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Phones: 253-7698 • Phone/Fax: 253-8668 Email: chccucc@myfairpoint.net • Website: www.chccucc.org | ||||
Pastor..................................................... Reverend Carol Asher Home Phone: 744-7864 E-mail: clsasher2@aol.com Ministers.............................................................. All Members Director of Music............................................ Secretary............................................................. Diane Lamper Ukama/Partner........ |
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This Week in Our Church Family
Boldface = Church-sponsored events
Sunday (12/20) 10:00 am Worship and
11:00 am Fellowship and Refreshments in Gilpatric Hall
Monday (12/21) 8:00 am T’ai Chi
Tuesday (12/22) 7:30 am Spirituality
5:30-6:30pm
Wed. (12/23)
Thursday (12/24) 5:00 pm Christmas Eve Service at the Manger Outside
7:00 pm Christmas Eve Service Inside
Friday (12/25) Sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus
Saturday (12/26)
Sunday (12/27) 10:00 am Worship
11:00 am Fellowship and Refreshments in Gilpatric Hall
Thank You to Today’s Volunteers
Ushers: | Kent and Mary Alice Warner | Nursery Care: | Gabby Smith |
Liturgist: | Joyce Larson | Greeters: | Palmer and Dorrie Smith |
Acolytes: | Travis Manville and | Fellowship Hosts: | The Weeks Family |
The names of those honored by Memorial Poinsettias
are written on the insert.
December 20, 2009 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
Large print bulletins available—please ask an usher.
An asterisk (*) indicates “Please stand if you are able.”
Gathering for Worship
PRELUDE “Rejoice, Rejoice Believers” Swedish Folk Tune
IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH (announcements)
PREPARING THE WAY Lighting the Fourth Candle of Advent
the HOPE Candle is lit by a group of shepherds
Entering into Worship
CHORAL INTROIT
RESPONSIVE CALL TO WORSHIP and OPENING HYMN
(sung) In darkness enshrouded, the world waits for light
To shatter the shadowy darkness of night.
To greenery circled, the faithful draw near
And longingly listen, God’s message to hear.
L: God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shine in your hearts,
P:...to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
L : The angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them.
P: We behold the glory of the Word made flesh, the glory of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.
L: And with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host praising God.
(sung) As wick touches wick now four flames burn so bright
As angels in glory shone forth on that night.
May we shine the precious good news of his birth
To ev’ry dark, shadowy corner of earth.
L: Arise, shine, for your light has come; the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
P: For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples.
L: But the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory appears over you.
P: Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome.
L: Be ready always for when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, when he will sit on his glorious throne.
(sung) Oh keep us, Lord Jesus, in your mighty care
As for your arrival your people prepare.
The flames of the faithful, Lord, let them burn bright,
That hearts of all people in faith may ignite.
A Time of Sharing
PRAYER JOYS AND CONCERNS
God’s answers are wiser than our prayers
ANTHEM “People Look East” Shaw
CALL TO PRAYER
“Lord, listen to your children praying; Lord, send your Spirit in this place.
Lord, listen to your children praying. Send us love, send us power, send us grace.”
PASTORAL PRAYER
CHORAL RESPONSE
OFFERING
Organ Offertory “Like A Child” Damon
*Doxology (#137, verse 3 sung by the people)
“As they offered gifts most rare at that manger rude and bare,
so may we with holy joy, pure and free from sin’s alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to you, our heav’nly king.”
*Prayer of Dedication
A Story for All God’s Children
A CHRISTMAS PROCESSION “Oh Come, Little Children”
O come, little children, O come, one and all!
O come to the cradle in
Come, see what has happened this holiest night;
Come, gaze on the gift from the Father of Might. (pause)
How sweetly He lies in His bed made of straw,
As Mary and Joseph behold Him with awe!
Soon shepherds will kneel there before His poor bed
While caroling angels are heard overhead. (pause)
Oh, lift up your voices and join in the praise
That angels from heav’n to the Father now raise.
Come, join in the chorus and gratefully sing
Glad thanks to the Father for Jesus the King.
