Welcome to worship at Spirit of Christ!

If you are worshipping inside, please choose chairs that work for the number of people in your family.

If you are worshipping outside, you’re welcome to sit wherever you are comfortable inside or outside of your car. Tune your vehicle radio to 96.5 FM to hear the service.

November 29, 2020 	First Sunday of Advent 
Welcome
The Advent of Our King									 		LSB 331
1.	Lord, whose love through humble service
    Bore the weight of human need,
Who upon the cross, forsaken,
    Offered mercy’s perfect deed,
We, your servants, bring the worship
    Not of voice alone, but heart,
Consecrating to your purpose
    Ev’ry gift that you impart.

2.	Still your children wander homeless;
    Still the hungry cry for bread;
Still the captives long for freedom;
    Still in grief we mourn our dead.
As, O Lord, your deep compassion
    Healed the sick and freed the soul,
Use the love your Spirit kindles
    Still to save and make us whole.

3.	As we worship, grant us vision,
    Till your love’s revealing light
In its height and depth and greatness,
    Dawns upon our quickened sight,
Making known the needs and burdens
    your compassion bids us bear,
Stirring us to tireless striving,
    your abundant life to share.

4.	Called by worship to your service,
    Forth in your dear name we go,
To the child, the youth, the aged,
    Love in living deeds to show;
Hope and health, goodwill and comfort,
    Counsel, aid, and peace we give,
That your servants, Lord, in freedom
    May your mercy know and live.

Invocation
P	We begin our worship in the name of the Father, and of the T Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C	Amen.

The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
Confession & Absolution
P	Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C	who made heaven and earth.
P	If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C	But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
P	Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as his people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking his grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
C	Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen. 

We take time in silence to confess our personal and communal sin before God, confident that we will receive forgiveness.

P	Almighty God in his mercy has given his Son to die for you and for his sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C 	Amen! Thanks be to God!

First Reading									             Isaiah 64:1-9
1 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains would tremble before you!
2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze
    and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
    and cause the nations to quake before you!
3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
    you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
    who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
    you were angry.
    How then can we be saved?
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
    and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
7 No one calls on your name
    or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
    and have given us over to our sins.
8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
    We are the clay, you are the potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.
9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord;
    do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
    for we are all your people.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C	Thanks be to God.

Epistle Reading					              	1 Corinthians 1:3-9
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C	Thanks be to God.

Holy Gospel											       Mark 13:24-37
P	The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark the thirteenth chapter.
C	Glory to you, O Lord.
24 “But in those days, following that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C	Thanks be to God.

Once He Came in Blessing 						  			  LSB 333
1	Once he came in blessing,
All our sins redressing;
    Came in likeness lowly,
    Son of God most holy;
Bore the cross to save us;
Hope and freedom gave us.

2	Now he gently leads us;
With himself he feeds us
    Precious food from heaven,
    Pledge of peace here given,
Manna that will nourish
Souls that they may flourish.

3	Soon will come that hour
When with mighty power
    Christ will come in splendor
    And will judgment render,
With the faithful sharing
Joy beyond comparing.

4	Come, then, O Lord Jesus,
From our sins release us.
    Keep our hearts believing,
    That we, grace receiving,
Ever may confess you
Till in heav’n we bless you

Homily
Nicene Creed
C	I believe in one God,
     the Father Almighty,
     maker of heaven and earth
          and of all things visible and invisible.
 
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
     the only-begotten Son of God,
     begotten of His Father before all worlds,
     God of God, Light of Light,
     very God of very God,
     begotten, not made,
     being of one substance with the Father,
     by whom all things were made;
     who for us men and for our salvation came down from 			 heaven
     and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
     and was made man;
     and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
     He suffered and was buried.
     And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures
     and ascended into heaven
     and sits at the right hand of the Father.
     And he will come again with glory to judge both the living   		 and the dead,
     whose kingdom will have no end.
 
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
     the Lord and giver of life,
     who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
     who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and 		 glorified,
     who spoke by the prophets.
     And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church,
     I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
     and I look for the resurrection of the dead
     and the life T of the world to come. Amen.

Prayers of the Church
8 a.m. worship will continue below. 10:30 a.m. worship proceeds to the Benediction. 	

Preface	       spoken
P	The Lord be with you.
C	And also with you.
P	Lift up your hearts.
C	We lift them to the Lord
P	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C	It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Sanctus
C	Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth adored;
Heav'n and earth with full acclaim shout the glory of Your name.
Sing hosanna in the highest, sing hosanna to the Lord;
Truly blest is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Lord’s Prayer	
The Words of Our Lord
Agnus Dei	
C	O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
	O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
	O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Thy peace. 
	Amen.
Distribution
We believe that as we partake of the bread and wine in Holy Communion, Jesus the Messiah is feeding us with his own true body and blood. In eating his body and drinking his blood we receive the promise that our sins are forgiven, and that we will therefore live eternally with God. We also believe that this eating and drinking is a confession of our faith.
If you have been baptized into the Christian faith and if you share our understanding of Christ's Real Presence in this meal, you are welcome to receive Christ's body and blood for your benefit.

