Prelude
 
*Call to Worship         Isaiah 60:1-3
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Nations shall come to your light
and rulers to the brightness of your rising.       
 
*Hymn 134      Joy to the World, verses 1 and 2   
 
Prayer
Eternal God,
A thousand years in your sight are like a watch in the night.
As you have led us in days past, so guide us now and always,
that our hearts may learn to choose your will, and new resolves be strengthened.
Forgive what we have done that denies our devotion to you.
and forgive us for failing to do kindness in your name.
Set us free to love and serve you in this new year,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
 
Hymn  698      Take, O Take Me As I Am
Assurance of Forgiveness                              Romans 8:34
Hear the good news!
Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us.
The old life is gone and a new life has begun.
This is our peace.  Amen.
 
Old Testament Reading   Jeremiah 31:10-14
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading      John 1:1-18
The Morning Message
 
For this first Sunday in the New Year, I find a timely message by our old Scottish friend and scholar, William Barclay. This is his how he introduces the Gospel of John, the book from which our Scripture text comes today:
 
*“For many Christian people the Gospel according to St. John is the most precious book in the New Testament. It is the book on which above all they feed their minds, and nourish their hearts, and in which they rest their souls.”
 
Often, in the stained glass windows that grace so many churches, we find the gospel writers are represented in symbol by the figures of the four beasts whom the writer of Revelation saw around the throne of God.
 
A common symbol for Mark is a man. The gospel of Mark is the first gospel. It is the plainest and most straightforward of the gospels. The lion stands for Matthew, the most Jewish of the gospels. The author of Matthew saw Jesus as the Messiah and the Lion of Judah. The ox stands for Luke, because the ox is the animal of service and sacrifice, and Luke saw Jesus as the great servant and universal sacrifice for all humankind.
 
“The eagle stands for John, because of all living creatures, the eagle alone can look straight into the sun and not be dazzled, and John, of all the New Testament writers, has the most penetrating gaze into the eternal mysteries and the eternal truths, and into the very mind of God.  It is true that there are many people who find themselves closer to God and to Jesus Christ in John than in any other book in the world.”*
 
Last year I believed if we ever needed to start the year seeking a closer relationship with God, or seeking the mind of God, or asking for God’s help, it was certainly at the beginning of 2021. And now we stand at the beginning of 2022 and I’m convinced that we need God’s mind and strength even more.
 
Last spring we contracted for a kitchen overhaul. It was thirty years behind schedule, but, it kept falling to the bottom of our list of priorities. Our kitchen is very small but it is still the heart of our home. Conversations are lively and everyone likes to get their hands in the meal preparations. Even the grandkids.
 
The holidays give us plenty of opportunities to indulge in all our favorites. But right now, we need no more rich food. But what we do need now is an extra helping of something that will not add pounds, but will add value to our lives, and that is hope. Hope that the grave problems we encountered in the year just past, will be relieved, solved, conquered. Many in this country are recovering from weather gone wild and the destruction it left. Others are trying to recover from illness, maybe yet another strain of Covid. There are stresses on the economy and we all recognize that. The wat we educate the children and young people in this country is constantly changing, adapting to new information and revised protocol.
 
The news tells us there is an increase in conflict and violence across the country. We probably all have our takes on that. I feel safe in my neighborhood, secure, content. But, others can’t say that. Peace eludes them. 
 
In this new year, I hope with all my heart that the hatred and violence erupting in these United States, the mistrust and division, will come to a definitive end.
 
My sister accompanied our mother to a doctor’s appointment this week. As they left, the receptionist said, “We will see you in three weeks.” To which, my sister replied, “Oh, you’re very optimistic!” Because there have been a lot of doctor’s appointments recently. Three weeks seems like an eternity.
 
Optimism and hope. Is there a difference? Does it matter?
 
Drew Rick-Miller says the difference between hope and optimism is this:
“Hope, theologically speaking, is that “God will make a way where there is no way.” Optimism asserts that “things will get better and better.”
 
Could optimism be about this age, to use New Testament terminology, and hope refer to the age to come? If we take this view, then our present world, at its best, evokes optimism. Faith in Christ leads us to hope. And “hope does not disappoint because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5 and 8:12-25)
 
Presbyterian pastor and scholar Rev. Dr. Greg Cootsona offers some thoughts:
When we look at a year marked by the exposure of racism in America, political division, the demonization of science, and the deadly COVID pandemic-can we have either optimism or hope?
 
He says we can. As followers of Christ, we know that through Jesus, “the true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.” (John 1:9) And as we look around, we can see where many of those beams shine.
 
Cootsona is a member of the organization Science for the Church. He offers to us a glimpse of “places I’ve seen Christ’s light shining through science in an often dark era.”
 
The world witnessed the first vaccinations against COVID on December 8, 2020, in the United Kingdom. World-wide,           people have been vaccinated. And even though the medical folks are saying that we need to vaccinate more, there, is light, a glimpse of hope.
 
Cootsona recently participated in a forum about race, science, and faith,  One of the speakers posited by initiating meaningful, intentional relationships, and I understand that to mean cross-culturally, sparks ignite that create “pockets of possibility.”  Relationships can lead to real change.
 
One Thanksgiving, after my mother had married my stepfather, we noticed he was looking over the table as we all gathered around it. Later he told us that in his family, one of the favorite dishes was green bean casserole. Well, in my whole life, I don’t think I had eaten green bean casserole, but, you can bet it showed up at Christmas dinner. Why? Because it says, “You’re important and we want you to feel at home here.”
 
That’s how families and cultures change.
 
One of my favorite authors, Jan Karon, says that when opportunity knocks, it often comes dressed in overalls and looks like work. But, this work is the way of Christ and where we see the reign of God today. And that gives us hope that we really can change the world.
 
Awhile back, I saw an interview between a television reporter and a resident of an assisted living community. The man being interviewed was scheduled to receive the COVID vaccination that day, as all the residents were. He spoke at length about Peggy, his wife of forty years. They had been separated for seven months in different areas of the facility. Seven long, trying months. But, he said, that day, he felt hopeful, that they were re-discovering hope. The efforts of all the helpers along the way in getting that vaccine to the public, gave him hope that change was possible. He and his beloved Peggy may be reunited. You could hear the emotion in his voice. His wife has Parkinson’s disease. She needs a lot of help every day, help he wanted to give, because that’s what you do when you love someone for a lifetime. That day, he saw the possibility that they could live in the same small apartment again and resume the patterns long-established.
 
But he was careful to say that his positive attitude, his optimism and hope, were a direct result of the quality of the relationships found in that seniors community. The residents and staff pulled together for a common goal and supported one another through the long crisis. This winsome man’s testimony was beamed to millions of people, many who may well have been strengthened by his words.
 
I saw a glimpse of Christ’s light a few days ago when good news came that a cancer scare for one of my family members was just that, a scare. Today I am thanking God for medical procedures and equipment that reveal disease. And for medical professionals who take care to know their patients, and in whom patients place their trust.
 
Maybe you have witnessed Christ’s light shining in your life recently. Maybe Christ’s light shines through you. Maybe through you some people can see God.
 
I know I do.
 
*The Daily Study Bible, William Barclay, The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, first published by The Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1955.
 
 
*Hymn   134    Joy to the World, verses 3 and 4
 
*Affirmation of Faith             The Apostles’ Creed  p. 35
*Hymn  581        Gloria Patri
 
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, we come before you on this first Sunday of the New Year, asking you to illumine our hearts with the radiance of Christ’s presence, that our lives may show forth his love in this weary world. Teach us to befriend the lost, to serve the poor, to reconcile with our enemies, and to love our neighbors.
We lift to you our most urgent needs, for ourselves and others,
that hearts and minds in distress may be comforted, that bodies weakened by disease of any kind might be strengthened and made whole, that any fears may be relieved by the clarifying light of your Son. Give us such hope and purpose in this New Year, that we count every day’s labor as love and each day’s beauty as blessing.
Keep us faithful in your service until Christ comes again in glory.
In his name and after his manner, we pray, Our Father…Amen.”
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
*Hymn  606          Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
God of this and every day, you have sent your Son into the world to dispel all darkness. AS we bring our tithes and offerings today, transform them into light for all in need, including ourselves, for we are all in need of your love, your wisdom, and your grace. Amen.
 
