Third Sunday in Advent 12/14
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
DECEMBER 14, 2025
ST.PAUL’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, FALLS CHURCH, VA
✠ ✠ ✠
PRELUDE Prepare the Royal Highway Setting: Anne Krentz Organ
ENTRANCE HYMN (Stand) Prepare the Royal Highway LSB 343
1 Prepare the royal highway;
The King of kings is near!
Let ev’ry hill and valley
A level road appear!
Then greet the King of Glory
Foretold in sacred story: Refrain
Refrain
Hosanna to the Lord,
For He fulfills God’s Word!
2 God’s people, see Him coming:
Your own eternal king!
Palm branches strew before Him!
Spread garments! Shout and sing!
God’s promise will not fail you!
No more shall doubt assail you! Refrain
3 Then fling the gates wide open
To greet your promised king!
Your king, yet ev’ry nation
Its tribute too should bring.
All lands, bow down before Him!
All nations, now adore Him! Refrain
4 His is no earthly kingdom;
It comes from heav’n above.
His rule is peace and freedom
And justice, truth, and love.
So let your praise be sounding
For kindness so abounding: Refrain
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sin, be our advocate in heaven, and bring us to eternal life. Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, resolved to keep God’s commandments and to live in love and peace with all.
(We kneel)
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we confess that we have sinned against You and against our neighbor in thought, word and deed; through negligence, through weakness, and through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us on the cross, forgive us all that is past, and grant that we may serve You in newness of life, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
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 Son ✠ and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
KYRIE (Kyrie eleison means “Lord have mercy”) (Stand) LSB 943
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
For peace in our hearts as we gather for worship, and for the peace of the whole world and the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord:
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
For the proclamation of the Gospel in this and every place and for the calling of all to faith, let us pray to the Lord:
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
For grace to await our Lord’s coming again in glory, and for the joyful anticipation of his coming into our hearts today, let us pray to the Lord:
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
HYMN OF PRAISE (omitted during this penitential season)
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ,
we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by
Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit
one God, now and forever. Amen.
✠ ✠ ✠
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST LESSON (Be seated) Isaiah 35:1-10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
And a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
ANTHEM Jubilation Choir And a little Child Shall Lead Them Richard Leach / Roy Hopp
The Lord has said a day will come when wolf and lamb will live in peace.
As God renews and mends the world, the leopard lies down with the kid,
the lion walks beside the calf.
Refrain:
And a little child shall lead them, a little child shall love them,
a little child shall show them the reign of God has come.
The Lord has said a day will come when even people are at peace;
and turning to the Lord, at last, they find the life they had not know,
but longed and looked and waited for. Refrain.
The Lord has said a day will come when earth is full of knowing God
as seas are full of water now; and in this knowing there is peace,
there is peace for all who dwell upon the earth. Refrain.
SECOND LESSON James 5:7-11
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL VERSE (Stand) LSB 349
Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes,
The Savior promised long;
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne
And ev’ry voice a song.
GOSPEL Matthew 11:2-15
The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew the 11th chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
When John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,
“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ.
“He who has ears to hear… let him hear.” So said Jesus. But does anyone listen to the spoken word anymore? Don’t they just read instead?
My wife and I don’t talk on the phone nearly as often as we used to. Now we text.
And the other day we were watching a television program with the closed caption feature on… and I found myself reading the dialogue instead of listening to it. It just seemed easier.
I guess people can still listen if they really try. Lots of people listen to podcasts. Then again, they seem to do this while also doing something else at the same time. Are they really such good multi-taskers?
I assume people still listen to sermons. But I’ve had a few people tell me they prefer to read them, which is one of the reasons I now write mine out.
When Jesus says, “he who has ears to hear… let him hear,” he simply wants to underscore the teachings he’s just given. The phrase conveys the importance of what has been said.
At the same time, because all people have ears, the phrase also serves as a reminder that his words are for everyone. Everyone is to heed what he is saying.
In today’s reading, Jesus seems to use the phrase for one more reason. While engaged in a conversation about John the Baptist, he ends up describing John as a “prophet and more than a prophet.” Prophets, as we know, are to be listened to. With ears. The phrase fits the message very well.
Jesus may use this phrase about ears to help catch our attention, but it’s his “prophet and more than a prophet” phrase which we’re really meant to notice. In today’s sermon, we’ll focus on this phrase of Jesus and begin with a consideration of what he meant when he used it to describe John. If John is truly “more than a prophet” as Jesus said, then we should try to understand how.
After that, we’ll point out how Jesus himself can also be described with this very same phrase. Jesus is a prophet too. But also, much more. A lot more!
