Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
December 31, 2000 Worship 10:00 am Sunday School 11:00 am

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3)

           Due to the uncertainty of the weather - a winter storm (which didn't materialize as forecast) we pushed back the service intended for today to next Sunday. Instead, our worship was more informal, with hymns and songs chosen at the time.
            Melanie Jones, a former member whom we called to the ministry - now serving a church in the Midwest - was visiting family nearby. Originally she was to share during the Sunday School hour about her recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land. She offered to move that up to the worship hour.
            Instead of a "formal" Sunday School time for adults, we had a time to continue the conversation with Melanie, as well as visit with one another.
            Look ahead to next Sunday.

Morning Praise
Announcements (the below hymns/carols were suggested at this time)
Prelude

Call to Worship

Hymn (verses 1 & 6*) "O come, O come, Immanuel" 172

*Opening Prayer

*Hymn "Joy to the World" 318

Scripture Matthew 2:1-12

Hymn (verses 1 & 3) "What child is this" 215

Children's Time

Hymn (verse 1) "We Three Kings"

Responding with our Tithes and Offerings

Offertory

Hymn (verse 1) "Love came down at Christmas" 208
(note: link has same words but different music from our hymnal)

Joys and Concerns

Hymn (verse 3) "Love came down at Christmas" 208
(note: link has same words but different music from our hymnal)

Pastoral Prayer

Reading of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"

A Pilgrimage to the Holy Lands - Melanie Jones

*Hymn "O little town of Bethlehem" 191

*Benediction

Children�s Time
"The Big Storm"
Matthew 2:1-12 (only alludes to 2:13-18)

Were any of you expecting something to happen yesterday, but it didn�t? You were? What? A snow storm. You�re right. It was supposed to be a big one, wasn�t it - maybe a foot of snow. Wouldn�t that have been great? For you, that is. (Maybe not your parents.) Are you disappointed it didn�t happen? Of course, it did happen - didn�t it - just not here. I heard the storm really hit New York City and New England. Today, they�re having all the fun (or the problems).

That reminds me of the Christmas story, and a fellow named Herod. King Herod. He was expecting a "bad storm" to come, too. Only he wasn�t looking forward to it. That "storm" wasn�t going to be "fun" to him. Does anybody know what "storm" I�m talking about? You�re right, it wasn�t a storm that was coming - it was a baby. And the baby was .... Jesus.

King Herod was afraid of this baby. There was a forecast saying that a new king was coming, and Herod was afraid this king was going to take his place. Some wise men came looking for this new king. They said they saw his star in the sky. Herod told them to tell him when and where they found this new king.

You know the story. The baby was born in Bethlehem. The wise men visited him. But they were warned by God not to tell Herod, so Herod missed him. Herod was disappointed. He was really mad. The "big storm" came and he missed it. Only I don�t think he really wanted it, did he? He didn�t want this baby to be born. But the baby came, anyway.

Are you happy that Jesus was born? I am, too.