*Hymn  110     Love Has Come     
 
*Blessing
Go now, and bear witness to the light so others might believe.
Since you are chosen in Christ,
live before him in love, holy and blameless.
Live with hope in Christ, for the praise of his glory.
And may God fill the earth with peace;
may Christ give you grace upon grace from his fullness;
and may the Holy Spirit, the pledge of your inheritance,
lead you on straight paths where you will not stumble.  Amen.   Laughingbird.net
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
 
*Call to Worship
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
We have beheld his glory and join our voices with the angel chorus singing,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace.”
 
*Hymn   113            Angels We Have Heard On High
 
*Affirmation of Faith      The Apostles’ Creed p. 35
*Hymn   581              Gloria Patri
 
Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, as we enter this new Christmas season and approach a new year, help us set aside our old ways of sin- indifference, apathy, anger, resentment, hostility, envy- and any other attitude or behavior that separates us from you, our community, and our global family. Help us to let go of the year now almost behind us and embrace each new opportunity Christ presents with hope.
 
*Hymn  698        Take, O Take Me As I Am
Assurance of Forgiveness
God loves us so much that God separates us from our sins as far as the east is from the west. God has forgiven us and set us free to live holy and joyful lives. Alleluia! Amen.
 
Scripture Reading   Psalm 148
Time With Our Young Disciples
 Gospel Reading     Luke 2:41-52
 
Twelve year olds can be curious and energetic and smart and a little bit smart aleck. Rude. They object a lot. Their feelings get hurt easily. They often have self-esteem issues.
We are about to gain a newborn granddaughter and a twelve year old grandson. We are learning that we will have to treat both of them gently when we visit.
For instance, the house my daughter and her partner have purchased is one to accommodate a growing family. It is three full floors and a ranch-sized yard. There’s lots of room for Benny, their goldendoodle, to romp. And the coolest thing about the house is a mother in law apartment.
Ed and I are thrilled aver that. We usually stay at the Holiday Inn Express afew blocks from Katy’s house. It’s nice and kind of our home away from home, but, staying at the house will be much more convenient and much less expensive.
There’s only one problem: the twelve-year-old had planned on taking up residence in the apartment. The news didn’t go over well when he was told that wasn’t going to happen.
Imagine the outcome of that conversation. Then add the sound of a slamming door.
The problem was not that he believed he is a privileged character and deserves the apartment. The problem is he has gained a certain level of competency and independence. Why shouldn’t he assume that he qualified to live on his own?
And that’s what comes to mind as I read this scripture text. Jesus is in the Temple? Where else would he be, he asks his parents. They could list a dozen places and how thoughtless he was to disappear without telling them his plans, or would it have been too much to ask for him to seek permission?
That’s probably how it would go at our house.
Thankfully, Mary and Joseph handle this issue better.
They listen as Jesus expresses an awareness of the call God has placed on his life. He describes four things that he must do. Four priorities. This is how Luke tells us the story of jesus.
Listen for the word, “must,” in the conversation. In this text, when Mary and Joseph find jesus in the temple, he says, “I must be in my Father’s house.” Later, in chapter four, when the people of Capernaum want him to stay awhile with them, he will say something similar: “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God in other cities also…for I was sent for this purpose.”
The second must-do jesus takes up is that he must engage in healing. He gets in trouble over his methods on this. He heals a woman on the Sabbath. The leader of the synagogue chastises the woman for seeking healing on the Sabbath and Jesus defends her and himself by pointing out exceptions to the rule if it’s done to relieve suffering.
And the third must-do is this:Jesus must eat with sinners. The most famous dinner companion in this gospel is Zacchaeus, the tax collector. The followers of Jesus would not expect Jesus to eat with Zaccheus or folks of his type, because tax collectors were collaborating with the Romans and the Romans were oppressing the Jews.
In all of these instances, Jesus is doing the unexpected. He reaches out to people he might not ordinarily have direct contact with. He encounters need and acts to relieve it. He runs into criticism. He holds his own. He defends himself and the even more vulnerable one who has received his attention his help.
But, perhaps the most important must-do Jesus takes care of is this:
Jesus has a close relationship with his mother. In that relationship we witness love and respect. And, Jesus has reached the moment in his life when he acknowledges that there are others with whom he will have relationships. And in all of these, Jesus is for us, but he does not belong to us. Jesus belongs to God.
The work Jesus must be about is not based on his mother’s priorities, or the synagogue leader’s, or anyone else’s. Jesus must do what God calls him to do. And what God calls him to do is bring release to the captives, healing for the suffering, and mercy and grace for those whose lives are broken by sin.
What happens that day with the twelve-year-old Jesus happens to anyone who is either a child or a parent.  Psychologically, we would call this differentiating. Jesus is differentiating himself from his parebts. He is living into his own identity. This is what healthy people do. But, oh, it can be painful.
Our youngest daughter attended a retreat with her Baptist friend. When we picked her up when the retreat ended, she bounced into the car and declared, “When Im 21, I’m going to become a Baptist!”
To which her big sister said, “That’s funny. When I turned 21, I bought cigarettes.” Both of them were differentiating. They weren’t going to be replicas of Mom or Dad. And that’s how it should be.
So, instead of being outraged that adolescent Jesus worries his parents then seems to show them disrespect, think about it. One of the most profound truths of Advent and Christmas is that Jesus, fully human, fully God, has come to live among us. He grows and matures and reaches developmental benchmarks just like our children. Like us, he is presented challenges, as are his parents. And, like us, his parents worry over his safety and well-being. I’m even betting they made a mistake or two like I have.
To me, this makes Jesus, Mary and Joseph more approachable, more like you and me. And that’s good news.
So, our soon-to-be grandson isn’t moving into his own place yet, but he’s growing up. He will find some way to differentiate, a way to forge his own identity. And his choices are not limited to becoming a Baptist or buying cigarettes.
It doesn’t really matter. He can be whoever he wants to be. But he can’t change who his parents are their love. And he will always be their son.
 
*Hymn  145        What Child Is This?
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
   including our contributions to support those in need in our community
*Hymn    607  Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
May these gifts offer healing and hope. May our lives reflect the generosity of your love,
and may our actions serve your will. In Jesus’ name and for his realm.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 147  The First Nowell      verses 1-3
 
*Blessing
Go now, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly;
clothe yourselves with love;
forgive one another;
and do everything you do in the name of Christ,
giving thanks to God.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
 
Lighting the Christ Candle
 Do not be afraid, for see-
 I am bringing you good news of great joy.
 To us is born this day in the city of David,
 a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
 This will be a sign for you:
 You will find the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.
 Tonight we light the Christ Candle to symbolize God’s promise fulfilled.
 For a Child has been born to us.
 A Son has been given to us.
 Authority rests upon his shoulders,
 and he is named
 Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
 
*Hymn   119             Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
*Affirmation of Faith        Apostles’ Creed p. 35
*Hymn   581                        Gloria Patri
 
First Reading          Isaiah 9:2-7
Gospel Reading      Luke 2:1-20
Homily
 
The Sacrament of Communion
 The Invitation, Words of Institution, Great Prayer of Thanksgiving,
 Distribution of the Elements
               Please come forward to receive the elements.
               Those who wish to remain seated will be served.
Prayer After Communion
Great God, as you came at night when all was still,
so enter our lives this night.
Illumine our paths with the light of Christ’s presence,
that we may clearly see the way before us,
the truth to speak,
and the life to live for him,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.  Amen.
 