We’ll explore these questions to help us grow in our understanding of both John and Jesus, of course. But even more, we’ll explore them to help reinforce their messages. The messages of God’s prophets are for our day too, and they are to impact us personally through their direction and guidance.
When considering John as a prophet, we do well to remember what was said of him in last Sunday’s Gospel reading. There Matthew introduced John by making his prophetic identity perfectly clear. This was seen as John spoke with urgency, directness and certainty. And it was seen as he drew great crowds of people who recognized his prophetic voice.
In addition, John’s clothing mirrored that of Israel’s earlier prophets. And Matthew states that his message reflected that of Isaiah.
But the greatest reason John is to be considered a prophet is because of his message. John’s message contained the two aspects that all of Israel’s true prophets proclaimed. John called the people to repent, and he proclaimed that God would do something soon to help his people.
Both messages are given in John’s opening statement, read last Sunday. There John said: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
From there, John built on both messages. He further explained repentance by comparing it to a cleansing, through the act of baptism. And he clarified how repentance includes bearing fruit, as stated to the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Regarding the help God would give to his people, John said that there was someone coming after him, mightier than he, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. This help would prepare people for the judgment to come.
At last Sunday’s confirmation class, I gave the kids a handout which addressed the Old Testament prophets. And the handout included a drawing of a prophet who was pointing his finger, just like this. His finger-pointing represented his message of pointing out people’s sins but also his message to look for what God would soon be doing.
The church today is to keep this spirit of prophecy alive through its preaching and teaching (finger-pointing optional, by the way). We are to point out sins, encourage repentance, and point to God’s help as given through Jesus – the “mightier one” John mentioned.
Just so you know, some in the church believe that our prophesying should also include the element of prediction. Many Christians have made such predictions over the centuries, with most of them not coming true.
These might catch our attention, but the greater understanding of prophecy is that of proclamation. The scriptures tell us what God has said. We simply proclaim this and apply its message.
John was a prophet in this classic way. And yet, as Jesus said, he was more than a prophet too. John was more because he played a unique and important role in God’s greatest work and because he did this in fulfillment of a specific prophecy of the scriptures.
The prophecy was that of Elijah’s coming. Malachi spoke of this in the last chapter of the Old Testament. He said that Elijah the prophet would be sent “before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes” (4:5).
Jesus declares the fulfillment of this prophecy in today’s Gospel, when he says that John is “Elijah who is to come.” The fulfillment of this prophecy marks John as the forerunner of the Christ – the one who prepares his immediate way. Indeed, John’s ministry served as an important sign showing that Jesus was truly the Christ.
When classic Christian art depicts John the Baptist, it typically does so by showing him with a finger pointing towards Jesus. We have a reproduction of such a work in our Undercroft. John’s pointing to Christ underscores his most important role.
John was a prophet but also more than a prophet. And in a similar way, but also a greater way too, Jesus was also a “prophet and more than a prophet.” Jesus had a prophetic role, which he carried out in his ministry, but he was also the Christ, the chosen one of God.
When Jesus began his ministry, many people identified his voice as one belonging to a prophet. In fact, when Jesus later asked his disciples, “who do the people say I am,” they shared how many believed that he was “Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Way back in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, Moses said to the people: “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.” And in the New Testament book of Acts, we hear Peter quote this prophecy and declare that it was fulfilled in Jesus (3:22,26).
Jesus had a prophetic role in that he spoke words directly from God. We hear this in places such as his Sermon on the Mount where he goes beyond the earlier scriptures and says: “You have heard it said… but I say to you.”
And Jesus spoke with the authority of a prophet too. But he also spoke with greater authority. He spoke with the authority of God himself.
Jesus could do this because he is God. But John and the evangelists were more concerned about revealing him as the Christ – the chosen one of God who brings salvation to his people. That’s who the people were waiting for.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is identified as the Christ five times in the introductory chapters. After that, in the section where Jesus’ ministry is detailed, the title of Christ isn’t found until today’s reading. Matthew inserts it here to make sure we understand John’s question when he asks Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come?”
About that question, John seems to be asking it in weakness. He was in prison at that time, and his faith may have been wavering.
And yet, it could be that he simply wanted to push the issue. Jesus was being very careful about revealing himself as the Christ too early. And John, who knew Jesus’ identity from the beginning, may have wanted him to get moving.
In answer to John’s question, Jesus points to his works of healing. He says: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.”
Similar acts of healing took place at the hands of the Old Testament prophets. The prophet Elijah was especially known for his healings.
But none of the prophets healed at the rate Jesus did. According to the prophets themselves, such a high rate would only come when the Messiah appeared.
