Preparation/SilentMeditation

“Let’s make one resolution this year: to anchor ourselves to God’s grace.”
– Chuck Swindoll

PRELUDE

LIGHTING OF CHRIST CANDLE

CALL TO GATHERING
Liturgist: For the lessons learned, pains that strengthened us, struggles that mold us and for the grace of God that sustains us…

People: God of life, we thank you.

Liturgist: As we come close to the end of 2020, drawing near to the newness of life and to the surprises it brings, may the God, ever-loving, accompany us through 2021…

People: Abiding God, we trust in you.

Liturgist: Like these green shoots and fresh leaves, we long to start a life anew and we long to be guided by You…

People: We come before You o Lord, ever-praising and praying for a new beginning!

Liturgist: Let’s celebrate the new life in Jesus Christ, the hope of all the world. Faithfully and collectively let us celebrate and rejoice!

HYMN OF PRAISE:
“Come, Christians Join to Sing” HOFG,342
Come, Christians, join to sing Alleluia! Amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King; Alleluia! Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice, before his throne rejoice;

Praise is his gracious choice. Alleluia! Amen!
Come, lift your hearts on high, Alleluia! Amen!
Let praises fill the sky; Alleluia! Amen!

He is our Guide and Friend; to us he’ll condescend;
His love shall never end. Alleluia! Amen!
Praise yet our Christ again, Alleluia! Amen!

Life shall not end the strain; Alleluia! Amen!
On heaven’s blissful shore, His goodness we’ll adore, Singing forevermore, “Alleluia! Amen!”

Opening Prayer (All)
O God of life and of new beginnings,
we come into this holy space asking for Your blessing, only to find out that the abundance of Your love is already around us. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness. As your gathered people, we pray that through Your empowering love and sustaining grace, we may become a community flourished in love and thriving in mission as we are ever-united in You. Please be with us Lord we pray, guide us and bless us;
mold us and move us, in the name of Christ,
to whom our hope is anchored, Amen.

CALL TO CONFESSION
Liturgist: Eternal God, who can make all things new, we humbly bring before you the record of our lives in the year now ending.

People: When life has been good to us, we give you thanks and praise.

Liturgist: When we have been good to others,
may our reward be your smiling face.

People: When we have fallen short of your good pleasure, forgive us and free us from our sinful past.

All: Holy God, cleanse us by your mercy, guide us by your truth, fill us with your love, and lead us forward in hope, through the grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Silent Moment of Confession (with soft music)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Psalms 103:2-4)
“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion…”

Beloved in Christ,
let’s take hold of this beautiful promise
of forgiveness and restoration. Restored and forgiven, let us also forgive and be agents of renewalto our families and communities, Amen.

Response: Thank you Lord for saving my soul
Thank you Lord for making me whole
Thank you Lord for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free.

COMMUNITY PRAYER
Song Response:
“Forward Through the Ages” HFJ,267
Forward through the ages, in unbroken line,
Move the faithful spirits at the call divine.
Gifts in diff’ring measure, hearts of one accord,
Manifold the service, One the sure reward;

Forward through the ages, in unbroken line,
Move the faithful spirits at the call divine.

SCRIPTURE READING
Song Response
“I Love To Tell The Story” HFJ,309
I love to tell the story, it’s pleasant to repeat,
what seems each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
the message of salvation, from God’s own holy word!

ANTHEM

MEDITATION

CALL TO OFFERING: (Liturgist)
By God’s grace, we rejoice to share in the church’s life of mission and ministry;
and now we are called to offer our talents
and material possessions to God, through the church. With faithfulness and joy, let us offer our gifts…

Offering of Life and Labor

DOXOLOGY

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
With joyful praise, we promise to use these gifts for good, O generous God. We promise to use these resources in furthering Your Kingdom, in love and mercy for others, for the glory of Your name, Amen.

HYMN OF FAITH:
“We Look Behind at All You’ve Done”
(Tune: All Creature os Our God and King)

We look behind at all You’ve done.
We trace the path on which we’ve come.
Holy Father, You are mercy!
Lord, everywhere we see Your hand,
The pattern of Your loving plan.
Holy Father, You are mercy!
Holy Father, You are mercy!
You are mercy!

Through all the wanderings of our lives,
You daily lead us in the light.
Loving Father, You are faithful!
Through all the sin we cannot hide,
You claim us as Your holy bride.
Loving Father, You are faithful!
Loving Father, You are faithful!
You are faithful!

We look ahead, O Lord, and see
A glimpse of all that is to be.
We exalt You! Alleluia!
Almighty God, Eternal Truth,
All life is always only You!
We exalt You! Alleluia!
We exalt You! Alleluia!
Alleluia!

