Advent Theme
Awaken and arise: The Light is near
Theme Write-up
written by Matthew Reece, Director of Music Ministries
The Advent theme “Awaken and arise: The Light Is near” calls the congregation to a posture of holy attentiveness and hopeful expectation. As we enter the season of watching and waiting, we hear the scriptural invitation to awaken from spiritual sleep: to open our eyes to the signs of God’s coming presence in our midst. This theme draws from Advent’s tension between the “already” and the “not yet,” reminding us that the light of Christ is breaking into the world even now, piercing the shadows of despair, injustice, and fear. In worship, we are invited to rekindle our awareness of God’s nearness and to prepare our hearts and lives for the coming of Christ in grace and glory.
To arise is to respond faithfully to that awakening: to move from passive waiting into active discipleship. As the dawn draws near, we rise to embody the hope, peace, joy, and love that the Advent candles proclaim. This theme encourages the congregation to live as children of light, carrying God’s promise into a weary world that still longs for redemption. “Awaken and arise: The Light Is near” invites us not only to anticipate Christ’s birth in Bethlehem but also to recognize his continual coming among us: in word and sacrament, in community and neighbor, and in the unfolding of God’s renewing work in the world.
Ardor (Worship Musicians)
The musicians rehearse from 9:00 – 9:45 am every Sunday morning. You are invited to join us in leading music during the worship service. The musicians for worship can find the service orders and music in the crate on the back pew in the sanctuary for each week. Contact the office if you plan to help lead worship.
Worship Information
Join us in-person for the weekly Worship Service at 10 am in-person or via Facebook Live if you are unable to attend in person (https://www.facebook.com/allsaintsdavenport/). The service will later be uploaded to YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@allsaintslutheranchurchdav1987) for your viewing.
Worship at All Saints might look and feel a little different. We carefully and prayerfully select a worship theme each season, and we choose songs and liturgical elements that help communicate that theme and bring us closer to God and to one another.
All Saints Lutheran Church is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and participates in the Synod Authorized Ministry (SAM) program offered by the Southeastern Iowa Synod. Bishop Amy Current has authorized Wanda Barber, Matthew Reece, and Julie Schoville to be Synod Authorized Ministers able to preside over all worship services and offer pastoral care. The Synod provides training and instruction throughout the year and fully supports this program.
If you would like the spoken words for the worship services, contact the office (office@allsaintsdavenport.org) to request the information.
Advent Wreath
One of the best-known customs for the season is the Advent wreath. The wreath and winter candle-lighting in the midst of growing darkness strengthen some of the Advent images found in the Bible. The unbroken circle of greens is clearly an image of everlasting life, a victory wreath, the crown of Christ, or the wheel of time itself. Christians use the wreath as a sign that Christ reaches into our time to lead us to the light of everlasting life. The four candles mark the progress of the four weeks of Advent and the growth of light. Sometimes the wreath is embellished with natural dried flowers or fruit. Its evergreen branches lead the household and the congregation to the evergreen Christmas tree. In many homes, the family gathers for prayers around the wreath.
Introduction
The new church year begins with a wake-up call: Christ is coming soon! In today’s readings both Paul and Jesus challenge us to wake from sleep, for we know neither the day nor hour of the Lord’s coming. Isaiah proclaims the day when God will gather all people on the holy mountain and there will be no more war or suffering. Though we vigilantly watch for the promised day of salvation, we wait for what we already have: Christ comes among us this day as the word and meal that strengthens our faith in the promises of God.
Scripture
Isaiah 2:1-5 – Weapons of war transformed into instruments of peace
The visionary message presented in this reading focuses on a future day when God establishes a universal reign of peace. Divine decisions will make war obsolete, and the worshiping community responds: “Let us walk in the light of that Lord now!”
Psalm 122 – I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” (Ps. 122:1)
Romans 13:11-14 – Salvation is near; time to wake from sleep
Paul compares the advent of Christ to the coming of dawn. We live our lives today in light of Christ’s coming in the future.
Matthew 24:36-44 – The sudden coming of the Son of Man
Jesus describes his second coming as a sudden, turbulent event that will bring about deep change to our normal, day-to-day lives. Therefore, he urges people to stay awake, be aware, and wait expectantly, because the Son of Man will come unannounced.
