INVOCATION
Minister: In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Congregation: Amen.
DIALOGUE FOR NEW YEAR’S EVE
Look! God’s dwelling is with people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. Revelation 21:3 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity you are God. Psalm 90:1–2
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: For the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 2 Peter 3:8 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day, like yesterday that has gone by, or like a watch in the night. Psalm 90:4
And there is no creature hidden from him, but everything is uncovered and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we will give an account. Hebrews 4:13 Surely, we are consumed by your anger, and by your wrath we are terrified. You have laid out our guilty deeds in front of you. Our hidden sins are revealed in the light of your face.
Psalm 90:7–8
Proverbs 16:9 Teach us to number our days in such a way that we bring a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12
A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord makes his steps secure.
This is how God’s love for us was revealed: God has sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we may live through him. This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:9–10 Satisfy us in the morning with your mercy, so that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14
O Lord, I have heard the report about you, and I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. In the midst of our years revive those deeds. In the midst of our years reveal them again. Habakkuk 3:2 Let your deeds be seen by your servants and your majesty by their children. Psalm 90:16
[God] says: At a favorable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. Look, now is the favorable time! See, now is the day of salvation! 2 Corinthians 6:2 May the kindness of the Lord our God rest upon us. Establish the work of our hands for us. Yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Eternal Father, you have placed us in a world of space and time, and through the events of our lives, you bless us with your love. Grant that in this new year we may know your presence, see your love at work, and live in anticipation of the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please be seated
READING Isaiah 51:1–6
1
Listen to me, you people who pursue righteousness, you people who seek the L !
Look confidently to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were cut.
2 Look confidently to Abraham your father, and to Sarah, who gave birth to you.
Yes, when I called him, Abraham was only one person, but I blessed him and multiplied him.
3 The L is certain to comfort Zion. He will comfort all her ruins. Certainly he will make her wilderness like Eden and her wasteland like the garden of the L . Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of music.
4 Pay attention to me, O my people. My nation, listen to me!
For the law will go out from me, and I will establish my justice as a light to the peoples.
5 My righteousness is near. My salvation goes forth, and my arms will bring justice to the peoples. The seacoasts will wait for me. They will have confidence in my arm.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens.
Look closely at the earth beneath, because the heavens will vanish like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment, and its inhabitants will die like gnats.
But my salvation will remain forever, and my righteousness will never be abolished.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, From everlasting you are God and you turn the mortals back to dust.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has gone by. You sweep us away in sleep of death; we are but withering grass.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your wrath.
With our iniquities before you, our days pass and we fly away.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Satisfy us with your love that we may be glad and sing for joy!
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
May our deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. May the favor of the Lord rest on us and establish the work of our hands.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.
13 Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But Jesus said to him, “Man, who appointed me to be a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because a man’s life is not measured by how many possessions he has.”
16 He told them a parable: “The land of a certain rich man produced very well. 17 He was thinking to himself, ‘What will I do, because I do not have anywhere to store my crops?’
18 He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and goods. 19 And I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry.”’
20
“But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your soul will be demanded from you. Now who will get what you have prepared?’
21
“That is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
HYMN—My Worth Is Not in What I Own
Please note how this hymn is sung: verse 1, verse 2, refrain, verse 3, verse 4, refrain, verse 5, refrain. The vocalist will sing verses 1 and 2 and the first refrain. Please join in singing the rest of this song.
4 I will not boast in wealth or might, or human wisdom’s fleeting light. But I will boast in knowing Christ at the cross. (Refrain)
5 Two wonders here that I confess: my worth and my unworthiness. My value fixed my ransom paid at the cross. (Refrain)
Text and tune: Graham Kendrick, b. 1950; Kristyn Getty, b. 1980; Keith Getty, b. 1974 © 2014 Getty Music Publishing and Makeway Music, admin. MusicServices.org. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 710199
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that city, spend a year there, do business, and make a profit.” 14 You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? Indeed, it is a mist that appears for a little while and then disappears. 15 Instead, it is better for you to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live, and we will do this or that.” 16 But right now you are boasting in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So, for the one who knows the right thing to do and doesn’t do it, this is a sin.
OFFERING
We offer our gifts to our God who has given us more than we could ever ask for and far more than we deserve the promise of forgiveness and eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior. If you are our guest tonight and do not wish to give an offering, please do not feel compelled to do so. Online giving is also available online by scanning the QR code to the right.
Please use this time fill out the Friendship Register located in the red folder at the end of the row and pass it along. Thank you!
+ REMEMBRANCE OF MEMBERS CALLED HOME TO HEAVEN +
In this New Year's Eve service we remember our Christian brothers and sisters of Grace whom the Lord has welcomed home to heaven in this past year.
HYMN—Across the Sky the Shades of Night Christian Worship 367 Text (st. 1, 4): James Hamilton, 1819–1896, public domain; (st. 3): Gregory J. Wismar, b. 1946 © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 710199 Tune: adapt. Nicolaus Decius, c. 1485–after 1546; plainsong, 10th cent. Public domain.
We celebrate our family members who have escaped the sorrows of this world and now, because Jesus is their Savior, enjoy the eternal pleasures of heaven:
Paul Wismer
February 17, 2022
John Colton
February 21, 2022
Jo Davis April 20, 2022
Ray Bondy May 8, 2022
Jon Guenther August 23, 2022
Bernice Marsala
November 10, 2022
Pat Nielsen December 12, 2022
NEW YEAR'S EVE PRAYER
I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name forever and ever.
Every day I will praise you and extol your name.
It is fitting, O Lord, in the final hours of this year, to express our gratitude for the countless gifts of grace we have received from you.
You have been faithful to your promises and loving toward all you have made.
You clothe your creation with beauty; you feed even the birds and tell us that we are much more valuable than they.
You know what we need, and you give us all good things.
Clothing and food, safety and health, possessions and money, even life itself all these come to us from your generous hand.
We thank you for these blessings, and we ask that you continue to grant them to us.
We thank you especially for your Word and Holy Supper, which strengthen our faith, shield us from temptation, and equip us for service.
Increase our commitments to use these precious gifts, so that we may continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.
Silent prayer
Almighty and eternal God, you have been gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love. As you led your people Israel with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, so lead us by the light of your Word that we may live our lives to your glory and be prepared to die in your peace.
We ask these things in the name of Jesus. In his name we began this year; in his name we bring it to a close. 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.
