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December 7, 2025
See TodaySecond Sunday in Advent
One-Year Lectionary
- First Reading
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Mal. 4:1–6 (read in NIV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
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- Psalm
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Psalm 50:1–15 (read in NIV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
NIV Scripture text
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1The Mighty One, God, the Lord,speaks and summons the earthfrom the rising of the sun to where it sets.2From Zion, perfect in beauty,God shines forth.3Our God comesand will not be silent;a fire devours before him,and around him a tempest rages.4He summons the heavens above,and the earth, that he may judge his people:5“Gather to me this consecrated people,who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”6And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,7“Listen, my people, and I will speak;I will testify against you, Israel:I am God, your God.8I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrificesor concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.9I have no need of a bull from your stallor of goats from your pens,10for every animal of the forest is mine,and the cattle on a thousand hills.11I know every bird in the mountains,and the insects in the fields are mine.12If I were hungry I would not tell you,for the world is mine, and all that is in it.13Do I eat the flesh of bullsor drink the blood of goats?14“Sacrifice thank offerings to God,fulfill your vows to the Most High,15and call on me in the day of trouble;I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”Select KJV to load this Scripture text.
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- Epistle
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Rom. 15:4–13 (read in NIV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
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- Gospel
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Luke 21:25–36 (read in NIV on Bible Gateway, opens in a new tab)
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Second Sunday in Advent
One-Year Lectionary
About this service
The Lord Comes on the Last Day
The day on which our Lord returns will be a “great and awesome day” (Mal. 4:5). For He will come in a cloud with great power and glory. To the wicked and the proud, it will be a Day of judgment that will “set them ablaze” (Mal. 4:1). The signs preceding this Day will bring them fear and fainting. But to those who believe, who fear the name of the Lord, this Day is one to look forward to and rejoice in: “. . . straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). Christ our Redeemer is coming; the Sun of Righteousness will bring healing in His wings. Let us, then, give attention to the words of the Lord, which do not pass away. Let us “through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures” (Rom. 15:4) be strengthened in our hope by the Holy Spirit and watch diligently for Jesus’ coming. Then, by God’s grace, we shall escape all these things that will come to pass and stand before the Son of Man.
Source: LCMS Worship, Lectionary Summaries — One-Year Lectionary (opens in a new tab). Used by permission. These pages may be reproduced for congregational use only. Commercial reproduction, or reproduction for sale of this work or any portion of this work, without the written permission of the copyright holder, is prohibited. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Scripture quoted in the summary is from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Introit, Gradual and Verse
Source: LCMS One-Year Series Propers Chart (opens in a new tab). Citations only; no liturgical or Scripture text is reproduced.
Collect
Historical Collect — Second Sunday in Advent
STIR up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Thine Only-Begotten Son, so that by His coming we may be enabled to serve Thee with pure minds; Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Source: Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book (Baltimore, 1893), Introits and Collects for the Church Year (opens in a new tab). Public-domain text (published 1893), transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of the Princeton Theological Seminary Library copy.
