RUSHFORD LUTHERAN CHURCH
FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT
NOVEMBER 30 & DECEMBER 1, 2025
SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES
Scripture Reader 8:00 AM: Bonnie Elliott
9:15 AM: Mannix Darr
Organist 8:00 & 9:15 AM: Shary Evavold
Projectionist 8:00 AM: Lisa Chellew
9:15 AM: David Brand
Videographer 9:15 AM: Andrea Brand
Ushers 8:00 AM: RLCW Ladies
9:15 AM: RLCW Ladies
Altar Guild: Patty Ebner, Jody Culhane, Wanda Kopperud
(9:15 AM SERVICE IS LIVE STREAMED ON YOU TUBE.)
MONDAY COFFEE HOUSE WORSHIP
5:30 PM Led by: Pastor Steve Chellew; Pianist: Portia Lee
PRELUDE
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
GREETING ONE ANOTHER
OPENING HYMN (Remain standing) Prepare the Royal Highway
Reclaim 102
Pre-pare the roy-al high-way;
The King of kings is near!
Let ev-‘ry hill and val-ley
A lev-el road ap-pear!
Then greet the King of glo-ry,
Fore-told in sa-cred sto-ry:
Ho-san-na to the Lord,
For he ful-fills God’s Word!
God’s peo-ple, see him com-ing:
Your own e-ter-nal king!
Palm branch-es strew be-fore him!
Spread gar-ments! Shout and sing!
God’s prom-ise will not fail you!
No more shall doubt as-sail you!
Ho-san-na to the Lord,
For he ful-fills God’s Word!
Then fling the gates wide o-pen
To greet your prom-ised king!
Your king, yet ev-ry na-tion
Its trib-ute too may bring.
All lands will bow be-fore him;
Their voic-es join your sing-ing:
Ho-san-na to the Lord,
For he ful-fills God’s Word!
His is no earth-ly king-dom;
It comes from heav’n a-bove.
His rule is peace and free-dom
And jus-tice, truth, and love.
So let your praise be sound-ing
For kind-ness so a-bound-ing:
Ho-san-na to the Lord,
For he ful-fills God’s Word!
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father, and of Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT WREATH
Reader: On the four Sundays in Advent, we light a new candle each week. We mark the four candles with these four words: hope, love, joy and peace. Today we light the candle of hope, which is also referred to as the Prophecy candle.
The prophet Isaiah declares: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Jesus Christ is the hope of the nations. We wait for the Lord, and in His Word do we hope.
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Pastor: The night is far gone; the day is at hand.
People: So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Silence for self-examination.
Pastor: Holy and gracious God,
People: I confess that I have sinned against You this day. Some of my sin I know—the thoughts and words and deeds of which I am ashamed—but some is known only to You. In the name of Jesus Christ I ask forgiveness. Deliver and restore me that I may rest in peace.
Pastor: 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 + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
Pastor: He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
People: Amen.
RESPONSIVE PSALM Psalm 122 (ESV)
Pastor: I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
People: Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
Pastor: Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together,
People: To which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord,
Pastor: As was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
People: There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.
Pastor: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you!
People: Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!”
Pastor: For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!”
People: For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.
OLD TESTAMENT (Be seated) Isaiah 2:1-5 (ESV)
Lector: A reading from the prophet Isaiah, chapter two, verses one to five.
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
EPISTLE Romans 13:11-14 (ESV)
Lector: A reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter thirteen, verses eleven to fourteen.
11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
HOLY GOSPEL (Please stand) Matthew 24:36-44 (ESV)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-fourth chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master 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. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
CONFESSION OF FAITH The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary,
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting, Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Please be seated) Hark, the Glad Sound!
Reclaim 92
Hark, the glad sound! The Savior comes,
The Savior promised long;
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne
And ev’ry voice a song.
He comes the pris’ners to release,
In Satan’s bondage held.
The gates of brass before him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
He comes the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of his grace
To enrich the humble poor.
Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Your welcome shall proclaim,
And heav’n’s eternal arches ring
With your beloved name.
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The Wheat and The Weeds
Matthew 13:24-30 (ESV)
PRAYERS OF GOD’S PEOPLE (Please stand)
Pastor: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.
Each petition ends with: Lord, in your mercy,
To which we respond: Hear our prayer.
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those
Who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power and the glory,
Forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICTION (1 Timothy 1:17 ESV)
DISMISSAL
CLOSING HYMN (Please be seated) Joy to the World
Reclaim 123
Joy to the world!
