We’re glad you’re here!
- If you are attending via Facebook Live, please fill out the contact card at the end of today's bulletin to request a pastoral visit, join our mailing list, or update your contact information.
- If you are attending in person, we invite you to sign in when the ushers pass around the clipboards, and to include your contact information so that we can send you a card (and Pastor can call you if you’d like).
We celebrate Holy Communion in worship each Sunday at 9:00 AM. Visitors are welcome for Communion—read the "Invitation to Holy Communion section to learn more.
We have weekly education programs for all ages after worship, including Sunday School (age 3+), Confirmation (7th & 8th grade), Youth Group (middle/high school), and Adult Forum.
Restrooms (all handicapped-accessible):
- Located down the hall from the church office (women’s first, then men’s).
Child and Family Needs—in Fireside Room (entry area):
- Children are welcome in worship! The small table has crayons and coloring books if your little ones need to keep their hands busy!
- Our Family Room (next to the TV) offers a baby changing table and space for nursing or other family needs during the service!
Hearing Assistance:
- You can your set hearing aid to “T” to use our T-coil hearing loop.
- Other hearing assistance devices are available as well—please ask an usher if you would like to use one.
God’s Mission for Trinity: Welcome. Nurture. Serve.
- In order to put Christ first, we WELCOME people into the church, inviting them to receive the love and grace of Jesus so they may know themselves as children of God.
- We NURTURE people in faith to support their learning and growth as followers of Jesus.
- We send people out to SERVE people in emotional, spiritual, and physical need in the congregation, the community, and the world.
Prelude
Welcome & Announcements
- Click/tap here for this week's announcements!
- NEW for Kids: Learn about the Bible with interactive games, word searches, and puzzles you can play on a phone through Bible Activities Zone! (Please be polite and turn off the sound if you are sitting in church, though!)
Please stand as you are able.
Gathering Hymn “The First Noel” ELW 300
Confession and Forgiveness (John 20:23)
P: In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: God of all mercy and consolation, come to the help of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may confess our sin, receive your forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C: Amen.
P: Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another. (A brief silence.) Gracious God,
C: have mercy on us. We confess that we have turned from you and given ourselves into the power of sin. We are truly sorry and humbly repent. In your compassion, forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things we have done and things we have failed to do. Turn us again to you, and uphold us by your Spirit, so that we may live and serve you in newness of life through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
P: In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake, God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
C: Amen.
Apostolic Greeting (2 Corinthians 13:13)
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you.
Hymn of Praise “Angels We Have Heard on High” ELW 289
Prayer of the Day
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray together. O God,
C: on this day you revealed your Son to the nations by the leading of a star. Lead us now by faith to know your presence in our lives, and bring us at last to the full vision of your glory, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6
A: Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
L: Give the king your jus- | tice, O God,
and your righteousness to | the king's son;
C: that he may rule your | people righteously
and the | poor with justice;
L: that the mountains may bring prosperity | to the people,
and the | hills, in righteousness.
C: Let him defend the needy a- | mong the people,
rescue the poor, and crush | the oppressor.
L: May he live as long as the sun and | moon endure,
from one generation | to another.
C: Let him come down like rain upon | the mown field,
like showers that wa- | ter the earth.
L: In his time may the | righteous flourish;
and let there be an abundance of peace
till the moon shall | be no more.
C: May the kings of Tarshish and of the | isles pay tribute,
and the kings of Sheba and Seba | offer gifts.
L: May all kings bow | down before him,
and all the nations | do him service.
C: For the king delivers the poor who cry out | in distress,
the oppressed, and those who | have no helper.
L: He has compassion on the low- | ly and poor,
and preserves the lives | of the needy.
C: From oppression and violence he re- | deems their lives,
and precious is their blood | in his sight.
Second Reading: Ephesians 3:1-12
A: This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Please stand as you are able.
Gospel Acclamation (John 6:68)
GOSPEL: Matthew 2:1-12
P: This is the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 2nd chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
P: In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Please sit.
Children's Time & Sermon
Please stand as you are able.
Hymn of the Day “As with Gladness, Men of Old” ELW 302
Profession of Faith (Apostles’ Creed)
C: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again 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. Amen.
Prayers of the Church (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
Each section of the prayers ends:
A: Lord, in your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
When we get to this part, please join in reading the names in bold:
A: Today, we pray especially for...these friends on our Prayer List:
C: JoAnne, Lois, Cecil, Pat, Tom, Ron, Eleanor, Florence, Karen, Kirk, Darrell, Dawn, Lois, Lynette, Carole, Paul, Brian, Brenda, Diane, Cindy, Lucas, Adrienne, Rosemary, Dave, Alice, Tim, and Evan.
At the conclusion of the prayers:
P: Into your hands…through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C: Amen.
Sharing of the Peace (John 14:27, 20:19-21; Matthew 5:23-24)
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: And also with you.
Please sit.
Please sit.
Offering
Please stand as you are able.
Sung Offertory “In the Bleak Midwinter” (vs. 3)
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb;
if I were a wise man I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him - give my heart.
Offertory Prayer
A: Let us pray. Holy God, your beauty shines forth from the manger and your love flows from the cross. As you gather us around these signs of your love come among us, warm us to extend your care among the hungry and all in need. In Jesus' name we pray.
C: Amen.
Great Thanksgiving
P: It is indeed right...we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, Holy, Holy (Isaiah 6:3, Psalm 118:26, Mark 11:9-10)
Eucharistic Prayer (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
P: Holy, mighty, and merciful Lord...
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread...
Again, after supper, he took the cup...
Pour out upon us...now and forever.
C: Amen.
Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4)
C: 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 today our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Please sit.
Lamb of God (John 1:29)
If you are visiting today, you are welcome to receive Holy Communion.
- Please come forward when the usher comes to your row. (If you are unable to come forward, please tell the usher, and the servers will come to you.)
- Pastor will give you the bread, and then you can choose to either drink wine from the first (silver) cup or to dip your bread in the second (blue) cup, which has both red wine and white grape juice.
- If you prefer not to receive Holy Communion, you are invited to come forward with your arms folded across your chest to receive a blessing.
All are invited to sing the following hymns while Communion is distributed:
- ELW 282 “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”
- ELW 296 “What Child Is This”
- ELW 301 “Bright and Glorious Is the Sky”
- ELW 471 “Let Us Break Bread Together”
Please stand as you are able.
Blessing
P: The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
C: Amen.
Prayer after Communion
A: Let us pray. God of wonder, in Jesus we behold the light of the world come near. As you have come among us now, send us out in joy, hastening to share the good news of your love. We ask this in the name of Jesus, through the Spirit dwelling among us now and forever.
C: Amen.
Benediction (Numbers 6:24-25, sung)
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,
in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: (sung response below)
Sending Hymn “In the Bleak Midwinter” ELW 294
Dismissal
A: Go in peace. Serve the Lord!
C: Thanks be to God!
Postlude
Service words & music reproduced and streamed under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies License #SBL-14744.
Other hymns streamed under OneLicense #A-715015.
