.
C	Thanks be to God.

Alleluia and Verse (please stand)

Holy Gospel	 Mark 11:1-10
P	The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the11th chapter.
C	Glory to You, O Lord.	

     1Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

P	This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C	Praise to You, O Christ.

(be seated)

Children’s Message

Hymn of the Day 	“Savior of the Nations, Come”      LSB #332	
Sermon   “Lord Stir Up: My Expectations”     1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Nicene Creed (please stand)
All	    I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
     And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-
begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.
     And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
	
(be seated)

Presentation of the Offering & Musical Offering

Prayers of the Church
(After each portion of the prayers)
           P   Lord, in your mercy,   C   Hear our prayer.

P	Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs:
	
	Randy Schlueter, for good tests results
	
P	Gracious Father, You have made us glad to enter into Your presence to hear the good news of our Savior and receive Your gifts. Preserve Your Church against all her enemies, and lead us to walk in Your ways and to follow Your paths, that when Jesus returns in His glory we may welcome Him with glad hosannas; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C       Amen.

Service of the Sacrament
Preface (please stand)
P	The Lord be with you.
C	And also with you.

P	Lift up your hearts.
C	We lift them to the Lord.

P	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C	It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

P	It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory.  Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:

Sanctus

Prayer of Thanksgiving
P	Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.  
 
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament.  Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end.  Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C	Amen.

Lord's Prayer
All	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.

The Words of Our Lord
P	     Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My (+) body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

     In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My (+) blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P	The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C	Amen.

Agnus Dei

Distribution (be seated)
All members of our St. Paul’s family are invited to meet the Lord in this Sacrament. When at the table, please indicate your preference of common or individual cup.

The CENTER RING of the individual communion cup tray contains white grape juice. The OUTER RINGS contain red wine. (Gluten free wafers are also available from a communion assistant.)

Distribution Hymns
“Your Table I Approach”	 LSB #628
“What Hope! An Eden Prophesied”	LSB #342

Thank the Lord (please stand)

Post-Communion Collect	
P	Let us pray.  Gracious God, our heavenly Father, You have given us a foretaste of the feast to come in the Holy Supper of Your Son's body and blood. Keep us firm in the true faith throughout our days of pilgrimage that, on the day of His coming, we may, together with all Your saints, celebrate the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which has no end; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C	Amen.

Benediction
P	The Lord bless you and keep you. 
The Lord make His face shine on you 
    and be gracious to you.
 The Lord look upon you with favor 
    and (+) give you peace.
C	Amen.

Closing Hymn    “Almighty Father, Bless the Word”    LSB #923

Silent Prayer

(be seated)

Postlude

“Soli Deo Gloria”

Acknowledgments Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.  Streaming license through CCLI, Stream License number: 20193242 Copyright License number: 1259603