Advent 3c – December 13, 2015

Overview

Scripture for the Day:

 Zephaniah 3:14-20
 Isaiah 12:2-6
 Philippians 4:4-7
 Luke 3:7-18

Liturgical Color:

 1st Reading

Zephaniah 3:14-20 (NRSV)

14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
    shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
    O daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
    he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
    you shall fear disaster no more.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
    do not let your hands grow weak.
17 The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
    a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
    he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
18     as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
    so that you will not bear reproach for it.
19 I will deal with all your oppressors
    at that time.
And I will save the lame
    and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
    and renown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring you home,
    at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
    among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
    before your eyes, says the Lord.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Psalm

Isaiah 12:2-6 (NRSV)

Surely God is my salvation;
    I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the Lord God is my strength and my might;
    he has become my salvation.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day:

Give thanks to the Lord,
    call on his name;
make known his deeds among the nations;
    proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
    let this be known in all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
    for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2nd Reading

Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Gospel

Luke 3:7-18 (NRSV)

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Song Suggestions for the Day:

 O COME DIVINE MESSIAH (EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE)  Abbot Simon-Joseph Pellegrin \ Jennie Lee Riddle \ Robbie Seay | 2010 | CCLI Song #5814781

 SHINING STAR  Rend Collective Experiment | 2009 | CCLI Song #6186119

 SING TO THE LORD  Matt Crocker \ Mike Guglielmucci | 2008 | CCLI Song #5065949

 COME LORD COME  Harmony Smith \ Nigel Briggs | 2005 | CCLI Song #4659325

 COME TRUE LIGHT  Dwight Liles \ Sarah Hart | 2006 | CCLI Song #5767773

 FOREVER REIGN Jason Ingram \ Reuben Morgan | 2009 | CCLI Song #5639997

 FULL ATTENTION  Jeremy Riddle | 2007 | CCLI Song #4865865

 LOVE COMES DOWN  Audrey Assad \ Matt Maher \ Michael Gungor \ Paul Moak | 2011 | CCLI Song #5553633

 SING HALLELUJAH  Glenn Packiam \ Kari Jobe | 2011 | CCLI Song #5877175

 WE ARE BLESSED  Brandon Collins \ David Leonard \ Leslie Jordan \ Travis Ryan | 2012 | CCLI Song #6364766

 GLORY TO THE LAMB  Christa Black \ Jeremy Riddle | 2011 | CCLI Song #6032830

 HOSANNA  Brooke Ligertwood | 2006 | CCLI Song #4785835

 CARRIER Jared Anderson | 2009 | CCLI Song #5502725

 SHOW US CHRIST  Bob Kauflin \ Doug Plank | 2011 | CCLI Song #6169253

 COME TO US  Greg Walton | 2011 | CCLI Song #6149833

 MIRACLE OF GRACE  Curtis Stephan | 2008 | CCLI Song #5767814

 WE ARE WAITING  W. Zachary Taylor \ Chris Kline | 2012 | View and Download

    This week’s worshipcurrent pick for Holy Communion/Eucharist
    Found exclusively on worshipcurrent

Hymn Suggestions for the Day:

 COME THOU LONG EXPECTED JESUS  Charles Wesley | Public Domain | CCLI Song #2276425  | Hymnary

 O COME O COME EMMANUEL John Mason Neale | Public Domain | CCLI Song #31982 | Hymnary

 TO GOD BE THE GLORY Fanny J. Crosby \ William Howard Doane | Public Domain | CCLI Song #23426 | Hymnary

  REJOICE REJOICE BELIEVERS  Laurentius Laurinus \ Sarah Findlater | Public Domain | CCLI Song #258992 | Hymnary

 HARK THE GLAD SOUND  Philip Doddridge \ Thomas Haweis | Public Domain | CCLI Song #2872960 | Hymnary

 ON JORDAN’S BANK THE BAPTIST’S CRY Charles Coffin \ John Chandler \ Michael Praetorius | Public Domain | CCLI Song #573811 | Hymnary

 THE ADVENT OF OUR GOD Charles Coffin \ John Chandler | Public Domain | CCLI Song #197015 Hymnary

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About W. Zachary Taylor

W. Zachary Taylor is the founder and lead curator of worshipcurrent.com, worship leader, songwriter, producer, organist, and consultant in his twenty-fifth year of worship music ministry. He loves challenging worship music professionals to design deeply meaningful worship experiences, healing broken ministries, pushing boundaries, and helping others. He can typically be found somewhere in Minneapolis - usually in a studio, church, or office of some kind. Zachary currently serves as Worship & Music Director at Atonement Lutheran Church in Bloomington, MN and Alternative Worship Music Minister at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church in West St. Paul, MN.

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