The Lord is come;
Let earth receive its King;
Let ev’ry heart
Prepare him room
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n
And nature sing.
Joy to the world!
The Savior reigns;
Let all their songs employ.
While fields and floods,
Rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat
The sounding joy.
No more let sin
And sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make
His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as
The curse is found.
He rules the world
With truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of
His righteousness
And wonders of his love,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders, wonders
Of his love.
OFFERING THANK YOU FOR WORSHIPPING WITH US TODAY
All songs and hymns CCLI 11170614. Parts of the liturgy © Creative Worship, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO, 1994 to today; or © Lutheran Book of Worship, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, Minneapolis, MN, 1978, or © Reclaim Resources, St. Paul, MN, 2013 Scripture references, unless otherwise noted, from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The following individuals have requested prayer:
Nikki Schultz, Family of John Hoegh, Deanna Honsey,
Eldon Jonsgaard, Pat Volkman, Arlene Wenzel, Deanna Stennes
Prayer Concerns: Please contact Pastor Steve by emailing steve.chellew@gmail.com or calling 507.703.1221. You may also call the church office at 507-864-7152
ANNOUNCEMENTS
95th Birthday Celebration: Please join Bette Lou Bunke & family Wed. December 3rd, 2-4pm, Bremmer Suites Community Room.
Cake & coffee, please, no gifts.
CHOIR ACCOMPANIST: RLC is looking for a skilled pianist to accompany our adult choir. Compensation is provided. The adult choir rehearses a couple of times a month, in the evenings, and performs typically once a month and on holidays. Please talk to Pastor Steve or Kristin Burdey if you are qualified and interested.
Christmas in Fillmore County: RLC is sponsoring this again this year, the tree is in the upper Narthex, gifts are due back December 5th. If you were unable to get a gift card off the tree and would like to donate items for families like toys, clothing in all sizes, blankets, books, pajamas, board & card games, stocking stuffers, gift cards please no food items, a box will be located by the tree.
Christmas Poinsettias: It’s that time of the year, Root River Floral will be offering several sizes and colors this year. Confirm your order by December 2nd. 4.5” pot red $9.00, 6.5” pot red or white $16.00, 7.5” pot red or white $27.00, 10” pot red or white $49.00, Please let the church office know how you would like it listed in the Christmas Eve bulletin.
RLCW meets on Wed. Dec 3rd at 1:30, special speaker, all circles serving plus provide 1 worker per circle, circle financial reports, “Bring a $10 gift-Get a gift”
Christmas at Good Shepherd: RLC Youth is looking forward to delivering Christmas gifts to our friends at Good Shepherd, Bremmer Suites, and the Good Shepherd Apartments. Each gift bag costs approximately $10, and there are 90+ residents to shop for. If you would like to sponsor a gift for $10, please reach out to someone from the youth committee
Cookie Walk will be taking place Sunday, December 7th in the narthex. Families are asked to bring two dozen cookies each for the sale. Cookies will be $5/dozen and proceeds will support youth activities.
Adult Music: The adult choir and praise team would love to have YOU share your talents! If you are interested in serving in any way, talk to Bruce Darr, Abby Stocker, Brittany Agrimson, or Kristin Burdey for how to get involved!
Endowment Committee meeting on Wednesday, December 17th at 5pm in the Quilting Room.
Chaperones are needed for the youth lock-in taking place Friday, December 26th-Saturday, December 27th. The event will go from 8:00 PM-6:00 AM; take a shift or stay the whole night. Great opportunity for young adults, college students, parents, and grandparents to be there for our teenagers this holiday season. Contact Kristin to help out!
CALENDAR
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
8:00 AM & 9:15 AM Worship Service
Coffee served by Men’s Group-Fellowship Hall
10:15 AM Sunday School & Adult Bible Study
11:15 AM Praise Team
MONDAY, DECEMBER 1
4:30 PM Worship Committee Meeting
5:30 PM Coffee House Worship w/Communion
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 3
9:00 AM Men’s Helping Hands
1:30 PM RLCW Christmas Luncheon
5:00 PM Choir Practice
6:00 PM Confirmation Class
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4
10:00 AM Bible Study w/ Pastor
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
8:00 AM & 9:15 AM Worship Service w/Communion
Coffee served by Miriam Circle-Fellowship Hall
10:15 AM Sunday School & Adult Bible Study
11:15 AM Praise Team