Today’s Old Testament reading from Isaiah 35 is one of the scriptures that prophesies this. We read it today so that we can see this connection.
In his answer to John, Jesus clearly makes this connection too but also adds the greatest healing of all – the raising of the dead. Jesus had already raised two people from the dead at this point – Jairus’ daughter (Mt. 9) and the widow from Nain’s son (Lk. 7). And there would be many more. Indeed, Jesus’ own resurrection from the dead would make possible the resurrection of all people.
The resurrection is the heart of Jesus’ message. And it is the greatest of all news that Jesus came to bring. Jesus even mentions “good news” in his response to John. It’s the final evidence he presents.
But here we should note that while the resurrection is the pinnacle of this news, it is not the sum of it. The Good News Jesus preaches goes beyond just the resurrection. It gives new life here and now.
This new life brings healings every bit as great as those Jesus mentions. And that’s because it brings the healing of hearts, minds and souls, which then assists in physical healing too.
These healings are given through prayer, through faith, and through the hearing of God’s Word. They come as we learn how to live as God intends. And they come as we learn to love and forgive one another.
These healings help sustain us as we deal with our broken and dangerous world. Jesus refers to this world when he says: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” His words here tell how those who proclaim the good news of the kingdom are often opposed through violent means. And Jesus’ disciples had already experienced a bit of this, as recorded in the previous chapter (10:17). And they would endure much more. John, in fact, would soon die a violent death. Many others would too.
Jesus would experience his own violent opposition in the days to come. And his violent death would soon follow.
But his death was both planned and redemptive. And that’s because Jesus’ death on the cross paid the price of our sins so that we might receive God’s forgiveness.
John and Jesus were both “prophets and more than prophets.” And we are grateful for both of them.
But John also knew that he must decrease so that Jesus might increase, as he once said directly (John 3:3). And that’s because Jesus is the savior of the world, not John.
In the same way, Jesus is the one who must be lifted up among us today, not we ourselves or any human leader. Jesus is the one we are to listen to; and Jesus is the one we must celebrate.
Jesus has given us words of prophecy. And Jesus has saved us from our sins. Blessed is the one who is not offended by him but rather rejoices in him and proclaims his name.
Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding LSB 345
1 Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding!
“Christ is near,” we hear it say.
“Cast away the works of darkness,
All you children of the day!”
2 Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, its sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
3 See, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heav’n.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all, to be forgiv’n;
4 So, when next He comes in glory
And the world is wrapped in fear,
He will shield us with His mercy
And with words of love draw near.
5 Honor, glory, might, dominion
To the Father and the Son
With the ever-living Spirit
While eternal ages run!
APOSTLES’ CREED Hymnal, back cover
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence 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.
OFFERING
Offerings support the church’s mission work – both here and through our many partners. Offerings may be placed in the box at the sanctuary entrance or sent to the church through our website or the mail. Fellowship Cards help us welcome new people and track participation. Please fill one out and place it in the offering box following the service.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH (Stand)
OFFERTORY (Stand) LSB 621
1 Let all mortal flesh keep silence
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
For with blessing in His hand
Christ our God to earth descending
Comes our homage to demand.
2 King of kings yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords in human vesture,
In the body and the blood,
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heav’nly food.
✠ ✠ ✠
THE LITURGY OF HOLY COMMUNION
PREFACE TO HOLY COMMUNION
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
It is truly good, 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:
HYMN LSB 208
1 Lift up your heads, you everlasting doors,
And weep no more!
O Zion’s daughter, sing,
To greet your coming King;
Now wave the victor’s palm
And sing the ancient psalm:
“Lift up your heads, you everlasting gates!”
Your King awaits!
4 “Worthy is Christ!” The Lamb who once was slain
Now lives to reign.
He rules our earthly ways
As Lord of Ancient Days—
O join the endless song
Sung by the ransomed throng:
“Worthy is Christ!” The Lamb be praised again!
Amen! Amen!
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father:
Endless is Your mercy and eternal your reign.
You have filled all creation with light and life;
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Through Abraham you promised to bless all nations.
You rescued Israel, your chosen people.
Through the prophets you renewed your promise;
And, at this the end of all ages, you sent your Son,
Who in words and deeds proclaimed your kingdom
and was obedient to your will, even to giving his life.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST
As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Therefore, gracious Father; with this bread and cup
We remember the life our Lord offered for us.
And believing the witness of his resurrection
We await his coming in power to share with us
The great and promised feast.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Join our prayers with those of your servants of every time and place,
And unite them with the ceaseless petitions of our great high priest
Until he comes as victorious Lord of all.
Amen.
