Sunday, December 6, 2020
Community in Christ Lutheran Church
2nd Sunday of Advent
Welcome to worship! We are glad you are here today!
If you are visiting with us, please let us know if there is anything you would like to know about our family of faith.
Prelude
Welcome & Announcements
Temple Talk - Heidi Rixman
Song Shine on Us
Greeting
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. ------ And also with you.
Prayer of the Day
Let us pray,
Stir up our hearts, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming strengthen us to serve you with purified lives; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Lighting the Advent Wreath Light One Candle to Watch for Messiah (v. 1 &2) ELW 240
Let us pray,
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe. John the Baptist calls all people to prepare the Lord’s way for the kingdom of heaven is near. Bless us as we light the candles on this wreath. Baptize us with the fire of your Spirit, that we may be a light shining in the darkness welcoming others as Christ has welcomed us, for he is our light and our salvation. Blessed be God forever. Amen.
1st Reading -
Isaiah 40:1-11
1Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. 3A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the
Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” 6A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. 9Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
11He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gospel - Mark 1:1-8
The holy gospel according to Mark.
Glory to you, O Lord.
1The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ” 4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” The Gospel of our Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Hymn of the Day & Offering - There's A Voice In the Wilderness
At this time in our service, ushers will approach your vehicle for the giving of our tithes and our offerings while we listen to the gift of music. You may also, of course, continue to use the resources of online giving or physical mail-in option for your gifts.
Offering Prayer
Generous God, you have created all that is, and you provide for us in every season. Bless all that we offer, that through these gifts the world will receive your blessing. In the name of Jesus, Emmanuel, we pray. Amen.
Installation of Council Members
Pastor: The people before you have been elected by the congregation to positions of leadership. We give thanks for their willingness to serve. In baptism we are welcomed into the body of Christ and sent to share in the mission of God; we rejoice now that these sisters and brothers will lead us in our common life and our mutual mission as a congregation.
Pastor: A reading from First Corinthians: There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)
You have been elected to positions of leadership and trust in this congregation.
You are to see that the words and deeds of this household of faith bear witness to God, who gathers us into one together with the whole church.
You are to seek to involve all members of this congregation in worship, learning, witness, service, and support, so that the mission of Christ is carried out in this congregation, in the wider church, in this community, and in the whole world.
You are to be faithful in your specific area of serving, that the Spirit who empowers you may be glorified.
You are to be examples of faith active in love, fostering peace, harmony, and mutual understanding in this congregation.
Pastor to Council: On behalf of your sisters and brothers in Christ, I ask you: Will you accept and faithfully carry out the duties of the offices to which you have been elected?
Response: I will, and I ask God to help me.
Pastor to Congregation: People of God, I ask you: Will you support these, your elected leaders, and will you share in the mutual ministry that Christ has given to all who are baptized?
Response: We will, and we ask God to help us.
I now declare you installed as officers and council members of Community in Christ Lutheran Church. Almighty God bless you, and direct your days and your deeds in peace, that you may be faithful servants of Christ. Amen.
Our Council Members are:
Susan Kullstam, President
Paul Miller, Vice-President
Jeff Moen, Treasurer
Debbie Davidson, Secretary
Shari Gomilla
Justin Shingleton
Deborah Lowe
Paul Handrock
Prayers of Intercession
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Peace
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
Instructions for distribution of Holy Communion
Communion assistants will distribute communion to you at your vehicle using pre-packaged elements. The wafer and juice will come to you in a plastic container. In these new containers, the wafer is on top of the grape juice. The container and seals can be disposed of when you return home. For non-communing children, we will be refraining from the touch that makes the sign of the cross on your forehead. When the communion assistants come around, please indicate if your child won’t be communing. A family member may make the sign of the cross on the child’s forehead while the communion assistant says a blessing and/or the communion assistant will have a cross sticker to give to the child to remember the mark of their baptism.
Holy Communion
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Lord’s Prayer
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.
Distribution of Communion All Earth is Hopeful
Post Communion Blessing & Prayer
And now may the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen us and keep us in his grace. Amen.
Let us pray,
Gracious and abundant God, you have done great things for us, and we rejoice. In this bread and cup you give us life forever. In your boundless mercy, strengthen us and open our hearts to the world’s needs, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
Song Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness
Benediction
The Creator of the stars bless your Advent waiting,
the long-expected Savior fill you with love,
the unexpected Spirit guide your journey,
☩ now and forever.
