St Ansgar Lutheran Church, London

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Sunday Morning

We invite you to join us for the following worship services:

Sundays
10:30 a.m. Worship service

Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and other locations in the church for
your use.

Washrooms will be available for use.

In the service: The service will be shown on the screen. The offering will not be gathered and presented, but there will be an offering plate at the back of the sanctuary where you can put your offering as you enter or leave. Pastor David distributes the communion wafers and an Assisting Minister distributes wine or grape juice in individual glasses.

We have coffee and fellowship time available again in Luther Hall after the service.

We will continue to evaluate our worship service procedures on a monthly basis.

CHRISTMAS 1, DECEMBER 28, 2025

St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, Outline for Worship (with sermon)
Sunday, December 28, 2025 – First Sunday of Christmas
Based on ELW Setting Four

GATHERING

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, Wonderful Counsellor,
Mighty Saviour, Prince of Peace.
C: Amen.

P: Trusting in God’s steadfast love and faithfulness, let us confess our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Reconciling God,
C: we yearn for your presence to transform our grief, pain, and despair.
We confess that we have not always prepared room in our hearts for
your love; we have not always recognized your presence among us;
we have not always embraced your message of peace.
We cry out, weary with the burden of violence, oppression, and fear.
We confess our failure to make room for those seeking refuge;
our participation in violent systems that harm your innocent ones;
our reluctance to embody your good news.
Be born in us today and teach us to sing the joyful song of your salvation.
Amen.

P: God’s grace upon grace flows over you. ☩ Christ’s presence redeems the
whole creation. Your sins are forgiven. Let the earth rejoice and be glad!
C: Amen.

ENTRANCE HYMN - Angels, from the Realms of Glory (ELW #275)

GREETING
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you

KYRIE
A: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God,
and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE (sung) (ELW p. 149)
P: This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
C: Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power and riches and wisdom and strength,
and honour and blessing and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God
and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing and honour and glory and might
be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God,
for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign.
Alleluia. Alleluia.

PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Let us pray.
P: O Lord God, you know that we cannot place our trust in our own powers.
As you protected the infant Jesus, so defend us and all the needy from harm
and adversity, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen

WORD

FIRST READING: Isaiah 63:7-9
7 I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD, the praiseworthy acts of
the LORD, because of all that the LORD has done for us, and the great
favour to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 8 For he said, "Surely they
are my people, children who will not deal falsely"; and he became their saviour
9 in all their distress. It was no messenger or angel but his presence that
saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them
up and carried them all the days of old.

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM 148
1 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise God in the heights.
2 Praise the Lord, all you angels;
sing praise, all you hosts of heaven.
3 Praise the Lord, sun and moon;
sing praise, all you shining stars.
4 Praise the Lord, heaven of heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
who commanded, and they were created.
6 Who made them stand fast forever and ever,
giving them a law that shall not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps;
8 fire and hail, snow and fog,
tempestuous wind, doing God’s will;
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars;
10 wild beasts and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds;
11 sovereigns of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the world.
12 young men and maidens,
old and young together.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
whose name only is exalted, whose splendour is over earth and heaven.
14 The Lord has raised up strength for the people and praise
for all faithful servants,
the children of Israel, a people who are near the Lord. Hallelujah!

SECOND READING: Hebrews 2:10-18
10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their
salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For the one who sanctifies and
those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is
not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying, "I will proclaim
your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation
I will praise you." 13 And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again,
"Here am I and the children whom God has given me." 14 Since, therefore,
the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things,
so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death,
that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery
by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels,
but the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to become like his
brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement
for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested by what
he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
C: Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
P: The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 2:13-23
C: Glory to you, O Lord.

13 Now 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." 14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night,
and went to Egypt, 15 and 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." 16 When 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. 17 Then 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." 19 When Herod died, an angel
of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,
20 "Get 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." 21 Then Joseph got up,
took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But 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. 23 There 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."

