G E L C T , A D 10, 2025
Welcome to Grace!
Our mission at Grace is to teach the inspired and inerrant Word of God, to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the crucified and risen Savior of the world, and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service.
We are very pleased that you have joined us for worship today! We pray that this time will be a blessing for you as God comes to you with his Word and promises and as you offer him your thanks and praise.
The order of worship we will follow is printed in this worship folder for you to follow along and participate. You’ll notice that the service is a dialogue between God and us, his people. The pastor speaks to God along with the congregation and also speaks the Word of God to the people. LARGE PRINT worship folders are available at the entrances for those who desire them.
Today we are using elements from the Christian Worship (2021) hymnal. You will find these blue worship books in the hymnal racks in each pew. You will be asked to open the hymnal to participate in parts of the service today.
There is no cost to park in our parking lot during worship services. If you receive a citation by mistake, please let our office staff know so it can be cleared.
OUR SERIES THEME BIBLE SONGS OF CHRISTMAS
People love Christmas music! It seems to be played earlier and earlier every year. There are many popular tunes, and some songs even have words that point us to the reason for the season, the birth of Jesus, our Savior.
Did you know that the Bible has songs of Christmas? They were sung to announce Christ’s birth. We have only the words of those songs, not the music, but Christian composers through the ages have set those words to music. This year we look at the background and words of those songs to help us prepare to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.
Our midweek worship is following this path:
The Song of Mary
The Song of Zechariah
The Song of the Angels
OUR THEME FOR TODAY THE SONG OF ZECHARIAH
When the Bible was translated into Latin, “Benedictus” was the first word of the song that Zechariah sang after the birth of his son, John the Baptist. The Song of Zechariah is a powerful proclamation of God’s faithfulness, salvation, and mercy. Zechariah begins by blessing the Lord for visiting and redeeming his people, highlighting God’s action in sending the promised Savior from the house of David.
The song celebrates deliverance from enemies, not only in a political sense but ultimately from sin, death, and the devil. It emphasizes God’s mercy and his holy covenant, grounded in his promises and grace.
Zechariah also speaks of John’s role as the prophet who will prepare the way for the Lord by preaching repentance and pointing to Jesus. The “Benedictus” ends with a vision of peace and forgiveness, likening Christ’s coming to a sunrise that brings light to those in the darkness of a fallen world.
HYMN Father, God of Grace, You Knew Us
BIDDING PRAYER AND PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Christian Worship 566
Dear people of God, in this Advent season, it is our delight to hear again the songs of Mary, Zechariah, and the angels and in heart and mind to prepare to meet our Lord and Savior at a manger in Bethlehem as well as in the sky when he returns to take us home to heaven.
Let us read and learn in Holy Scripture the songs that tell of the loving purposes of God which will come to fulfillment in Christ on the glorious day of his birth. We join with those who prepared to meet him at his first coming to save his people from their sins.
But first, let us pray for people all over the world who would delight with us to know the good news of Jesus Christ and who would join with us in singing his praises. Let us pray for the people of our community and for all those in our own congregation.
And because this would please our Lord, let us remember in his name the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry, and the oppressed, the sick and those who are sad, the lonely and the unloved, the elderly and the little children. We especially remember all those who do not know the Lord Jesus, those who do not love him, and those who by sin have grieved his heart of love.
Let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us in heaven, who live in greater light than we, that multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, who died in faith, and who live before the throne of God and praise him each day in his temple. We confess that we are united with them as we are united with one another.
Lord, hear our prayer, listen to our cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness, come to our relief.
Spare us, Lord, from the lies of the devil and the attacks of our conscience. Comfort and save us in your patient compassion.
Have mercy on us, Jesus.
Guide us, Lord, to the wisdom of your Word and the power of your promises. Take away our confusion and doubt.
Have mercy on us, Jesus.
Hear us, Lord, when we come to you in prayer. Make us confident to take you at your word and to follow you in faith.
Have mercy on us, Jesus.
Empower us, Lord, to walk in your ways and live in your truth. Fill us with your love, that we may love you and one another.
Have mercy on us, Jesus.
