Gather Us In by Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity Inspired by Zephaniah 3:14-20
December 12, 2021 The Third Sunday of Advent
Joy
ORDER OF SERVICE Prelude
THE LIGHT
Welcome Announcements Advent Candle Lighting Call to Worship Opening Hymn Joys and Concerns Offering Pass The Peace
THE WORD
Prayer of Illumination Scripture Reading Scripture Response Sermon
THE TABLE
Communion Hymn Communion Benediction/Light Of Christ Closing Hymn Music Director ...... Mitzi Benfield Pastor ...... Rev. Richard Vreeland
Postlude
Green Chalice Moment I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas • Buy Less Not
all
give are
gifts
more
have
while
personal
Examples: goods. give
be
or
less
by
-You
giving
can
gifts
that
unique.
Homemade
bulbs
store-bought
spending
and
Potted
garden
to
edibles,
plants
also
starter
handmade
make
plants
of
great
your
cards
gifts,
and
or
favorite
crops
• Services Instead of Goods Gifts
of
service
resources
and
Examples: for
require
are
very
Massages,
household
little
no
personal
car
chores
or
wash,
use
and
of
natural
memorable.
book
of
coupons
…
• Buy smart: think ‘green’ Look
for
artisan
locally
made
gifts.
shops
are
a
come
without
the
added
Many
individuals
and
developed
great
that
reduce
helps
promoting available
the
good
source costs
small
products the
Local
of
for
of
using
fairs
gifts
and
that
transportation.
businesses
waste
concept
craft
have
recycled
stream
making
materials
while
best
use
of
material
• Lower the impact of holiday lighting Use
LED
lights
lighting.
Turn
decorative lights
will
for
off
house
tree
lighting also
lights
at
save
and
Christmas
and
bedtime.
tree
outdoor
Outdoor
house mini
energy.
• Reuse/recycle Reuse
or
bubble the
wrap.
paper
smaller too.
recycle
material
for
in
packing
it
can
Christmas
that
have
composting. your
Green
materials
unwrapping
reuse;
trees for
locations
Source:
When
presents.
Live
gift
large
often
be
trees
been Look
cut for
neighborhood.
Chalice
Newsletter
such
gifts, cut
can are tree
be a
and
save
down
for
recycled useful
drop-off
Candle Lighting Liturgy Greg:
Joy
is
seeing
people
apart.Joy
is
hearing,
you
“Come
love
on
after
over,
it
months
has
been
too
long!”
All: Joy is the stretches and giggles of a newborn child. Greg:
Joy
is
making
it
home
when
the
journey
is
long.
All: Joy is your dog sliding to meet you at the door. Greg:
Joy
is
the
energy
of
a
new
season.
All: Joy is feeling found when you thought you were lost. Greg: the
So
today
welcome
we
God
light
has
the
for
candle
us
is
of
joy,
nothing
because
short
of
joyful.
All: Rest in that good news. Let it wash over you. Greg: Family of faith, we are close to home. Amen.
Candle Lighting Hymn "The Candle of Hope" (
LYONS:
tune
of
"O
2015
Worship
by
the
Carolyn
King")
Winfrey
by
Carolyn
Gillette,
©
Gillette.
1.
The
candle
of
that We
wait
for
Christ
hope
the a
in
we
Lord
future,
his
glory
light
is
in
coming
this in
now
hidden
will
make
hour
proclaims
power.
from
all
view,
things
when
new.
2.
The
plan; Our
candle
the
wolf
of
will
guns
and
our
give
way
to
peace lie
shines
down
and
weapons,
gardens
dwell
our
that
bright
with
hatred
heal
with
and
and
God's
the
lamb.
war,
will
restore.
3.
The
candle at
The
proud
will
kingdom
of
joy
work be is
reminds to
do
a
humbled; one
of
us new
the
sing,
for
God
is
thing.
lowly
delight
to
and
will
rise.
surprise.
God's
CALL TO WORSHIP One:
A
voice
calls
out
in
the
wilderness.
ALL: It sings of a home for all. It speaks of justice and peace. One:
We
could
choose
to
ignore
it.
ALL: We could drown out that song. We could choose not to listen. One:
Instead,
we
come
into
this
space.
ALL: We let the world grow quiet. We listen. One: you
A
voice
hear
calls
out
in
the
wilderness.
Do
it?
ALL: We hear it. In listening, we worship. One:
Let
us
draw
near
to
God.
