The Life of Christmas Present

“The Life of Christmas Present:

Look Upon Me”

3rdSunday of Advent

December 11, 2016

St Jacob’s United Church of Christ, Blue Creek, 8 am

Combined Sunday School 9:30 am

St John’s United Church of Christ, Penntown, 10:30 am

We extend a warm welcome to each of you!

We lift in prayer those who are unable to be here and all who join us for worship.

WE GATHER

Welcome and Announcements

(As the bell tolls, please ring the bell you were given as you came in to worship.)

The Invitation to the Advent Journey

Call to Worship

Come together, one and all, in the giving spirit.

All: Gifts abound here, great and small, joyously we feel it.

Blessings sent us from above guide us on our way.

All: We raise our voice as we rejoice, bow our head and pray.

A miracle has just begun. God bless us everyone!

Prayer

Holy Living God, Blessed Jesus, Guiding Spirit,

we open today to your gift of the present moment,

knowing that every heartbeat and breath is your gift of love bestowed upon us.

Open us to your miracle just begun

and in this season transform us into those whose giving

brings love to a turbulent world.

Open us to you, to each other, and to the voices no one hears

so that your reign of mercy, justice and love

can be made known to all.

To the voices no one hears, we have come to find you

with your laughter and your tears, goodness, hope and virtue.

All: Each a treasure be.

Three candles’ light dispels the night; now our eyes can see.

All: Burning brighter than the sun, God bless us everyone!

Advent Candle Lighting

Today we light the candle of love.

“When we learn to love God and love one another,

what we share is the very presence of the divine.”

We light this candle because transformation demands that we

let go of our obsession with material things

and consider what God wants: for love to come down at Christmas.

All: A miracle has just begun! God bless us everyone!(go to insert)

Opening Hymn “Love Came Down at Christmas” #210

Passing the Peace

I invite you to pass the peace of Christ with your neighbors,

saying “May you know that you are loved.”

WE PROCLAIM GOD’S WORD

Scripture Reading

Now if there are some poor persons among you, say one of your fellow Israelites in one of your cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, don’t be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward your poor fellow Israelites. To the contrary! Open your hand wide to them. (Deuteronomy 15:7-11)

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”

When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:

You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah,

because from you will come one who governs, who will shepherd my people Israel.”

Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him.” Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod died. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I have called my son out of Egypt.

When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. This fulfilled the word spoken through Jeremiah the prophet:A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and much grieving. Rachel weeping for her children, and she did not want to be comforted, because they were no more. (Matthew 2: 1-18)

Sermon LovePastor Lynne

WE RESPOND

Prayers of the People

Ring out your truth

Ring out your love

Reverberate in our lives

Come, Lord, come!

Ring out your truth

Ring out your love

Reverberate in our lives

Come, Lord, come!

Offering/Doxology

Praise God who blesses everyone!

Praise Jesus Christ, who is to come!

Praise Spirit, making Three-in-One!

All praise the miracle begun!

Prayer of Dedication

Generous God,

we give you thanks for all you have given us

and we offer our gifts

for the sake of being your hands and feet as the Body of Christ.

Open us to even more ways to give

so that we might look upon the world with compassion. Amen.

WE GO FORTH

Closing Hymn “Lift Up Your Heads, O Mighty Gates” #176 vss 1, 4 Benediction

There’s a little Scrooge in each of us

wanting to turn away from the pain of poverty, violence and hatred in the world.

This week may you be visited by a surprising love

that calls you to actions of love.

And when you feel it, even if for just a fleeting moment,

know the miracle has just begun in you, for the sake of the whole world.

May you be blessed by our God who loves you deeply;

by Jesus, the true gift of God to each of us—this season and in all our days;

and the Spirit who shows up just in time!

Benediction Response

Let the stars in the sky remind us of our compassion

let us love till we die and God bless us everyone.

In your heart there’s a light as bright as a star in heaven

let it shine through the night and God bless us everyone.

Till each child is fed, till we all are free, till the world becomes a family

star by star in the sky

and kindness by human kindness

Let me love till I die and God bless us everyone!

Postlude

Organist: Shirley Huber

Pastor Lynne: (812) 623-0354 or (319) 830-4048 Church office: (812) 623-3410 or

Today is the last day to order poinsettias for the altars. Please contact the office at 623-3410 to order. Thank you!

CALENDAR of EVENTS

Dec 11 – Pack baskets at the pantry, 1-3pm. Fun for a group!

Dec 16 – Christmas baskets distributed at pantry

Dec 17 – Sunday School program practice at 10am

Dec 18 – Sunday School Program at 7pm

Dec 19 – New Horizons Dinner – need gift items by today!

See sign-up sheet in gathering area for food needed for the meal.

Dec 21 – Blue Christmas Service 7pm

Dec 24 – Christmas Eve Services, St. Jacob’s 7pm St. John’s 11pm

Dec 25 – Christmas Day Worship, St. John’s 10:30am

The Christmas Fund

The Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund has been a tangible expression of God’s love for the past 115 years. One of the four Special Mission Offerings of the United Church of Christ, the Christmas Fund provides UCC congregations and members an opportunity to reach out in loving compassion, providing assistance to those who have so faithfully served our Church and who now face unexpected financial needs.

In 2015, UCC congregations and members generously contributed $1,528,481 to the Offering. This enabled the Pension Boards’ Ministerial Assistance program to provide, on behalf of the whole Church, Pension Supplementation, Health Premium Supplementation, Emergency Grants, and Christmas “Thank You” Gift Checks to individuals and families in need.

The theme of the 2016 Christmas Fund Offering is ‘God’s Love Colors Everything’, and our goal is to raise $1.7 million to help support these ministries of love and care. In the spirit of love, we invite and encourage you to prayerfully consider and support this year’s appeal, and to spread the word so that others will also join in this vital ministry.

On behalf of the hundreds of clergy and lay employees and their families whose lives were touched by your support of last year’s Christmas Fund Offering, we offer our sincere thanks to you for your generosity and for the love that colors everything in God’s name!

~The Pension Boards–United Church of Christ, Inc.