This is an opportunity for you and your family to join with our church family as we joyfully anticipate the celebration of our Savior’s birth. Worship together with us as we read the ancient Scripture texts, sing Advent hymns and enjoy choral selections. Please join us at 6:00 p.m. on December 6.
PRELUDE
PROCESSIONAL HYMN – ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY
The congregation stands following the conclusion of the prelude, so that all may be silent when the hymn starts. All join in singing the last four verses of the hymn.
Solo Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.
Choir 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, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.
All And through all his wondrous childhood
He would honor and obey,
Love, and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms he lay,
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as he.
All 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.
All Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see him; but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
When like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around.
BIDDING PRAYER
(Congregation remains standing)
Pastor:
Beloved in Christ, at the beginning of this Advent Season, be it our care and delight to prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the angels: in heart and mind to focus on the wonder of God’s promised redemption through his own dear son.
Let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first days of our disobedience unto the glorious Redemption brought us by this Holy Child, and His final glorious appearing.
We bless you, our God, Mighty sovereign power, you do not forget your children.
We bless you, our God, for your great gifts to us: creation – fragile and fascinating, Scripture – revealing your truth.
And you bless us with your forgiving love, with the vision of your kingdom, shedding light in our darkness.
Bless us and disturb us God with that vision of your kingdom, and as we voice our hopes to you now, may they strengthen us, reassure us and move us.
We pray for those caught up in wars around the world; soldiers, refugees and those who hold fast to the reasons for the fighting. (Silence)
We pray for the homeless excluded from what the rest of us are doing, cold, struggling to keep a hold of who they are. (Silence)
We pray for those who are ill, coping with pain, fearing the worst, and for health professionals who plan for the future. (Silence)
We pray for those people struggling in relationships, especially at this “family time,” when the cracks are kept just below the surface. (Silence)
In the mess of this world a fragile child will come crying in the night for his mother, needing milk and clean linen.
We pin our hopes on you, little baby, our God, pushed out into the world, through pain and into poverty.
Our God is with us and our hope is reborn as together we offer this prayer
All:
Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that 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.
Pastor:
The Almighty God bless us with his grace; Christ give us the joys of everlasting life; and unto the fellowship of the citizens above may the Lord Jesus bring us all. Amen.
HYMN – THE ADVENT OF OUR GOD
Sung by choir and congregation
All The Advent of our God
With eager hearts we greet;
And we must praise Him in this hour
With hymns and anthems sweet.
All glory to the Son,
Who comes to set us free
With Father, Spirit, ever One
Through all eternity.
FIRST LESSON
God tells sinful Adam that he has lost the life of Paradise and that his seed will bruise the serpent’s head. Genesis 3:8-15
THEN the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head; and you will strike his heel.”
CAROL – ADVENT CAROL
Sung by choir
Drop down dew, O gracious heaven!
Let the clouds rain down the Just!
Let the earth bud forth the Savior!
In thy promise, Lord, we trust”
Thus the patriarchs were crying,
When the earth in bondage sighing
Sought in vain for heaven’s gate,
Closed by sin and Satan’s hate.
God the Father in his mercy
Planned to save our fallen race,
Whilst the burden of our sinning
God the Son deigned to embrace.
God the Spirit gave his token
Through the Virgin who had spoken
“Lo thy handmaid, Lord, has heard,
Work in me thy wondrous word.”
Then the Son took man’s frail nature,
Was made flesh and dwelled on earth.
Life and Light with grace abundant
He bestowed of priceless worth.
Earth, rejoice, exult with gladness
A new Sun dispels our sadness,
Let us then our voices raise,
Let us sing our Savior’s praise.
(PLUS SEVEN MORE LESSONS – JOIN US!!!)