Lighting Our Candles from the Christ Candle
 
*Hymn  122     Silent Night
 
*Blessing
Go now, singing a song to the God of our salvation.
Sing of God’s mighty acts and proclaim God’s glory.
Join the heavenly chorus and sing:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth, peace.”  Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Christmas Cantata

​Prelude
 
Lighting the Advent Wreath, the Candle of Love        Don and Becky Haddox
 
*Hymn  133     O Come, All Ye Faithful       
 
Prayer
God of grace,
You chose the Virgin Mary, full of grace, to be the mother of our Lord and Savior.
Though we have sinned and failed both you and our neighbors, we place ourselves before you in penitence, that you may fill us with your grace,
that with Mary, we may rejoice in your salvation, and in all things, embrace your will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn 698    Take, O Take Me As I Am
Assurance of Forgiveness
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. This is our Good News. This is our peace. Alleluia! Amen.
 
First Reading   2 Samuel 7: 8-16
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading
Morning Message
 
“We are all called to be Mothers of God, for God is always waiting to be born.” These are the words of Meister Eckart, 13th century philosopher.
 
Theologian Nancy Rockwell says, “She enters our Decembers with an angel, gloriously winged, who honors her. The moment is spellbinding. We are entranced by the arrival of this woman, Mary, on the stage of Christmas and in the story of God.”
 
I’ve spent considerable time lately looking at images of Mary-paintings, sculptures, old and archived, new and freshly created in photographs, digital art, and in a gazillion pictures on Pinterest. I’ve researched the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cloisters, the Met’s museum of medieval art. I was looking for a special sculpture I saw while visiting the Cloisters years ago. It was mounted on a wall. I was surprised by it and stood before it for a long time. Baby Jesus, plump and content, in the arms of his young, laughing mother.
 
There is an endless inventory of human interpretations of the central female figure of the Christian faith, the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, the one that some like to call, “the God-bearer.”
 
The images come in all forms and shapes: Marys representing the world’s races and cultures. I have a collection of nativity sets. I didn’t unpack all of them this year. There were no little ones visiting this year, no one whose eyes might light up in wonder. No one, asking with their eyes, if it’s ok to touch.
 
But, I did unpack a few. I’m always on alert for new ones or old ones that show up in new places. One day I was browsing the Habitat for Humanity Restore and spied a tiny nativity. I recognized the small unfired clay figures, hand-painted, and distinctively Peruvian. I have a few of the same type at home. I love the simple form and the expressions on the tiny faces. They were a mix of uncertainty and mirth.
 
And that’s one definition of joy for me: uncertainty and mirth. Surprise. Kind of like a bride and groom on their wedding day-excited, eager, a little uncomfortable in their formal clothes, expectations high, taking a courageous step into a season, a lifetime we hope, that is largely unknown. A step that is motivated and empowered and energized by love.
 
Surprised by Joy: the Shape of My Early Life, is the titile of C. S. Lewis’s autobiography.
Lewis’s purpose in writing this book was not primarily historical. It was to identify and describe the events surrounding his accidental discovery of, and consequent search for, the phenomenon he labled, “Joy.”
 
“Joy” was his best translation of the German word, sehnsucht, or longing, in English. This joy was so intensely good and so high up it could not be explained in words. He just knew it when it happened.
 
He says he was struck with what he called “stabs of joy” throughout his life.
Lewis eventually discovers the true nature of joy, born of the unconditional love of God. This discovery leads to an overwhelming conversion experience from atheism to Christianity.
 
Lewis writes that this sense of joy is like a signpost to those lost in the woods, pointing the way, and that its appearance is not as important “when we have found the road and are passing signposts every few miles.”
 
Lewis’s life was consumed by learning, though he did participate in civic endeavors. He also served in the armed forces as a young man. His mother gave him a love of reading. She taught him Latin at a young age. He was devastated by her death when he was only nine years old.
 
In his late teens, he shed the Christianity in which he had been raised, studied widely, and declared himself to be an atheist. But, still, there was something unresolved troubling him.
 
He continued his quest for joy. He called it the “inconsolable longing for the real Desirable.” As a child, his joy came though reading, writing, and drawing. In his youth, he discovered Wagner’s Ring Cycle and Norse mythology. As he matured, he realized that pleasure did not equate with joy, neither physical nor aesthetic, nor music, poetry, or intellectual gratification.
 
Lewis studied in public and private schools, eventually studying with a private teacher in preparation for Oxford. His teacher, Mr. Kirkpatrick, was an atheist, a rationalist, and a logician. Under his tutelage, Lewis read great works in their original languages.
 
It was a dear friend, Arthur, who urged him to read books written in English. He read the Brontes, Jane Austin, Donne, Milton, Spenser, Yeats, and others, including George MacDonald.
He began to revise some of his worldviews. Ultimately, George MacDonald, the Scottish author and theologian, gave him glimpses of something other than the material world, the world that is neither seen nor felt but stirs in the human heart.
 
“Unde hoc mihi.” Unfamiliar with that phrase? Me, too. It’s Latin. I had to look it up and found this meaning: “And whence is this to me?” Or, “And why is this granted to me?”
 
These are the very words exclaimed by Elizabeth upon Mary’s arrival at her home. Surprised by joy. As Mary was surprised, honored, and yet terrified, not quite believing that God should come to her, conceive his Son through her, bear a Savior into the world through her body and through her humility. She asks, “And why is this granted to me?”
 
Lewis writes, “As I was reading, two-thirds into George MacDonald’s autobiography, these words leapt out: “Unde hoc mihi?” And why is this granted to me? In the depth of my intellect, all this was given to me without asking, even without consent.” Just like Elizabeth. Just like Mary.
 
Lewis describes this moment, this epiphany, as “holiness.” He was converted from atheism to belief in God. Lewis said he was the “ most reluctant convert in all England.” He hated authority, he had a deep need for independence, and was unsure of the one he called, “the Transcendental Interferer.”
 
To accept the Incarnation brought God near. He wasn’t so sure he wanted God all that close. But when Lewis finally came to faith, he said he submitted to divine humility, the Incarnation, Emmauel. God with us. Born in humility and love.
 
I learned of Lewis’s story first in the beautiful and stirring movie, “Shadowlands.” Here was a man whose life had been devoted to intellectual pursuits. A bachelor of many years. If he had once believed in God, he had set that belief aside, probably a result of his mother’s death.
 
Like many of us, Lewis may have concluded that getting close to others involved way too much risk, too much pain. But, when God pried his heart open, he found the earthly example of God’s love for us: the love of another. In Lewis’s case, it was Joy Davidman, an American author, whom he married. Their time together was much too short, but, for a time, Clive Staples Lewis knew and lived and celebrated love.
 
C.S. Lewis is often quoted in Christian circles. He was known for his prolific writing in defense of the faith, and, of course, the Narnia stories enjoyed by all ages. The words are beautiful and poignant. I looked for an appropriate quote for this day, the fourth Sunday in Advent, the Sunday of Love:
 
Here is what I found:
“Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.”
The Last Battle” (1956)
May you all find that stable this year.   Merry Christmas.  Amen.             
 
*Affirmation of Faith            
We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God.
Jesus proclaimed the reign of God,
preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives,
teaching by word and deed
and blessing the children, healing the sick, and building up the brokenhearted,
eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel.
Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world.
God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal.
 
