Call to Worship, Joy to the World, Sanctuary Choir
Hymn of Praise: The First Noel
The first Noel the angel did say / was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; / in fields where they lay keeping their sheep, / on a cold winter's night that was so deep. / Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, / born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star / shining in the east, beyond them far; / and to the earth, it gave great light, / and so it continued both day and night. / Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, / born is the King of Israel.
And by the light of that same star / three Wise Men came from country far; / to seek for a king was their intent, / and to follow the star wherever it went. / Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, / born is the King of Israel.
This star drew nigh to the northwest, / o'er Bethlehem it took its rest; / and there it did both stop and stay, / right over the place where Jesus lay. / Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, / born is the King of Israel.
Then entered in those Wise Men three, / full reverently upon the knee, / and offered there, in his presence, / gold and myrrh and frankincense. / Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, / born is the King of Israel.
Morning Prayers
Pastoral Prayer: Rev. Dr. Natalie Houghtby-Haddon
The Lord's Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, Forever. Amen.
Choral Response: Amen, Sanctuary Choir
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6
1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. 3 Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. 5 Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
Leader: This is the word of God for the people of God.
People: Thanks be to God!
Announcements
Offering of Ourselves and Our Gifts
Anthem: "Go Tell It On The Mountain," Sanctuary Choir
Doxology
The Doxology: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above ye heav’nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen.
Offertory Prayer
Hymn of Preparation: In the Bleak Midwinter
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, / earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; / snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, / in the bleak midwinter, long ago.
What can I give Him, poor as I am? / If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; / if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; / yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 2:1-12
1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Leader: This is the word of God for the people of God.
People: Thanks be to God.
Service of Holy Communion
Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.
CONFESSION AND PARDON
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All pray in silence.
Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God’s love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Glory to God. Amen.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets, who looked for that day when justice shall roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ, whom you sent in the fullness of time to be a light to the nations. You scatter the proud in the imagination of their hearts and have mercy on those who fear you from generation to generation. You put down the mighty from their thrones and exalt those of low degree. You fill the hungry with good things, and the rich you send empty away. Your own Son came among us as a servant to be Emmanuel, your presence with us. He humbled himself in obedience to your will and freely accepted death on a cross. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever. Amen.
Communion Hymns
No. 617 - “I Come with Joy”
I come with joy to meet my Lord, / forgiven, loved and free, / in awe and wonder to recall / his life laid down for me, / his life laid down for me.
I come with Christians far and near / to find, as all are fed, / the new community of love / in Christ's communion bread, / in Christ's communion bread.
As Christ breaks bread and bids us share, / each proud division ends. / The love that made us makes us one, / and strangers now are friends, / and strangers now are friends.
And thus with joy we meet our Lord. / His presence, always near, / is in such friendship better known; / we see and praise him here, / we see and praise him here.
And thus with joy, we meet our Lord. / His presence, always near, / is in such friendship better known; / we see and praise him here, / we see and praise him here.
No. 641 - “Fill My Cup, Lord”
Fill my cup, Lord; / I lift it up Lord; / Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. / Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more. / Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.
No. 618 - “Let Us Break Bread Together”
Let us break bread together on our knees. / Let us break bread together on our knees. / When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, / O Lord have mercy on me.
Let us drink wine together on our knees. / Let us drink wine together on our knees. / When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, / O Lord have mercy on me.
Let us praise God together on our knees. / Let us praise God together on our knees. / When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, / O Lord have mercy on me.
No. 397 - “I Need Thee Every Hour”
I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord; / no tender voice like thine can peace afford. / I need thee, O I need thee; / every hour I need thee; / O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.
I need thee every hour, in joy or pain; / come quickly and abide, or life is vain. / I need thee, O I need thee; / every hour I need thee; / O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.
I need thee every hour; teach me thy will; / and thy rich promises in me fulfill. / I need thee, O I need thee; / every hour I need thee; / O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.
