- Dec 21, 2024
- 8 min read
Veradale United Church of Christ
An Open & Affirming Congregation
Worshiping God in Christ – Welcoming All –
Working for Justice & Peace
“No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey,
you are welcome here!”
Fourth Sunday of Advent December 22, 2024 • 10:30 a.m.
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10:20 Gathering and Prelude
Wayne Shull, Music Director
Charlie Salt, AV
Joe McSwain, Usher
Jerry Brines, Usher
Tom Cuilla, Usher Coordinator
Naomi Hanvey, Scripture reader
Sue Ferrozzo Candle lighter
Hana, Henry, and Pastor, Fellowship Set-Up
Naomi, Hana, Henry, and Pastor, Fellowship Clean-up
Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor
Rev. Genavieve Heywood, Pastor
10:30am Worship begins
Entrance of Light
We welcome the light of Hope, Peace, and Joy.
Land Acknowledgement
We worship on the unceded traditional territory of the Spokane, Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Coeur d’Alene, and other tribes. We acknowledge the history of indigenous genocide, removal, and erasure that continues to this day. We recognize the role that Christian communities played in these injustices, and we recommit ourselves to seeking more peaceful, just, and neighborly ways of sharing this land with all who call it home.
Community Affirmation
God loves us . . . all the time! All the time . . . God loves us!
Service and Fellowship Opportunities
Tuesday: Christmas Eve Candlelight 7pm
Cookie Potluck!
No Bible Study Monday
Silent Prayer, Tuesday 9:00 to 9:30am
No String-A-Lings, Sing-A-Lings, Bling-A-Lings, or Ding-A-Lings
Community giving this month: Birthday Kits
Opening Hymn
*Hymn: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” 144 (NCH)
1 Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King: peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with the angelic hosts proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King”
2 Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, offspring of young Mary's womb: veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel. [Refrain]
3 Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. [Refrain]
Lighting of the Candle of Love
Joe: “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
Message from Joe
Prayer at the lighting of the Love:
All: Loving God, help us to welcome your love in our lives. Cleanse all guilt, shame, and resentment from our lives that your love may heal us. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen
Community Prayer
“In our Prayers” 125 (Sing) In our prayers, in our hearts, in our prayers, in our hearts, God in your grace, hear our prayers, God in your grace, O God, hear our prayers.
Prayers of Gratitude
“God in your grace, O God, hear our prayers.”
Prayers of Concern
“God in your grace, O God, hear our prayers.”
Silent Prayer
“God in your grace, O God, hear our prayers.”
The Lord’s Prayer use the translation which is meaningful to you or
Our Father (Creator) 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.
Response: 161 (NCH) refrain only
A-men. A-men. A-men. A-men.
A Time of Offering
An Invitation to Share
Special Music: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day Ding-A-Lings
Offering Acclamation Hymn # 132 (NCH)v. 3
Christ rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of God’s righteousness and wonders of God’s love, and wonders of God’s love, and wonders, wonders of God’s love.
Dedication prayer:
Loving God, let your hope, peace, joy, and love light our way as we offer our time, talent, and treasure to sharing the way of Jesus. May the love of our witness be felt by all. Amen
Listening for God
Choir: The Gift of Love
Narrator, Naomi Hanvey: God created us, all of us, in God’s image and with the hope that we may one day reach our potential to love and care for creation as God does. The prophets and saints, our ancestors in faith, have carried this story through the ages. As it is written in John’s Gospel
John 1:1-5 read by Naomi Hanvey
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through the Word, and without this Word, not one thing came into being. What has come into being in the Word was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
Choir: Carol for Advent
Narrator, Naomi Hanvey: This is a holy mystery – God who is beyond all our imagining, comes as one with us. God’s Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. God’s Word is Jesus and he shows us the way to fulfill God’s vision declared through his mother Mary.
Luke 1:39-55, read by Naomi Hanvey
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be[a] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name; indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
ALL: “My Heart Sings Out” 106 (NCH) vs 1 and 2
My heart sings out with joyful praise to God who raises me, who came to me when I was low and changed by destiny. The Holy One, the Living God, is always full of grace to those who seek their Maker’s will in every time and place.
The arm of God is strong and just to scatter all the proud. The tyrants tumble from their thrones and vanish in a cloud. The hungry all are satisfied; the rich are sent away. The poor of Earth who suffer long will welcome God’s new day.
Narrator, Naomi Hanvey: Jesus comes to us, born poor with a manger for a cradle.
ALL and String-A-Lings: “Away in a Manger” verses 1 and 2 in Carol Booklet
Away in a manger no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes. I love thee Lord Jesus, look down from the sky and stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
Narrator, Naomi Hanvey: The Gospel of Luke 2:8-10
Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: continues the revelation of God’s solidarity with the least among us when God sends angels to the shepherds in the fields and not to the powerful of the world.
Choir: Carol of the Little Shepherd
Narrator, Naomi Hanvey: The Gospel of Luke continues the revelation of God’s solidarity with the least among us when God sends angels to the shepherds in the fields and not to the powerful of the world. When we sing “angels WE have heard” we join with the company of shepherds and we, too, listen in awe to the Good News that God is with us.
ALL and String-A-Lings: “Angels We have Heard on High” 125( NCH)
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!
Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be which inspire our heavenly song? Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Come to Bethlehem and see Christ Whose birth the angels sing; Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
See Him in a manger laid, Whom the choirs of angels praise; Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, While our hearts in love we raise. Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Message: Don’t be Afraid
Meditation in Music
Reminder about Announcements and Appreciation for Music
Our Light moves into the World God Loves
* ALL and String-A-Lings: “Silent Night, Holy Night” Strings Music
1. 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.
2. Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight; Glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!
3. Silent night, holy 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.
4. Silent night, holy night, wondrous star, lead Thy light. With the angels let us sing Al-le-lu-ia to our King. Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!
Benediction
Community affirmation
Be Yourself.
Grow in Christ.
Live with Compassion.
Go Now in Peace Ding-A-Lings
All sing: Go now in love, go now in peace; serve the Lord in all you do. Follow the way of the Lord ‘til we meet again. May God’s love guide and protect you, surround you in all you do; may peace be within you ‘till we meet again.
(interlude)
Go now in love, go now in peace; serve the Lord in all you do. Follow the way of the Lord. Go in love. Go in peace. Amen