*Hymn  581     Gloria Patri            
 
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
We give you all thanks and praise, O God,
for your mercy embraces the faithful,
one generation to the next,
and your fidelity, for all ages.
You created the heavens and the earth,
and chose for yourself a covenant people,
bringing them from slavery to a land of their own.
In your servant, David, you established your rule
and promised his throne to the one
who would save your people and reign forever.
And now, the mystery kept secret for long ages
has been revealed to all the earth:
Your own Son, Jesus Christ,
is conceived by the Holy Spirit
in the womb of Mary
and emerges to claim the throne of his ancestor, David.
Though he was killed by the proud and powerful,
you have raised him up,
and with him, the humble of all the earth,
and of his reign there will be no end.
We seek to be his faithful witnesses,
bearing the gospel into the world,
caring for the sick, the weak, the rejected, the mourning, the lonely, and the lost,
and praying as he taught us saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
*Hymn 606   Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
 
*Hymn 134   Joy to the World
*Blessing
Go now, and celebrate God’s love all your days.
Give to Christ Jesus the obedience of faith,
offering yourself as the servant of the Lord
and allowing God’s Word to be fulfilled in you.
And may the only wise God establish you forever.
May the mysteries of Christ be conceived within you.
And may the Holy Spirit strengthen and encircle you.  Amen.
 
*Hymn  92      While We Are Waiting, Come   verse 1
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
 
Lighting the Candle of Joy           Robin McComas
 
*Hymn  113  Angels We Have heard On High          
 
Prayer
We come, O God, with thanksgiving and praise. Our anticipation grows as we approach the day of Jesus’ birth. Open our hearts that we may truly receive the gift of your Son, and know the joy of abundant life with you. Guard us from all sinful intentions and desires, so that by following Jesus, we may want for nothing but the joy of our salvation. Through Christ, who comes to make all things new.  Amen.
 
Hymn 698   Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Assurance of Forgiveness        Isaiah 43:19
God announces:
 “See I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”
God is sending his Son, a Savior, to make all things and all people new.
Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. Your sins are forgiven and be at peace.
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Scripture Reading              Luke 1:39-56
The Morning Message       Mary’s Song
 
*Hymn 105           People, Look East, verses 1-3       
 
*Affirmation of Faith    The Apostles’ Creed   p. 35
*Hymn 581   Gloria Patri
 
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Gracious God, we give thanks today for the gifts of love and life,
for the gift of joy that transcends this season and sustains us year-long,
for the gift of comfort when our joy is dimmed,
for the gifts of mercy, healing, and wholeness,
for the gifts of patience and serenity,
for the gift of hope as we prepare our hearts for the Savior’s birth.
As Christ has come to change our world,
we pray that he may be born in us afresh,
and that through the ministry and mission of the faithful of this age
the world may be re-shaped and renewed, and we may see your kingdom emerge among us.
Comfort your people who are in any distress, including those we name in our hearts, strengthen all caregivers, enable the faithful to persevere, enlighten those who govern that they may protect and provide for the local and global community.
Usher in your peace, that passes all understanding, and keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, in whose name we pray, saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
*Hymn 607    Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Lord God, as Mary presented herself as the means through which your Son would come to earth, we present ourselves, our intentions, and our treasure, that you may use us to bring the joy of your realm ever closer to the world you have made and love. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 105        People, Look East, verses 4 and 5
 
*Blessing
Go now, for you are chosen and sent in the Spirit.
Pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances.
Keep what is good, avoid every kind of evil.
To all in need bear witness that the time is come when yhe Sovereign Lord will save his people.
And may God who gives peace make you holy in every way.
May Christ Jesus clothe you with salvation and victory.
And may the Holy Spirit speak through you with the good news of life everlasting.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 92   While We Are Waiting, Come
                    While we are waiting, come.
                    While we are waiting, come.
                    Jesus, our Lord, Emmanuel,
                    while we are waiting, come. 
 
*Postlude   

Prelude
 
Lighting the Candle of Peace        Harold and Becky Bias   
 
*Hymn  88      O Come, O Come, Emmanuel      
   
Prayer of the Day
May this eternal truth be always on our hearts:
that the God who breathed this world into being,
placed the stars in the heavens,
and designed a butterfly’s wing…
is the God who entrusted his life
to the care of ordinary people
and became vulnerable that we might know
how strong is the power of Love…
a mystery so deep it is impossible to grasp,
a mystery so beautiful it is impossible to ignore.
May this beauty and mystery work within us, calling us to full lives- loving, serving, and growing in grace, as we seek and extend forgiveness in Jesus’ name.  Amen.
 
*Hymn 698   Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Friends, Jesus knows our hearts and our intentions. He is always more willing to forgive than we are ready to ask for help. With Christ’s help, any misguided steps can be corrected and turned around for good. Believe the good news of the gospel: in Jesus Christ your sins are forgiven. Be at peace.
 
First Reading     Malachi 3:1-6     
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
 Gospel Reading   Luke 3:1-6
 
The Morning Message
 
I read a story this week that captured the scripture readings in just the right way for us today.
The Rev, Nathaniel Phillips, of the Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan* writes that one summer he led a mission trip to his hometown in Maine. His group had a day off and they were headed to the beach for a day of rest, relaxation, and fellowship.
 
He writes, “My wife is there, too, with my five-year-old daughter and our baby who is just a few weeks old. My wife is driving our car to the lake and I am guiding the group so I am in the church van. I am riding as a passenger, offering directions to the driver on our way through town to the lake. We will have a picnic there, we’ll play Frisbee, we’ll swim.”
 
They must be much hardier than this preacher. Have you been to Maine? Even in the summer, it’s sweater weather.
 
Phillips continues with his story: “As this is my hometown, I’ve seen the Farmington roadside go by thousands of times, and I tell our driver to stay straight on Route 4 until we hit the next town. All the familiarity seeps in, I am drifting…”
 
“As we pass the diner, my eyes lock on the spinning blue lights of a police car. And there, in front of the diner, I see my wife. She is running with purpose around our car to the backseat where I know our three-week-old baby girl is strapped in. The police car is behind hers and the officer stands, looking helpless, next to the car. An ambulance brackets our vehicle from the front. Panic shoots through me. “That’s my wife,” I say to nobody in particular.
 
We need to turn around. We need to turn around!
 
The most dreadful possibilities race through his mind in the seconds it takes to turn around and go back to the scene. Was there an accident? Did the baby choke on something? And he prays, please God, let everything be OK.
 
And by turning around, they became fully informed about what had happened.
 
He says this incident reminds him of how we receive the good news about our lives and faith. People tend to talk about choosing to embrace the Christian faith, or any other faith, as though it is an intellectual exercise.
 
Our Reformed and Presbyterian understanding is that we don’t get to choose whether God loves us, but we do get to chose whether we will turn around from whatever path we are on, like Phillips turned the church van around that day in Maine, and live into that marvelous love of God.
 
We don’t get to decide whether God loves this or that person, whether or not they are worthy of love, but we do get to help the world turn around and live into that love. Living into God’s love should take us down the road that leads to peace. Going down that road often calls for change.
 
This is John’s message in the gospel text. He calls the people to repent, turn around, for the kingdom of heaven is near.  This account is also found in the gospel of Matthew. Matthew uses the Greek word, metanoia, which is translated “repent.” Meta means change and nous means mind. So, John is calling us to change our minds…go in another direction.
 
This idea of turning around is not new to our New Testament characters. In Hebrew, we find the word, shuv. It is translated “repent,” and it, too, means to turn around, to change our ways.
 
Recently, Ed and his brother were watching a basketball game. Their team was lagging behind. They were headed toward a loss when they should have been winning considering the team they were playing. I heard one of the spectators shout at the television, “You’ve got to turn this around, boys!”
 
Indeed, they needed to change their strategy before they were defeated. Apparently that was the message they heard in the locker room at half time. Because when they took the floor for the second half, they turned the game around and won it.
 
We aren’t all basketball players. But we all make decisions every day that define our lives. What kind of emotional climate do we set for the day? What face will we wear when we greet the other people who live in our home? How will we approach the day’s tasks? How will we respond to an emergency? Or a disappointment?  Or the evening news?
 
Most of us will not make decisions on the scale that the governor or President face each day. But we will be affected by their choices. We all hope our civic leaders take us down the road that leads to success, that brings us a sense of satisfaction and well-being.  Sometimes those choices bring us peace and order and sometimes they produce anxiety.
 