Prayer of the Day
Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection save us from the threatening dangers of our sins, and enlighten our walk in the way of your salvation, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Fellowship Time
After worship there is time for refreshments and fellowship in the gathering space.
An Introduction to Matthew in Lectionary Year A
Matthew’s gospel comes first in the New Testament because, known as “the Gospel ofthe Church,” it was considered by the early Christians to be the most important book in the Bible. In many ways, Matthew does in one volume what Luke does in two: tells the saving story of Jesus, while providing an abundance of material intended to serve as instruction for those who continue the mission of Christ after Easter. True to its position in the canon, Matthew has exerted an outsize influence on the life and mission of the church.
Where God can be found Matthew presents Jesus as Messiah, as Lord, and as Son of Man, but most important of all, he presents Jesus as the Son of God. For Matthew, this means Jesus is the one in whom God is uniquely present and through whom God is made manifest in the world. We may note that certain human characteristics of Jesus get played down. Matthew tends to avoid attributing emotions to Jesus (compare Mark 10:14 to Matt. 19:14) or even presenting Jesus as asking questions (compare Mark 9:33-37 to Matt. 18:1-4).
What we might call Matthew’s “Christology” is developed pastorally, in response to the fundamental question “Where is God to be found?” Matthew’s gospel offers a threefold response to that question. First, Matthew wants to say that God is present in Jesus. When Jesus is born, Matthew can say, “God is with us” (1:23), and as the story develops, people of all sorts worship Jesus (2:11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9, 17; the Greek word used in all of these verses is proskyneo, the same word used in 4:10 to designate the sort of devotion that should only be offered to God).
Second, Matthew affirms that Jesus is present in the church. The last verse of the gospel records Jesus saying, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (28:20). Matthew recognizes the literal or physical absence of Jesus (9:15; 26:11) but reduces its significance by insisting that Jesus remains present with his followers nonetheless (18:20; 25:31-46; 28:20).
Third, Matthew thinks the church is or must be present in the world. The “church” for Matthew is not a building or even a localized community, but a missionary movement. God’s mission was fulfilled in the world through the person of Jesus, and now it continues to be fulfilled through the people who embody the presence of Christ. The church may be called “the light of the world” in Matthew (5:14) in the same way Jesus is called “the light of the world” in other writings (John 8:12). The church is Jesus for Matthew, the living body of Christ making God present in our world just as Jesus did in his.
Ten Distinctive Characteristics of Matthew’s Gospel
1. Matthew displays a penchant for organizational patterns (three sets of fourteen in 1:1-17, seven parables in chapter 13, five major speeches in the gospel as a whole).
2. Matthew exhibits a “doubling motif” according to which stories are sometimes repeated (12:38-42; 16:1-4) and characters occur in pairs (8:28-33; 20:29-34).
3. Matthew shows particular interest in “the Law”-that is, in the moral codes of the Old Testament and of firstcentury Judaism (see 5:17-48; 15:1-6; 19:3-9; 23:2-3).
4. The fulfillment of prophecy is an important theme (see the twelve “fulfillment citations”: 1:22-23; 2:5-6, 15, 17-18, 23; 4:14-16; 8:17; 12:17-21; 13:14-15, 35; 21:4-5; 27:9-10).
5. Matthew’s gospel is the only one that displays Jesus talking explicitly about “the church” (16:17-20; 18:15-18).
6. The disciple Peter receives special prominence in this gospel (14:28-31; 16:17-20; 17:24-27; 18:21-22).
7. Matthew is especially concerned about God’s continuing relationship both to Jews (1:21; 10:6; 15:24; 27:15) and to gentiles (8:10-11; 24:14; 28:19).
8. Matthew’s gospel seems to present an apocalyptic vision of the world that clearly divides things into spheres of divine or demonic influence (see 13:24-30, 36-43; 15:12-13).
9. Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ identity as the Son of God (see 3:17; 4:3, 6; 16:16; 17:5; 21:37; 22:2; 26:63; 27:40, 43, 54).
10. The presence of God is an overriding theological motif throughout this gospel (see 1:23; 10:40; 18:20; 23:21; 25:31-46; 28:20).
Excerpt from: Mark Allan Powell, now retired, was professor of New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, for thirty eight years. He is the author of numerous books, including Matthew in the New Interpretation series (WJK, 2023).