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Worship Order for
Sunday
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Lighting
the First Advent Candle
Advent is a
season of waiting. We wait for Christmas to come. Four weeks, then
Christmas Eve. Twenty-three shopping days, if you count today. While
we wait, we put up the tree, hang the lights, bake the cookies, and
shop for the perfect gifts.
But there’s
more, much more... Advent is a season to wait for God’s gracious
action. Just as Israel’s prophets foretold "the day of the
Lord" and Simeon anticipated the Messiah’s birth in his
lifetime, so we wait.
We wait, not
irritably as at the checkout line, or restlessly as at the
intersection anticipating the light to change, but with patience and
hope. We are invited to wait with our eyes, as described in Psalm
123 (Tanakh translation): "To You, enthroned in heaven, I
turn my eyes; as the eyes of slaves follow their master’s hand, as
the eyes of a slave-girl follow the hand of her mistress, so our
eyes are toward the Lord our God, awaiting his favor."
As we light the
first Advent candle, let us turn our eyes toward the Master this
Advent season, awaiting God’s favor.
(light the first advent candle)
Ed Poling, pastor and spiritual
director
Hagerstown, MD Church of the Brethren
Church of the Brethren Living Word Bulletin
Anchor/Wallace, Sleepy Eye MN 56085, "The Living Word
Series"
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Unison
Prayer
O
Lord, as we wait through this long, dark month, lead us to know your
ways and teach us your truth, for you are the God of our salvation.
Help us to keep our eyes on you. Amen.
Ed Poling, pastor and spiritual
director
Hagerstown, MD Church of the Brethren
Church of the Brethren Living Word Bulletin
Anchor/Wallace, Sleepy Eye MN 56085, "The Living Word
Series"
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For
Children
"Making Room for
Jesus"
Based
on Luke
21:34, this
special time with the children involves a
small manger filled with crumpled papers on which are printed
worry and bad-attitude statements such as "Why can’t I have
that toy?" "What if she doesn’t like me?" "I
want my own way," "He makes me so mad," "I
need to buy new clothes," "What if those kids pick on
me?" etc. In the course of our time together on this first
Sunday of Advent, we will examine and empty the manger of these in
order to make room for Jesus.
borrowed
from Scolding
the Snakes
(Luke/ year C), ©2000, Augsburg
Fortress, Minneapolis,
by Ruth Gilmore, pp. 10-11. See there for more details.
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Pastoral Prayer
written closer to the time (if not at the
moment)
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Returning
our Tithes and Offerings
As the offering
is collected this morning, please pass and sign the attendance
booklets that are found on the center aisle side of each pew....
Before doing so, however, let’s listen to the prophet Jeremiah:
Jeremiah
33:14-16
Ushers?
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Dedication
God, fulfiller
of promises, we come to this warm and colourful season of Advent
with expectant and thankful hearts. We welcome the renewed promise
of your love, justice and righteousness breaking into our world. We
offer these gifts and the witness of our lives in gratitude for all
you have done, are doing and will do. This we pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen
by Moira
B Laidlaw
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Benediction
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(para traducir a español, presione la bandera de España)
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