MARCHING CHORUS
(the Congregation is invited to join the singers for these parts):
Children: All who seek the Savior, join our happy throng!
Lift with ours your voices in a joyful song!
Congregation: God fulfills his promise! Great joy waits for them
Who know where to find him: Come to
All: All who seek the Savior, won’t you come along?
We can go together; join the happy throng!
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN “Joy to the World”
Joy to the world, the Lord is come; let earth receive her king,
Let every heart prepare Him room. And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
MARCHING CHORUS:
Children: All who seek the Savior, Join our happy throng
Lift with ours your voices in a joyful song!
Congregation: Spend some time in worship; give your heart a lift.
See the world’s Redeemer- don’t forget your gift!
All: All who seek the Savior, won’t you come along?
We can go together; join the happy throng!
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels…
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing... O come…
MARCHING CHORUS:
Children: All who seek the Savior, join our happy throng!
Lift with ours your voices in a joyful song!
Congregation: Come and sing his praises, raise your voices high,
Where God’s Word is offered, blessings multiply
All: All who seek the Savior, won’t you come along?
We can go together; join the happy throng!
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: “O Little Town of
O little town of
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.
MARCHING CHORUS:
Children: All who seek the Savior, join our happy throng!
Lift with ours your voices in a Joyful song!
Congregation: On our way rejoicing, cast all cares aside.
Seek the world’s Redeemer-- join us for the ride.
All: All who seek the Savior, won’t you come along?
We can go together; join the happy throng!
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: “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.
Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Come to
Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the new-born King.
Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
MARCHING CHORUS:
Children: All who seek the Savior, join our happy throng!
Lift with ours your voices in a joyful song!
Congregation: Here we all are walking where King David trod.
Our Good Shepherd calls us: “See the Lamb of God!”
All: All who seek the Savior, won’t you come along?
We can go together; join the happy throng!
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: “As With Gladness”
As with gladness men of old, did the guiding star behold;
As with joy they hailed its light, leading onward, beaming bright
So, most gracious Lord, may we evermore be led by thee.
As with joyful steps they sped to that lowly manger bed,
There to bend on knee before Him whom heaven and earth adore.
So may we with willing feet, ever seek thy mercy seat.
MARCHING CHORUS:
Children: All who seek the Savior, join our happy throng!
Lift with ours your voices in a joyful song!
Congregation: Shepherds from the hillsides, wise men from afar.
We know where to find him-- we have seen his star!
All: All who seek the Savior, won’t you come along?
We can go together; join the happy throng!
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: “Away in a Manger”
Away in a manger no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head;
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with you there.
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: “Silent Night”
Silent night! Holy Night! All is calm, all is bright.
‘Round yon virgin, mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night! Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
MARCHING CHORUS:
Children: All who seek the Savior, join our happy throng!
Lift with ours your voices in a joyful song!
Congregation: Join us at the manger, see the newborn boy
Who has come to save us, fill our hearts with joy.
All: All who seek the Savior, won’t you come along?
We can go together; join the happy throng!
Sending
*CLOSING HYMN “God’s Love Made Visible!” Hymn 171
*BENEDICTION
ORGAN POSTLUDE “Now Sing We, Now Rejoice” Manz
* * * * * * *
“I’d Like to Go to the Stable” (by Ann Weems in Kneeling in
O Lord, I’d like to go to the stable this night! I’d run even through the dark, cold and confusion to lay my gifts at your feet!
O Lord, why couldn’t I have been there? I needn’t have been a rich king, perhaps just a shepherd child or someone sent from the inn to check on the progress of the birth...
I’d like to go to the stable to see the sweet little boy… to smell the hay, to hear the sounds of the cattle accompanying the angels, to lay my gifts before the king.
Let Us Go to
The darkness deepens. The stars shine brightly in the moonless sky. Up in the fields, the shepherds have built a sheepfold with low walls to shelter the sheep-- one side of the fold is nestled into the side of a steep hill. Each shepherd tends to his own sheep, gathering them together with a staff, and guiding them into the sheepfold for the night. A favorite ewe passes by one shepherd and he bends down to pet her cream-colored back. The lanolin from her wool shines on his skin even in the darkness. He rubs it in, soothing his cracked, work-worn hands.