Almighty God, you gave your only Son to take on our humanity and to dwell among us. Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children in Baptism, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
LESSON
Ezekiel 37:21-28
21Then say this to them. This is what the L God says. I am going to take the people of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from all around, and I will bring them to their own land. 22I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will be king for all of them. Never again will they be two nations, and never again will they be divided into two kingdoms. 23Never again will they defile themselves with their filthy idols, with their disgusting practices, and with all their rebellious actions. I will save them from all their backsliding by which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
24My servant David will be King over them, and they will all have one Shepherd. They will follow my ordinances and be conscientious about keeping my statutes. 25They will live on the land I gave my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live there permanently they, their children, and their grandchildren and my servant David will be their prince forever. 26I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. I will establish them, and I will multiply them and set my sanctuary in their midst forever. 27My Dwelling Place will be over them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28Then the nations will know that I, the L , make Israel holy when my holy place is in their midst forever. HYMN Here, O My Lord, I See You Face to Face
A declaration about the rebellion of the wicked is deep in my heart. There is no dread of God before his eyes,
because he flatters himself in his own eyes too much to notice his guilt and to hate it.
The words from his mouth are deception and deceit. He has given up being wise and doing good.
He plots deception even on his bed. He sets out on a path that is not good. He does not reject wrong.
Lord, your mercy reaches to the heavens. Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is as high as the mountains of God. Your justice is as deep as the ocean. You save both man and animal, O Lord.
How precious is your mercy, O God!
So all people find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They are satisfied by the rich food of your house. You let them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life. In your light we see light.
Stretch out your mercy over those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.
Do not let the foot of the proud trample me.
Do not let the hand of the wicked drive me away.
There the evildoers have fallen. They have been thrown down. They are not able to rise!
Lord, how much greater are your mercy and righteousness than the pride and boasting of the wicked! Keep us from being misled by those who would tempt us to trust in the things of the world. Instead, let us feast on the abundance of your Word, so that we are always filled to overflowing with your forgiveness and grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen.
4But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son to be born of a woman, so that he would be born under the law, 5in order to redeem those under the law, so that we would be adopted as sons. 6And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to shout, “Abba, Father!” 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if you are a son, then you are also an heir of God through Christ.
57When the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they were rejoicing with her. 59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. They wanted to call him Zechariah after the name of the father. 60But his mother answered, “No. He will be called John.”
61They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62They made signs to his father, to see what he wanted to name him.
63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed.
64Immediately Zechariah's mouth was opened, his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65Fear came on all who lived around them. In the entire hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66And everyone who heard this took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” Clearly, the hand of the Lord was with him.
67His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited us and prepared redemption for his people.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70 just as he said long ago through the mouth of his holy prophets.
71 He raised up salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
72 in order to show mercy to our fathers by remembering his holy covenant,
73 the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
74 to grant deliverance to us from the hand of our enemies, so that we are able to serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, because you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of God's tender mercies, by which the Rising Sun from on high will visit us,
79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
BLESSING
Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you, scatter the darkness from before your path, and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory, and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the (+) Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always . Amen.
Please fill out the Friendship Register located in the red folder at the end of the row. Thank you!
If you would like to leave an offering, you may place it in the offering plates located at either exit. Members of Grace respond to their Savior’s love with offerings that are given joyfully, generously, regularly, and in a way that is proportionate to how the Lord has blessed them. Their cheerful gifts support the mission and ministry of our congregation. If you are a guest today, please know that we do not expect you to contribute to our congregation’s work. However, if you would like to give an offering to the Lord in response to his love to you, we are happy to receive it and put it to work in God’s kingdom. If you prefer, use your smart phone to give online by scanning this QR code.
HOLIDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Midweek Advent Services
Wednesdays, December 10 & 17
10:00 AM Grace-Benson (lunch following worship)
4:00 PM & 6:00 PM
Grace-Sahuarita (supper at 5:00 PM)
10:00 AM & 7:00 PM
Grace-Tucson (supper at 6:00 PM)
Wednesday, December 24
2:00 PM Benson Christmas Worship
4:00 PM Grace-Sahuarita
Children’s Christmas Service
5:30 PM Grace-Tucson
Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship
6:00 PM Grace-Vail
Christmas Candlelight Worship
7:00 PM Grace-Sahuarita
Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship
Christmas Day Worship
Thursday, December 25
10:00 AM Grace-Sahuarita
10:00 AM Grace-Tucson
Wednesday, December 31
All-Site New Year’s Eve Worship
5:30 PM Grace-Sahuarita Followed by dinner & fellowship
THOSE ASSISTING IN WORSHIP TODAY
Minister................................................................................................................... Pastor Seth Scheuerlein
Accompanist Deb Bakken
Vocalist
Weinstein (7:00 PM)
Ushers Dylan Guenther (7:00 PM)
Sound and Recording Techs.................................................. Jeremy Snavely, Danny Koehler (7:00 PM)
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