No. 629 - “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
As when the shepherd calls his sheep, / They know and heed his voice; / So when You call Your family, Lord, / We follow and rejoice. / You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat, / Come give to us, O saving Lord, the bread of life to eat.
With joyful lips we sing to You, / Our praise and gratitude, / That You should count us worthy Lord, / To share this heavenly food. / You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat, / Come give to us, O saving Lord, the bread of life to eat.
The mystery of Your presence Lord, / No mortal tongue can tell; / Whom all the world cannot contain / Comes in our hearts to dwell. / You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat, / Come give to us, O saving Lord, the bread of life to eat.
No. 337 - "Only Trust Him"
Come, every soul by sin oppressed, / there's mercy with the Lord; / and he will surely give you rest, / by trusting in his Word.
Refrain: / Only trust him, only trust him, / only trust him now. / He will save you, he will save you, / he will save you now.
For Jesus shed his precious blood / rich blessings to bestow; / plunge now into the crimson flood / that washes bright as snow. / (Refrain)
Yes, Jesus is the truth the way / that leads you into rest; / believe in him without delay, / and you are fully blest. / (Refrain)
No. 640 - “Take Our Bread”
Take our bread, we ask you, / Take our hearts, we love you, / Take our lives, oh Father, / We are yours; we are yours.
Yours as we stand at the table you set, / Yours as we eat the bread our hearts can't forget. / We are the signs of your life with us yet; / We are yours; we are yours.
Take our bread, we ask you, / Take our hearts, we love you, / Take our lives, oh Father, / We are yours; we are yours.
Your holy people stand washed in your blood, / Spirit-filled, yet hungry, we await your food. / We are poor, but we brought ourselves the best we could. / We are yours; we are yours.
Take our bread, we ask you, / Take our hearts, we love you, / Take our lives, oh Father, / We are yours; we are yours.
Invitation to Discipleship
Hymn of Commitment: We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are; / bearing gifts we traverse afar, / field and fountain, moor and mountain, / following yonder star.
Refrain: O star of wonder, star of light, / star with royal beauty bright, / westward leading, still proceeding, / guide us to thy perfect light.
Born a King on Bethlehem's plain, / gold I bring to crown him again, / King forever, ceasing never, / over us all to reign. / (Refrain)
Frankincense to offer have I; / incense owns a Deity nigh; / prayer and praising, voices raising, / worshiping God on high. / (Refrain)
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume / breathes a life of gathering gloom; / sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, / sealed in the stone-cold tomb. / (Refrain)
Glorious now behold him arise; / King and God and sacrifice: / Alleluia, Alleluia, / sounds through the earth and skies. / (Refrain)
Choral Response: Benediction, Sanctuary Choir
Postlude
The Sanctuary Flowers are given to the glory of God and in memory of Bob Harrison, my husband of 66 years, from Freda Harrison and our daughters Celeste, Cheryl, and Cynthia in remembrance of the day Bob was called home by his Savior on December 29, 2021.
Communion Offering
We invite you to leave a special contribution on the altar during communion this morning to benefit the John Wesley Fund that helps people in our community who seek assistance from the church.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
If you are visiting with us this morning we hope you feel welcome and will return to visit soon! Please take a moment to sign the attendance pad found on the end of each pew or scan the QR Code and let us know you are here.
Credits:
Created with images by iessephoto - "magi kings epiphany comet" • Cytonn Photography - "untitled image" • SKPhotography - "advent christmas advent season" • Patrick Fore - "untitled image" • Kelly Sikkema - "Woman's hands folded in prayer on a Bible" • johnhain - "prayer spiritual love" • Bessi - "child portrait curly hair" • Larisa-K - "snow winter landscape" • Hannah Busing - "reading the bible" • 8926 - "winter snow snowfall" • Debby Hudson - "Symbols of religious communion. Many religions celebrate their faith with communion. Some participate more during special Holy seasons like Easter." • James Coleman - "Taken on the alter at church." • Priscilla Du Preez - "A person takes communion at a Christian church service. " • Ben White - "Praying church" • Arūnas Naujokas - "untitled image"