Advent of Joy

24 December 2023
Fourth Sunday of Advent (Joy)
Luke 1:26-38

Prelude

Carols of the Season: “Joy to the World” CCS 408

Welcome

Call to Worship (Psaml 89 adapted)
Apo, kanayon nga ikankantami ti di agbalbaliw nga ayatmo ket ipakaammomi ti kinapudnom iti amin a tiempo. Ammomi a ti ayatmo ket agnanayon ket agapaut a iti langit ti kinapudnom.
O Apo, ikanta dagiti langit dagiti nakaskasdaaw nga aramidmo;
dagiti nasantoan a parsua ikantada ti kinapudnom.
Siasino ti kas kenka sadi langit, O Apo; awan nailangitan a parsua a kaaspingmo.
Dioska a pagraraeman dagiti parsua a nailangitan; naindaklan ken pagbutbutngandaka dagiti adda iti sangoanam.

 

Lighting the Advent Candle of Joy

Light the candles of Hope, Peace, and Love from the last three weeks before the service starts.

Responsive Reading

JOY! Uncontainable, irrepressible, bubbling up in an explosion of energy. What the weary long for, what children often embody, what makes the Divine smile—Joy!

It cannot be bought but is a priceless treasure. As we wait expectantly for the special birth this evening, may we experience awe and wonder at such a gift.

May we find joy in God’s Advent—Emmanuel, God-with-us.

 

Joy lives deep in the human spirit. Let us reject those things our current consumer culture says will bring us happiness—money, success, power.

May we hear the call of John the Baptist to turn around and begin again.

God made us in joy. May we live that way.

 

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we light a candle for joy!

All: We light a candle for joy. May it light the way.

 

Light a fourth candle.

 

Song of Joyful Invitation: “Kum Ba Yah” CCS 75
Stanza 1: Kum Ba Yah
Stanza 2: Come by Here
Stanza 3: (We) Sing with Joy

Invocation

Prayer for Peace

Light the Peace Candle.

 

Prayer

Dios ni Abraham, Isaac ken Jacob, itdem koma iti pagkamangan dagiti adda a masaksakit.
Dios ni Agar, Jose ken Moses, waya-wayaam koma dagiti agsapsapul iti pagkamanganda manipud iti pannakatagaboda.
Dios ni Ester, Naomi ken Ruth, patibkerem dagiti agsapusapul iti pagkamanganda a kas pamilya.
Dios ni David, Elija ken Jeremias, salaknibam koma dagiti agsapsapul iti pagkamanganda manipud iti kinariribuk.
Dios ni Ezekiel, Ezra ken Nehemiah, andingayemkadi dagiti agkalkalikagum iti pagtaenganda.
Dios ni Jesus, Maria ken Jose. makipinnagnaka kadi kadagiti amin nga agbirbiruk iti pagkamanganda iti daytoy a gundaway.
Iti nagan daydiay a kamangmi ken awan pagkamanganna.
Amen.

 

Ministry of Music OR Congregational Hymn: O HOLY NIGHT

Focus Moment: “What is on God’s Christmas List?”

What is a manger? How would it feel to sleep in one?

What do you know about shepherds? Why do you think they were obedient to the angels?

How might the shepherds have acted around the baby Jesus?

Why do you think the Wise Ones followed the star?

 

Hymn: “Star-Child”   CCS 420

Message: Based on Luke 1:26-38

Disciples’ Generous Response

Scripture Reading: Doctrine and Covenants 163:9

Ti napudno nga adalan ket adda kenkuana iti isusungbat iti ad-adda a pannakaammona iti kinaparabur ti Dios kenkuana babaen iti panangibingayna kas agtaud iti pusona; saan a gapu ta daytoy ket maysa a bilin. Mawaya-wayaankayo kayo koma manipud kadagiti nakaugalianyo nga iti ipangpangrunana ket iti laeng bukod nga interest. Mangipaay kayo koma manipud iti pudpudno a kabaelanyo. Ti agnanayon a rag-o ken kappia ket adda nga agur-uray kadagiti rumangrang-ay iti kinaparaburda nga agayos manipud kadagiti naasi a puso nga awan iti panangnamnamana iti subad dagiti aramidna. Adda kadi pay nasaysayaat ngem iti daytoy iti sangwanan ti Dios, a nangipaay iti amin para iti sangaparsuaan?