Prayers of the Church
Prayers of the Church for December 7, 2025 — Responsive Form
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, give ear to our cries for mercy. Create in us contrite hearts, and work in us true repentance and faith. Keep us, Your baptized children, clothed in the perfect holiness and righteousness of Your Son, that we may remain His beautiful and unblemished Bride. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You send Your prophets and apostles, pastors and teachers in all times to call sinners to repentance and comfort them with the healing of the Sun of righteousness. Give strength to the congregations and ministers of Your Church, especially Matthew, our Synod president; _____________, our district president; _____________, our circuit visitor; and all pastors in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, preserve Your gift of marriage against the ravages of sin, the schemes of the devil and the raging of the world. Bless the couples and families of our congregation [especially _____________]. Strengthen them in love and care for one another, and establish them on the foundation of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, in the midst of strife and conflict, and wars and rumors of wars, remind us that You have given all authority in heaven and earth to Your Son. Call to faithfulness the leaders of the earth, and bless those who govern. Thwart those who would hinder Your reign among all peoples, that peace may be established in every place. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of compassion, behold those in need, the sick, the imprisoned, the lonely and the grieving, and all whom we remember at this altar [including _____________]. Give them patience to endure and hope for the future, looking always for healing in the hands of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Father, You have taught us to straighten up and raise our heads when we see the coming of the Son of Man. Even now, Your Son comes to us under the bread and wine in the Sacrament. Grant that all who commune today may receive the very body and true blood of Christ for the forgiveness of all their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, by Your Son You have revealed to us that heaven and earth will pass away, that our bodies will rise again, and that we will all appear before His judgment seat. We implore You, keep us in Your Word by Your Holy Spirit. Establish us in the true faith, defend us from all sin, and preserve us in every temptation. Do not let our hearts be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness or the cares of this life, but lead us to trust fully in Your grace and so watch, pray and await with joy the glorious coming of Your Son, in whom we obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Source: LCMS Worship, Prayers of the Church — One-Year 2025–2026 (opens in a new tab). Prepared by LCMS Worship for congregational use. Used by permission. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
Prayers of the Church for December 7, 2025 — Ektene Form
In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the baptized children of God, clothed in Christ’s perfect holiness and righteousness, that God would give ear to our cries, create in us contrite hearts, and bring us to the Last Day as His beautiful and unblemished Bride, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the congregations and ministers of the Church, especially Matthew, our Synod president; _____________, our district president; and _____________, our circuit visitor, that by them the Father would continually call sinners to repentance and comfort them with the healing of the Sun of righteousness, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the Lord’s gift of marriage, that He would preserve it against the ravages of sin, the schemes of the devil and the raging of the world; and for the couples and families of our congregation, [especially _____________,] that God would strengthen them in love for one another and establish them on the foundation of His Word, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the leaders of the earth and those who govern, that those who would hinder God’s reign would be thwarted and His peace established in all places, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all Christian citizens, that in the midst of strife and conflict, and wars and rumors of wars, we would remember that God has given all authority in heaven and earth to Christ, who reigns on high, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all who are in need, the sick, the imprisoned, the lonely and the grieving, and those we remember at this altar, [including _____________,] that they would be given patience to endure and hope for the future, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all who commune today, that as Christ comes to them in the blessed Sacrament with His forgiving body and blood, so they may straighten up and raise their heads also when they see Him come again in glory, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
Lord God, heavenly Father, by Your Son You have revealed to us that heaven and earth will pass away, that our bodies will rise again, and that we will all appear before His judgment seat. We implore You, keep us in Your Word by Your Holy Spirit. Establish us in the true faith, defend us from all sin, and preserve us in every temptation. Do not let our hearts be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness or the cares of this life, but lead us to trust fully in Your grace and so watch, pray and await with joy the glorious coming of Your Son, in whom we obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Source: LCMS Worship, Prayers of the Church — One-Year 2025–2026 (opens in a new tab). Prepared by LCMS Worship for congregational use. Used by permission. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
Hymn of the Day
LSB 336 Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending
The LCMS study identifies this as the Hymn of the Day for the Second Sunday in Advent in the One-Year Lectionary.
Source: LCMS Worship, Hymn of the Day Studies for Advent — One-Year Lectionary (revised Nov. 15, 2021), pp. 3–4 (opens in a new tab). Appointment identity only. Lutheran Service Book text and LCMS study content are not reproduced.
Suggested hymns
- Entrance LSB 336 Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending
- Distribution LSB 621 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
- Distribution LSB 333 Once He Came in Blessing
- Distribution LSB 353 Jesus Came, the Heavens Adoring
- Closing LSB 509 Christ Is Surely Coming
Source: LCMS Worship, Hymn Suggestions — One-Year Lectionary Series 2025–26 (opens in a new tab). Hymn numbers and titles only; hymn texts are not reproduced. Reproduction for individual, church or school use does not require permission. © The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.