We make decisions every day. We hope to do good, right?  We have worthy intentions. We interact with others all the time. Again, we have honorable motives. Here’s what I hope you will take away today: we don’t always get it right. And if we don’t, we can make it right by turning things around. And if we can’t turn things around, we can still seek forgiveness. God’s mercies are new every morning and sure as the sunrise.
 
When we lay our heads on our pillows at night, we don’t want to toss and turn, worrying about the day’s events, the day’s choices. We want rest. We need peace.
 
What are some ways we can find peace now, today? I can only speak for myself. I’ll crack the door on the climate in our house. I have been known to wait until everyone goes to bed and then clean the house, or do the laundry or some other task because it is unacceptable to me to go to bed if there are dishes in the sink or crumbs on the floor. I am as addicted to neatness as some are to alcohol. I have learned that they are both destructive. Both are methods that are meant to ease anxiety. But, in reality, both rob their practitioners of peace.
 
Frederick Buechner reminds us that, “The real turning point in our lives is less likely to be the day we win the election or get married, than the morning we decide to mail the letter or the afternoon we watch the woods fill up with snow. The real turning point in human history is less apt to be the day the wheel is invented or Rome falls, than the day a child is born in a stable.”
 
Can you imagine, if we had been in that church van in Maine the day Nathaniel Phillips saw his wife’s car surrounded by emergency vehicles? We, too would have been compelled to stop and turn around. We would have turned around for that baby.
 
And we would have found what Nathaniel did that day: that the baby had worked herself up into such a lather that his wife was concentrating more on taking care of the baby’s needs than the speed she was driving. We’ve probably all been there. She was near the diner when a police officer pulled her over. She pulled into the diner parking lot right behind an ambulance already parked there. Apparently the EMTs were taking their breakfast break.
 
Nathaniel was compelled to turn around so he could be with his wife and children that morning in Maine. He had to turn around.
 
So, what about us? Can we turn around from whatever is distracting us to be fully present for the baby in the manger? When will we stop, turn around, and think about the life of that baby? Will we consider how he grew in wisdom and stature, accepted his mission from God, his father, and eventually exchanged his swaddling clothes for a robe that was gambled over and a crown of thorns on the head his mother had kissed?
 
These things he did for us. These things he did for love. These things he did to bring us peace. And even if we don’t choose him, he chooses us. His arms are always open. In them we will always find our home.
 
May it be so for all of us.  Amen.
 
*Affirmation of Faith   The Apostles’ Creed  p. 35
*Hymn   581                  Gloria Patri
 
 
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
O God, our Peace,
On this Sunday of preparation, this Sunday that celebrates your peace,
help us so to live that peace may be found in our lives, homes, workplaces, and our church.
May we do our part to usher in peace in the world and in the Village of Barboursville.
Where we have sinned, move us to repentance,
and help us to muster the courage to make amends with those we’ve harmed in thought, word, or deed. Where others have sinned against us, may we find a sense of forgiveness and trust that you will reconcile all things in your time.
We pray for all those who face violence daily, for all in need, for those near and far away who are sick or troubled, for all suffering due to the pandemic, for those who mourn, for all leaders everywhere, that they may seek the welfare of the city, nation, and the world.
Make us all new in the One to whom John pointed, Jesus, our Savior and friend,
praying as he taught us, saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings, including our pledges for mission and ministry in 2022.
*Hymn  607     Doxology
*Prayer of Dedication
Most Generous God,
You have entrusted us with gifts and asked us to use them in advancing your kingdom.
And, so, today, we bring gifts and pledges for the coming year.
We offer ourselves, our lives, our hopes and fears,
our dollars and our hours.
We commit ourselves to work for your world, to love and serve and celebrate wherever you call.
We ask your blessing on this church, seeking to follow you in Jesus’ name and in his manner, that our gifts and our efforts may multiply and we might grow in faith, hope, and love.  Amen.
 
*Hymn  106   Prepare the Way, O Zion    
*Blessing
Go now: wait and work for the coming of the Lord.
In the wild places prepare a straight path for our God.
Lead lives of holiness and godliness,
strive to be found at peace,
and speak freely of the Lord’s comfort and promise.
And may God, our shepherd, gather you in loving arms,
may Christ Jesus reconcile justice and peace within you;
and may the Spirit fill you with holy intentions.
 
*Hymn 91    While We Are Waiting, Come     verse 1
*Postlude

​Prelude
Lighting the Candle of Hope                                                Steve and Karen Gold
 
*Hymn   82     Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus                     
 
Prayer of Confession
God of the future, you are coming in power to bring all nations under your rule.
We confess that we have not expected your kingdom, for we live causal lives, ignoring your promised judgment. We accept lies as truth, exploit neighbors, abuse the earth, and refuse your justice and peace. In your mercy, forgive us. Grant us wisdom to welcome your way, and to seek things that will endure when Christ comes to judge the world.
 
Hymn 698      Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Assurance of Pardon
Surely God is our salvation, we will trust in God and not be afraid, for the Lord God is our Strength and Might. Shout aloud and sing for joy…for great in our midst is the Holy One of Zion, and he will save the people from their sins. Know you are forgiven and be at peace.
 
Old Testament Reading        Jeremiah 33: 14-16
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Gospel Reading                    Luke 1:1-4, 26-38
The Morning Message
 
The days are getting shorter and darkness comes earlier now as we approach winter. I’m not especially fond of it. I’d ike to stay on daylight Savings Time year-round.
 
When I was in junior high and high school, I left home for the bus stop at 6:30 in the morning. It was always dark and, in the winter, cold, and I hated it. It made me sad and sometimes scared, especially if I had to walk alone.
 
After school, the kids in my neighborhood were the last be dropped off. At four o’clock in the wintertime, the sky was already gray, like the earth was trying to light herself with a dull bulb. Everything seemed dreary and lifeless.  It made me sad. I longed for light.
 
Today we know there is a real condition called “Seasonal Affective Disorder,” which tells us that some people react poorly to the decrease of natural light that winter brings. It can lead to depression. Thankfully, many can be treated simply by increasing the amount of light he or she is exposed to. That can be done by adding lamps to the home, and in extreme cases, by moving to a location where the sun shines longer each day.
 
Today, on this first Sunday of Advent, we light one candle. We will add to that for the next three weeks. The light will grow brighter and brighter as we approach the birth of Jesus.
 
One candle doesn’t produce much light, does it? One candle in a dark room hardly makes a difference. I’ve tried reading by candlelight. It’s not easy.
 
But, think about this…a candle, even a small one, can be a strong symbol of waiting and watching in hope through the dark times.
 
We know about dark times, don’t we?
 
Several years ago, a large group of newly-graduated high school students flocked to Florida to have a last hurrah before they went their separate ways.
 
On their way home, a van-full of boys had an accident. Two of the four died as a result. They were known to us, and the survivors were known to us, and we grieved along with their families and friends. Young people grieve very deeply and they often look for a suitable tribute for those who died. A candle-light gathering was planned and our church provided the candles, the same ones we use on Christmas Eve. We were glad to do it. We hoped that one small gesture would comfort them.
 
When the first year anniversary of the accident drew near, one of the mothers asked if they could borrow our candles again. Of course they could. I know the candle-light gathering had a different tone the second time around. Time and distance had helped to heal the pain of tragic loss. The young people were beginning to see around the corner of grief and catch a glimpse of their promising futures. The faithful among them had started accepting the order of things, that, birth, death and life eternal, was God’s intention for all of us. Christians are not left without hope. We believe that to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord. That is Scripture’s promise.
 
This text is about the promise of Christ’s eventual return. Can you hear its serious and warning tone? Even so, we do not tremble or quake at his appearing. We watch and wait as people of promise. Here we have Jesus speaking to his disciples, and at the heart of this apocalyptic writing, is the promise, that when he comes, he will gather his people from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another.
 
Another issue that this text raises for us is the unexpectedness of the events Jesus mentions. No one knows the day of his coming- not prophets, nor the angels, nor televangelists, not even Jesus, God’s Son, knows when that will be.
 