PRAYER OF COMMITMENT

BENEDICTION
Forward, let us go with renewed faith and strength…Onward, let us move with hope anew…Beloved, this new year…in God’s abiding presence, working love and bountiful mercy
May we ever dwell, in the name of the Triune God: Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer,
Amen.

Postlude

THE LITURGY

THE ACT OF GATHERING

Moment of Silence

PRELUDE
Words to Ponder
Love is an attitude—- love is a prayer,
For a soul in sorrow, a heart in despair.
Love is good wishes for the grain of another,
Love suffers long with the fault of a brother.
Love gives water to a cup that’s run dry.
Love reaches low, as it can reach high.
Seeks not her own at expense of another,
Love reaches God when it reaches our [*sister and] brother. -author unknown

Greetings

Call to Worship
Liturgist: Praise the Christ-child, the newborn Prince of Peace!

Response We have been redeemed. We are no longer afraid.

Liturgist: Praise to the God who has come to us in the flesh!

Response: We are being created. We are no longer afraid.

Liturgist: Praise to the Spirit who calls us together to serve!

All: We will be sustained. We are no longer afraid! Come let us worship God.

Hymn of Praise: “
Angels we have heard on high
“Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains.

[Chorus]
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heav’nly song?

Come to Bethlehem and see,
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

INVOCATION: (Liturgist)
O God, You come to us in the stable of our lives as You did many years ago.
There was no room for You in the comfortable decent nice and ease inns. But in dark smelly stable, there was room. And You came.
So You come to us in the dark places of our stench of guilt and sin and death about us.
Let us make room for You. Please dispel the darkness of our lives and make us children of Your light. For Your love’s sake. Amen

Call to Confession (liturgist)
God has fulfilled the promise of a Messiah.
God has manifested an all-encompassing love
through the birth of a Child. What have we done in response to God’s gracious acts?
As we reach the end of one year and prepare to greet a new one, let us humbly confess the ways in which we have fallen short from God’s expectations.

Prayer of Repentance

Liturgist: Forgiving God, source of love and mercy, You called us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,righteousness and justice.

Response: However, we often clothed ourselves with different attire: indifference, apathy, pride, hatred, arrogance, greed, corruption and selfishness.We clothed ourselves with disobedience, dishonesty, disrespect, Impatience & self- centeredness.

Liturgist: We forgot to love you with all our hearts, minds, soul, and strength.

All: We forgot to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Liturgist: Help us to bear one another and forgive each other.

All: Forgiving God, source of love and mercy,
help us clothe ourselves with LOVE which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
This we pray in the name of your Child, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Assurance of Pardon
Children of God, let us hear the good news:
through the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven. As forgiven people of God, let us extend this forgiveness to others. Amen.

Church Concerns

Community Prayer

RESPONSE:

THE PROCLAMATION OF THEWORD

Read:

Sung:

Interpreted:

Call to Offering (Liturgist)
The apostle Paul reminded the churches in Galatia that God sent God’s Son when the fullness of time has come, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, and receive adoption as children.We are God’s children–children of a generous God. Let us pass the generosity of God to our neighbors–to those who need God the most!

Offering of Tithes, Gifts and Pledges

Offertory Song

Doxology:
“Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” [HFJ94]

Praise God the Source of life and birth,
God the Son who came to earth;
Praise God the Spirit, Holy Flame;
all glory, honor to God’s name. Amen.

Thanksgiving Prayer (Liturgist)
Generous God,
You created us and called us to be your people. You treated us as your children and not slaves because You are not pleased in all forms of domination. We pray that the gifts we offer to you today serve as one of the ways to manifest Your sustaining love in and through us. Help us to respond to the call you have given us to be light in this world. Let us be Your hands, feet, and mouth in this world, through Christ, Amen.

Hymn of JOY: “Joy to the World”
Joy to the world, the Lord has come,
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns,
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks,
hills, and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow,
Far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found
Far as, far as the curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
and wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love

The Blessing
Minister: Praising God is not enough.
Response: And so we will go to offer practical help to our sisters and brothers.

Minister: Joyful noises do not feed those around us.

Response: And so we will go with Jesus
to the food pantries and shelters, to care for those forgotten by our society.

Minister: Songs of thanksgiving do not replace service.

Response: And so we will go to share the peace of the Spirit with a broken, yet hopeful world.

All: Amen.

Postlude

THE LITURGY

THE ACT OF GATHERING
Moment of Silence
PRELUDE
Words to Ponder
Love is an attitude—- love is a prayer,
For a soul in sorrow, a heart in despair.
Love is good wishes for the grain of another,
Love suffers long with the fault of a brother.
Love gives water to a cup that’s run dry.
Love reaches low, as it can reach high.
Seeks not her own at expense of another,
Love reaches God when it reaches our [*sister and] brother.
-author unknown

Greetings

Call to Worship
Liturgist: Praise the Christ-child, the newborn Prince of Peace!

