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Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Second Sunday of Advent
Beginning with Praise
(9:50 am) “An
Advent Song”
(insert)
*Unison Prayer
(back of bulletin) *Hymn
“Love
came down at Christmas”
208 Sharing
a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise
*Hymn
“Oh, how shall I receive
thee”
182 *Postlude *Rise in body or in spirit #'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book Worship leaders - see basic guidelines |
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The words to “O come, O come, Immanuel,” #172 in our hymnal, go
back fifteen hundred years, and were chanted in Latin as part of
evening vespers worship leading up to Christmas. Known as the
“Great Antiphons” or “Great O’s,” each verse heralds the coming
of the Messiah with an Old Testament name, and ends with a
petition based on that name. There were originally 7 verses, of
which our hymnal has six, and were sung, one each day, from
December 17 to the 23rd. The tune only goes back five
hundred years, and adds the “Rejoice” following each verse.
We began Advent last week with the 1st and 5th
verses. Today we sing again the 1st and add the 2nd.
While we sing, all children are invited to go quietly to the back
of the sanctuary to help us prepare this room for the coming of
Christ. Let us enter into worship with this ancient song. info derived from
The Story of Christian Hymnody,
p. 30 |
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adapted from various letters of Paul by
Robert W. Neff |
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While the congregation sings “Love came down at Christmas,” 2 children come down the central aisle carrying lit Christmas Eve candles. They go and stand on either side of the worship table until the end of the hymn. The rest of the children (if there are more), come down the side aisles and pick up the two pieces of the Bethlehem backdrop (one located on each side) and take them around the side doors of the baptismal, up the steps and down into the empty baptismal pool (quietly) and put them up on the ledge behind the worship table, connecting them in the middle. Then they come around and stand at the bottom of the steps. [The adults in the back will have instructed them all in what they are to do for the candlelighting and preparing the way, and will accompany and help them do this task.] When the hymn has completed, the first
child lights the candle in the front of the wreath and says,
loudly: “We re-light the candle of HOPE.” Then, the second child lights the candle on
the right side of the wreath and says, loudly: “We light the candle of LOVE.” The worship leader motions for the
congregation to sit.
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When the congregation is sitting, the children quietly complete
their morning’s task of preparing the sanctuary by putting the
manger (located on the floor) up in front of the tree. If there
are fewer children, the Bethlehem backdrop task (to have been done
during the previous hymn) may need to be accomplished quietly
while the worship leader reads Luke 3:1-6. When the children are
done, they return to their seats.
Note: how the tasks are divided up depends on how many
children are there.
Adult involvement is key – at least 3 needed for each side and the candlelighting.
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Returning our Tithes and Offerings
So many names … some hard to pronounce … locating the story in a
particular time and place … connecting to a family. This “voice
calling in the wilderness,” this man who was sent to “prepare
the way of the Lord,” this John – referred to as “the Baptist”
– was the son of someone. He was himself conceived in love, born
out of promise – a tale we will hear once again later this
morning, as remembered by gospel storyteller Luke.
As you return your offering just now, prepare yourself. Are there
things that need to get straightened out in your life? Keep
working at it. Are there lows that need filling in, highs that
need leveling? Continue doing so. Are there rough patches needing
attention? Prayerfully ponder this as you give. We are all under
construction, every day of our lives, every step along the way.
Like John, we were conceived in love, God’s love, and born out of
promise, God’s promise. May that love and hope be what prepares us
for the coming of the Lord. Ushers? Come and guide our giving.
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written closer to the time (if not at the moment)
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1 - From the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Listen and
receive!
(pause)
2 - 5 In
the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named
Zechariah,
1 - Zechariah, which means “God has remembered.”
2 - “Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a
descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
1 – Elizabeth, which means “My God’s oath.”
2 - 6 Both
of them were righteous before God,
1 - Righteous.
2 -
living blamelessly according to all the
commandments and regulations of the Lord.
1 - Blameless.
2 - 7 But
they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were
getting on in years.
