Weekend Worship Theme - When The Lord Comes Near, He Lifts Up The Humbled
By this time of the holiday season, people are often weighed down. They feel guilty about presents that are not perfect, or parties that did not go as planned, or year-end projects that did not get completed. To top it all off, now is when it dawns on people how little attention they have given to the spiritual preparation Advent invites. If that is how we feel, perhaps the frenzy of December has actually done us a favor. We have been stretched to our limits. We have been made aware of our shortcomings. We have been humbled. Perfect! For being made aware of our weaknesses does not disqualify us from God's care. It does the opposite. It is what prepares us for the work he does best. He is a God who lifts up the humbled.
Midweek Advent Worship Theme - Celebrate Christmass with Proper Preparation
When a chef prepares a meal, the first step is examining the ingredients. He wants the produce to be ripe, with the proper firmness and no browning or wilting. If beef is on the menu, he will look for a fresh smell, a nice reddish color, and the proper amount of marbling. Proper preparation of a gourmet dinner begins with examination of the ingredients.
Proper preparation for the Lord’s Supper also begins with examination, but not of the ingredients. Regardless of the quality of the bread and wine, when we partake of those elements, along with them we receive what Jesus promises: “my body… my blood… for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26,28). So, to be properly prepared for the Lord’s Supper does not require examination of the elements, but of ourselves. Before undertaking any large endeavor, selfexamination is vital. “Am I ready for this?” That question is particularly apropos as we approach Christ’s table to receive what he miraculously offers—his real body and blood.
In this service we not only discuss the need to prepare but also the process of preparation. Because Christmas is coming. Christ is going to serve up a feast of grace. Let us examine and then eat!
Weekend Worship Theme - When The Lord Comes Near, He Humbles His Enemies
On the second Sunday of Advent, we saw that the Lord sends messengers to call us to repentance. In worship on the third Sunday of Advent, we learn that those who refuse to heed that call to humble themselves will be humbled anyway. The Lord who once came near in flesh and now comes near in Word and sacrament will one day come near with consuming fire and judgment. The Lord will humble his enemies. This truth does two important things. First, it adds urgency to God's Advent call to repentance. Second,it gives us comfort when we, as God's people, experience opposition from the world. Those who oppress and harm God's people will face justice.
Midweek Advent Worship Theme - Celebrate Christmass with Gladsome Gratitude
An athlete has a breakout All-Pro season. He tells his agent, “Let’s renegotiate my contract.” A contract is a binding agreement that is based on reciprocal expectations and obligations. Since that athlete’s performance exceeded expectations, he wants a new contract that obligates his team to compensate him more. Do you know when people don’t want to renegotiate a contract? When they aren’t meeting expectations. Imagine that athlete had a horrible season. If he received a new contract at all, it would compensate him less. That is just how contracts work.
Except with God. God made a contract with mankind. Scripture calls it a covenant, a word which emphasizes the relationship between the two parties. This covenant was simple and straightforward. We would honor and serve the Lord as our only God. He would protect us and provide for all our needs. We have not upheld our end of that covenant. We love other things and other people (including ourselves) more than the Lord. We often serve priorities other than his. So, when God says, “Let me give you a new covenant,” you would expect him to pull back his blessings and protection. Nope. In the new covenant, God increases the blessings he provides: forgiveness, peace, strength, and eternal life.
New Midweek Advent Worship Series - Celebrate Christmass
Celebrate Christmass. The double “S” is not a typo. The word “Christmas” comes from the Old English phrase “Cristes Maesse,” meaning “The Mass of Christ.” “Mass” comes from the Latin verb that means “to send.” In the early church, “Mass” came to refer especially to Holy Communion. After the Lord’s Supper and blessing, God’s people were sent into the world to proclaim the grace and forgiveness they received in that holy meal.
In the 16th century, to distance themselves from false teachings about the Mass prevalent in the Catholic church, many Lutherans stopped using that term. That was wise. However, a potential negative consequence is that the connection between Christmas and the Lord’s Supper was diminished. At Christmas, God wraps himself in human flesh, not only so that he could die for our sin, but also so that he could give us his very body and blood in this most special feast. Christmas culminates in the Mass of Christ.
Just as it is easy to lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas, so also, we can easily lose sight of the significance of Holy Communion. It is easy to approach the table casually, like it’s nothing but a liturgical snack. It is so much more! So, while we won’t bring the term “Mass” back, our prayer for this worship series is that it would change how we come to Christ’s table. In these midweek services, let us prepare our hearts to truly Celebrate Christmass.
Midweek Advent Worship Theme - Celebrate Christmass with Appropriate Awe
You are standing at the window looking at the powerful storm raging outside. Lightning rips through the sky, so bright it hurts your eyes. Thunder booms, shaking your home. The wind compels mighty trees to bow before it. You are filled with awe. The words “awe” and “awful” all come from the same Old English root: aga, meaning both “wonder” and “dread.” As you look at the storm, you are in wonder of the power. The thought of going outside, unprotected from that wild power, is dreadful. It could well be the end of you!
Thunder is a whisper compared to God’s voice. If trees obey the wind, the wind obeys our God. This is why every time in Scripture someone sees God’s glory, the result is fearful awe. On Christmas Eve, when the shepherds were surrounded by God’s glory, “they were terrified” (Luke 2:9). God responded to their fear with grace. He came to them another way—with all his power and glory hidden under the flesh of a newborn baby. In that way, God encouraged the shepherds to approach the inapproachable—their Lord and Savior.
Still today, God hides his power and glory so that we might approach him without fear. Under bread, the incarnate God hides his real body. Within wine, God hides his real blood. As you come to Holy Communion, there need not be fear. May there be a sense of awe, however, as you partake of a meal that contains way more power than lightning.
Weekend Worship Theme - When The Lord Comes Near, He Humbles Himself
What would it be like to meet God? We know he is almighty and holy. He loathes sin. No wonder that when God appears to his Old Testament people, their first response is typically terror. But when Jesus Christ came into our world, he hid his glory and power. He humbled himself so that sinners would be drawn to him rather than driven away in fear.
New Worship Series - When The Lord Comes Near
"Advent" is a Latin word that means "coming." The season of Advent is the four week period before Christmas that the Church uses to connect the two "comings" of Christ. The first time the Lord came into our world it was as a tiny, helpless baby, born in a manger in Bethlehem. However, when Jesus comes again, it will be in all his power and glory with his angelic army behind him. He will be coming as judge at the end of time. Let us use these four weeks to see how the events of Jesus' first coming remove all our fears about his second coming. We can hold our heads high when the Lord comes near.