Amen.
Dismissal
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Postlude
Adapted from sundaysandseasons.com. Copyright © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. CCLI #2891390
Announcements:
Advent Devotional: Is available on the church website here. We trust this will be a spiritually enriching resource for you to enjoy during this season of reflection and anticipation.
NC Lutheran Disaster Response Mask Distribution – We still have FEMA mask packets available for distribution to members of the congregation. If you haven’t gotten a packet or would like another, be sure to pick one up the next time you are at the church!
Caravan Caroling - Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 20th at 2:00 PM for the annual CIC Christmas Caroling. We are keeping this CIC tradition going with a few changes that allow us all to remain socially distanced. In lieu of the annual group Caroling event this year, we will be forming a musical caravan where we visit our home-bound friends and family. The Caroling Caravan will showcase cars and trucks decked out with Balloons, Posters, Card-board Cut-outs, Streamers and of course, Christmas Music piped through speakers for all to hear! We want to focus the theme around the Birth of Jesus so get your creative juices flowing and join us for what will prove to be Christmas Fun at CIC! Please click on the link below to sign up for the Caroling Caravan! Or Contact Carol Swing at carol@communityinchrist.net and she will get you signed up.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A094BA8AF2FA46-caroling
Christmas Greetings from YOU! As part of what will be our virtual worship experience for Christmas Eve, we’re looking for as many “Merry Christmas”es as we can get from ALL of you! We’d like to set the stage by having you offer a brief recorded Christmas greeting with luminaries leading to your front door. Luminary packets (6 bags, candles, and sand) are available for pickup on Sunday morning or call the church office to schedule a time to pick up a packet. Please submit your videos by December 12th. Please see instructions in this weeks Take Two.
Service of Holy Communion - Join us on Wednesdays, December 9th, and 16th for a brief service of Holy Communion in the sanctuary at 12 p.m. The service will contain the reading of scripture, prayers, instrumental music, and the communion liturgy. The service will be approximately 15 minutes. Communion will be distributed in prepackaged containers. You will be seated a minimum of 6 feet from anyone who is not in your family unit and you must wear a mask while inside the building. Please refer to the signage on the church door before entering the building. Space is limited to 10 people. Sign-up for upcoming dates at this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a094ba8af2fa46-wednesday.
Midweek Advent Worship - We worship at home on Wednesdays December 9th, and 16th at 5 p.m. for a brief Advent Midweek reflection time of centering ourselves on the gifts found in the journey to the nativity. The service will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube.
Christmas Eve Fire Pits, Firewood, and Buckets
Do you have a small portable fire pit that the church can use for the Christmas Eve worship services? The pit has to be smaller than 3x3x2.
Do you have firewood and/or kindling you would be willing to donate for the fire pits on Christmas Eve?
Do you have a bucket with a handle that the church can borrow on Christmas Eve? We are required to have a bucket of water next to each fire pit.
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, please contact Stephanie (swheeler@communityinchrist.net) by Tuesday, December 15th to coordinate a later drop-off date. This timeframe also helps us have time to know what available supplies there will be. Thank you!
Christmas Decorating Donations - In these unordinary days of 2020, we have unordinary expenses not allocated in our budget as we prepare worshipful settings for streaming and in-person worship during the month of December. If you would be willing to make a special gift toward the needs for this Christmastime, please write “Christmas Decorations” in the check memo line and place in the offering plate or mail in to the church office (7621 Norman Island Drive, Cornelius, NC 28031).
Office Communication Please be in touch with Stephanie in the church office (swheeler@communityinchrist.net) about the following:
• If you read the newsletter online and prefer that it no longer be mailed to your physical address.
• If you have switched to giving primarily through digital means and no longer have a need for physical envelopes.
Calendar:
Sun. 12/6 – 8:30 a.m. Adult Bible Study (Zoom); 10 a.m. worship (parking lot); Following – Children’s Sunday School; 7 p.m. Confirmation class (zoom)
-Tuesday, 12/8 – 10:30 am Bible Study on Zoom
-Wednesday, 12/9 - 12 pm Service of Holy Communion