December 8th, 2013

Second Sunday in Advent

The four Sundays before Christmas are a time of preparation; preparation for the coming of our Lord at Christmas and for his second coming on the Last Day. The Liturgical color is purple or blue. Purple is the color of royal mourning and repentance. Blue is the color of the sky and of hope.

The Lords Supper at Zion

participation in the Blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the Body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. Those who celebrate the Sacrament together are expressing unity with both each another and Christ Jesus their Savior. When the faith publically confessed by the participants is unified, what God gives us in the Sacrament is pure Gospel and a truly a blessed communion and union with one another and our God. But if there is disagreement concerning Gods Word underlying a celebration of the Sacrament, its intended purpose is spoiled and those involved are improperly declaring unity where unity does not fully exist. The Lords Supper is truly a most high and intimate expression of unity. Paul writes in I Corinthians 10:16-17: Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a

Welcome in the Name of Christ!

We pray that you enjoy your time with us and that your spirit is enriched as we together sit at the feet of our Savior. Gods richest blessings be on you! Bathrooms are located in the north and south side of the entryway as you go down into the basement. The mens is on the north side and the womens on the south side. A small Nursery with a changing table and rocking chair is in the back of church on the south side; a carpeted play area is found in the basement; and black activity bags are available in the entryway. If you would like talk to Pastor about anything, catch him after worship or give him a call at 507-648-3601 (Cell: 507-276-5225).

Our practice as it involves the Lords Supper is based on a deep reverence for God and His Word; it is based on our profound respect for the purpose of the Sacrament; and it is based on a deep desire to in every way honestly, accurately, and clearly confess all of Gods Word to the world. Therefore, those who are not yet fully united to us are cordially invited and encouraged to speak with Pastor or an Elder so that we may work together for the truth (III John 8); for when spiritual unity is achieved on the basis of Gods Word, outward unity can and will be joyfully celebrated. Those who have declared their unity with us, either by their membership here or by their membership in another congregation with which we are unified, are cordially invited to express that unity at the Lords Table.

Order of Service Sermon Text Sermon Theme Hymns Psalm

The Common Service on Page 15 Psalm 118:14 Strength, Song, Salvation 403, 311, 741, 704 28 Printed in the Service Folder

Service Notes
The first half of the service is printed out for you in the Service Folder you received with your bulletin this morning; following the Sermon, we will continue with the Common Service beginning on page 19 with the Nicene Creed. An arrangement of Psalm 28 will be sung this morning by the Choir and congregation; the refrain is printed for you in the Service Folder. Our second Distribution Hymn and Closing Hymn are taken from Christian Worship Supplement and are printed on the goldenrod inserts.

First Lesson: Isaiah 11:1-5, 10 A shoot will come up from the stump of
Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on himthe Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORDand he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist...In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

Opportunities to Grow and Serve

SundayDecember 8th
Greeters Youth 8:45 am 8:45 am 10:00 am After Church 7:00 pm Tom & Darlene Trapp Nick Altermatt Morning Bible ClassLove Speaks Sunday School in the School Building Sunday Morning Worship ServiceMVL Sings! Potluck Dinner for Choir and WorshippersAll Invited! NEW Evening Bible ClassWhats in a Name? Worship Service at Cottonwood Ridge in Springfield Televised Worship Service (Springfield Channel 8) Catechism Class in the Church Regular Midweek Service Valley View Worship Service in Lamberton Televised Worship ServiceLamberton Channel 6 Church Council Meeting in the School Televised Worship ServiceSpringfield Channel 8 Choir Practice in the School Evelyn Rogotzke Kory Schenk Morning Bible ClassLove Speaks Sunday School in the School Building Sunday Morning Worship Service NEW Evening Bible ClassWhats in a Name?