Savior of the Nations, Come					           LSB 332                 
1	Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin’s Son, make here your home!
Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.

2	Not by human flesh and blood,
By the Spirit of our God,
Was the word of God made flesh—
Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.

5	God the Father was his source,
Back to God He ran his course.
Into hell his road went down,
Back then to his throne and crown.

6	For you are the Father’s Son
Who in flesh the vict’ry won.
By your mighty pow’r make whole
All our ills of flesh and soul.

Dismissal
Benediction	
P	The Lord bless you and keep you.
	The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
	The Lord look upon you with favor and give T you peace.
C 	Amen.

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus     				    LSB 338
1	Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
    Born to set thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
    Let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
    Hope of all the earth thou art,
Dear desire of ev’ry nation,
    Joy of ev’ry longing heart.

2	Born thy people to deliver;
    Born a child and yet a king!
Born to reign in us forever,
    Now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal Spirit
    Rule in all our hearts alone;
By thine all-sufficient merit
    Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
Sending	
P	Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
C	Thanks be 

Serving in Worship This Morning
November 29, 2020
Elders

Kevin Zimmerman
Jeff Williams
Nick Fuhry	
Phil Hagel
Terry Elhardt
Phil Marquardt

Organist
Karine Platt

Altar Guild:
Natalie Hoffman

 Serving in Worship Next Week:
Altar Guild: 
Natalie Hoffman

In our prayers
Celebrating Anniversaries this week:  Gerry and Nancy Anderson (11/29),  Jesse and Kristy Johnson (12/2).  
Celebrating Birthdays this week:  Rick Welle (11/30), Teresa Schieffer (11/30), Jerry Berg (12/1), Pam Birkholz (12/1), Sara Neel (12/1), Gwen Mikish (12/2), Georgia Kedrowski (12/3), Betty Meyer (12/4), Deb Parson (12/4), Steve Johnson (12/4). 
							
This Week at a Glance
Today	8:00 a.m.	Indoor Worship
	10:30 a.m.	Outdoor Worship
	6:00 p.m.	Bible Project Bible Study 
Tuesday	12:00 p.m.	Congregational Prayer
Wednesday	6:45 p.m.	Mid week Advent Service
	7:00 p.m.	Safe Bell Choir
Thursday	7:00 p.m.	Safe Choir
Friday	6:00 a.m.	Mens’ Bible Study
Sunday	8:00 a.m.	Indoor Worship
	9:15 a.m.	Sunday School/Adult Education
	10:30 a.m.	Outdoor Worship
	6:00 p.m.	Bible Project 

Notes of Information
Congregational Meeting: A Congregational Voter’s meeting will be held Sunday December 6, 2020 at 11:45 am in the sanctuary.   This meeting will cover the 2021 Budget and Board Reports.   The meeting will be held in person and via Zoom.   If you would like to attend via Zoom please email Laura at secerarty@soclc.org.  

Calendars/Magnetic Notepads Need a Christmas Gift Idea? The Spirit of Christ Youth Group is again selling beautiful calendars for $7. They make wonderful gifts. Pick one up for yourself too!. They will be on sale Sundays or in the church office from Laura.  Also check out the fun notepads we are also selling.  These notepads would make great stocking stuffers and are perfect when you need a quick small gift. Thanks for your support..  If you would like a calendar but are wanting to maintain social distancing, you can email Laura at secretary@soclc.org or call the church office at 763-757-7234 and we can work together to get a calendar or note pad to you.   

Mercy Ministry- Personal relationship, inreach and outreach, caring, sensitivity, heart for other in need, following Jesus’ lead with the lost and needy.  If any of the above tug at your heart strings an opportunity has presented itself as the coordinator of the Mercy Ministry.  This position is open to men and women.   If you have questions please contact Judy Waterman at 763-567-9811

Bible Project- Join us each Sunday evening from 6-7 PM as we explore the Holy Scriptures using the work of the Bible Project! We’ll watch and discuss videos that explore how we read Scripture, the unified theme of the Scripture as God’s story of redemption through Jesus, and how the Bible uses design patterns that communicate important aspects of our Christian theology and life of faith.. 

