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December 19, 2021— Advent ivOUR MISSION: God calls us to live and share the amazing love andgrace of Jesus Christ with all people.Welcome to Christ Lutheran Church. May God bless us in Word andSacrament, music and community in our worship today. The service iscomplete in this bulletin. The spoken responses are bolded text. ChristLutheran Church is a Reconciling in Christ congregation that welcomes all.During your time at church today we ask that you please wear a maskand practice social distancing. Keep a 6 foot distance betweenyourself and others, even if you have been vaccinated. Hand sanitizeris available for all who wish to use it.IntroductionCradle and cross are inextricably connected on the fourth Sundayof Advent. Between a lovely tribute to the little town of Bethlehemand Mary’s magnificent song of praise, the letter to the Hebrewsreminds us in no uncertain terms that Christ’s advent is for “theoffering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” It is the kind oftension in which the church always lives as when in holycommunion—with high delight—“we proclaim the Lord’s death.”GATHERINGPreludeWelcomeConfession and ForgivenessBlessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who alone does wonders, who lifts up thelowly, who fills the hungry with good things.Amen.Let us confess our sin, trusting in the tender mercy of our God.Silence is kept for reflection.God for whom we wait,in the presence of one another, we confess our sin before you. We fail inbelieving that your good news is for us. We falter in our call to tend yourcreation. We find our sense of self in material wealth. We fear those differentfrom ourselves. We forget that we are your children and turn away from yourlove. Forgive us, Blessed One, and assure us again of your saving grace. Amen.God, in Christ Jesus, has looked with favor upon you! Through the power of the HolySpirit, your sins are forgiven. You are children of the Most High, inheritors of theeternal promise, and recipients of divine mercy. God strengthens you anew to followthe way of peace. Amen.780 Ashbury Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530page 1(510)524-1050 christlutheranelcerrito.org

Gathering Hymn:“Savior of The Nations”ELW 263Lighting of the Advent WreathPrayer for the Advent CandleLet us pray. Dear God, we pray that our faith may be renewedonce again, and may we relive the wonder of your love in our lives.In the name of Jesus the Christ, we pray.Amen.O Come, O Come, EmmanuelO come, O come, Emmanuel,And ransom captive Israel,That mourns in lonely exile hereUntil the Son of God appear.Rejoice! Rejoice!Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel780 Ashbury Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530page 2(510)524-1050 christlutheranelcerrito.org

GreetingThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the HolySpirit be with you all.And also with you.Prayer of the DayStir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. With your abundant grace and might, freeus from the sin that binds us, that we may receive you in joy and serve you always, foryou live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Amen.WORDFirst Reading: Micah 5:2-5a2But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,who are one of the little clans of Judah,from you shall come forth for meone who is to rule in Israel,whose origin is from of old,from ancient days.3Therefore he shall give them up until the timewhen she who is in labor has brought forth;then the rest of his kindred shall returnto the people of Israel.4And 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 greatto the ends of the earth;5aand he shall be the one of peace.Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.780 Ashbury Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530page 3(510)524-1050 christlutheranelcerrito.org

Gospel AcclamationGospel: Luke 1:39-55The Holy Gospel according to St Luke.Glory to you, O Lord.39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hillcountry, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41WhenElizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth wasfilled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you amongwomen, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me,that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of yourgreeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed thatthere would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”46And Mary said,“My soul magnifies the Lord,47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,48for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;49for the Mighty One has done great things for me,and holy is his name.50His mercy is for those who fear himfrom generation to generation.51He has shown strength with his arm;he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,and lifted up the lowly;53he has filled the hungry with good things,and sent the rich away empty.54He has helped his servant Israel,in remembrance of his mercy,55according to the promise he made to our ancestors,to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”Sermon780 Ashbury Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530Rev. Ruth Petersonpage 4(510)524-1050 christlutheranelcerrito.org

Hymn of the Day:“Canticle of the Turning”780 Ashbury Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530page 5ELW 723(510)524-1050 christlutheranelcerrito.org