Second Lesson: Romans 15:4-13 For everything that was written in

the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of Gods truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name. Again, it says, Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples. And again, Isaiah says, The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Tuesday
9:30 am

Wednesday
4:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm

Thursday
10:00 am 4:00 pm 7:00 pm

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 3:1-12 In those days John the Baptist came,

preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Johns clothes were made of camels hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Friday
4:00 pm 9:00 am

Saturday
Greeters Youth 8:45 am 8:45 am 10:00 am 7:00 pm

SundayDecember 15th

Altar GuildBecky Prell & Donalee Scheffler Councilman on DutyDale Fennern UshersBob Steffen, Todd Weber, Greg Werner, Ralph Pabst, Jim Zimmerman

Weekly Attendance in Worship

Wednesday 7:00 pm on November 20th: 17 Wednesday 7:00 pm on November 27th: 49 Sunday 10:00 am on November 24th: 70 Sunday 10:00 am on December 1st: 61

Announcements Continued
for that person whose name is found in the envelope. This years list is primarily made up of congregational shut-ins and the elderly. If there is a person youd like to get a gift for and youre not sure theyre on the list, please talk to either Becky Prell or Elaine Steffen. If you would like to deliver the gift yourself, you are more than welcome to; if you would like the Ladies Evening Circle to deliver your gift, please have it to church by Sunday, December 15th. Sunday School Christmas Practice: The Sunday School has begun work on their parts of the Christmas Eve Service. On December 21st, at 10:00 am, all youth involved in the Christmas Eve Service are asked to be at the church to run through the service. A second practice will be on Monday, December 23rd, also at 10:00 am. Any questions can be referred to Pastor Prell or Evelyn Rogotzke. Office Position at MVL: Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School is seeking applicants for the position of Financial Secretary. Individuals interested in applying should be familiar with financial procedures and software, possess strong computer skills and have a desire to work with faculty, staff, students and parents. If interested, contact MVL Principal Tim Plath at 507-354-6851 or tplath@mvlhs.org for an application. New Sunday Evening Bible Class: Sunday evening December 1st, we began a new series in the Sunday Evening Bible Class entitled Whats in a Name? Old Testament Names for God. It will be presented by MLC President Pastor Mark Zarling. This Bible Class will be held Sunday evenings beginning at 7:00 pm in the church and will usually run about an hour. It will explore the meaning and significance of various names for God in the Old Testament. We look forward to seeing you there! Hospital Visits: If you or a loved one is going to be in the hospital for surgery, tests, etc., please call Pastor Prell and let him know. He will add you to the Prayer Chain (if you wish) so that others can join in prayers for you. This also helps Pastor know who he needs to visit; due to health care regulations concerning privacy, hospitals no longer publish who is in the hospital. Thanks in advance for your help!

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another. Hebrews 10:25 I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the LORD. Psalm 122:1

Announcements
Pre-Call Meeting: Circuit Pastor Paul Tessmer and Chairman Arlan Beyer would like to invite ALL members of the congregation to be at church this Thursday (the 10th) at 7:00 pm for a pre-call Open Forum style meeting. The purpose will be to provide input and feedback to District President Degner who will be responsible for drawing up a call list. Any questions about the meeting can be addressed by Chairman Beyer. MVL Choir Thank You and Dinner: We thank the choir from MVL for joining us for our morning worship service! Following the service we will be having a dinner for the choir, members, and visitors. Come on down and grab a bite to eat! Christmas for Kids: A big thank you to all who helped with Christmas for Kids yesterday at Hometown Christmas! Despite the cold, things went very well and we were able to share the Christmas story with dozens of children! Church Decorating: Thank you to those who stayed this past Sunday or came during the afternoon to help with decorating! Following the dinner this morning, we will put up the Christmas Tree and any remaining decorations. Thank You in advance for your help! Christmas Services: Our annual Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services will be held as normal: The Christmas Eve Service will begin at 6:30 pm (December 24th); the Christmas Day Service will begin at 9:00 am (December 25th). Because Christmas Day falls on a Wednesday, there will be NO evening service that week. Also, dont forget the New Years Eve Service on Tuesday, December 31st, beginning at 7:00 pm! Church Council Dinner and Bag-Stuffing: Sunday evening, December 22nd, the Church Council and their families will be gathering at 6:00 pm for a meal and to stuff the Christmas Bags for the Christmas Eve Service. Please bring any donations for the bags to church no later than the Sunday morning service on December 22nd. Christmas Giving Tree: The Giving Tree organized by the Ladies Evening Circle is back again this year! They invite members to take an envelope off the tree and buy a gift