Response We have been redeemed. We are no longer afraid.

Liturgist: Praise to the God who has come to us in the flesh!

Response: We are being created. We are no longer afraid.

Liturgist: Praise to the Spirit who calls us together to serve!

All: We will be sustained. We are no longer afraid!
Come let us worship God.

Hymn of Praise: “All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name” [HFJ172]
All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all!

Let every tongue and every tribe responsive to His call,
To Him all majesty ascribe, and crown Him Lord of all.
To Him all majesty ascribe, and crown Him Lord of all!

Oh, that with all the sacred throng we at his feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song and crown Him Lord of all.
We’ll join the everlasting song and crown Him Lord of all.

INVOCATION: (Liturgist)
O God, You come to us in the stable of our lives as You did many years ago. There was no room for You in the comfortable decent nice and ease inns. But in dark smelly stable, there was room.
And You came. So You come to us in the dark places of our stench of guilt and sin and death about us. Let us make room for You.
Please dispel the darkness of our lives and make us children of Your light. For Your love’s sake. Amen
Call to Confession (liturgist)
God has fulfilled the promise of a Messiah. God has manifested an all-encompassing love through the birth of a Child. What have we done in response to God’s gracious acts? As we reach the end of one year and prepare to greet a new one, let us humbly confess the ways in which we have fallen short from God’s expectations.
Prayer of Repentance
Liturgist: Forgiving God, source of love and mercy,
You called us to clothe ourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, righteousness and justice.

Response: However, we often clothed ourselves with different attire: indifference, apathy, pride, hatred, arrogance, greed, corruption and selfishness. We clothed ourselves with disobedience, dishonesty, disrespect, Impatience & self- centeredness.

Liturgist: We forgot to love you with all our hearts, minds, soul, and strength.

All: We forgot to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Liturgist: Help us to bear one another and forgive each other.

All: Forgiving God, source of love and mercy, help us clothe ourselves with LOVE which binds everything together in perfect harmony. This we pray in the name of your Child, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Assurance of Pardon
Children of God, let us hear the good news:
through the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
our sins are forgiven.
As forgiven people of God,
let us extend this forgiveness to others. Amen.

Song Response: “thank you Lord”

Church Concerns

Community Prayer

Song Response: “Hear Our Prayer Oh Lord”

THE PROCLAMATION OF THEWORD

Read

Sung

Interpreted

THE ACT OF GIVING
Call to Offering (Liturgist)
The apostle Paul reminded the churches in Galatia
that God sent God’s Son when the fullness of time
has come, born of a woman, born under the law,
in order to redeem those who were under the law,
and receive adoption as children.
We are God’s children–children of a generous God.
Let us pass the generosity of God to our neighbors–
to those who need God the most!

Offering of Tithes, Gifts and Pledges

Offertory Song

Doxology: “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” [HFJ94]
Praise God the Source of life and birth,
God the Son who came to earth;
Praise God the Spirit, Holy Flame;
all glory, honor to God’s name. Amen.

Thanksgiving Prayer (Liturgist)
Generous God, You created us and called us to be your people.
You treated us as your children and not slaves because You are not pleased in all forms of domination. We pray that the gifts we offer to you today serve as one of the ways to manifest Your sustaining love in and through us. Help us to respond to the call you have given us to be light in this world. Let us be Your hands, feet, and mouth in this world, through Christ, Amen.

Hymn of Dedication: “Send The Light”
There’s a call comes ringing o’er the restless wave,
“Send the light! Send the light”
There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save,
Send the light! Send the light!

Chorus:
Send the light, the blessed gospel light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the light the blessed gospel light;
Let it shine forevermore!

We have heard the Macedonian call today,
“Send the light! Send the light!”
And a golden off’ring at the cross we lay,
Send the light! Send the light!

Let us pray that grace may ev’rywhere abound,
“Send the light! Send the light!”
And a Christ-like spirit everywhere be found,
Send the light! Send the light.

Closing Prayer

The Blessing
Minister: Praising God is not enough.

Response: And so we will go to offer practical help
to our sisters and brothers.

Minister: Joyful noises do not feed those around us.

Response: And so we will go with Jesus
to the food pantries and shelters, to care for those forgotten by our society.

Minister: Songs of thanksgiving do not replace service.

Response: And so we will go to share the peace of the Spirit
with a broken, yet hopeful world.

All: Amen.

Song Response: “Send the Light”
Chorus:
Send the light, the blessed gospel light;
Let it shine from shore to shore!
Send the light the blessed gospel light;
Let it shine forevermore

“Let’s Celebrate the Promise of the Coming of the Messiah!”

