Welcome
Below you will find prayers, songs, readings, and a message to help you experience worship. You can light a candle to remind yourself of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Whether you are alone or with others, we hope that you can feel each other’s presence, and the presence of God, as we find creative ways to worship together, even though we are not in the same building. One good thing about virtual worship is that if you really like a song, you can listen to it again! Do what you need to do to worship God wherever you are.
First Week of Advent
Welcome to Advent! Stir up your power, and come! The psalmist’s plea in Psalm 80:2 has become familiar to us in the Advent prayers. Isaiah wants God to rip the heavens open. Both cry out for an apparently distant, angry God to show up, to save, to restore. When we hear Jesus describing the coming of the Son of Man with stars falling from heaven, it can sound dire and horrible, not like anything we would ever hope for. But when we really look at the suffering of people God loves, we can share the hope that God would tear open the heavens and come.
announcements & Call to Worship
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We come from a world of darkness, into Christ’s world of light. We come from a world of weariness, into God’s strength and hope. From the comfort of our homes we gather to worship. Whether through printed word, or through the gift of technology we are a community. Here we seek connection to God and to each other. Strengthened by the Spirit, we come to awaken our souls and watch for the coming of Christ. Come, let us worship!
hymn of praise
Glory to God
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Glory be to God on high. Peace, goodwill to all the earth. Let us sing a joyful song to the Christ, the Living Word. Gloria in excelsis Deo; Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Love has come to dwell with us. Light now shines on everyone. Hope has lifted up our hearts. Joy has made, in us, a home. Gloria in excelsis Deo; Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Prayer of the Day
Let us pray. Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection awaken us to the threatening dangers of our sins, and keep us blameless until the coming of your new day, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Lighting the First Advent Candle ~ HOPE
Isaiah 64:1-9 & Mark 13:24-37
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If ever there was a year we needed Advent, this is the year. We hardly know how to describe the year we have lived through. We hesitate to reflect on all the mess around us in 2020. All we know is that nothing seems right, nothing seems like it used to be, nothing.
When we look around, we see shadows of hunger and injustice. Particularly in this time of pandemic, so many neighbors, nearby and around the world, will go to bed hungry tonight. When we look around we see shadows of injustice as the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
The prophet Isaiah cried out for us, “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down … To make your name known … so that nations might tremble at your presence.” So tear through the mess, O Lord, and come down to us again. We long to be your people, a people of hope.
We light this first candle as a sign of our hope. Hope that God can meet us, even in the mess of our world. Hope that God still sees us, though we feel we are lost in the rubble. (Light one candle in your Advent wreath.)
May the light from this candle overwhelm the world.
May the light from this candle say to all that God’s hope is coming, on earth as it already is in heaven.
Loved children of God, be not afraid, God’s hope is at hand!
Advent Song
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
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O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.
Reading
Isaiah 64:1-9
1O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—2as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. 5You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. 6We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. 8Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.
Children’s Moment
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Gospel and Message
Mark 13:24-37
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[Jesus said:] 24“In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. 27Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
Hymn of the Day
Awake! Awake, and Greet the New Morn
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Awake! Awake, and greet the new morn, for angels herald its dawning. Sing out your joy, for soon he is born, behold! the Child of our longing. Come as a baby weak and poor, to bring all hearts together, he opens wide the heav’nly door and lives now inside us forever.
To us, to all in sorrow and fear, Emmanuel comes a-singing, his humble song is quiet and near, yet fills the earth with its ringing; music to heal the broken soul
and hymns of lovingkindness, the thunder of his anthems roll to shatter all hatred and blindness.
In darkest night his coming shall be, when all the world is despairing, as morning light so quiet and free, so warm and gentle and caring. Then shall the mute break forth in song, the lame shall leap in wonder, the weak be raised above the strong,
and weapons be broken asunder.
Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night, though dark the winter and cheerless, the rising sun shall crown you with light, be strong and loving and fearless. Love be our song and love our prayer and love our endless story; may God fill ev’ry day we share and bring us at last into glory.
