A Vision of Justice

Praise

Prelude

Gathering with Carols of the Season and Sharings: “The First Noel” CCS 424

Call to Worship: Micah 5:2-5a

² Sinabi ng Panginoon, “Betlehem Efrata, kahit na isa ka sa pinakamaliit na bayan sa Juda, manggagaling sa iyo ang taong maglilingkod sa akin bilang pinuno ng Israel. Ang kanyang mga ninuno ay kilalang-kilala noong unang panahon.”

³Kaya ang mga mamamayan ng Israel ay ipapaubaya ng Panginoon sa kanilang mga kaaway hanggang sa maisilang ng babaeng namimilipit sa sakit ang sanggol na lalaki na mamumuno sa Israel. Pagkatapos, ang mga kababayan ng pinunong ito na nabihag ng ibang bansa ay babalik sa kanilang mga kapwa Israelita. ⁴Pamamahalaan niya ang mga mamamayan ng Israel sa pamamagitan ng lakas at kapangyarihan ng Panginoon. Ang katulad niyaʼy isang pastol na nagbabantay ng kanyang kawan. Kaya mamumuhay sila nang mapayapa dahil kikilalanin ng mga tao sa buong mundo ang kanyang kadakilaan. ⁵Bibigyan niya ng mabuting kalagayan ang kanyang mga mamamayan.

Welcome

Peace be with you. Batiin natin ang mga nasa paligid natin ng isang Mapayapang Pasko sa kanila.

Ang panahon ng Adbiento  sa kalendaryon nating mga Kristiyano ay ipinagdiriwang ito sa loob ng apat na linggo bago ang kapaskuhan. Sa wikang Latin, ang ibig sabihin ng Advent o Adbiento ay ang “pagdating” at ito ang tamang panahon upang paghandaan at alalahanin ang tunay na kahulugan ng Pasko o Christmas, ang pagdating ni Hesus dito sa ating mundo.

Sa linggong ito ating sisindihan ang kandila ng kapayapaan (Peace).

Lighting of the Advent Candles.

Tayo ay pinapaalalahanan na tayo ay tinawag upang maging mga peacemakers/tagapamayapa. Ang Kapayapaan ay isang panalangin na nagsisimula sa atin.

Hymn Response: “Hope is a Light” Stanzas 2 and 5 CCS 398

Invocation

Scripture Reading Part 1 Luke 1:39-45

Ministry of Music

Scripture Reading Part 2 Luke 1:46-55

Congregational Hymn: “Canticle of the Turning” CCS 404

Christmas Message Based on Luke 1:39-55

Disciples’ Generous Response

Statement

Sa panahon ng Adbiento, pinapaalalahanan tayo sa dakilang pagpapala ng Diyos sa atin sa pagkakaloob Niya ng kanyang bugtong na anak. Habang pinagninilayan natin ang dakilang pagpapalang ito, nawa ay alalahanin natin na tayo ay tinatawag ng Diyos upang maging mga pagpapala sa mundo sa pamamagitan ng pagbabahagi natin sa mga pagpapalang mayroon tayo. At sa ating pagbabahagi din ng ating mga kaloob sa kanyang Iglesia sa kahit anumang paraan, nakikiisa tayo sa isang gawaing nagbibigay kahulugan sa pagiging mapagkalinga ng Diyos upang bigyan ng pag-asa ang mundo.

Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes

Prayer for Peace

Light the peace candle.

Poem:  “Making Room for Jesus” Verse 2

A weary hand pounds on the door of an inn,
and there is not room!
No room, God of peace, for peace to be born.
Oh, how we need your gift of peace!
Peace unwilling to sleep in the shadows,
unwilling to live and die
in speeches made and slogans said.
Surely there is room for peace?
Peace beyond politics, power, and position.
Peace that wages war against conflict,
avarice, and inequity
in a world where peace for me
and mine alone is not peace at all.
—Danny Belrose in Wave Offerings, Herald House 2005.

