Zion Lutheran

First Sunday of Christmas December 30, 2007 GOSPEL Matthew 2:13-23   Matthew relates the slaughter of babies in Bethlehem as one example of evil in the world. Jesus has been born into this world to manifest God’s presence and save his people from their sins. ¹³Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”  ¹⁴Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt,  ¹⁵and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”              ¹⁶When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.  ¹⁷Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:  ¹⁸“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”   ¹⁹When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,  ²⁰Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.  ²¹Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.  ²²But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.  ²³There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”

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ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH Monday, December 24, 2007 CHRISTMAS EVE GOSPEL Luke 2:1-20

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Fourth Sunday in Advent December 23, 2007   GOSPEL Matthew 1:18-25   Matthew’s story of Jesus’ birth focuses on the role of Joseph, who adopts the divinely-begotten child into the family of David and obediently gives him the name Jesus, which means “God saves.”

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  ¹⁹Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.  ²⁰But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  ²¹She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  ²²All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:  ²³“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.”  ²⁴When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,  ²⁵but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

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Third Sunday in December December 16, 2007   GOSPEL Matthew 11:2-11 John the Baptist expects the Messiah to bring God’s judgment upon the earth. From a prison cell, he wonders whether Jesus is the one who will do this.   ²When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples  ³and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”  ⁴Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:  ⁵the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.  ⁶And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”              ⁷As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?  ⁸What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces.  ⁹What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.  ¹⁰This is the one about whom it is written,             ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,             who will prepare your way before you.’   ¹¹Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

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Sunday School Christmas Program & Sermon

Second Sunday in Advent December 9, 2007 GOSPEL Matthew 3:1-12 Just before Jesus begins his public ministry, John the Baptist appears, calling people to mend their ways and speaking of a powerful one who is to come. In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ²“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ³This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” ⁴Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, ⁶and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁷But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruit worthy of repentance. ⁹Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Photos of the Christmas Program

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First Sunday in Advent December 2, 2007   GOSPEL Matthew 24:36–44   Jesus describes his second coming as a sudden, unexpected event that will bring salvation or judgment upon people caught up in the usual affairs of daily life. He urges people to be alert and expectant.   ³⁶But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  ³⁷For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  ³⁸For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark,  ³⁹and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.  ⁴⁰Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.  ⁴¹Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.  ⁴²Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.  ⁴³But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.  ⁴⁴Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

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