GATHERING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
GREETING
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful; by Him we were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
PRELUDE Kathy Nash
LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLE Light the second candle PEACE
The Bauer Family will light the second candle.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and from our Lord, Jesus Christ! Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Come let us worship Him!
* OPENING HYMN “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates” UMH #213
CALL TO CONFESSION
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
We need you so desperately, O God; we need to accept you for who you truly are, not what we expect. Too often, we choose flickering candles and bulbs over your true light; we choose to hide who we truly are; both the sins that shame us, and the potential that frightens us. Too often, we choose quick fixes over your true justice: we choose to be right rather than righteous, in our countries, our communities, and our covenants. Too often, we choose cheap thrills over your true joy: we choose to fill our lives with what we can own or ingest, we choose safety over surprise. Too often, we choose our schemes over your plan: we reject leaps of faith in favor of small, secure steps; we reject selfless giving in favor of our own fiscal prudence. Hear us as we confess. Jesus Christ, Lord of all, come to us now. Maker of tomorrow: Jesus Christ, Lord of all, come to us now. Keep us through the darkness: Jesus Christ, Lord of all, come to us now. We need you so desperately, O God. We need your light, your justice, your joy, your plan. Hear us, forgive us, and help us accept you for who you truly are, not what we expect. Amen.
ASURANCE OF PARDON
TIME WITH THE YOUTH Janet Keffer
*HYMN “Pass it On” UMH #572
LITTANY OF ADVENT
Leader: Into the stillness of a Bethlehem night, God came. Into the silence of verdant pastures, God spoke.
Response: Restore us, O God.
Leader: The quietude of the past is broken by the crackle of weapons, to the peace of the past:
Response: Restore us, O God.
Leader: God came so the disenfranchised might find hope; the despairing might find safety.
Response: Restore us, O God.
Leader: God came so that love might win over hatred and revenge, that we might be restored to the ways of peace by the Prince of Peace.
Response: Restore us, O God.
Leader: Under serving, we kneel at the manger. New life is ours for the asking.
Response: Restore us, O God.
Leader: A grace beyond comprehension is given. To the peace which passed all understanding.
All: Restore us, O God. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE/JOYS AND CONCERNS Janet Keffer
OFFERING
UNISON PRAYER O Surprising One, we confess that we continually look for you in the ordinary places: on the front of Christmas cards, in the plastic
nativity scenes on our neighbor’s lawns, in familiar carols, in the church we call home. We watch for the blanketed babe with omniscient smile and heavenly glow. So sure are we of how you will appear to us that we miss your incarnation where we do not expect it. We have failed to see you enfleshed in our enemies. We have not recognized you in faces that do not look like our own in color and shape and age. We confess that we have refused to acknowledge your incarnation in ourselves for fear that to have Christ in us would be too costly.
Forgive our narrowness. Help us to watch. Teach us to recognize. Surprise us even today, even this hour. By breaking into the ordinariness of our worship so that we might see you anew. O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERING
*DOXOLOGY UMH #95
PROCLAMING GOD’S WORD
NEW TESTAMENT LESSON Luke 1: 68-79
MESSAGE Michael Keffer
HYMN “Open My Eyes, That I May See” UMH #545
SENDING FORTH
*CIRCLE SONG: “Shine, Jesus Shine” Renew #247
Shine, Jesus shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory, blaze, spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire; Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy, send forth Your word, Lord, and let there be light.
*BLESSING (Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, Jesus Christ our Savior, and the Holy Spirit, now and always.)
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*Stand as you are able. The quiet room is available in the back of the sanctuary if needed.