1 - Childless… Good people, living right, desiring more, keeping
faith.
2 - 8 Once
when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on
duty,
1 - Righteous, blameless, childless.
2 - 9 he
was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood,
1 - His name was picked at random, but was it simply by chance?
2 -
he was chosen to enter the sanctuary of
the Lord and offer incense.
1 - What an honor! Clear out the old ashes. Put new incense on the
altar. Holy is the Lord!
2 - 10 Now
at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the
people was praying outside.
1 - A time of prayer. A time of worship.
2 - 11 Then
there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right
side of the altar of incense.
1 - God’s messenger! Be still and know that I am God.
2 - 12 When
Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him.
1 - Fear and trembling. Holy is the Lord!
2 - 13 But
the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your
prayer has been heard.
1 - How long has this prayer been prayed?
2 -
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you will name him John.
1 - John, which means, “The LORD has shown favor” or “God is
gracious.”
2 - 14 You
will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for
he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
1 - Can you see it, Zechariah?
2 -
He must never drink wine or strong
drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy
Spirit.
1 - The Nazarite vow – a life of holiness!
2 - 16 He
will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
1 - Not just a priest, but a prophet!
2 - 17 With
the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the
hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the
wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the
Lord.”
1 - Before whom will he go? For whom is John to
prepare the way?
2 - 18 Zechariah
said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so?
1 - Abraham had the same question when promised descendants as
numerous as the stars in the sky.
(Genesis 15:8)
2 - “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is
getting on in years.”
1 - Yes, there is that little detail.
2 - 19 The
angel replied, “I
am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent
to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
1 - Listen and receive!
2 - 20 But
now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled
in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the
day these things occur.”
1 - LISTEN AND RECEIVE!
2 - 21 Meanwhile
the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay
in the sanctuary.
1 - Something is different.
2 - 22 When
he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized
that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to
them and remained unable to speak.
1 - Listen and receive!
2 - 23 When
his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
1 - Listen and receive!
2 - 24 After
those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she
remained in seclusion. She said, 25 “This
is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me
and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”
1 - Yes, the LORD has shown favor. God is gracious… Luke’s gospel
story continues with Mary, a young kinswoman of Elizabeth, who is
pregnant also, and comes to visit. But that is an episode for
another time. We turn now to the day when the Temple promise
begins to unfold.
2 - 57 Now
the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.
1 - “I am an old man,”
Zechariah had said, “and my
wife is getting on in years.” Listen and receive!
2 - 58 Her
neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great
mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
1 - Listen and receive!
2 - 59 On
the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were
going to name him Zechariah after his father.
1 -
Like father, like son.
2 - 60 But
his mother said, “No; he
is to be called John.”
1 - “The LORD has shown favor.”
“God is gracious.”
2 - 61 They
said to her, “None of
your relatives has this name.”
1 -
We’ve never done it that way
before.
2 - 62 Then
they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted
to give him.
1 -
Poor, silent Zechariah.
2 - 63 He
asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His
name is John.”
1 - “The LORD has shown favor.”
“God is gracious.”
2 - And
all of them were amazed.
1 - Listen and receive!
2 - 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and
his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God.
1 - Listen and receive!
2 - 65 Fear
came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked
about throughout the entire hill country of Judea.
1 - Listen and receive!
2 - 66 All
who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child
become?” For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
1 - Listen and receive!
2 - 67 Then
his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke
this prophecy:
1 - Listen and receive!
2 - 68 “Blessed
be the Lord God of Israel,
1 - Listen and receive!
2 - 80 The
child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the
wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.
Scripture text from the New Revised Standard Version
copyright © 1989 by the 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
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May God continue to prepare his way in you,
based upon
Philippians 1:9-11
as paraphrased in The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group |
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Interested in Sunday School? |
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International Lesson: |
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While one of our adult classes follows the International
lesson above (see
also), using |
For children and youth, we use the new |
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©2015 Peter
L. Haynes
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