December 18 Order of Service and Announcements

9:00am/10:30am Services December 18, 2022 MORE PEOPLE, MORE LIKE CHRIST

Isaiah 11:1-10 Romans 5:1-11

“Prepare the Way of the Lord: The Love Revealed”

DECEMBER 18 Address: 34605 N. Tom Darlington Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85266 Office phone: (480) 488-3384 / Fax: (480) 488-0850 Facebook: Desert Hills Presbyterian Church (Scottsdale, AZ) YouTube: “Desert Hills Presbyterian Church” Instagram: Follow us @DesertHillsPres Website: www.deserthills.org

SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY Sunday, December 18, 2022 9:00am & 10:30am

GATHERING PRELUDE WORDS OF WELCOME *CALL TO WORSHIP Leader:

We are waiting on God. We are still waiting.

People:

The darkness is deeper, but look! The star is beginning to shine.

The everlasting light is creeping closer.

Hope is in the air. Peace is promised. Joy is on the tips of our tongues.

Leader:

Love is coming. Love divine, all loves excelling.

People:

We are waiting on love. And Love is waiting on us.

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION *HYMN #648

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (Apostles’ Creed) I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost, The holy catholic church, The communion of saints, The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting. Amen. *HYMN #245, v. 2

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING

PRAYER OF CONFESSION Loving and faithful God, during this season of Advent, we celebrate that Jesus has come, and that He promises to come again! Jesus came to bring light and hope, but our hearts are often shrouded by darkness and despair. Jesus came to bring joy and peace, but our hearts are often encased by sorrow and turmoil. Jesus came to bring life and love, but our hearts are often hardened by resistance and contempt. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, we open our hearts in confession to be cleansed from our sinfulness and to be restored to the image of Jesus, in whose name we pray.

Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON (John 3:16-17) Leader:

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Therefore, let us assure one another of God’s pardon.

All:

In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God.

ANTHEM

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming German carol, 16th century Chancel Choir Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming Isaiah ‘twas foretold it, From tender stem hath sprung!

The Rose I have in mind: Of Jesse’s lineage coming, With Mary we behold it, By faithful prophets sung.

The virgin mother kind.

It came, a Flow’ret bright, To show God’s love aright Amid the cold of winter She bore for us a Savior When half-spent was the night.

When half-spent was the night.

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION Spirit of God, speak once again through the Words of Scripture that our listening ears may hear Your voice. Help us to place Your Word in our minds, treasure it in our hearts, choose it with our wills, and live it through our bodies. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

SCRIPTURE 1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.

7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:1-10 NIV

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

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Leader: All:

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God!

CARING PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE 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 debts, as 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 forever. Amen. *HYMN #185

Jesus Loves Me

OFFERINGS OF THE PEOPLE OFFERTORY

Mary, Did You Know?

Marge Sutton, Richard Cook, soloists

*DOXOLOGY #815

OLD HUNDREDTH

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

GROWING SCRIPTURE Romans 5:1-11 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

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Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

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SERMON *HYMN # 278, vs. 1 & 3

“Prepare the Way of the Lord: The Love Revealed” Angels We Have Heard on High

Rev. Jim Noble

GOING *BENEDICTION & RESPONSE

*POSTLUDE

Now unto Him

Fuga sopra il Magnificat, BWV 733 Dr. Natalie Mealey, organ

#234

J.S. Bach

PRAYER REQUESTS ASSISTED LIVING & HOMEBOUND: Anne Wellington(9), Yvonne Banducci BEREAVEMENT PRAYER FOR FAMILY/FRIENDS: Patrick Ferrell (Mary Kay and John Thurston), Su Fong, Betty Shoults, Carolyn Sturrus.

HEALING: Nancy Taylor(6), Tom Purnell(13), Steve Haver(13), Ruth Blakeslee(8), Chris Scotti(5), Paul Meredith(7), Nancy Miles, Bill Hanley, Debbie Roam (#) Parish Shepherd MILITARY: Mathew Croteau, Austin Ast, Charles Porter, Kenn Mattson, Ben Williamsz, Ryan Richard, Isaiah Skinner, Isaac Corbett, Chanteal Williams Dotson, Ethan Groce, Clark Benham, Conrad McDermott, Graham Benham, Christopher Bingham, Cade Brennan, Joshua Fielder, Elizabeth Fricker, Gregory Fricker, Joseph Galaviz, Cherise (nee Harry) Smallcanyon, Aaron Heinricks, Ryan Leavitt, Kate Miller, Jonathan Mulder, Chris Skinner, Tyrus Smedes, and Kyle Reimer, Fred Alcantu.

IN NEED OF PRAYER? DO YOU HAVE A JOY TO SHARE? We are here to pray for you and with you.

Our Sunday Prayer team believes in the power of prayer. Look for one of us with a purple lanyard throughout the church grounds before or after each church service. We will pray with you and/or fill out a prayer request card for continual prayer.

Please submit your prayer request online at deserthills.org/request-prayer/

WALKING BESIDE MINISTRY It can be difficult to hold onto our faith when things go wrong. Sometimes when we are suffering, we are so overwhelmed by emotion that we cannot function as we normally would. And the holidays can be one of the most challenging times of the year, emotionally and spiritually.

Our team is here to walk alongside you to listen, care, encourage, pray, and provide support. We extend Christ’s love, peace, and hope in a confidential relationship. Give one of us a call; we would love to show you where and how Christ is at work.

Barb Conti Laurann Cook Kurt Koch

Thea Miller Sara Sebransky DHPC Office

(480) 419-8232 (714) 270-8121 (630) 721-9348 (480) 620-8632 (480) 888-6192 (480) 488-3384

Beverley Keele Shirley Klein Joe Gilleland Steve Haver Moon Kahn

(843) 540-9514 (602) 881-0936 (480) 575-8406 (602) 625-0159 (480) 391-2034