P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON
Matthew 2:13-23
Let us pray: May the words of my mouth, and the prayers of our hearts,
always be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our Strength, and our Redeemer.
AMEN

I think it is safe to say that we all wish Christmas time had a kind of protective
bubble around it, that it could be an oasis of happy and joyous times,
instead of all the sorrow and tragedy that fills the news the rest of
the year. Rather than getting a break from all the bad news, at times
the Christmas season almost seems to create its own kind of bad news.
Maybe we just seem to notice it more. Whatever Christmas season means
to us, it does not mean that we can switch off the bad news when we
turn the calendar to the first Sunday of our journey through the
Christmas season.
Not even the committee that establishes the Lectionary will give us a break.
For this Sunday, the first Sunday in the Christmas season, they assign us
one of the most brutal stories in scripture. The birth of Jesus has been
presented in Joseph’s dream. The baby “will save his people from their sins.”
The birth of Jesus is a time of hope, of rejoicing. Maybe a year, but certainly
not more than two years of relative tranquility follow Jesus’ birth. The visit
of the Magi reveals Jesus to the wider world. Then the tranquility comes to
a bitter end. Herod learns of the significance of Jesus’ birth from the Magi.
With cold and calculated deception Herod learns that Jesus is in Bethlehem.
What Herod does next is almost unbelievable. Since Herod considers Jesus
a threat, he wants to eliminate the threat as soon as possible, so he sends
soldiers to Bethlehem to kill Jesus before he has a chance to grow up.
Without any compassion for his victims, Herod has the soldiers kill all the
children under two years of age in and around Bethlehem, according to the
time of Jesus’ birth that he had learned from the wise men. The terrorism we
hear about in the news today is not anything new. Matthew records the story
with dignified understatement. The scene itself and the immeasurable grief
that followed are almost more than we can bear to imagine.
Many Christians in our world today suffer grief. For example, in the United
States people know what it is like for a family member who does not look
the same as the “typical white person,” or who speaks English as a second
language, to simply disappear with no due process. Traumatized children
have been separated from their parents, many never able to be reunited
with them. During the Civil Rights Movement in the United States four little
African American girls were killed on their way to Sunday school when their
church was destroyed by a bomb blast.
Matthew does not describe directly the grief in Bethlehem. He simply quotes
Jeremiah, but those words tell us all we need to know. “A voice was heard
in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachael weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
Herod joins a long line of brutal political leaders in scripture. Many theologians
believe that part of what Matthew wants us to know in his Gospel is that
Jesus is a new Moses. Pharaoh threatens Moses just after his birth.
With a cold-hearted paranoia similar to Herod’s, Pharaoh sets out to kill
all the male Hebrew children. The Book of Exodus spares us any scenes
in which children actually die, but Pharaoh’s brutality is real. Pharaoh
feels threatened by all the Hebrews in his land.
Moses’ mother saves him in a bold act. We all know the story. She places him
in a basket on a river and hopes for the best. In sweet irony that Pharoah’s
own daughter finds Moses and defies her father’s order, much like the Magi
defy Herod’s orders. Jesus’ parents saved him because Joseph encountered
an angel in a dream. Following the angel’s orders, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus
fled to Egypt, the place where the people of Israel once found deliverance
from a famine.
So, here is a point of contention in the story. Why does God only send the
one dream to warn Joseph? Why not a dream for every parent in the area
with a child two years of age or younger? That point of contention in the
story brings us back to our own present horrors, like the genocide in Gaza,
ICE literally picking up innocent people without due process, or the
increasing inner-city violence here in Canada where too many stray bullets find
a young target. Matthew does not answer the question of why God did not stop
the slaughter of children in Bethlehem. Matthew does not help us understand
why God does not stop the violence against innocent people today. Even though
Jesus was spared while he was an infant, he died later on the cross for us.
If it seems as though Jesus gets away, Jesus’ escape was only temporary.
As a man, Jesus faces the brutality, the senseless violence, the repression
born of insecurity that marks this story and too many other stories.
We may long for a respite from the news reports that break our hearts,
even if only for a few days during the Christmas season. Matthew reminds
us that we will not get such a break. The evil of the world keeps right on
going. Christmas time even seems to make some of it worse as we read
of thieves making off with toys or money intended for charity. Some years,
even Salvation Army bell ringers are not safe. The families of the children
who were killed in Bethlehem experienced a grief that never would have
happened if Jesus had been born in another time or place. Our faith does
not always make life easier in the short run.
We are not promised an end to suffering, or an answer to the why of suffering.
Matthew offers us something else. Jesus’ title, according to the angel in
one of Joseph’s dreams, is Emmanuel, God with us. When we hear of
terrible violence, of unspeakable suffering, of tragic deaths, we should put
away the idea that these things mean that God is not at work. Even in the
deepest of tragedies, even when evil is at its most mystifying, God’s ultimate
joy and victory cannot be derailed. God is in the midst of the suffering,
bringing strength, healing, and comfort. Whatever happens, God is with
us and stays with us. Now that Christmas Day is over, many people really
need to be reminded of this. Whatever contentment any of us received
from Christmas, if any, has faded by now. The media will not report God’s
presence in the midst of suffering. Only people of faith know about this
good news. That is why we must share it.
AMEN

