❖ Call to Worship
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
[Psalm 100]
❖ Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
❖ Prayer of Intercession
O Lord, come quickly and reign on your throne, for now often something rises up within me, and tries to take possession of your throne: pride, covetousness, uncleanness, and sloth want to be my kings, and then evil-speaking, anger, hatred, and the whole train of vices join with me in warring against myself, and try to reign over me. I resist them; I cry out against them, and say, “I have no other king than Christ.” O King of peace, come and reign in me, for I will have no king but you! Amen.
[Bernard of Clairvaux]
❖ Scripture Reading
• Genesis 48
• Luke 1:39-80
• Job 14
• 1 Corinthians 2 
❖ Prayer for Illumination
Almighty, gracious Father, since our whole salvation depends on our true understanding of your holy Word, grant that our hearts—freed from worldly affairs—may hear and understand your holy Word with all diligence and faith, so that we may rightly discern your gracious will, cherish it, and live by it with all earnestness, to your praise and honor, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
[Martin Bucer]
❖ Catechism
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Question 14 
❖ Praise
Glory be to God the Father;
Glory be to God the Son;
Glory be to God the Spirit, ever three and ever one:
As it was in the beginning, now and evermore shall be.
[Gloria Patri]
❖ Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary;
suffered under Pontius Pilate;
was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there he shall come 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.
❖ Assurance of Pardon
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
[Psalm 130:7–8]
❖ Confession of Sin
O merciful Father, regard not what we have done against you, but what our blessed Savior has done for us. Regard not what we have made ourselves; but what he is made unto us of you, our God. O that Christ may be to every one of our souls, wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption! That his precious blood may cleanse us from all our sins; and that your Holy Spirit may renew and sanctify our souls. May he crucify our flesh with its affections and lusts, and mortify all our members which are upon earth. O let not sin reign in our mortal bodies, that we should obey in the lusts thereof; but being made free from sin, let us be the servants of righteousness. Amen.
[John Wesley]
❖ Reading of the Law
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
[1 John 4:7–11]
❖ Adoration
O all you works of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you heavens, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you waters that are above the firmament, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O all powers of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you sun, and moon, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you showers, and dew, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you winds of God, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you winter and summer, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you dew and frosts, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you frost and cold, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you ice and snow, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you nights and days, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O let the earth bless the Lord. Yes, let it
praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you mountains and hills, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O all you green things upon the earth, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you wells, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you seas and floods, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you whales, and all that move in the waters, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O all you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O all you beasts and cattle, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you children of men, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O let Israel bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you priests of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you spirits and souls of the righteous, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O you holy and humble men of heart, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bless the Lord.
Praise him, and magnify him forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
[Book of Common Prayer]
❖ Call to Worship
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
[Revelation 4:9–11]
❖ Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
❖ Prayer of Intercession
Assist us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications and prayers, and dispose the way of your servants toward the attainment of everlasting salvation—that among all the changes and chances of this mortal life, they may ever be defended by your most gracious and ready help; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
[Book of Common Prayer]
❖ Scripture Reading
• Genesis 47
• Luke 1
• Job 13
• 1 Corinthians 1 
❖ Prayer for Illumination
Grant, Almighty God, that as you shine on us by your Word, we may not be blind at midday, nor willfully seek darkness, and thus lull our minds asleep; but may we be roused daily by your words, and may we stir up ourselves more and more to fear your name and thus present ourselves and all our pursuits as a sacrifice to you, that you may peaceably rule, and perpetually dwell in us, until you gather us to your celestial habitation, where there is reserved for us eternal rest and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[John Calvin]