 

Story: Maawistayo a mangibingay iti pannakariknatayo iti rag-o kabayatan iti intayo panagur-uray iti pannakaiyanak iti mesias.

           

Statement

Ita a gundaway iti Disciples’ Generous Response tayo, ipaay tayo koma iti focus iti intayo panangiyannatup kadagiti puspusotayo iti puso ti Apo. Dagiti datontayo ket napategda a saan laeng a tapno magun-od tayo iti budget nga agpaay iti misyon ti iglesia no di ket dagitoy ket kas panagyamantayo iti namateryalan iti Dios nga isu met laeng iti pagtataudan iti isu-amin nga adda kadatayo.

Ket iti intayo panangibingay kadagiti datontayo, usarentayo koma ngarud daytoy a gundaway tapno agyaman iti kenkuana gapu iti naindaklan a sagotna iti biag ti tunggal maysa kadatayo. Ad-adda iti panagrang-ay dagiti puspusotayo no siyayamantayo iti Dios a sumungbat babaen iti intayo panangibiag iti misyon ni Jesu-Kristo.  

 

Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes

Closing Hymn: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” CCS 423

Benediction

Response

Postlude

 

398 Hope Is a Light

 

Hope is a light,
hope is a light.
Hope is a light to show the way,
hope is a light to show the way.
Light the candle of hope,
light the candle of hope.

 

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.

 

 

Love is a gift,
love is a gift.
Love is a gift our hearts can give,
love is a gift our hearts can give.
Light the candle of love,
light the candle of love.

 

Joy is a song,
joy is a song.
Joy is a song for all to sing,
joy is a song for all to sing.
Light the candle of joy,
light the candle of joy.

 

408 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.

Joy to the world; the Savior reigns;
let all their songs employ
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

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.

O HOLY NIGHT

 

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth

Long lay the world, in sin and error pining

'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

 

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees

 

O hear the angels' voices

O night divine

O night when Christ was born

O night divine

O night O night divine

Intro

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees

O hear the angels' voices

 

O night divine

O night when Christ was born

O night divine

O night O night divine

***

Fall on your knees

O hear the angels' voices

O night divine

O night when Christ was born

O night divine

O night O night divine

***

O night divine

O night O night divine

 

420 Star-Child

Star-Child, earth-Child,
go-between of God,
love Child, Christ Child,
heaven’s lightning rod:

this year, this year
let the day arrive
when Christmas comes
for everyone, everyone alive!

Street child, beat child,
no place left to go,
hurt child, used child,
no one wants to know:

Grown child, old child,
mem’ry full of years,
sad child, lost child,
story told in tears:

Spared child, spoiled child,
having, wanting more,
wise child, faith child,
knowing joy in store:

Hope-for-peace Child,
God’s stupendous sign,
down-to-earth Child,
Star of stars that shine:

75 Kum ba yah, Seigneur

Melody
Kum ba yah, Seigneur, kum ba ya.
Kum ba yah, Seigneur, kum ba ya.
Kum ba yah, Seigneur, kum ba ya.
Ô Seigneur, kum ba ya.

Advent of Peace

 

10 December 2023

Second Sunday of Advent (Peace)

Mark 1:1-8

Advent of Peace

 

Additional Scriptures

Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalms 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Doctrine and Covenants 162:7a

 

Advent Worship Setting

Create an arrangement of five candles as the focus. This can be in a wreath, mixed with greenery, or other decorations as space allows. Traditional colors for the candles are three purple, one pink (Joy), and one white (Christ); or choose your own colors. Each Sunday the previous candles are lit before the service starts, and one additional candle is lit during the lighting of the Advent Candle. The Christ candle is lit on Christmas Day. For a hybrid service, encourage those watching from home to create their own Advent setting.