We Are Here! In the Fellowship Hall you will find a map of Anoka County and another map for those who don’t live in Anoka County. We hope you will be interested in marking where you live. You will find stick pins and a box with your name in it. This is a project of the Board of Evangelism. We thought it might be helpful to know where we all live. We want to say a big thank you to Carol Dangers and Cheryl Herschman who did all the work for this project. If you have any questions contact Cheryl at 612-408-6984, Carol at 763-755-1515 or Elaine at 763-442-2851.

Greeting Card Bundles The Youth Group is offering Greeting Card Bundles (available in the Narthex) for fundraising efforts to support the Youth Group activities and missions such as the National Youth Gathering 2022 in Houston Texas. Please leave a free will payment in the box next to the cards.    

Trustees Need Your Help Andrew Kuntz on behalf of the Board of Trustees is looking for individuals or families to help with lawn mowing and snow removal. The task has fallen to just a couple of individuals recently. Please let Andrew know if you’re willing to be added to a schedule and serve perhaps once a month. andleskuntz@gmail.com or 612-685-4739.

Sermons and bulletins posted online Audio recordings of worship sermons and digital bulletins are posted weekly at soclc.org. Check them out if you’re not able to make it to drive in worship or would like to avoid a paper bulletin!

Offerings via Give+ Online giving is easy to do, one-time gifts and recurring donations are accepted. Visit the link at soclc.org to sign up or learn more. 

Shredright4Good Youth Fundraiser Every day, America uses enough paper to wrap around the earth 20 times! Why not put some of that paper to work raising funds for Spirit of Christ's Youth while protecting the environment and your identity. The Youth have two locked containers here at church to collect confidential paper. Shredright4Good will pick it up to shred and turn in to re-cycled paper products.  Nice and easy, just bring in your freewill offering with your paper. Start protecting your identity, the environment and building up the Youth of Spirit of Christ. We thank you for your support.  

NACE Needs: Needed on a regular basis are the individual items such as fruit cups, mac and cheese, snacks, puddings, breakfast bars. Personal items for men and women, canned goods, dessert mixes, frostings, boxed dinners are also needed. Monetary donations are appreciated. Please remember the Clothing Closet is NOT open at this time.  If you have any questions please call Joan Mager at 763-434-9652.

Spirit of Christ Book Club: Book club is cancelled for this Monday, November 30, 2020, we will be taking a break in December and will return in January.  If you have any questions please reach out to  Joan Mager 763-434-9652.
Concordia Virtual Christmas Concert: Concordia University St. Paul invites you to "Go Tell It on the Mountain", a virtual Christmas concert premiering at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 4. The concert can be viewed anytime from the premiere through January 15. Feel free to share the following link with family and friends: https://www.csp.edu/event/christmasconcert2020/ 

'The Lutheran Hour' can be heard at 6:00 a.m. Sundays on WCCO radio.

November 22,  2020 		
Average Offering	$4997	
Average offering needed per week to fulfill work plan	$5635	

Readings for next week:
Isaiah 40:1-11, 2 Peter 3:8-14, March 1:1-8

Bake Sale Pre Order Form
Help the youth as they raise money for the upcoming National Youth Gathering and other Youth Fellowship opportunities.   
The youth will be following Covid 19 precautions by working in small groups and wearing masks and gloves while preparing and packaging the items.  
This year due to social distancing and Covid-19 the youth would appreciate if you could pre-order your goodies.  
Suggested price per dozen $5 or individual package of fudge and caramels.  $10 for small platters and $15 for large platters. 

Name:______________________________________________________________
Phone:_____________________________________________________________

Frosted Sugar Cookies:  		_______ x dozen 
Fudge 				 				_______ x ½ pound
Peanut Butter Blossoms 		_______ x dozen
Mixed Platter Large:  			_______  (1 dozen sugar, 1 dozen   											Chocolate Chip Cookies,   1 dozen 											PB blossoms, and caramels)  
Mixed Platter Small : 			_______ (1/2 dozen sugar, ½  													dozen Chocolate Chip 															Cookies,  ½ dozen PB 															blossoms, caramels.)
Caramels:							_______ x ½ pound. 
Pumpkin Bread: 					_______ x small loaf
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie 			_______ x dozen

Please have your orders to the office by December 4, 2020 with pick up scheduled for December 6, 2020.   Orders can be placed by calling the church office at 763-755-7234, emailing secretary@soclc.org or by mailing your form to the church.   

2749 NE Bunker Lake Blvd
Ham Lake, MN 55304
www.soclc.org
Our Mission: To live in love for God and one another reaching out to all people, proclaiming and sharing the love of Christ.
Church Office:	763-755-7234	
Pastor Jason Neel:	soclcpastor@gmail.com	
Music Director John Peterson:	carsinger@aol.com	
Office e-mail:	secretary@soclc.org 	
Prayer Chain (Sue Hurst):	sd_hurst@yahoo.com