THE 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.
PAX DOMINI
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
AGNUS DEI LSB 963
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
grant us Your peace,
grant us Your peace.
DISTRIBUTION (Be seated)
Those wishing to commune at the foot of the steps should come forward first. Those wishing to commune at the altar rail should come forward after these, front rows first, from both sides of the aisle. After receiving, all should return to their seats. A common dismissal will be given at the end.
DISTRIBTION HYMN When All the World Was Cursed LSB 346
1 When all the world was cursed
By Moses’ condemnation,
Saint John the Baptist came
With words of consolation.
With true forerunner’s zeal
The greater One he named,
And Him, as yet unknown,
As Savior he proclaimed.
2 Before he yet was born,
He leaped in joyful meeting,
Confessing Him as Lord
Whose mother he was greeting.
By Jordan’s rolling stream,
A new Elijah bold,
He testified of Him
Of whom the prophets told:
3 Behold the Lamb of God
That bears the world’s transgression,
Whose sacrifice removes
The devil’s dread oppression.
Behold the Lamb of God,
Who takes away our sin,
Who for our peace and joy
Will full atonement win.
4 O grant, dear Lord of love,
That we receive, rejoicing,
The word proclaimed by John,
Our true repentance voicing,
That gladly we may walk
Upon our Savior’s way
Until we live with Him
In His eternal day.
BENEDICTICUS Sing Praise to the God of Israel Sts. 1, 4 LSB 936
1 Sing praise to the God of Israel!
Sing praise for His visitation!
Redeeming His people from their sin,
Accomplishing their salvation,
Upraising a mighty horn within
The house of His servant David!
4 O bright, rising Sun, now shine on us
In need of illumination;
Come scatter the shades of sin and death
And shatter their domination.
Be guiding our footsteps on the path
Of peace, in Your presence dawning!
POST-COMMUNION COLLECT (Stand)
BENEDICTION
SENDING HYMN Hark the Glad Sound Sts. 2-4 LSB 349
2 He comes the pris’ners to release,
In Satan’s bondage held.
The gates of brass before Him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
3 He comes the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of His grace
To_enrich the humble poor.
4 Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And heav’n’s eternal arches ring
With Thy belovèd name.
ANNOUNCEMENTS (Be seated)
POSTLUDE Hark the Glad Sound Setting: Mark Bender
FELLOWSHIP: Board of Evangelism
Those serving:
8:00 a.m.
Greeter: Bob Juenger
Comm. assist: Judy Koucky
Reader: Kim Follin
10:30 a.m.
Greeter: SP Youth
Comm. assist: SP Youth/ Jill Hecht
Reader: SP Youth
Acolyte: Ian Lynch
AV Assistants: Hannes Buuck,
Andreas Buuck
WORSHIP SCHEDULE
MIDWEEK ADVENT SERVICES
December 17 at 7:00 p.m.
**************************************************
Christmas Eve Worship – Wednesday, December 24
5:00 p.m. Candlelight service for families
7:30 p.m. Music of the Season
8:00 p.m. Candlelight service with Holy Communion
Christmas Day Worship – Thursday, December 25
10:00 a.m. Celebration of Christ’s Birth with Holy Communion
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.
943 Kyrie — I Text: Traditional Tune: Jacques Berthier, 1923–94 Text: Public domain Tune: © 1978, 1980, 1981 Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, admin. GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
349 Hark the Glad Sound Text: Philip Doddridge, 1702–51 Tune: Thomas Haweis, 1734–1820 Text and tune: Public domain
621 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence Text: Liturgy of St. James, 5th cent.; tr. Gerard Moultrie, 1829–85, alt. Tune: French, 17th cent. Text and tune: Public domain
339 Lift Up Your Heads, You Everlasting Doors Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955 Tune: Paul Liljestrand, 1931–2011 Text: © 2003 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: © 1970 The Hymn Society, admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
963 Agnus Dei — II Text: Traditional; tr. International Consultation on English Texts, alt. Tune: Jeffrey N. Blersch, 1967 Text: © 1975 International Consultation on English Texts. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: © 2001 Jeffrey N. Blersch. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
936 Sing Praise to the God of Israel Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955 Tune: Christoph E. F. Weyse, 1774–1842 Text: © 1992 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
343 Prepare the Royal Highway Text: Frans Mikael Franzén, 1772–1847; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt. Tune: Swedish, 17th cent. Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
345 Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt. Tune: William H. Monk, 1823–89 Text and tune: Public domain
346 When All the World Was Cursed Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. Paul E. Kretzmann, 1883–1965, alt. Tune: Ahasverus Fritsch, 1629–1701 Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
