First Presbyterian Church A Church of Good Neighbors

 

Worship for all of God’s PeopleTHIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT - LOVEFEAST December 11, 2016 10:30 AM

We Gather in God’s Presence PRELUDE Mary’s Song

Chris Eaton & Amy Grant/arr. Carol Tornquist

Lighting of the candles – David Marshall, acolyteAs the worship leaders and acolyte process,

let us pause as we begin our worship. 

OUR LIFE TOGETHER…During the announcements, please fill out the

“Welcome Sheets” and any prayers you would like to share this morning. Pass them to the outside of your pew to be collected by the ushers during the Gathering Song.

 

SILENCE Be still and aware of God’s presence within and all around. 

GATHERING SONG Come, Come Emmanuel Hymn No. 91

 

Congregation and choir singing together 

Come, come Emmanuel. Come, Emmanuel.Come, come Emmanuel. Come, Emmanuel.

 

CALL TO WORSHIP - Lighting the Advent Wreath 

Watch and wait for Christ’s coming! We light candles of hope, peace, joy, and love, remembering the promises of God with prayer. We light this candle in hope. Light the first candle.

We light this candle for peace. Light the 2nd candle.

We light this candle in joy! Light the pink candle.  

Rejoice! For our Lord is coming into the darkness of oppression’s exile to lead us home, as we hear in Isaiah.

 

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.  

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.  

A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

(Isaiah 35:1-10)  

The Word of the Lord Come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!  

+ signifies, those who are able, please stand 

+CAROL No. 98 To a Maid Whose Name Was Mary Annunciation

 

+OPENING PRAYER AND CONFESSION 

Let us pray: Almighty God, Light of the world, you cause light to shine out of darkness, you continually open ways we are to prepare for Christ’s coming.We confess our unwillingness to see the light and to walk in your ways. We have not opened our eyes to the needs of others, and our feet have wandered from the paths of hope, peace, joy, and love.We ask, loving God, that the Spirit of Christ be born anew within us.God of promise, God of joy, into our darkness come. 

+ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE 

The living Christ loves us and shines in the dark corners or our lives where loneliness and hatred, apathy and suffering, greed and lust destroy. Christ comes to forgive us and shines in our livesHear the Good News, in Christ we are forgivenThanks be to God. 

+RESPONSE Light One Candle Hymn #85-stz 3 

Congregation and choir singing together

Light three candles to watch for Messiah: let the light banish darkness.Lift your heads and lift high the gateway for the King of glory. 

+PASSING THE PEACE 

God of Grace, awaken us to your glory, that our hearts may know your peace. May your joy flow through our words and actions.Let us offer Christ’s peace to one another.

 CAROL Morning Star, O Cheering Sight Hagen

Lydia Kushmaul, soloist

We Grow as We Listen to God’s Word MESSAGE FOR OUR CHILDREN

Congregation and choir singing together 

This, this is where children belong, welcomed as part of the worshiping throng.

Water, God’s word, bread and cup,prayer and song:

This is where children belong.– James Ritchie

 

Following the message, children 4 years old to 4th grade may go with their teachers to their Children’s Church. Nursery care is available for our youngest children.

 

GOSPEL READING: Luke 1:26-38 (NT pg. 56) 

ANTHEM The Magnificat Richard Jeffrey 

Magnificat anima mea Dominum! Magnificat anima mea Dominum! 

My Spirit finds joy in my Savior who raises me from my lowliness.All ages shall call me blessed. Magnificat… 

Holy is the name of God whose mercy flows from age to age.God has done mighty things for me. Magnificat… 

The strong right arm of God is known to move the mighty from their thrones,And to raise the lowly ones. Magnificat… 

To the poor God is bountiful. The rich are sent away in shame.Let the lowly ones rejoice! Magnificat… 

God has been good to Israel. Each generation of Abraham Has declared the glory of God. Magnificat… 

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,As it was, is and always shall be. Magnificat…

A READING Peggy Ambrose, Business Manager 

That first look into your mother’s eyes; the love you beheld looking back at you. Were you

both enthralled with each other? Her young arms that cradled you safely would embrace you again at your death, but this painful part of your life was hidden as you rested in her complete attention. Son of Mary, child of a pure-hearted mother, You are with us from birth through death, holding us the way your mother held you 

Joyce Rupp, Fragments of Your Ancient Name 

ANTHEM Once in Royal David’s City arr. Evelyn R. Larter(Cyndi Lorenc, soloist)

 

Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed; Mary, loving mother mild, Jesus Christ, her little child. 

He came down to earth from heaven who is God and Lord of all, And his shelter was a stable and his cradle was a stall. With the poor, the scorned, the lowly lived on earth our Savior holy. 

And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love; For that child so dear and gentle, is our Lord in heaven above; And he leads his children on to the place where he is gone.

A READING Rev. Robert Hagel, Pastor 

He came, quietly impossible,Out of a young girl’s womb,A love as amazingly marvelousAs his bursting from the tomb.

 

This child was fully human,This child was wholly God.The hands of All Love fashioned himOf mortal flesh and bone and blood,

 

The ordinary so extraordinaryThe stars shook in the skyAs the Lord of all the universeWas born to live, to love, to die.

 

He came, quietly impossible:Nothing will ever be the same:Jesus, the Light of every heart –The God we know by Name.