To experience the unexpected is a fact of life. Stuff happens. Some terrible things, like a miscarriage, a job loss, the torment of an addiction.
 
So, we do things to avoid disaster, like plan carefully for that rainy day and carry a good life insurance policy. We don’t build our homes where a thousand year flood happens every ten years. We take vitamins, and get regular check ups and get our Covid shots and install smoke detectors.
 
But, when our whole life revolves around avoiding fear, danger, disappointment, failure, or loss, something dies within us. We don’t live as fully as we could, maybe not even as fully as God planned for us.
 
How is that? Ed had a student who he says is tremendously talented. She plays a couple of instruments and plays them beautifully. She is a tip-top of the class student. She is more mature than most. But, she misses nearly all the extra opportunities that school provides. Field trips are usually out. Staying away from home for even one night is unthinkable to her parents. Friends, that’s a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear, and a terrible, unfair burden to heap upon any child.
 
I’ve learned some really important things from people who have endured great loss in their lives. Some years after his wife’s death, a church member told me he was enjoying a relationship with one of his female neighbors. It was easy to see that he was happier and he credited this lovely woman for that.
 
 “You know Cinda,” he said, “when older people like me say they couldn’t possibly find love at our age, or they’re just not interested, they are trying to protect themselves. If you love again, you will one day suffer grief and loss again. And no one wants that. But, to love again, is a profound joy. It shouldn’t be missed. It is not to be feared.”
 
What is it we fear most? We could each make a list of fearful things and we when get to the end, remind ourselves that scripture says perfect love casts out fear. And, we may not yet love perfectly, but Jesus does. And  Jesus has promised that he will gather each and every one of us up and hold us close to him. He will not forget, abandon or leave us on our own.
 
What might we risk in this season and the year ahead? Can we trust God enough to know that even if new and daring ventures might result in disappointment or loss, we can learn from those experiences, too, and receive more deeply the healing presence of the one who came to us as a babe in Bethlehem and will come again?
 
As the days grow shorter and the darkness lasts longer, we light Advent candles each week to remind us that we do not face the darkness alone, but we have the Light of the World beside us.
 
When our grandson was two, he discovered flashlights. He entertained himself and all of us by shining his light into the dark corners, closets, cabinets, and other dark places in our house. Briar would shine his light into the darkness and discover what was waiting there.
 
Seeing things thru his eyes was quite enchanting. Sometimes the flashlight would reveal a penny, sometimes, a tortilla chip. Or a dead bug. Once it found a miniature Santa Claus, and many times, just showed dust bunnies.
 
But, in every case, it brought a simple, unpretentious joy. As in, “Oh…a toothpick!”
 
Pray with me…
Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths untrodden, trough perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us, thru Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 
 
*Affirmation of Faith       The Apostles’ Creed   p. 35  
*Hymn 581                      Gloria Patri 
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
Prayer of Dedication
Holy One, in this season, we wait in hope.
and we give in hope:
hope for your coming reign,
hope of your presence with us even now.
Receive our gifts, that they may be used to bring hope to our community and beyond.  Amen.
 
 
*Hymn 92          While We Are Waiting, Come
*Blessing
Go now, and let the Lord steer you in the way of truth.
Be on your guard so that you will not be caught up in the anxieties of the world.
Be alert at all times and pray for strength to escape the traps
that would keep you from God.                       
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Minute for Mission                    Session Committee Chairs
*Call to Worship                                 Revelation 22:13
The Lord is a great God who says,
“I am the Alpha and Omega,
the first and the last,
the beginning and the end.”
 
*Hymn    336    We gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessing
 
Prayer of Confession
Almighty and everlasting God,
whose will it is to restore all things
to your well-beloved Son, our Lord and King,
grant that the people of earth, including ourselves,
now divided and enslaved by sin,
may be freed and brought together
under his gentle and loving rule,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God, now and forever.  Amen.
 
*Hymn   698    Take, O Take Me As I Am
 
Assurance of Forgiveness
The Lord’s mercies never end. They are new every morning and sure as the sunrise.
Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. Your sins are forgotten. Be at peace.
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
Scripture Reading       Matthew 25:31-46
 
The Morning Message
 
I have two questions for us to consider today:
 
1.Do you choose to live in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ…or not?
2.How can you make your choice real?
 
I confess that this is not an original idea, but one I heard during a recent presbytery meeting. It was also the subject of a blog I enjoy reading.*
 
I ask these questions, because, we have come to the end of the liturgical year, the very last Sunday. Advent, preparing for the birth of Christ, begins next week. As we move through the months, we meet Jesus at the mileposts of his life- his birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension. Then comes Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the early believers and the Church was established. Kingdomtide, or Ordinary Time, follows Pentecost and brings us to today. When we get to this Sunday, Christ the King, or Reign of Christ, we are called on to consider the year we’ve traveled, how we have related to Christ, and how we have exhibited his kingdom on earth.
 
This year, Christ the King Sunday may mark the end of the church year, but it does not mark the end of our challenges. We are still in the midst of a public health crisis, although there are more resources available to manage it. It is still hard to navigate the variety of professional opinions regarding masks and vaccines, testing, and quarantine. The political climate is still full of angst. And then there’s Baby Dog. Sometimes a little frivolity is just what the doctor ordered.
 
Last year we hoped to reunite with family for the holidays, but, we were warned against traveling. That was disappointing. My husband and I miss our daughters and our grandchildren all the time. They are two states away. We will see some this week and the others over Christmas. We can’t wait.  It’s like filling up at the emotional fuel station. The mother of our son-in-law suffered a life-threatening stroke this year. There is nothing like being in the embrace of your loved ones to reassure each another that, no matter what the circumstances, we are family and love is our creed.
 
So, here we are. Christ the King Sunday, the feast day that celebrates the fact that, earthly rulers come and go, and even at the height of their power, they only rule over a very small part of the created universe. Their reign is time-sensitive. It will end. But, Jesus’ reign is eternal and cosmic in its proportions. His platform doesn’t change and there are no maps to tell us who is and who isn’t in Jesus’ district. We all are.
 
Jesus’ realm is founded on the principals of justice and integrity-where those who live according to the values of the Kingdom will feel at home- and those who do not will find it an alien place. Christ knows us, all of us, no matter our circumstances.  And Christ knows that how we live our lives, day in and day out, shows what kind of person we are.
 
In this text, Jesus identifies people based on their actions, how they live out their days on this earth. Those who do the tasks of Kingdom living-feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned-they were told, that whenever they ministered to a person in need, it was like ministering to Jesus himself. This shouldn’t have been earth-shaking news. This is what they had witnessed Jesus himself doing.
 
Then, turning to the others, Jesus said that when they refused to help a person in need, they were refusing him. This was a surprise, too, but, it shouldn’t have been.
 
Jesus was teaching, or re-teaching-a fundamental rule of kingdom-living: We are the body of Christ. We are united with him- in life, death, and resurrection. What we do, one for another, builds up, enriches, and heals the body. What we fail to do, when we fail to serve as Christ serves, weakens and diminishes the body.
 
Jesus is a king unlike any ruler of this earth. For which we can truly thank God. Jesus is not an authoritarian, a despot who orders his subjects to be at his beck and call. A tyrant who wields insults and inflicts pain because that’s the way he intimidates and controls people. Nor does he abandon his people, with no concern for order, no rule of life.
 
No. Jesus, is the king who throws open the doors of his dwelling-place and invites us all in. Jesus welcomes us into the fullness of his life. A life that could compel the friends of a paralyzed man to cut a hole in the roof of a house so he can be lowered into Jesus’ presence. To follow Jesus is to sign up for a life of spiritual adventure.
 
So, friends, will you choose kingdom-living in the year ahead?  If you live with a sense of community, if you find energy, satisfaction, fulfillment, comfort, peace, in the fellowship of the church, or in the fellowship of the neighborhood, or your family, you will likely find this way of life appealing.
 
