Overview
Malachi 3:1-4 (or Baruch 5:1-9)
Luke 1:68-79 or Psalm 126
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6
Liturgical Color:
1st Reading
Malachi 3:1-4 (NRSV)
See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
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.
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, or Psalm 126 (NRSV) When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, 4 Restore our fortunes, O 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
Luke 1:68-79 (NRSV)
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us 74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
78 By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5 May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10 to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11 having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. 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 1:3-11 (NRSV)
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 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 3:1-6 (NRSV)
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
Song Suggestions for the Day:
REIGN IN US Ben Glover \ Jon Neufeld \ Tim Neufeld | 2008 | CCLI Song #5207587
HERE FOR YOU Jesse Reeves \ Matt Maher \ Matt Redman \ Tim Wanstall | 2011 | CCLI Song #5925649
DESERT SONG Brooke Ligertwood | 2008 | CCLI Song #5060793
A MIGHTY FORTRESS Christy Nockels \ Nathan Nockels | 2009 | CCLI Song #5488935
MIGHTY TO SAVE Ben Fielding \ Reuben Morgan | 2006 | CCLI Song #4591782
LET IT SHINE David Leonard \ Leslie Jordan | 2011 | CCLI Song #5881075
LOVE DIVINE Ben Cantelon \ Stuart Garrard | 2011 | CCLI Song #6191300
PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD Jeremy Riddle | 2009 | CCLI Song #5351361
PREPARE THE WAY Jared Anderson | 2004 | CCLI Song #4455347
THE KING IS COMING Jared Anderson \ Seth Mosley | CCLI Song #6122544
WE ARE WAITING W. Zachary Taylor \ Chris Kline | 2012 | View and Download
LOVE CAME DOWN Brian Johnson \ Ian McIntosh \ Jeremy Edwardson \ Jeremy Riddle | 2009 | CCLI Song #5148938
O GOD OF ABRAHAM Don Moen \ Mia Fieldes | 2008 | CCLI Song #5265282
JESUS MESSIAH Chris Tomlin \ Daniel Carson \ Ed Cash \ Jesse Reeves | 2008 | CCLI Song #5183443
WE WILL SEE Walker Beach | 2012 | CCLI Song #6314974
PRAISE IS THE OFFERING Glenn Packiam \ Shannon Alford \ Sion Alford | 2010 | CCLI Song #5783647
WAITING HERE FOR YOU Chris Tomlin \ Jesse Reeves \ Martin Smith | 2011 | CCLI Song #5925663
FOREVER REIGN Jason Ingram \ Reuben Morgan | 2009 | CCLI Song #5639997
KINGDOM COME Ben Fielding | 2005 | CCLI Song #4705217
WE HUNGER AND THIRST Alex Couch \ Dave Fournier \ George Romanacce | 2011 | CCLI Song #6169277
YOUR PRESENCE IS HEAVEN TO ME Israel Houghton \ Micah Massey | 2012 | CCLI Song #6214751
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER Jon Egan \ Mia Fieldes \ Paul Mabury | 2012 | CCLI Song #6151773
COME TO THE RIVER Alister Wood \ Omega Levine \ Rhys Machell \ Richard Knott \ Sam de Jong \ Simon Moore | 2008 | CCLI Song #5118236
COME TO THE FOUNTAIN Jan L’Ecuyer | 2010 | CCLI Song #5812271
EMMANUEL Vicky Beeching | 2010 | CCLI Song #5670657
HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD Chris Tomlin \ Ed Cash \ Jesse Reeves | 2004 | CCLI Song #4348399
This week’s worshipcurrent pick for Holy Communion/Eucharist
Found exclusively on worshipcurrent
Hymn Suggestions for the Day:
PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD
Tune: BERTHIER | Taizé Community | 1984 Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc | Hymnary
PREPARE THE WAY, O ZION
Tune: BEREDEN VÄG FÖR HERRAN | Charles P. Price \ Frans Mikael Franzen | 1982 Hope Publishing Co. | CCLI Song #1623557 | Hymnary
TO GOD BE THE GLORY
Tune: DOANE | Fanny J. Crosby \ William Howard Doane | Public Domain | CCLI Song #23426 | Hymnary
LET ALL MORTAL FLESH KEEP SILENCE
Tune: PICARDY | Gerard Moultrie | Public Domain | CCLI Song #154773 | Hymnary
ON JORDAN’S BANK THE BAPTIST’S CRY
Tune: WINCHESTER NEW | Charles Coffin \ John Chandler \ Michael Praetorius | Public Domain | CCLI Song #573811 | Hymnary
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