Hymn of Advent Peace: “What Child Is This”   CCS 432

Peace Prayer

Aming tagapangalaga ng Pinakadilang Shalom,

Sa kabila ng dala-dala mong napakalaking kalawakan sa iyong balikat, sa panahong ito ng Adbiento nagawa Mo parin na ikaw ay makilala ng bawat isa sa amin. Tulungan Mo kaming pasikapan ang kapayapaan na tulad ng paragasa ng tubig patungo sa dagat. Tulad ng tubig na dala-dala nito ang buhay, nawa ang kapayapaan ay magdadala rin ng bagong buhay sa amin. Tulad ng pag-agos ng tubig sa bawat hugis ng lupa, nawa ang kapayapaan ay maaaring gumawa ng mga bagong espasyo o lugar sa aming mga buhay at sa aming mga komunidad. Sa pagdaloy ng tubig maging sa mga bahaging hindi namin nakikita, nawa ang kapayapaan ay dumaloy sa amin at lumikha ng mga bagong ugnayan sa aming buhay. Panginoon nawa ang kapanganakan ng batang si Jesus ay magdulot ng pagbabago sa amin. Tulungan Mo kaming makapagdala ng kapayapaan sa mundo sa bawat araw. Amen.

Hymn of Celebration: “Go, Tell It on the Mountain” CCS 409

Prayer and Benediction

Postlude

404 Canticle of the Turning

My soul cries out with a joyful shout
that the God of my heart is great,
and my spirit sings of the wondrous things
that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight,
and my weakness you did not spurn,
so from east to west shall my name be blest.
Could the world be about to turn?

 

My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
and the world is about to turn.

Though I am small, my God, my all,
you work great things in me,
and your mercy will last from the depths of the past
to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame,
and to those who would for you yearn,
you will show your might, put the strong to flight,
for the world is about to turn.

From the halls of pow’r to the fortress tow’r,
not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears
every tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more,
for the food they can never earn;
there are tables spread, every mouth be fed,
for the world is about to turn.

Though the nations rage from age to age,
we remember who holds us fast:
God’s mercy must deliver us
from the conqueror’s crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard
is the promise which holds us bound,
till the spear and rod can be crushed by God,
who is turning the world around.

398 Hope Is a Light

Peace is a prayer,
peace is a prayer.
Peace is a prayer that starts with me,
peace is a prayer that starts with me.
Light the candle of peace,
light the candle of peace.

Jesus is born,
Jesus is born.
Jesus is born in us today,
Jesus is born in us today:
Christ, the light of the world,
Christ, the light of the world.

424 The First Noël

The first Noël 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.

Noël, Noël, Noël, Noël!
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.

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.

This star drew nigh to the northwest,
over Bethlehem it took its rest,
and there it did both stop and stay
right over the place where Jesus lay.

Then entered in those wise men three;
full rev’rently upon the knee,
they offered there, in his presence,
their gold and myrrh and frankincense.

 

409 Go, Tell It on the Mountain

Go, tell it on the mountain,
over the hills and everywhere;
go, tell it on the mountain
that Jesus Christ is born!

While shepherds kept their watching
o’er silent flocks by night,
behold throughout the heavens
there shone a holy light.

The shepherds feared and trembled
when lo! above the earth
rang out the angel chorus
that hailed our Savior’s birth.

Down in a lowly manger
the humble Christ was born,
and God sent us salvation
that blessed Christmas morn.

 

432 What Child Is This

What child is this, who, laid to rest,
on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
while shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
haste, haste to bring him laud,
the babe, the son of Mary!

Why lies he in such mean estate
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear; for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,
the cross be borne for me, for you;
hail, hail the Word made flesh,
the babe, the son of Mary!

So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh;
come, peasant, king, to own him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
let loving hearts enthrone him.
Raise, raise the song on high,
the virgin sings her lullaby;
joy, joy for Christ is born,
the babe, the son of Mary!