 

Madeleine L’Engle, “The ordinary so extraordinary” from Miracle on 10th Street

 

ANTHEM Christmas Rejoicing Douglas E. Wagner (Angel Ringers Handbells)

 We Give in Response to God’s Love

 PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS Offertory Carol Medley arr. Frank Milholland

(Lucille Miller, Piano) 

The Feast of Love 

CALL TO THE LOVEFEAST Rev. Don Ray, Pastoral Associate 

The Love Feast is a Christian fellowship meal recalling the meals Jesus shared with disciples during his ministry. Unlike Communion which we associate with the Last Supper, Love Feast is more like an everyday supper. Luke writes of Cleopas and his friend recognizing the risen Lord breaking bread with them. Evidently they at least once had eaten supper with Jesus and now knew him as they shared a meal with the risen Christ. They then went to share the good news with other followers of Jesus. Emory Steven Burke tells of his earliest memories of the Love Feast observed in the Central Pennsylvania churches served by his father. The Service included joyous hymns and anthems, uplifting Scriptures and persons sharing witness to God’s grace in their  

lives as they ate and drank together. “I never left one of those services without feeling a close fellowship with the people attending.” “There’s no substitute for a great love who says, ’No matter what’s wrong with you, you’re welcome at this table.’”

Tom HanksLET US KEEP THE FEAST 

CAROLS DURING THE LOVEFEAST 

Choir and congregation are invited to greet one another and to hum the carols aloud as the Lovefeast is shared.

Upon the hearing of “Go Tell It On the Mountain”, please bring the feast to a close and return to the pews.

 SONG OF CELEBRATION 

ANTHEM Joy to the World Isaac Watts/G.F. Handel arr. Keith Christopher

 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king! Let every heart prepare Him room and heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and heaven and nature sing. 

Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns, Let men their songs employ, While fields and floods, rocks hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy. 

No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make His blessing flow far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.

 

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.

Joy to the world! The Lord is come. Joy! Joy! 

+LOVEFEAST PRAYERPlease stand as we pray:Gracious God, you have loved us and blessed

us beyond our comprehension.As we sing songs of the season show us

the way to transformation.Teach us to sing joyful songs of praise, O God. Teach us to sing with notes formed by hopes and acts of justice. Teach us to sing with harmonies shaped by love’s wide embrace. Teach us to sing Mary’s song of birth and

rebirth for all creation. Amen. 

+THE LORD’S PRAYERIn unity and peace let us pray as Christ taught us.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 debtsas we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom,and the power, and the glory,now and forever. Amen.

We Go to Serve God’s World+ANTHEM Peace, Peace

Rick and Sylvia Powell/arr. Fred Bock(Chancel Choir, Congregation and Angel Ringers)

 

Choir alone: Peace, peace, peace on earth and good will to all. This is a time for joy, this is a time for love. Now let us all sing together of peace, peace, peace on earth. (Sung twice) 

Congregation: 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.

+CHARGE & BLESSING  

*POSTLUDE Angels We Have Heard On High Timothy Albrecht

  

This Morning’s Worship Leaders 

Liturgist: Tom StuartGreeters: Elaine Gallup (PL),

Ushers: Oliver and Rosie Hagel,

Gayle Schulte and Betsy Shepherd

THE LOVEFEAST 

Good Morning! We greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ on this third Sunday of

Advent, 2016. Our worship this morning is a witness to the love of the Christ in whom we share our lives with one another. Using all five of our senses, we hope you will experience the messages of Advent and Christmas in winsome and joyous ways today. We learn from the Book of Acts that when members of the early church gathered for prayer, the “breaking of bread” as an expression of their fellowship in Jesus Christ as well as of the equality of all people in the Lord’s sight, was foundational. These “little meals” within worship were called lovefeasts. They were feasts, not because of an abundance of food present, but because of the love that overflowed amidst the singing, praying, eating. These lovefeasts (from the Greek word for Christian love: “agape”) sometimes served as preparations for Holy Communion, which, in this congregation, we next shall celebrate on Christmas Eve. Over time, as congregations became larger and religion more “institutionalized,” the number of occasions on which lovefeasts were celebrated in the church diminished until, by the end of the fourth century, the tradition lay dormant. In 1727, Count Zinzendorf, the leader of the Moravian Church in Germany at that time, revived the lovefeast and it continues to this day to be an important element of Moravian worship. More than that, lovefeasts continue to attract many visitors from other denominations to Moravian services, as if there is a sort of “genetic remembering” in the lives of Christians of this treasured tradition of our long-ago mothers and fathers in the faith. Lovefeasts essentially are song services and so, today, much of the gospel to be communicated will be done via anthems and song-singing. During the course of our worship, we shall partake of a simple meal together by which we mean gratefully to rejoice in the love we share as sisters and brothers in Christ. A Lovefeast seeks to strengthen the bonds and the spirit of harmony, goodwill, and congeniality as well as to forgive past disputes and instead to love one another! We extend our heartfelt thanks to our choirs, soloists, and instrumentalists who add sacred rhythm, spirit, beauty, and deepened meaning to our worship services each week, and more so this Lovefeast Day. May you be richly blessed by the Spirit of the Living Christ.

- Bob, Don, Cindy & Peggy