If you are a solitary soul, independent, not a joiner, you might find this way of life un-appealing. I get it. I have strong introversion tendencies. Being alone usually isn’t a problem for me, though the isolation of Covid made me sad and I hope it never returns.
 
 
I think we know how 2021 ends. What we don’t know is what the future holds. But we know who holds the future. I can live with that. So, I invite you to choose Christ’s realm and to make that choice real.
 
*Wellspring of the Gospel
 
 
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Invitation-Words of Institution-Great Prayer of Thanksgiving and the Lord’s Prayer
 
O God, the first and the last, our beginning and our ending, hear our prayers on this Christ the King Sunday. Remind us that our true citizenship is in your kingdom and empower us to seek your love, justice, and mercy in all we do and say. Grant us courage to speak out against any hatred, prejudice, or abuse of power that seeks to harm others. May we work to usher in a fuller image of your kingdom here on earth, where all are treated with respect, where none go without life’s basic necessities, and people of all races, religions, and circumstances are welcomed and valued.
As we review these last days of the church year, may our good intentions be blessed and may we be granted grace where we failed.
We pray for those who are need of healing and wholeness this day, those in our fellowship of faith, and those we name in our hearts. As the pandemic wears on, encourage and strengthen us to persevere. While we may miss coming together with friends and families in this season, comfort us with your presence and remind us that we are all members of the Communion of Saints, past, present, and future.
Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine,
that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be the body and blood of Christ.
By your Spirit unite us with the living Christ and with all who are baptized in his name,
that we may be one in ministry in every time and place.
As this bread is Christ’s body for us, send us out to be the body of Christ in the world.
We pray in Jesus’ name and for his sake, saying, Our Father…Amen.
 
Distribution of the Elements
The elements will be received by intinction. Those who wish to remain seated will be served.
 
Prayer After Communion
Lead us, O God, to conform this world to your kingdom.
Help us to live as the Lord requires: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly in service to you until Christ comes in final victory and we shall feast with all your saints in the joy of the eternal realm. Amen.
 
Presenting Our Gifts of Tithe and Offering
Prayer of Dedication
Blessed are you, O God, Maker of all things.
Through your goodness you have blessed us with the gifts of ourselves, our time, and our possessions.
Use us, and what we have gathered,
in feeding the world with your love;
through the One who gave himself for us,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and lord.  Amen.
 
*Hymn  268            Crown Him With Many Crowns
 
*Blessing
Through every season of every year,
may God’s blessing be upon you
that you may be strengthened to do your part
in advancing Christ’s Kingdom.  Amen.
 
*Postlude

​Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
*Call to Worship
Come and worship, you who love the Lord with all your heart,
and with all our souls, and all our minds, and all our strength.
Come into the community of God’s people and worship with the neighbor you do not know:
the stranger seeking welcome,
the hungry, the homeless, the hurting.
Come, and worship, you who love the spirit of the law,
and the One who showed us how to live in kin-dom.
 
*Hymn 267   Come, Christians, Join to Sing
 
Prayer of Confession
O God, Rock of our salvation,
you give children to the barren,
and strength to the feeble.
You exalt the poor and lift up the needy.
We praise you from morning to night,
yet we build walls that separate us from you,
from one another,
and from the world.
We place stumbling blocks in the way of goodness and truth.
We are led astray by promises of earthly desires.
We confess our failings,
and seek solace in the source of our joy, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Guide us in our efforts
to encourage one another,
to work together for good in the world you made,
and to prepare for the coming day of the Lord.  Amen.
 
Hymn 698     Take, O Take Me as I Am
Assurance of Forgiveness
Our hearts are sprinkled clean with the water of God’s love.
Through salvation won for us by Jesus Christ, God assures us that we are forgiven, absolved, and released from the sin that binds us. Alleluia! Amen.
 
First Reading        1 Samuel 2:1-10
Time With Our Young Disciples
Second Reading       Mark 13:1-8
Morning Message
 
The Rev. Janet Hunt was leading a confirmation class. For one of their meetings, the class left the building for awhile as they engaged in a service project. Some of the kids returned ahead of the others and gathered in their classroom where they would be dismissed for the day.
 
One of the adult volunteers, Jim, asked Janet if she would like to test the telepathic ability of one of the students, Joe.
 
She was game.
 
She was sent to the whiteboard where they had drawn a square which had been marked off in nine smaller squares, kind of like Tic-Tac-Toe.
 
Joe left the room and Jim told Janet to choose a square. She pointed to one.
 
They called Joe back into the room. Janet watched him closely as he stood and pondered the board. Then with only a smidgeon of hesitation, he pointed to the exact square Janet had chosen.
They tried again. And again and again. Joe always chose the square Janet had pointed to while he was out of the room.
 
It wasn’t long until others wanted to try their skill at this test.
 
One by one the students would try.  They would try to interpret the way Joe stood, whether he cleared his throat or tapped his pants leg.  But none could match Joe’s skill.
 
Janet was almost convinced they had another David Copperfield in the making.
 
After the closing blessing, and the students having gone on their way, one of the adult leaders explained the trick to Janet.
 
Apparently, Jim had been the first to arrive. He taught Joe some signals he would use and Joe was a quick study. Every time Joe returned to the room, Joe threw him the signals.
 
The problem was, Janet was not looking at Jim, but at Joe. She was looking in the wrong direction and failed to see what was right before her eyes.
 
The gospel passage before us today is classified as “eschatological,” or literature referring to what we refer to as the “end times.”
 
I never know how to approach these texts.  We Presbyterians believe in the second coming of Christ, when the whole creation will be redeemed. We affirm that every time we recite the Apostles’ Creed.
 
But, we do not espouse dispensationalism, theology popularized in the late 19th century and adhered to by many fundamentalist traditions. We usually hear it referred to as the “Rapture,” which is believed to be the event whereby Jesus descends to earth and takes the saved to heaven and leaving the rest for a “time of trial.”
 
Janet says she wonders at times if her experience with the confirmation class doesn’t begin to get at why we struggle with these “end times” texts. It is true that you and I don’t live in the same context as the people who first heard these words shortly after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
But like those who first heard these texts, it may be completely understandable that we could find ourselves looking in the wrong direction.
 
It is impossible these days to miss reports of war and rumors of war and other catastrophes. We hear and see them in graphic and unforgettable detail all too often. But even so, do these reports turn our thoughts to Christ’s return or does it even register? Is it possible we have turned our attention away from the foundational truth that we are moving toward a larger future?
 
Janet Hunt says bad things have happened to the world and its people for as long as she has been paying attention, and yet, it would seem, Jesus is no closer to returning.
She suggests, that, part of the message from a passage like this is that, from generation to generation, under this one’s rule and that one’s tyranny, through feast, famine, plague and plenty, God was, is, and ever shall be, active among us, working his purpose out.
 
Maybe these words call us to simply live in the certainty that we are always called to keep our focus on Jesus, to respond as he did. And how did Jesus respond to hardship, or injustice, or disease or ignorance?
 
He did what God requires, of his Son and of us: to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.
 
Whether he comes today or a million todays in the future, we can be the body of Christ- head, heart, hands and feet, until he comes again.
When I was in high school, most of my friends were made in the music department. Considering rehearsals and performances, during school hours and outside of them, we probably spent more time with fellow choir students than with our families.
 
Some of us planned to study music in college, or at least sing in a choir, but, there was one startling exception. The student with the best skills, in piano as well as voice, failed to apply to college or make any plans whatsoever beyond graduation day. When he broke this news to us, we were all shocked. Why? What has happened? What’s wrong? He had a promising future ahead of him.
 
His response was that nothing was wrong. He believed Jesus would come before he had need of college or anything else.
 
We were  stunned and troubled by his answer and his resolve. The kids in our small, close-knit group were all Christians, even though we came from a variety of traditions. And we were all obviously looking in different directions, or maybe we weren’t reading the signs right.
 
