+ FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT – RORATE COELI +
DECEMBER 21, 2025
(Stand)
352 LET THE EARTH NOW PRAISE THE LORD
Let the earth now praise the Lord,
Who has truly kept His word
And at last to us did send
Christ, the sinner’s help and friend.
What the fathers most desired,
What the prophets’ heart inspired,
What they longed for many_a year,
Stands fulfilled in glory here.
Abram’s promised great reward,
Zion’s helper, Jacob’s Lord—
Him of twofold race behold—
Truly came, as long foretold.
As Your coming was in peace,
Quiet, full of gentleness,
Let the same mind dwell in me
Which is Yours eternally.
Bruise for me the serpent’s head
That, set free from doubt and dread,
I may cling to You in faith,
Safely kept through life and death.
Then when You will come again
As the glorious king to reign,
I with joy will see Your face,
Freely ransomed by Your grace.
Text: Heinrich Held, 1620–59; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
(The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.)
INVOCATION
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
EXHORTATION LSB 184
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
(Kneel/Stand)
(Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.)
CONFESSION OF SINS LSB 184
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
ABSOLUTION LSB 185
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
(Stand)
PSALM Psalm 111; antiphon: v. 9
1Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my | whole heart,*
in the company of the upright, in the congre- | gation.
2Great are the works | of the Lord,*
studied by all who de- | light in them.
3Full of splendor and majesty | is his work,*
and his righteousness endures for- | ever.
4He has caused his wondrous works to be re- | membered;*
the Lord is gracious and | merciful.
5He provides food for those who | fear him;*
he remembers his covenant for- | ever.
6He has shown his people the power | of his works,*
in giving them the inheritance of the | nations.
7The works of his hands are faith- | ful and just;*
all his precepts are | trustworthy;
8they are established forever and | ever,*
to be performed with faithfulness and up- | rightness.
9He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant for- | ever.*
Holy and awesome | is his name!
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good under- | standing.*
His praise endures for- | ever!
Glory be to the Father and | to the Son
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
KYRIE 186
C Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Let us pray.
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
(Sit)
OLD TESTAMENT READING Deuteronomy 18:15–19
15“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
GRADUAL Psalm 145:18, 21
Rejoice, greatly O daughter of Zion! Shout, shout, daughter of Jerusalem. See, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation.
Blessed is he, who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.
EPISTLE Philippians 4:4–7
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
(Stand)
ALLELUIA 190
C Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
VERSE OF THE DAY Psalm 40:17b
You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!
C Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
HOLY GOSPEL Luke 1:39–56
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the first chapter.
C Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
39In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
46And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
54He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
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 Christian 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.
(Sit)
357 O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who ord’rest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
[MEN]
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the Law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
[WOMEN]
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Text: Latin, c. 12th cent.; Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, 1710, Köln; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
SERMON
(Stand)
OFFERTORY 192
C Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen.
(Sit)
OFFERING
(Kneel/Stand)
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
PREFACE 194
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them up unto the Lord.
P Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
C It is meet and right so to do.
PROPER PREFACE (FULL)
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
SANCTUS 195
C Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
heav’n and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
LORD’S PRAYER
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.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD 197
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
PAX DOMINI 197
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
AGNUS DEI 198
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.
(Sit)
DISTRIBUTION
855 FOR ALL THE FAITHFUL WOMEN sts. 1, 8, 3–4
For all the faithful women
Who served in days of old,
To You shall thanks be given;
To all, their story told.
They served with strength and gladness
In tasks Your wisdom gave.
To You their lives bore witness,
Proclaimed Your pow’r to save.
Mary, Mother of Our Lord
We sing of Mary, mother,
Fair maiden, full of grace.
She bore the Christ, our brother,
Who came to save our race.
May we, with her, surrender
Ourselves to Your command
And lay upon Your altar
Our gifts of heart and hand.
O God, for saints and servants,
Those named and those unknown
In whom through all the ages
Your light of glory shone,
We offer glad thanksgiving
And fervent prayer we raise
That, faithful in Your service,
Our lives may sing Your praise.
All praise to God the Father!
All praise to Christ the Son!
All praise the Holy Spirit,
Who binds the Church in one!
With saints who went before us,
With saints who witness still,
We sing glad Alleluias
And strive to do Your will.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007, alt.
Text: © 1993, 1997, 2003 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110004997
935 TELL OUT, MY SOUL, THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings, give my spirit voice;
Tender to me the promise of His Word;
In God my Savior shall my heart rejoice.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of His name!
Make known His might, the deeds His arm has done;
His mercy sure, from age to age the same;
His holy name, the Lord, the Mighty One.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of His might!
Pow’rs and dominions lay their glory by.
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,
The hungry fed, the humble lifted high.
Tell out, my soul, the glories of His Word!
Firm is His promise, and His mercy sure.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
To children’s children and forevermore!
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926–2024
Text: © 1962, renewed 1990 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110004997
350 COME, THOU PRECIOUS RANSOM, COME
Come, Thou precious Ransom, come,
Only hope for sinful mortals!
Come, O Savior of the world!
Open are to Thee all portals.
Come, Thy beauty let us see;
Anxiously we wait for Thee.
Enter now my waiting heart,
Glorious King and Lord most holy.
Dwell in me and ne’er depart,
Though I am but poor and lowly.
Ah, what riches will be mine
When Thou art my guest divine!
My hosannas and my palms
Graciously receive, I pray Thee;
Evermore, as best I can,
Savior, I will homage pay Thee,
And in faith I will embrace,
Lord, Thy merit through Thy grace.
Hail! Hosanna, David’s Son!
Jesus, hear our supplication!
Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown,
Bring us blessing and salvation,
That forever we may sing:
Hail! Hosanna to our King.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
354 ARISE, O CHRISTIAN PEOPLE
Arise, O Christian people!
Prepare yourselves today;
Prepare to greet the Savior,
Who takes your sins away.
To us by grace alone
The truth and light were given;
The promised Lord from heaven
To all the world is shown.
Prepare the way before Him;
Prepare for Him the best.
Cast out what would offend Him,
This great, this heav’nly guest.
Make straight, make plain the way:
The lowly valleys raising,
The heights of pride abasing,
His path all even lay.
The humble heart and lowly
God raises up on high;
Beneath His feet in terror
The haughty soul shall lie.
The heart sincere and right,
That heeds God’s invitation
And makes true preparation—
It is the Lord’s delight.
Prepare my heart, Lord Jesus;
Turn not from me aside,
And help me to receive You
This blessèd Adventtide.
From stall and manger low
Come now to dwell within me;
I’ll sing Your praises gladly
And forth Your glory show.
Text: Valentin Thilo, 1607–62; tr. Arthur T. Russell, 1806–74, alt.
Text: Public domain
(Stand)
NUNC DIMITTIS 199
C Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word,
for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
THANKSGIVING 200
A O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,
C and His mercy endureth forever.
POST-COMMUNION COLLECT
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
SALUTATION 201
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
BENEDICAMUS 202
A Bless we the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION 202
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and T give you peace.
C Amen, amen, amen.
338 COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS
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.
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.
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.