 

The Focus Moment involves a narrator, the angel, Gabriel, Mary, and Joseph. This will take a bit of preparation, as Gabriel and Mary will be pantomiming what the narrator is reading. A large, gift-wrapped box, with the lid wrapped separately, will be used.

 

Outreach International has a free resource for Advent that could be used in place of the Focus Moment at Outreach-International.org/how-to-help/resources/advent-stable.

 

Prelude

 

Carols of the Season

“Comfort, Comfort Now My People”                                                                        CCS 407

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”                                                                       CCS 415

 

Welcome

 

Call to Worship

            Isaiah 40:1-5

 

Lighting the Advent Candle of Peace        

Light the Hope candle from last week before the service starts.

           

Responsive Reading

In the spectacular and glorious colors of a brilliant sunrise, in the cheerful laughter or memory of a table full of friends or family, in a moment of intuition that turns on the light of discernment and leads us toward wisdom, we find the peace that passes all understanding. But there are things we need to think about, ideas we need to comprehend. May we be attuned to hear the stories of those who stumble and struggle to find peace.

 

Peace is what the prophets foretold. Peace is what is sacrificed when profit takes precedence.

 

In this second week of Advent, as the waiting and expectation heighten, our desire for peace deepens. Like the wise called to journey in those early dawning days, may we seek, endeavor, and search for peace. Like the prophets old and new, may we cry out for its coming.

 

All: We light a candle for peace. May it light the way.

 

Light a second candle.

 

 

Song of Peaceful Invitation                                                                                        CCS 75

                                    “Kum Ba Yah”

Piano and guitar accompaniment can be found free online.

                        Stanza 1: Kum Ba Yah

                        Stanza 2: Come by Here

                        Stanza 3: (We) Sing of Peace

Invocation

 

Congregation’s Sung Response

            Sing “Come by Here” one more time.

 

Spiritual Practice: Breath Prayer

Today we will practice a breath prayer. I will guide you through every step, pausing to let you develop your prayer.

Place your feet flat on the floor. Sit as straight as is comfortable.

 

Pause after each instruction.

 

·         Place a hand on your abdomen. Feel your stomach move away from the spine as you inhale and feel it move toward the spine with the exhale.

·         With the next inhale, breathe peace into the body. With the next exhale, breathe stress out of the body.

·         Focus on your feet and ankles. With the next inhale, breathe peace into this area. With the exhale breathe out stress from this area.

·         Next come the calves and shins. Breathe peace into these areas. With the exhale breathe out stress from these areas.

·         Inhale peace into the knees and thighs. Exhale the stress.

·         Spend a few breaths focusing on the lower body, inhaling peace from the waist down. Exhale stress from the lower body.

·         Focus on the lower back and stomach: Inhale peace, exhale stress.

·         Spend three breaths inhaling peace and exhaling stress from every part of the body from the chest down.

·         Now focus on your chest, middle back, and upper back. See the peace and air traveling into the lungs and spreading all throughout this area. See the stress leave as you exhale.

·         Notice your fingers, hands, and wrists. Inhale peace. Exhale stress.

·         Notice your forearms and elbows. Inhale peace. Exhale stress.

·         Spend three breaths inhaling peace and exhaling stress from everywhere below the neck.

·         Notice your neck—all the way around. Inhale peace. Exhale stress.

·         Notice the area around the ears, and the back and top of your head. Inhale peace. Exhale stress.

·         Now focus on your face. Inhale peace. Exhale the stress.

·         Inhale peace. Let it spread throughout your body.

·         Exhale stress from every part of you. Spend three breaths focusing on your body.

·         One last time, inhale peace. Exhale stress.
Amen.

                       

Move directly into the Prayer for Peace.