And, to this day, I am confounded by this experience.
 
We lost touch after graduation. At our twentieth reunion, he was listed as deceased. And, I have to think that, though the “rapture” didn’t occur, he did see Jesus ahead of the rest of us.
 
We can take comfort and wisdom in the words of one of our confessions, A Brief Statement of Faith:
In gratitude to God,
empowered by the Spirit,
we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks
and to live holy and joyful lives,
even as we watch for a new heaven and new earth,
praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
 
 
*Hymn 438            Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
 
*Affirmation of Faith        The Apostles’ Creed
*Hymn 581           Gloria Patri
 
Sharing Our Joys and Concerns
Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer
 
Presenting Our Tithes and Offerings
Prayer of Dedication
 
*Hymn  438  Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
 
*Blessing
Go out in peace, for the Lord has heard your prayers.
Do not allow anyone to lead you astray.
Hold fast to the hope you have claimed.
Continue to meet together, encouraging one another and provoking one another to put love into action.
And may God be your rock of strength.
May Christ Jesus usher you into God’s presence.
And may the Holy Spirit write the laws of love and life upon your hearts. Amen.
                        (from Laughingbird.net)
*Postlude

Worship for November 7, 2021
All Saints Sunday
Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1
Prelude
 
*Call to Worship
Holy God of wind and fire,
dance through our worship today.
Holy God of earthquakes and illness,
share our memories, our tears of sadness and loss.
Holy God of creation and new beginnings,
show us again your vision of healing and wholeness
and the promise of life here and in the world to come.
 
*Hymn   Holy, Holy, Holy
 
Opening Prayer
Eternal God, you have knit together your people of all times and places into one communion in the mystical body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Grant us your Holy Spirit that we may be encouraged and strengthened, seeking your forgiveness in our moments or seasons of failure, persevering in our part of faith’s course, until such time as we join the great cloud of witnesses in our eternal home.  Amen.
 
*Hymn    I Sung a Song if the Saints of God
Assurance of Forgiveness
Jesus said, “For the Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Friends, believe in the good news of the gospel. Our sins are forgiven. Alleluia! Amen.
 
First Reading    Revelation 21:1-6
 
Time With Our Young Disciples
 
New Testament Reading              Matthew 5:1-12
The Morning Message       
 
One of the blessings of being part of a family, and in my case, a large family, is the endless supply of stories. I’ve learned that, in our case, some stories are true and some are legend. Maybe you’ve witnessed the same thing in your own family.
 
In the hopes that I haven’t worn you out with them, I’d like to share a true story I believe is appropriate for All Saints Sunday, a day set aside to remember those who have finished their earthly lives and now live with all the saints in the Church Triumphant.
 
And, in the hearing, I hope you will be assured that your faith and life will be remembered when you have joined them.
 
My father’s last living sibling, his younger sister, died a few Septembers ago. My mother, sister, and I went to the funeral together. It was held at the Baptist church in which my aunt and uncle were long-standing faithful members.
 
The church is in eastern Kentucky, in a rural setting outside of Louisa. Whenever I visit an unfamiliar church, regardless of the flavor, I’m always a little anxious, a little uncomfortable. But, the people who greeted us were warm and gracious and made us feel welcome. They were comforting us, even while we had come to comfort our family members.
 
That was the hardest thing about the day: embracing our family members. Feeling their trembling bodies, and hearing their sobs.  Being willing to enter into their grief and loss, as they have done for us in our times of sorrow.
 
I remember the day my aunt and uncle were married. And when he came home from Korea and we met him at the airport. And the arrival of their children and grandchildren, my uncle’s baptism at an advanced age in his brother’s swimming pool. My aunt’s musical ability. She and her sister both sang and played piano for their churches.
 
The pastor stepped up to the pulpit and everyone took a seat in the bright and comfortable sanctuary. He prayed for God’s Spirit to surround us, for comfort and peace to settle upon the family and to strengthen them. He acknowledged the somber nature of the gathering. Then he reminded all of us that our fate is not simply to be born, live a little, and then die. Our lives are much more meaningful and valuable than that. He reminded us of the unmatched love of a God who created the world and all that is in it, including my aunt and all of us. He spoke of Jesus, God’s own beloved Son, who lived a sinless life and died for our sins, that we might live. He spoke of my aunt’s life, and recalled some of the experiences that had shaped her life. He praised her service to Christ and his church as their pianist for decades. He assured us that she had been received by Jesus into her heavenly home, where there would be a great reunion with those who had gone before her.
 
And then the pastor asked us to stand and sing a hymn. We did, but, we didn’t make much noise. The sanctuary was strangely muted. The piano was silent.
 
And my first thought was to wonder why hadn’t they make arrangements for someone to play for the service. That’s number one on my list when planning a funeral. Music is important. Often, people will request particular hymns, everything from the stately “Holy, Holy, Holy” to “Life Is Like a Mountain Railroad.” If it is helpful to loved ones, we try to accommodate them.
 
And, all of a sudden, my eyes filled with tears and the notes were caught in my throat. The piano was silent because the piano player was no longer there. Once she saw in a mirror dimly, but, now, she saw face to face. She was absent from the body and present with the Lord.
 
It was one of the most profound moments I have ever witnessed in worship, an epiphany within the sermon. I was filled with the competing emotions of grief and joy, and I know I was not alone in this experience.
 
If you watched the coverage of Colin Powell’s funeral, you heard his son’s moving words. He spoke of his father sitting beside his hospital bed when he had been in a terrible accident, his father’s hand wrapped around his in love and reassurance.
 
And then of how the roles were reversed at the end of his father’s life, when the son sat at the bedside of the father, holding his hand, hoping to convey a message of love and assurance. And he marveled at the meaning of that gesture, holding the hand that had signed report cards, pitched balls, fixed old cars, signed treaties, held his wife’s hand in marriage. His father’s life had been so rich and full, at home and in public. To be his son or daughter was a gift and a blessing.
 
Neither you nor I have had such a high profile as Colin Powell. But, your influence, our influence, faith, and life, is just as important. Your sphere of influence is deep and wide,
 running from  the ordinary to the sublime.
 
And when you have made the journey from earth to heaven, you will be remembered. And you will be missed.
 
And then the faithful will ask God to inspire us by all within you that was good, and kind, and faithful, that we, too, might live a life worthy of the calling of Christ. May it be so for all of us.
 
*Hymn
 
*Affirmation of Faith              The Apostles’ Creed  p.35
*Gloria Patri
 
Ordination and Installation to the Office of Ruling Elder                   Clara Adkins
Installation to the Office of Ruling Elder                                            Mary Minichan
 
Prayers of the Faithful and the Lord’s Prayer                        Romans 6:3-5
This morning we remember family, friends, and loved ones who have joined
 the blessed company of the saints in light during this church year.
When we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death.
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life.
For if we have been united with Christ in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.                                                                                               
Eternal God, we bless you for the great company of all those who have kept the faith, finished their race, and now rest from their labor. We praise you for those whom you have received into your presence that we name now in our hearts.
We lift our concerns for our community, our nation, and the world, that all may be supplied their daily needs and know the security of freedom and peace. We pray for those who suffer from illness and other circumstances. We give you thanks for all gifts of healing and compassion offered in your name.
Help us to believe where we have not seen, trusting you to lead us through our years.
Bring us at last with all your saints into the joy of your home, through Christ Jesus who taught us to pray, saying, 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 730    For All the Saints
          
*Blessing
Go out in the confidence that your lives are safe in God.
Keep your hands clean and your hearts pure.
Do not act falsely or deceitfully.
Trust in the Lord, even in the face of death,
and follow in the footsteps of all God’s saints.
And may God keep a protective eye on you;
May Christ Jesus show you his grace and mercy;
And may the Holy Spirit give you a vision of the life of the world made new.
 
*Postlude