Call To Worship
We confess the supremacy of God in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken and Sung Call to Worship (Congregation sings bold print words.)
READING FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT
These seven prayers, known as “The O Antiphons,” originated as early as the 6th century. They were used during the last seven days of Advent, December 17-23, at Vespers (evening prayers), with the Christmas celebration beginning on the evening of December 24 (Christmas Eve).
These prayers take their subject matter from the Old Testament prophets and their New Testament fulfillment in Christ. These reflections on the promises that Jesus fulfilled build anticipation for celebrating his birth at Christmas.
O Wisdom, who proceeds from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching out mightily from end to end
and sweetly arranging all things:
Come to teach us the way of prudence.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And cause us in her ways to go.
O Mighty Lord, and leader of the house of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the burning bush,
and on Sinai gave him the law:
Come to redeem us with outstretched arm.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of Might!
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times did give the law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
O Root of Jesus, who stands as a sign for the people,
kings stand silent in your presence,
whom the nations will worship:
Come to set us free, and delay no longer.
O come, Thou Root of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel,
you open, and no one shuts, you shut, and no one opens:
Come, and lead the prisoner from jail,
seated in darkness and in the shadow of death.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
O Rising Sun,
splendor of eternal light, and sun of justice:
Come, and shine on those, seated in darkness
and in the shadow of death.
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine Advent here:
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
O King of the Nations, and the one they desired,
keystone, who makes both peoples one:
Come and save mankind,
whom you shaped from the mud.
O come, Desire of nations, bind,
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
O Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver,
the one awaited by the Gentiles,
and their Savior:
Come to save us, Lord our God.
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 thee, O Israel!
Our Sung Call to Worship
O Come, O Come Emmanuel (incorporated in above prayers with more verses and in different order)
Confession
We confess our need for mercy through both responsive reading and song.
Our Spoken Confession
From the Worship Sourcebook
Lord Christ,
we confess our willingness to be loved
but also our reluctance to love.
We confess our readiness to accept your forgiving love
but also our refusal to forgive.
We confess our eagerness to grasp your offer of redeeming love
but also our resistance to follow you without question.
In this Advent time, forgive us our failure
to respond as we should.
Come to us anew, and by your grace, assist us to receive you
with joy, as the shepherds;
with gratitude, as Simeon;
with obedience, as Mary;
with love, as you have loved us.
Even so: come, Lord Jesus.
Amen.
TIME OF SILENT CONFESSION
Our Sung Confession
The First Nowell
Assurance and Peace
We profess our assurance of salvation and peace in Christ through both responsive reading and song.
Remember the Gospel
From Luke 2:8-14 (KJV)
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Our Sung Profession of Assurance
Gentle Mary Laid Her Child
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
Thanksgiving and Petition
We Give Thanks in Prayer and Offer Petitions to God
We express our gratitude to God our Father for Christ’s work on the cross for us and bring our requests before him. In bringing our requests, we confess that we believe God truly is a good father, who cares about our needs and gives us what he knows is best.
We Give Thanks by Giving
We give financial offerings to support the work of the church because of our gratitude to God. By giving we confess we are trusting in God’s provision for us as well.
On the first Sunday of each month we have two offerings—one for the general fund and a second one for the benevolence ministry of our church.
We Give Thanks in Song
Joy to the World
Scripture Reading
Philippians 2:5-8
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon
Philippians 2:5-8
Sending
Having heard and confessed the Gospel, we are sent into the world on mission in Christ, which we express in both song and spoken word.
Sending Song
O Come All Ye Faithful
Blessing
From Romans 15:12-13 (CSB17)
Isaiah says,
“The root of Jesse will appear,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in him.”
Now may the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.