​​​​​​​​​​​​​HOLY SPIRIT LUTHERAN CHURCH​​
1220 Bayshore Road​, Villas, NJ 08251​
​609-886-2414
holyspiritlutheran@comcast.net
Facebook.com/holyspiritvillas/
Church Office-Thursdays-6PM to 8PM
​Bible Study & Faith Discussions-Tuesdays-6PM
Food Pantry-Every Thursday & Last Saturday of the Month-10AM to 1PM
Here We Stand Confirmation Classes-Sundays-9AM to 10AM
Worship Service-In-Person & Conference Call-Sundays-10:30A​M
Christmas Eve Worship Service-Tuesday, December 24th-6PM​​​​​​​​​​​

DID YOU MISS SERVICE ON SUNDAY?
GET WHAT YOU NEED RIGHT HERE!

BULLETIN FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8TH, 2024

TAKING FAITH HOME

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8TH, 2024

2ND SUNDAY OF ADVENT


INTRODUCTION

Forerunners and messengers advance the advent of our God. While John the
     baptizer’s voice in the wilderness may be the principal focus of the day, Malachi’s
     prophecy could as easily herald the coming Christ as forerunner of the Lord of
     hosts. Finally all the baptized are called to participate in the sharing of the gospel.
     In so doing we prepare the way for the coming of Jesus and assist all people in
     capturing a vision of the “salvation of God.”


PRAYER OF THE DAY

Stir up our hearts, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming
     give to all the people of the world knowledge of your salvation; through Jesus
     Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
     one God, now and forever. Amen.


FIRST READING

MALACHI 3:1-4
God announces a covenant with Israel. A messenger like Malachi (his name
     means “my messenger”) will prepare the way for the coming of the Lord by
     purifying and refining God’s people, as silver and gold are refined.

1 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 washers’ 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.

​​

PSALM

LUKE 1:68-79
(Response) In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us. (Lk. 1:78)

68 Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel,
you have come to your people and set them free.
69 You have raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of your servant David.
(Response) In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us. (Lk. 1:78)

70 Through your holy prophets, you promised of old to save us from our enemies,
71 from the hands of all who hate us,
72 to show mercy to our forebears,
and to remember your holy covenant.
73 This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham:
74 to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship you without fear,
75 holy and righteous before you, all the days of our life.
(Response) In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us. (Lk. 1:78)

76 And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
  77 to give God’s people knowledge of salvation
  by the forgiveness of their sins.
  78 In the tender compassion of our God
  the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
  79 to shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death,
  and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
(Response) In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us. (Lk. 1:78)


SECOND READING

1ST PHILIPPIANS 1:3-11
The apostle Paul was the pastor of many new churches. He writes in this letter
     about his joy to be in partnership with the Christians of Philippi. Listen to how
     tender-hearted Paul, sometimes a stern preacher, is with his friends as he
     encourages them to grow in love and knowledge.

3 I thank my God for every remembrance of you, 4 always in every one of my
     prayers for all of you, praying with joy 5 for your partnership in the gospel from the
     first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in
     you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to
     think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart, for all of you are
     my partners in God’s grace, 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 tender affection 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 really matters, 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.


​​​​GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia. Prepare the way of the Lord. All flesh shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia. (Luke 3:4, 6)


GOSPEL READING
LUKE 3:1-6

John the Baptist is a herald of Jesus, whose way is prepared by “repentance for
     the forgiveness of sins.” As we hear the careful record of human leaders, we sense the
     spectrum of political and religious authority that will be challenged by this coming Lord.

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, 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:
     ‘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.’ ”


LICENSES & EXPIRATION DATES
Worship Service Content is used via permission through Augsburg Fortress Liturgies

Annual License #SB144368. The next Subscription Renewal Date is 2/28/2025.
Our Hymns and Worship Music are used via permission through CCLI One
License #11327166. The next Subscription Renewal Date is 1/31/2025.


​SERMONS​
(AVAILABILITY VARIES PENDING ON THE MINISTER)