Second Sunday of Advent

December 6, 2015

Gathering Meditations…

“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” Martin Luther King Jr.

“Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are.” -- Hafsat Abiola

*Please rise in body or spirit Prelude Welcome, Ways of Discipleship *Call to Worship: L: Welcome, today to this time of preparation. P: Although we have been preparing for celebrations, we come seeking to prepare our hearts to receive God's Good News. L: Get ready! The Lord is bringing to us Hope and Peace. P: How wonderful it is that the Lord is showering us with Peace. L: Open your hearts and let your spirits be quieted. Be at peace with the Lord. P: Lord, prepare our lives and bring us peace. AMEN. *Opening Hymn #196 “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” Lighting the Advent Wreath One: Last Sunday we lit the first candle—the candle of hope. …God is present, gently leading us to new possibilities. (Light candles of hope and peace.) All: Loving God, in this time of preparation and planning, we thank you for the hope and peace you unfailingly offer us. Show us the creative power of hope. Teach us the peace that comes from justice. Prepare our hearts to be transformed by you that we may walk in the light of Christ. Congregational Response #2090 Advent Candle Song, verse 2 Time with Our Young Disciples (Children please come forward to the Chancel. Afterwards you may go to Sunday school classes.) Old Testament Reading Isaiah 9:2, 6-9 Message Peace- Strength to Hold On! Rev Susan Oeffler

A Life-Giving Christmas, part 2

Anthem (Moundville) “Is Your Heart Prepared for a King?” Sharing Our Joys and Prayer Concerns

Prayer of Confession Lord, hear us this day as we open our hearts and our spirits to you. These times in which we live are often confusing and fearful. We are pushed to make preparations for a season which is supposed to bring hope and peace; yet we crowd it with obligations and stresses and shut the door to your healing love and compassion. You answer our fears with your voice, "Peace, be still". Help us to hear you. Slow us down. Encourage us to look around at situations and people who are in need and to place our focus on helping them. For it is in helping your people and reaching out in love that we will find true peace.

Silent Prayers

Pastoral Prayer

Invitation to Stewardship

Offertory

*Doxology -- Praise God from whom all blessing flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*Prayer of Dedication

Invitation to Great Thanksgiving

(Trinity United Parish churches welcome all people to the Lord’s Table. The sacrament of Holy Communion is God’s gift to us made possible through Christ. If you would like to receive

communion in your pew, please let an usher know so we may bring communion to you.)

L: May the God of Advent be with you! P: And also with you! L: Lift your hearts to God. P: We lift them to the One who comes with hope. L: Join in glad songs of thanksgiving. P: Our voices resound in glad praises to our God. L: You spoke the Word and days came tumbling out, […]We praise you, for you have not for-gotten us, joining our voices with those of every day and place: P: Holy, holy, holy are you, God of our days. All creation is the sign of your wonder. Ho-sanna in the highest! Blessed is the Teacher who comes to us. Hosanna in the highest! L: Faithful is who you are, our God, and your steadfast love. […] As we begin our journey to Bethlehem, as we celebrate your coming to us in Jesus, we proclaim that mystery we know as faith: P: Christ died, for 'the Lord is our righteousness;' Christ rose, for 'the Lord is our salva-tion;' Christ will come, for 'the Lord is our hope.' L: Pour out your Spirit upon these Advent peoples…

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.

Giving and Receiving the Bread and Cup

*Closing Hymn #240 “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing”

*Benediction

*Postlude

Key Ideas and Take Home Reflections:

1. If peace were to show up at your door, what would it look like? ______________________

2. How are you keeping Christ the main character in your life this week? ________________

3. How does focusing on Jesus give you peace? ____________________________________

4. Think of a situation where you desire peace, either in your life or in the world. Prayerfully ask God to guide you in doing something this week to strive for peace. _____________________

5. “We need to work hard as individuals to try to treat others as we would want to be treated – the golden rule. And if we all do that, peace is attainable,” Marvin Chickering. Consider how this statement could affect your daily life: _____________________________________________

