MORE PEOPLE, MORE LIKE CHRIST
9:00AM/10:30AM Services
December 7, 2025
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Sunday, December 7, 2025 9:00AM & 10:30AM
PLEASE SILENCE OR PLACE YOUR CELL PHONE ON VIBRATE.
GATHERING
PRELUDE
WORDS OF WELCOME
ADVENT WREATH CANDLE LIGHTING AND CALL TO WORSHIP
9:00AM Tom and Melissa Masles
10:30AM Brad and Kirsten Ghaster
Reader 1: Today is the second Sunday in the season of Advent. Advent means “coming,” and in this season we prepare for the coming of Christ. We light the candles on the Advent wreath to remind us of the blessings that Christ brings to the world.
Reader 2: Today we light the second candle of the Advent wreath, the candle of PEACE. The Scriptures declare, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
Congregation: “The Peace of Christ restores us.”
LIGHTING OF THE CANDLE OF PEACE
*PRAYER OF INVOCATION
Reader 1: God of peace, form us into your peacemakers. Fill our hearts with Your peace, and our lives with Your love, that these may flow from our lives and into our world. We pray that the lost and those living in darkness will turn to You and find an unshakable peace that nothing else in this world can offer. For we ask this in Jesus’ precious name and the true source of our peace. Amen.
Reader 2: Come let us stand and worship the Lord as we raise our voices in song.
*HYMN
*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.
*GLORY BE TO THE FATHER
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
O God of all the earth, we bow before You with prayers of praise and thanksgiving and confession of our sins. There is little peace on earth, much less in our own hearts. You have given your Son for our salvation, but our sinfulness has not ceased. You have proclaimed Your love for us, but we have often felt unloved and been unloving. Forgive our sinning, we pray, and in Jesus raise us to the newness of life. Give us, O God, such love and wonder, that with shepherds and wise men and pilgrims unknown, we may come to adore the holy child, the promised King and Prince of Peace, and with our gifts worship Him, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON (1
John 1:9)
Leader: If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Therefore, let us assure one another of God’s pardon.
All: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God.
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
Leader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God!
Luke 1:26-38 (Mary)
Page 1457 Pew Bible
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.
OFFERINGS OF THE PEOPLE
OFFERTORY
To a Maid Engaged to Joseph Gracia Grindal Chancel Choir; Micah White, soloist arr. Daniel Shorb
To a maid engaged to Joseph, the angel Gabriel came. “Fear not,” the angel told her, “I come to bring good news, good news I come to tell you, good news, I say, good news.”
“For you are highly favored by God the Lord of all, who even now is with you. You are on earth most blest, you are most blest, most blessed, God chose you, you are blest!”
But Mary was most troubled to hear the angel’s word. What was the angel saying? It troubled her to hear, to hear the angel’s message, it troubled her to hear.
*DOXOLOGY
“Fear not, for God is with you, and you shall bear a child. His name shall be called Jesus, God’s offspring from on high. And he shall reign forever, forever reign on high.”
“How shall this be,” said Mary, “I am not yet a wife.”
The angel answered quickly, “The pow’r of the Most High will come upon you shortly, your child will be God’s child.”
As Mary heard the angel, she wondered at his words. “Behold, I am your handmaid,” she said unto her God. So be it; I am ready according to your word.”
LASST UNS ERFREUEN
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
SCRIPTURE John 14:15-27
SERMON “Peace!”
THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
Page 1536 Pew Bible
Rev. Jim Noble
All who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and have been baptized are welcome to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Children who have been baptized and instructed in its meaning are also welcome to partake. There are gluten free options available at the usher stand.
Please hold the bread, so that all may commune together, but drink the cup when served.
*HYMN Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing
GOING
*BENEDICTION & RESPONSE Now unto Him
*POSTLUDE
Today’s flowers are given in memory of George and “Birdie” Pasenelli, from Mary Catherine Schneider, George’s daughter.
Today’s flowers are given in memory of George and “Birdie” Pasenelli, from Mary Catherine Schneider, George’s daughter. Matthew 1:18-24 (Joseph) and 1 John 4:7-21