All the sheep are within the fold and the shepherds can rest and sleep, while one takes a turn at keeping watch.
Suddenly someone shouts, “Intruder!” All the shepherds rush to the gate of the sheepfold, rods in hand, to protect the sheep. But how can they protect the flock or themselves against this? Their hearts pound; and their innards churn.
“Do not be afraid,” the intruder says. “For you see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy...”
“What? What is this?” one wonders, staring at the golden light surrounding them. “An angel-- coming to me, to us, in the sheepfold, out here? Why?” He doesn’t understand, yet his terror slowly softens to reassurance. A strange, new feeling-- a deep desire grows. He must respond to this amazing news.
Then the angel is gone. Bewildered, he turns to his friends, “Did you see? Can this be true? Let us go now... and see for ourselves...”
The shepherds quickly gather the sheep, and begin the journey down the hillside to the town. Their hearts still pounding wildly, as they did when they first noticed the intruder... but it is different now. What an odd combination of excitement and fear! They fear that their vision has been a fantasy, that they will risk their flocks and their reputations and find nothing. They have that scared-but-excited feeling that the message of the angel is true, that a new door is opening to them, that there is a great gift beyond that door and it is to be accepted with great joy. The excitement does not dispel their fears. Nor do their fears preclude the courage to reach out to the new possibilities.
The angel’s words: “Do not be afraid” led to the response of the shepherds: “Let us go now... and see...” It is the angels’ reassurance, followed by the good news of great joy, that gives the shepherds the courage to respond, to go and see how the Holy has broken into the lives and then to share the news with the world.
On this Christmas Sunday, we hear the good news once again: God is with us. The Holy is born in the midst of ordinary lives, hope is real, love casts out fear. The heart of God makes its home in us, giving us courage to respond to the needs of the world within and around us. That Perfect Love which was born long ago is born anew this day.
Let us go now to the
You are Christmas!
You are Christmas--
every time you smile and help make the world a brighter place.
You are Christmas--
every time you laugh and let the sound join with all the happy music of the world.
You are Christmas--
every time you pray a prayer for those who need your very special blessing.
You are Christmas--
every time you speak a word of faith to some fearful soul along the unpaved road.
You are Christmas--
every time your loving hand goes out of the way to give that extra special service.
Hard Questions About Santa
A boy wrote to Santa Claus: “They say you know if we’ve been sleeping; you know if we are awake. Doesn’t that demand omnipresence? You know if we’ve been bad or good. This implies your authority to assign moral absolutes. Are you aware of the staggering theological implications of these claims?”
“With humans, many things are impossible… but all things are possible with God.” Matthew 19:26
This verse is for you to think about and learn. Adults, please help your smaller children learn the part that is bolded.
Announcements
Welcome
We welcome all of you on this fourth Sunday of Advent. God can and does meet us here in special ways in our common worship. But God also comes to us unexpectedly, just as God did when he surprised us by appearing on an ordinary night in an obscure town in the form of a baby boy. Expect the unexpected in this wonderful season! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Alternative Christmas
What to give to that person who already has plenty? Consider a gift from the Alternative Gift catalog—a gift in that person’s honor to Heifer International, Circle or Mayhew (for at-risk girls and boys), our Village Preschool Scholarship Fund or New Beginnings Women’s Crisis Center. This is the last day to give through the church.
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Christmas Eve—Come to Your
Now is the time to invite someone to come and worship our New-born King on Christmas Eve. Dress warmly and join us at the manger just outside the front door at 5:00 PM or inside at 7:00 PM. There will be a special story and candle lighting at both services, with special music at the later service.
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Come Join Our Happy Throng
Thank you to all who participated in this morning’s program—our children and youth, our teachers and the singers; you always shine brightly in our church’s Christmas pageant!
Our program was written by Lisa Frenz; published by Creative Communications for the Parish (1995); and is used with permission.
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January Newsletter
Volunteers will be needed to collate the newsletter on Tuesday, December 22nd at 1 PM.
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