Week of December 18th, 2022
Order of Service
Prelude
Announcements
Opening Prayer
Hymn of Praise: UMH #240 – “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing”
Advent Candle Lighting Liturgy: Give You a Sign
Leader 1: Isaiah said that the Lord spoke to the king and said, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven”. But when the king refused, God would not be stopped. “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.”
Leader 2: God wants us to know, even when we aren’t sure ourselves. God wants us to experience God’s presence, even when we think we can handle life on our own. God sends us signs of God’s presence with us; all we need to do is keep our eyes open and look.
Leader 1: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, “which means, ‘God is with us.’” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Leader 2: We light these candles, the candle of joyous hope, of proclaimed peace, of deep everlasting joy, and today of presence that speaks of love, as a sign that no matter our circumstance, we know we are not alone.
Contemporary Hymn: “Mary Did You Know” by Pentatonix
Celebration & Concerns of Church & Community
Pastoral Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Bringing to God our Tithes and Offerings
Prayer of Thanksgiving
New Testament Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Leader: The Word of God for the people of God
PEOPLE: Thanks be to God
Gloria Patri: UMH #70
The Word Proclaimed with Pastor Janet: “Hard Decisions”
Closing Hymn: UMH #234 – “O Come, All Ye Faithful” (verse 1)
Benediction
Announcements & Community Events
Bible Study & Sunday School: Join us Tuesday and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
Christmas Eve Service: Celebrate with us at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24th The service will also include communion. Thanks to all the Readers who have offered to help us out with the service.
Christmas Caroling: Thanks to all of those who braved the cold to share in the gift of music with many of our members.
Christmas Boxes & Angel Gifts: Such a blessing to those at this time of year. We even had a couple extra requests at the last minute. Thanks to all the willing helpers and gift givers to make this happen.
Birthdays:
Ann Nispel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-19
Dan Klotz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-21
Anniversaries:
None Noted
Serving You Today:
Pastor: Janet Sutter
Liturgist: Larry and Tammy Darter
Pianist: Cathy Wiedeman