Apostles’ CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty,creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,born of the virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried;he descended to the dead.On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,he is seated at the right hand of the Father,and he will come to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.Prayers of IntercessionIn this season of watching and waiting, let us pray for all people and places that yearnfor God’s presence. A brief silence.Nurturing God, you give us life and care forour every need. Use the church’s gifts and ministries for your service, bringing yourword to all who seek your transforming grace. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.Creator God, you proclaim your boundless love for all that you have made. Renewbarren lands, polluted waters, and melting ice caps. We continue to pray for thoseplaces where peoples lives and livelihoods are at risk, especially those suffering fromthe outbreak of Tornados in the Midwest. Make us servants of your creation thatbrings forth abundant life. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.Righteous God, you bring down the mighty and lift up the lowly. Strengthen those whoseek justice. Bless the work of community organizers, activists, journalists, and allwho call our attention to imbalances of power. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.Compassionate God, you proclaim your love and mercy. Show your lovingkindness toteen parents and those who are pregnant. Comfort any struggling with infertility andthose who await test results, are in treatment and hospice care, and others in needespecially Brian, Nai, Teri, Randy, Karen, Julie, Lysle and Ken, Dan, Sandy, Diane,Teri, Audrey, Jenny, Carol, Orlando, Agnes’ husband, Helen, Doris, Liz, Mike,Hubertus, all those who suffer from COVID-19, and those whom we name in ourhearts and on our lips . . Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.780 Ashbury Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530page 6(510)524-1050 christlutheranelcerrito.org

Gracious God, you fill the hungry with good things. Bless the feeding ministries of thiscongregation and community. Guide us to share your bounty with those who hungeror live in poverty. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.Here other intercessions may be offeredFaithful God, you stir up the hearts of those who love you. We give you thanks forthose who, like Mary, were courageous in their witness. Give us such courage untilthat day when you fulfill all things. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.God of new life, you come among us in the places we least expect. Receive theseprayers and those of our hearts, in the name of Jesus.Amen.PeaceThe peace of Christ be with you always.And also with you.MEALMusic at the Offering:“Unexpected and Mysterious”ELW 258Offering PrayerGod of our waiting and watching, we offer the gifts of our hearts and our lives to theservice of all your people. Prepare the way before us as we meet you in this simplemeal, through Christ Jesus, our pathway and our peace.Amen.Great ThanksgivingMay God be with you.And also with you.Lift up your hearts.We lift them up to God.Let us give thanks to the God of all.It is right to give our thanks and praise.780 Ashbury Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530page 7(510)524-1050 christlutheranelcerrito.org

Words of InstitutionOn the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus Christ took bread, broke it, gave thanksand gave it to them to eat, saying “Take and eat, this is my body, given for you, do thisfor the remembrance of me.Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying“This is the new covenant in my blood shed for you and for all people for theforgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.”Lord’s PrayerOur Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,your kingdom come, your will be done,on earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sinsas we forgive those who sin against us.Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,now and forever. AmenInvitation to CommunionCome to Christ’s banquet. Feast of God’s gift of grace.All are welcome to Christ’s table.When giving the bread and cup, the communion ministers say “The body of Christ, given for you,”and “The blood of Christ, shed for you,” to which each person may respond “Amen.”Communion Hymn: “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” ELW 490780 Ashbury Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530page 8(510)524-1050 christlutheranelcerrito.org

Table BlessingMay the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you inGod’s grace unto life everlasting.Amen.Prayer After CommunionMost High God, you have come among us at this table. By the Spirit’s power, form usto be bearers of your word, sharing gifts of mercy and grace with all, through ChristJesus, our host and our guest. Amen.SENDINGAnnouncementsBenedictionThe God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that we may abound inhope by the power of the Holy Spirit, through Christ Jesus for whom we wait.Amen.Sending Hymn:“Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus”ELW 2541 Come, thou long-expected Jesus,born to set thy people free;from our fears and sins release us;let us find our rest in thee.Israel's strength and consolation,hope of all the earth thou art,dear desire of ev'ry nation,joy of ev'ry longing heart.2 Born thy people to deliver,born a child, and yet a king;born to reign in us forever,now thy gracious kingdom bring.By thine own eternal Spiritrule in all our hearts alone;by thine all-sufficient meritraise us to thy glorious throne.DismissalGo in peace. Christ is near.Thanks be to God.Postlude780 Ashbury Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530page 9(510)524-1050 christlutheranelcerrito.org