Silence is kept for reflection.

HYMN OF THE DAY – What Child Is This (ELW #296)

NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
A: Empowered by the news of Christ’s birth, let us pray boldly for the church,
creation, and all who are in need.
A: God of our church, send forth your Spirit as we pray for our Bishops Larry
and Carla. Empower them with your wisdom to lead the church. We also pray
for the Thames Ministry area, especially the people of Trinity Lutheran Church,
London, in their time of pastoral vacancy. Hear us, O God.
C: Your mercy is great.

A: God of grace, you show us mercy not according to our worthiness,
but according to the abundance of your steadfast love. Grant us the courage
to go into the world and do likewise. Hear us, O God.
C: Your mercy is great.

A: God of abundance, the sun and moon praise you and the shining stars
sing of your love. Where we have desecrated your creation, make us into
a healing balm for what we have broken. Hear us, O God.
C: Your mercy is great.

A: God of righteousness, when leaders fail to fulfill their calls to enact justice,
you suffer alongside us. Propel those in power to see you reflected in the faces
of all they serve. Hear us, O God.
C: Your mercy is great.

A: God of life, you claim us as your own and care for us as Christ’s siblings.
Pour out your compassion in every place your people suffer, and protect them
in the palm of your hand. We pray especially for Beth, Jean, Mary Margaret,
Kristine, Karen, Emma, Cathy, Lene, Grethe, Lyra, Ahlan, and those others
who are in our hearts. Hear us, O God.
C: Your mercy is great.

A: God of compassion, you nurture children as the apple of your eye. As you
sheltered your son Jesus from Herod’s grasp, shelter all children in danger.
As you comforted Rachel, comfort all who have lost children to violence.
Hear us, O God.
C: Your mercy is great.

A: Merciful God, we pray for peace as war continues to rage in Ukraine
and in Israel and Gaza. Shelter all living in fear; protect those seeking refuge
in neighbouring countries; sustain families separated by the horrors of war;
tend to those who are injured; comfort all who mourn their dead.
Direct your people into the way of peace. Hear us, O God.
C: Your mercy is great.

A: God of love, you console those who weep for lost beloved ones. Even as
we mourn, we offer thanks for those who have gone before us, trusting in your
comfort and protection. Hear us, O God.
C: Your mercy is great.

A: With the joy of Christ’s birth in our hearts, we commend our prayers to you,
O God, trusting in your boundless mercy and eternal love; through Jesus Christ,
our Saviour.
C: Amen.

PEACE
P: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.

LORD’S PRAYER
P: Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray.
C: 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.

SENDING

BLESSING
P: The triune God, glorious Mystery, holy Incarnate One,
abiding Comforter, + bless you with endless grace, peace, and joy.
C: Amen.

SENDING HYMN – Go Tell It on the Mountain (ELW #290)

DISMISSAL
A: Glory to God in the highest!
C: And peace to God’s people on earth!
A: Go in joy. Embody God’s redeeming grace.
C: Thanks be to God.

DISMISSAL HYMN – The Lord Now Sends Us Forth (ELW #538)
Verse 1
The Lord now sends us forth
with hands to serve and give,
to make of all the earth
a better place to live. Repeat (2X)

Verse 2
The angels are not sent
into our world of pain
to do what we were meant
to do in Jesus' name;
that falls to you and me
and all who are made free.
Help us, O Lord, we pray,
to do your will today. Repeat (2X)