 

Prayer for Peace

            Light the Peace Candle.

           

Prayer

God of reconciliation and grace,
you promise us a world where all is new,
where love is born when hope is gone,
where broken relationships are restored to wholeness.

May we live as people who know your story of love,
and may we have the vision to imagine what could be possible if we dared to live this story.

God of abundant life,
may we be witnesses of love, hope, and peace,
and co-creators of the upside-down kin-dom for this world.

Amen.

 

Hymn of Peace

                        “Peace Child”                                                                                                 CCS 402

OR “O God of Love, Grant Us Your Peace”                                                  CCS 316

OR “Peace Salaam Shalom”                                                                           CCS 310

Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.

 

Focus Moment: “What Is on God’s Christmas List?”

Cast: Narrator, Gabriel, and Mary

Preparation: On the worship center is a large gift-wrapped box (wrap the lid separately)

 

Gabriel is on the rostrum. While the narrator reads the text below, Mary enters. She and Gabriel pantomime the reading together.

 

Narrator:       This story began when I was sent to tell Mary she had been selected to be the mother of a special baby. I said, “Mary, you’ve been chosen to give birth to God’s Son.” She was really surprised and wondered what was going on. “Me? I’m so young! I’ve never been a mother before!” But I reassured her she shouldn’t be afraid—that everything would be OK. I told her she was to name the baby boy, “Jesus.” Mary replied, “I will do as God pleases, for I am God’s servant. God can use me in this special way. This will be my gift to God.”

 

Gabriel and Mary freeze while the narrator discusses this portion of the Christmas story.

·         Why do you think God sent Gabriel to Mary?

·         Put yourselves in Mary’s place. What do you think she is feeling?

·         Mary accepts and agrees to what Gabriel has spoken. What do you think gave her the courage?

 

Then Gabriel and Mary resume their pantomime while the narrator reads the final paragraph.

 

Narrator:       So, what do you think is on God’s Christmas list? What would God want for Christmas? It’s in that big box, but we can’t look yet! I’m sure it’s really great, but we have to wait…

                                                —Herald House Scripture-Based Focus Moments, adapted

HeraldHouse.org/search?q=scripture+based+focus+moments

 

 

Hymn of Waiting

            “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”                                                                                 CCS 394

            OR “God Almighty, We Are Waiting”                                                                      CCS 397

 

Morning Message

            Based on Mark 1:1-8

            OR Video

A “Witness the Word” sermon, based on Mark 1:1-8, by Emily Penrose McLaughlin, is available at Youtube.com/watch?v=iVSIEP5FAKs and Heraldhouse.org/collections/ digital-media-witness-the-word/products/witness-the-word-following-christs-footsteps-mp4-video-download.

 

Disciples’ Generous Response

            Scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 162: 7a-b

 

Statement

We are called to share our bounty so that others might know the joy of God’s kingdom. We look outside the walls of this building, the walls of our homes, the walls of our screens, the walls we build to protect us from things we are afraid of. The needs of people in our own neighborhoods, our own cities, and around the world are great. People yearn to feel God’s peace. How will you make a difference this Advent season?

 

During the Disciples’ Generous Response, we focus on aligning our heart with God’s heart. Our offerings are more than meeting budgets or funding mission. Through our offerings we can join in making God’s work visible in the world.  

 

As we share our mission tithes either by placing money in the plates or through eTithing, use this time to thank God for the many gifts received in life. Our hearts grow aligned with God’s when we gratefully receive and faithfully respond by living Christ’s mission. 

 

If your congregation is meeting online, remind participants they can give through CofChrist.org/give or through eTithing.org (consider showing these URLs on screen).

 

Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes

 

Closing Hymn                       

                        “Blessed Be the God of Israel”                                                                       CCS 396

                        OR “Canticle of the Turning”                                                                         CCS 404

                        OR “O Little Town of Bethlehem”                                                                 CCS 434

 

Response

 

Postlude