When we think of Divine “birth announcements”, we might think of the New Testament’s reporting the angel Gabriel’s telling the Virgin Mary that she would conceive the Son of God, Jesus the Savior (Luke 1:26-38), and we even might think of the New Testament’s reporting the angel Gabriel’s telling Zechariah that his barren wife Elizabeth would conceive the forerunner of the Savior (Luke 1:5-25). But, we might not think of what can be said to be four Old Testament Divine “birth announcements” that in various ways point forward to the birth of the Savior. Those four Old Testament Divine “birth announcements” are the focus of Pilgrim’s Midweek Advent Evening Prayer Services in 2022:

  • Advent I (11/30): “Cain”, as narrated in Genesis 3:14-4:1
  • Advent II (12/07): “Isaac”, as narrated in Genesis 17:15-18:15
  • Advent III (12/14): “Samson”, as narrated in Judges 13:1-25
  • Advent IV (12/21): “Samuel”, as narrated in 1 Samuel 1:1-20

The 7:00 p.m. Wednesday services this Church Year are again using Lutheran Service Book’s order of Evening Prayer (243-252), with its Service of Light, Psalmody, Hymn, Readings (including a Sermon), Canticle, and Prayer. The service each week will be preceded by a Soup/Salad Supper beginning at 5:30 p.m., and, after the final service, those present will put the greens in place for the Christmas season.

The start of the new Church Year, Advent is largely a season of repentant preparation for the annual celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord in the season of Christmas. While we should live each day with sorrow over our sins and trust that God forgives our sins for Jesus’s sake, we especially focus on such repentance in this season, especially as Jesus comes to us now and will come a final time in the future, which His first coming in the flesh essentially guarantees.

The following are the Sundays in Advent 2022 and their respective Readings from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, following LSB‘s Three-year Lectionary Series A.

  • First Sunday (11/27): Jesus’s coming takes unbelievers and leaves believers (Matthew 24:36-44)
  • Second Sunday (12/04): Jesus’s coming is prepared by John the Baptizer (Matthew 3:1-12)
  • Third Sunday (12/11): Jesus assures John and us that He is the Coming One (Matthew 11:2-15)
  • Fourth Sunday (12/18): Jesus’s coming is foretold to His guardian Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25)

The 10:45 a.m. Sunday services this Church Year are using LSB’s Divine Service, Setting Three.

The blue color of the cloths on the font, lectern, pulpit, and altar, as well as the pastor’s stole, represents hope and anticipation and serves to help distinguish Advent from Lent.

All are welcome to attend every service at Pilgrim or to listen to the sermons online. And, watch our home page for more about December and January’s other seasons.

The banner graphic at the top of this page and the corresponding slider graphic on the front page were composed using a free “old scroll” background found here.