DECEMBER 18 SERVICE

WORDS OF WELCOME/ANNOUNCEMENTS

ORGAN PRELUDE

+CALL TO WORSHIP

LEADER: All good gifts around us come from you, O God.
PEOPLE: You have given us life and new life in Christ. LEADER: As you have given us gifts,
PEOPLE: So we offer our gifts that we may be gifts to one another.LEADER: As Jesus so taught and lived,

PEOPLE: May we mirror His love. Amen

+OPENING HYMN        “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”           #196

LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLES – Cindy Fenoglio and Xenia

LEADER: "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most

                 High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his

                 father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob

                 forever" (Luke l:32-33a).

PEOPLE: As the angel voices announce the coming of the Son of

                 God, so we hear God's promises, and we surrender

                 ourselves to God's direction.

LEADER: Last week we lit the third candle, the candle of wonder.

Before that, we lit the candle of waiting and the candle of Watching. Today we light the fourth candle, the candle of Wishing. We hear angel voices telling us of the coming of the Christ Child, just as shepherds did years ago.

PEOPLE: In this season of preparation let our wishes be in line with

                 your desires for all humanity, as illustrated in Jesus our

                 greatest gift.

(Light all four advent candles.)

All Sing

Light the Advent candle, four:  Think of joy forevermore; Christ Child in a stable born, gift of love that Christmas morn.  

Candle, candle, burning bright, shining in the cold winter night; candle, candle, burning bright, fill our hearts with Christmas light. 

PRAYER:

So often we are unable to hear God's word for us because we are occupied with other things. Sometimes we do not hear because of the level of noise we create for ourselves. We pray for silence on our part, so we can hear your words for us today and obey. Amen.

BELL CHOIR

Time with Young Disciples

SPECIAL MUSIC BY VICKI KING

SCRIPTURES Luke 1:26-38

MESSAGE

OFFERING

As forgiven and reconciled people, let us offer ourselves and our gifts to God.  

+DOXOLOGY #95

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Amen.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

+ CLOSING HYMN                “We Three Kings ”                                        #254

+ SENDING FORTH WITH BLESSING

+ POSTLUDE

(+) Those who are able are invited to stand.