Isaiah 9: 2, 6-7

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light on those living in the land of deep dark-

ness a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will

be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Fa-

ther, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will

reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and

righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Matthew 3:11-12 The Message (MSG)

“I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action

comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ig-

nite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from

the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place every-

thing true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be

burned.”

www.trinityunitedparish.org tuparish@gmail.com P.O. Box 36, Briggsville, WI 53920

(608) 981-2500

Rev. Susan Oeffler cell (608) 617 - 8149 home (608)340-5340 preachersue@yahoo.com

Office Hours: Tuesday 8:30 -3; Thursday 8:30 - 2:30 pm

Worship Times: Briggsville United Methodist Church, 8:30am Moundville United Methodist Church, 9:30am

Trinity Endeavor United Church of Christ, 10:45am

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

6 No Briggsville Sunday School today, practice Christmas program 9:30—10

Endeavor UCC Helping Hands Guild 9:30

Choir Practice after fellowship at Moundville

7

Pastor

Sue off

8 9 Youth Group 6—8 pm

10 SPRC 6:30, Moundville

Charge Conference Moundville UMC 7 pm

11 12 Jim Martin 11 am memorial service @ Briggsville UMC

13

Endeavor UCC pancake breakfast, 8:30—10:30

Briggsville Sunday School, 9:30—10 today

Choir Practice after fellowship at Moundville

14

Pastor

Sue off

15 Women’s Ministry Night: A Vintage Christmas @ the Parsonage, 6 pm

16 Sharing Supper 5-6:30, Endeavor Elementary School

17 Service @ Heritage House 1-2 pm

18 19 Briggsville Sunday School Christmas program practice, 9 am

20 Sunday School Christmas program, B’ville, during 8:30 am worship service

Caroling with St. Mary’s, meet at Briggsville UMC at 1 pm to carpool, return by 4 pm for soup supper

21

Pastor

Sue off

22 23 24 Christmas Eve service, Children’s Program Moundville, 4 pm

Candlelight service, Endeavor, 6 pm

Candlelight service, Briggsville, 7:30 pm

25

Christmas

26

27 28

Pastor

Sue off

29 30 31 1 New Years Day

2

December 2015

Loose change offering this month

will benefit Budda Box an organization that provides

assistance to Marquette County individuals

who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Thank you to all who participated in

the Briggsville Sunday School Blessing

Bag project. Twenty four filled blessing

bags were distributed at the homeless

shelter in Milwaukee.

Spread cheer with Dec. 20 caroling

Briggsville UMC will join with St. Mary’s

Catholic Church for a caroling party on Dec.

20. Meet at Briggsville UMC church at 1

pm to carpool to various homes in the area,

bringing Christmas joy to those who may

not be able to leave their homes. The group

will return to Briggsville UMC for a soup

supper about 4 pm.

All-Church Conference Dec 10 Trinity United Parish All Church Conference will

be held on Thursday, Dec. 10 at Moundville

UMC at 7 pm. Church Conference is the annual

meeting of the churches in which all members

can come, speak their voice, and vote. Reports

from various groups in

the churches are pre-

sented and voted on,

and it is a time of re-

view and reflection that

presents a backdrop

from which to move

forward in the new year.

Women’s Ministry Night

“A Vintage Christmas”

Tuesday, Dec 15th at 6:00 p.m.

at Pastor Sue’s home

(parsonage)

What’s better than an evening with other

women sharing their love for Christmas! I am

excited to share my love of Christmas with

you. Please join me for a special evening ca-

tered just for women. We will share Christmas

traditions, foods and embrace a bit of nostal-

gia. Please bring your favorite Christmas dish

to share. Guests are welcome. Please RSVP to

Pastor Sue by Monday, Dec 14th. Rides can

be arranged for non-night drivers.

On Wednesday, Jan. 27 there will be an open meeting at Briggsville UMC at 7 pm to review and discuss the 2016 budget. The finance committee en-courages all church members to attend in order to better understand what the expenses will be for 2016.

Jim Donovan will be in the fellowship room

at Briggsville UMC today following worship

to conduct FREE blood pressure checks.