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Order of Worship - Sunday, December 13, 2020
Prelude
Welcome
Announcements
Call To Worship
We
come to worship Christ
Who
proclaims good news to the poor, binds up the broken-hearted, frees the
prisoner
and comforts those who mourn.
We
come to worship Christ
Who
bestows a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy Instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
We
come to worship Christ
Who
rebuilds ancient ruins and restores broken places.
Opening Song “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” #196
Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set they
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 every nation, joy of every 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 thin own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts
alone;
By thine all-sufficient merit, raise us to thy
glorious throne.
Lighting
of the Advent Candle
Reader One: We want everything to look nice:
the decorations of the season, our homes with their lights and tinsel, wreaths
and ribbons. We want to lighten the darkness around us, bring beauty to the
ugliness that wears us down. We decorate, because it is tradition. Because it
lifts our hearts. Because it makes us feel like children again. We deck our
halls because company is coming.
Reader Two: The prophet Isaiah smiled when he
said, “God will give a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of
mourning, a mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.” No matter how far we
feel from the spirit of the season, God promises to decorate us with love and
with joy.
Reader One: We light these candles as a sign of
our joy in the beautiful things of this season – not just the things that
glitter and flash, but the deeper things, the beauty of the heart and the soul,
the beauty of love shared in service and hospitality. We light this candle of
joy because company is coming.
Reader Two: O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
Advent
Candle Song vs. 3 #2090
Light the Advent candle, three:
Think of heavenly harmony;
Angels singing “Peace on earth”
At the blessed Savior’s birth.
Candle, candle, burning bright, shining in the cold
winter night;
candle, candle burning bright, fill our heart with
Christmas Light.
Offertory
Prayer
God
of love and light: just as John the Baptist came long ago in Judea to witness
to your light, we remember that the offering you seek is that what we have and
how we live should also witness to the light. We admit that there are times
when we feel the darkness is just too prevalent, too strong, then we realize
that we are ignoring the call to witness to the light. May we witness through
our giving and our compassion, through what we say and what we do. In Christ’s
name, we pray. Amen.
Scripture Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
The spirit of the Lord God is upon
me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good
news to the oppressed, to bind up
the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the
captives,
and release to the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of
our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead
of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of
mourning,
the mantle of praise instead
of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of
righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former
devastations;
they shall repair the ruined
cities,
the devastations of many
generations.
For
I the Lord love justice,
I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I
will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and
their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
that they are a people whom the Lord has
blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with
the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as
a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up
before all the nations.
Special Music How Great Our Joy arr. Camp Kirland
Scripture John 1:6-8, 19-28 A Choral Reading
Jesus Is Coming: Things Are Going to be
Different
Reader 1: We are
people of light and when we walk with the Messiah, we will know no darkness, no
matter who or where we are. Our beams will banish the dark places and all who
see them will bask in their warmth and radiance. We will testify of God’s
goodness.
Readers 1 & 2:
Jesus is coming soon; make way for the light.
Reader 2: When Jesus
comes, everything will be different. Justice really will roll down like a
mighty stream and there will be freedom and everybody will have what they need
and are supposed to have.
Reader 1, 2 & 3:
Jesus is coming and things are going to be different.
Reader 3: All God’s
children will have shoes, plenty good food to eat, clean water to drink, a
warm, safe place to sleep and a voice to speak for themselves. We’re gonna
laugh and we’re gonna shout if we want to, just because we want to and nobody
can give us that hush yo’ mouth look. Yes, children of God, there’ll be some changes around
here.
Readers 1, 2, 3 &
4: Make straight the way cause things are going to be different.
Reader 4: Jesus, today
we’ve decided that we won’t wait until you get here to see the difference.
Starting today we’re going to be the difference. We will see our brothers and sisters with new eyes
so we won’t be acting like we do now.
Reader 5: You know.
Speeding up at the intersections, or turning away at the exit ramps, walking
fast and clutching our purses so nobody will ask us for a dime or a dollar.
Lord, we’re going to see you in the hollow eyes and battered signs and though their
eyes may not change, ours sure will
because we’re going to see and treat them
like you would.
Readers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
& 6: Yes, Lord, things are going to be different when you get here.
Reader 6: We’re going
to stop letting babies die having babies they don’t need or want and stop
letting old folks die alone, hungry and overmedicated to keep them oblivious to
our neglect. We will cherish them like the treasures the wise men brought.
Reader 7: Our best and
brightest will flourish and dream again because their minds and bodies are
clean, clear and pure. Praise God, things are going to be different around
here.
All Readers: Shine the
light Lord cause things are going to be different around here. Hallelujah.
(Cynthia A. Bond Hopson, The Africana Worship Book for
Year B, Discipleship Resources, 2007, p. 105-106.)
Sermon Company
Is Coming: Deck the Halls
Moment of Reflection
Joys and
Concerns
Pastoral
Prayer
The Lord’s
Prayer
Closing Song Hark!
The Herald Angels Sing #240
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the
newborn King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and
sinners reconciled”
Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph
of the skies;
with th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is
born in Bethlehem!”
Refrain
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the
new-born king!”
Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the
everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come, off-spring of a
virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the God-head see; hail
th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our
Emmanuel. (refrain)
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail
the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings, risen with
healing in his wings,
Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no
more may die,
Born to raise us from the earth, born to give
us second birth. (refrain)
Benediction
Go in
peace; love and care for one another in the name of Christ;
- and may God the Father bless you richly,
- may Christ the Son pour the riches of his
grace upon you,
- and may the Holy Spirit, our comfort and our
support, lead you in the
path of hope, and of peace, of joy and of love.
both now and forevermore. Amen
Postlude
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