SCRIPTURE LUKE 3:1-18 In
the
fifteenth
Tiberius, Judea,
when
and
brother
Philip
high
word the
of
around
the
repentance as
it
is
prophet
He
Isaiah,
reign was
of
ruler
John
of
and
son
into
of
all
a
forgiveness
of
book
of
Emperor
governor
of
the
of
and
his
Ituraea
Abilene,
and
during
Caiaphas,
the
Zechariah
in
the
proclaiming
the
of
Galilee,
region
Annas
went
the in
of
to
Jordan,
written
the
Lysanias
came
for
ruler
of
priesthood
wilderness.
the
Pilate
was
ruler
and
God
of
Pontius
Herod
Trachonitis, the
year
region
baptism
of
sins, words
of
the
SCRIPTURE “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
LUKE 3:1-18
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Worship Through Song Opening Hymn
"John Proclaimed It: "Change Your Lives!"" (MENDELSSOHN:
tune
of
"Hark
the
Herald
Angels
Sing")
Text: Carolyn Gillette, © 2018 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette.
John proclaimed it: "Change your lives! Brood of vipers, be baptized! Who warned you to flee what's near?
There is
wrath that's coming here. God has called you! Have you heard?
God has
said a mighty word! Listen, people! Turn from wrong.
Turn around
and sing God's song. Seek God's justice! Pave the way!
God is
bringing this new day."
People asked him, "How can we turn and serve God faithfully?" John responded, "Be the good in your home and neighborhood." God has called you! Have you heard?
God has
said a mighty word! Listen, people! Turn from wrong.
Turn around
and sing God's song. Seek God's justice! Pave the way! bringing this new day."
God is
Opening Hymn cont'd "Have
two
coats? poor
Spread
God's
one
be
greedy,
people!
and
wanting hurt
Turn
and
and
seek
there's
and Listen
go
shivering
joy
where Don't
Now
with
the
there. to
bring
justice
suffering. more.
the
from
sing
share
Don't
use
threats
poor.
wrong.
God's
Turn
around
song.
Seek
God's
justice!
bringing
Pave
this
the
new
way!
God
is
day."
Scripture Response "Hymn #121 "Prepare the Way of the Lord"
Berthier/Community of Taize' © 1984 Les Presses de Taizé; used by permission of GIA Publications, Inc.
Prepare the way of the Lord. Prepare the way of the Lord, And all people will see the salvation of our God.
Repeat).
(
Communion Hymn "Home is Home, However Lowly" (BEACH SPRING) by Arthur Arnott (Hymn #663 "The Songbook of the Salvation Army" pub. 1986 The Salvation Army
1.
Home
is
home,
however
when Home
is
home
love
when
ne'er Jesus
makes
our
is
a
spot
home
a
battling
through
shelter 2.
To
a
little
Tender
hearts
were
there
humble There
they
His 3.
Let
us
the
sacred
make
our
Each
the
other's
joy
In
the
storm
of
life's
tempest
just
the
Him
with
loved
in
the
a
to
evening
there
gladness,
would
the
there
rest.
threshold
of
the
city
fair, each
the
others
share.
affliction
let
us
seek
the
balm,
remember
storm
the
blessed.
the
Heavenly In
in
home's
Jesus
possessing,
deep
day,
sadness,
He
and
burden
sacred
day.
form
bright
has
storm.
for
Him
home
earth
way;
the
meal
sweet
fair.
long
the
His
worshipped
holy,
Bethany
dispelled
is
warm;
waiting of
Jesus
so
the
in
wend
are
heaven,
from
home
home
there.
hearts
fireside After
lowly,
a
prayer
calm.
will
make
Closing Hymn Hymn #143 "Joy to the World!" (ANTIOCH)
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 world, the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
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.
GIVING THANKS
Your generosity helps us to continue our outreach into the community. Your support allows us to help people in need of money for food, rent, and utilities. It also allows us to provide space for the Girl Scouts and other community groups. It is only through your donations that we can continue the work begun by Jesus. Thank You.
We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. As part of the one Body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord’s Table as God has welcomed us.
Out of our call to “do justice” (Micah 6:8), we strive to demonstrate the fullness of God’s shalom through living out our faith by caring for God’s creation. . Setting a place at the table for persons of all gender expressions and sexual orientations.
We are committed to being a ProReconciling/Anti-Racist Ministry. We seek to deepen our understanding of systemic racism, as Christ compels us to advocate for justice, fairness and equality within our world.
CONTACT US OFFICE : 257
Cooper
Winterville,
St NC
28590
PHONE : 252.756.2898
PASTOR: Rev.
Richard
G
Vreeland
EMAIL : pastor@wintervillechristian.org
WEBSITE : wintervillechristian.org