THE LITURGY

PRELUDE

GREETINGS

OPENING SONG
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely
exile here until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

LIGHTING OF ADVENT CANDLE OF LOVE
(Maya & Kaina Tuba)

Reader 1 The angels announced the good news of a Savior. God sent his only Son to earth to save us, because he loves us!
(the candles of hope, peace , and joy are lit)

Reader 2 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)
(Lighting of the 4th advent candle)

CALL TO CELEBRATION
Liturgist: Our hearts are filled with joyful anticipation, awaiting Jesus:

People: God is with Us.

Liturgist: As a family, we worship and look for the One who is coming:

People: God is with Us.

Liturgist: We hear the word of our still- speaking God proclaiming:

People: God is with Us.

Liturgist: We gather here today knowing that no matter who we are or where we are on our life’s journey.

People: God is with us.

Hymn of Celebration:
“O Come All Ye Faithful” [HFJ135]
O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come now, O come now to Bethlehem.
Come and behold the ruler of all angels!

Refrain:
O come in adoration (thrice) Christ the Lord!

Sing, alleluia, all ye choirs of angels;
O sing, all ye blissful ones of heav’n above.
Glory to God In the highest glory! (Refrain)

Amen, Lord, we greet You,
born this happy morning;
Jesus, to You shall all glory be given;
Word of our God,
Now in the flesh appearing.(Refrain)

OPENING PRAYER (All)
Present One, today we gather with hearts full of joy. Yet this season can also bring stress and anxiety. Many of us are busy making plans with family and friends while others struggle with loneliness. We ask that you help all of us free our hearts and minds of the planning, worry, stress, and anxiety that takes our focus away from the coming of Christ. During this time of worship, let your Spirit flow through this place.Empower us to open our hearts and minds so that we will hear your Word and know what you call us to do. Amen.

Song Response
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” HFJ,117
O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge
show and teach us in its ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

THE ACT OF PENITENCE
Call to Confession (Liturgist)
Friends, our high priest, Jesus Christ
knows all our weaknesses and can sympathize,because he was tested in every way we are, only without sinning. So let’s come boldly to the throne of grace, where we can find mercy and grace that help us when we need it most.

Prayer of Confession (All)
Creator God, even in the midst of a season of joy, we must confess that there are times
when we lose sight of what really matters.
We get so caught up in our own plans that
we neglect to look out for others. While we are anxiously awaiting Emmanuel and the hope that Christ’s birth will bring, we often neglect to bring hope to those who are alone and hurting during this season of Advent.
We are often so busy looking for the light that is to come that we forget to be the light for those who need it. For these times we ask for forgiveness. Make us take a moment to call to mind the places in our neighborhoods, communities and the wider world where anxiety and pain have taken root, and which need our witness of hope.

Silent Moment
Assurance of God’s Pardon (Minister)
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God’s love never fails. God’s mercies are new every morning. Therefore, take heart and be encouraged. God is not only with us, God forgives us. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God!

Song Response “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times did give
the law in cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

THE GREETING OF PEACE AND COMMUNITY CONCERNS

COMMUNITY PRAYER
Song Response “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

SCRIPTURE READING

ANTHEM

MESSAGE

CALL TO OFFERING (Liturgist)
Everything that we have is a gift from God.
One way to show God how thankful we are
is by giving back a portion of what God has given us so that we can continue the work that we have been called to do. Let us now bring our offerings and gifts as our response to God’s love and grace.

OFFERING OF TITHES , PLEDGES AND OTHER OFFERING

OFFERTORY SONG

DOXOLOGY
Praise God the Source of life and birth,
Praise God the Son who came on earth,
Praise God the Spirit, Holy Flame
All Glory, honor to God’s name. Amen

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING (All)
Creator God, we thank You for everything that You have given us, especially for the hope that Emmanuel brings to us. Help us to use these blessings in a way that bring honor and glory to You, and bring hope to people that so desperately need it. We ask that you take today’s gifts–great or small, money, time or talent— and use them to continue the work that you have called us to. Amen.

HYMN OF DEDICATION:
“Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” [HFJ,124]

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 angelic hosts proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain:
“Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King”

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail the incarnate Deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel. (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)

CLOSING PRAYER AND BENEDICTION (Minister)
We entered this sacred space today to worship. Now we leave this place to serve.
In doing this, we not only say to the world that God is with us, we are proof that God is with us.Where there is a need, may we meet it.
Where there is injustice, may we fight it.
Where there are shadows, may we be light.
Where there is hopelessness, may we offer hope.Where there is hatred, may we be love.
Where people forget, may we remind them that God is with Us! Amen.

Song Response:
“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
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 angelic hosts proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain:
“Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King”