Thanksgiving for the Word
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Holy God, the Beginning and the Ending, our Hope as we wait, we praise you for joining us to your people of old. We bless you for your prophets who call us to righteousness and promise a new earth with peace for all. For the Word of your covenant, we thank you, O God.
We praise you for the coming of Jesus our Lord, who lifts up the lowly, heals the suffering world, and proclaims your way of mercy and truth. For your Word who is Christ, we magnify you, O God.
Send your Spirit on all who receive your Word. Nurture our faith with your grace, accompany us with your might, and empower our zeal for your justice and joy. For your Word through the church, we praise you, O God.
All praise to you, holy God, today, tomorrow, and forever. Amen.
Prayers
On this first Sunday of the church year, let us pray that God comes quickly to this weary world.
Immortal, invisible God only wise, we pray for the church, both our congregation and assemblies around the globe. Give us your life. Show us your presence. Grant us your wisdom. Lord, come to help us.
Loving Creator, protect all people who are poor or oppressed. Grant that the leaders of nations respond with justice and relief to those who suffer. We pray especially for the people of Honduras. Bless all elected officials as they assume new leadership roles. Lord, come to help us.
Beautiful Savior, abide with us during December. Give your beauty to our holiday preparations in this challenging season and your grace to the many who have little to celebrate this year. Lord, come to help us.
Mothering God, visit with your power any who are homeless or unemployed, and all who are hungry. Protect children from all manner of abuse. Comfort those who live with chronic pain, anxieties, and addictions. Shape us to become your arms of mercy. Lord, come to help us.
Healer of our every ill, save all peoples from the coronavirus. Sustain medical workers, and provide for hospitals and clinics. Heal the sick, accompany the dying, and comfort the mourners. Lord, come to help us.
Lord of all hopefulness, we give thanks for all the faithful: for those who died while waiting for justice and peace; for all who have died of COVID-19; and for those were dear to us. At the end, bring us with them into your shining presence. Lord, come to help us.
Gracious God, strong to save, receive our prayers for the sake of your Son Jesus, who came, who comes, and who will come, to bring us life. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
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Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
Sending Song
My Lord, What a Morning
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My Lord, what a morning; my Lord, what a morning; oh, my Lord, what a morning,
when the stars begin to fall.
You will hear the trumpet sound, to wake the nations underground, looking to my God’s right hand, when the stars begin to fall.
My Lord, what a morning; my Lord, what a morning; oh, my Lord, what a morning when the stars begin to fall.
You will hear the sinner cry, to wake the nations underground, looking to my God’s right hand, when the stars begin to fall.
My Lord, what a morning; my Lord, what a morning; oh, my Lord, what a morning,
when the stars begin to fall.
You will hear the Christian shout, to wake the nations underground, looking to my God’s right hand, when the stars begin to fall.
My Lord, what a morning; my Lord, what a morning; oh, my Lord, what a morning,
when the stars begin to fall.
Blessing
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May God, who gathers us in love, lead you in pathways of righteousness and justice. May God, who knows us more deeply than we know ourselves, lead you in pathways of forgiveness and freedom. May God, who fills us with good things, lead you in pathways of equity and abundance. The blessing of the holy Trinity, one God, be upon you and remain with you forever.
Amen.
Dismissal
Go in peace. Christ is with you.
Worship Assistants
Music: Lori
Message: Pastor Kristin
Children’s Moment: Pastor Kristin
Readers: Alice, Maddy Jo
Advent Wreath: Abby, Sully & Hadley
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2005 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted and streamed by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS002432. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Hymns reprinted and streamed with permission. CCLI#1162147. Portions of the All Saints Liturgy adapted from Rev. Leslie Mamas, United Church of Christ
Sunday school material used with permission from Spirit & Truth Publishing. God’s Word @ Home: Family Faith Formation.
Advent Candle Lighting adapted from The Salt Project (saltprogect.org) and Discipleship Matters (umcdiscipleship.org).