the fourth sunday of advent

Transcription

1 the fourth sunday of advent december 24, 2017 faith presbyterian church presbyterian church in america Ministers: Robert S. Rayburn Richard H. DeMass Steven A. Nicoletti 620 South Shirley Tacoma, Washington

2 Fourth Sunday of Advent December 24, 2017 Upon entering the sanctuary please maintain silence for the sake of the congregation s preparation for worship, and please make sure electronic devices are off or using silent mode. Prelude Variations on In dulci jubilo...denis Bedard (1950--) Welcome and Announcements +Silent Prayer Take note, my heart; see there! look low: What lies then in the manger so? Whose is the lovely little child? It is the darling Jesus-child. Dear little Jesus! in my shed, Make thee a soft, white little bed, And rest there in my heart s low shrine, That so my heart be always thine. --George MacDonald s translation of Luther s Christmas Hymn Call to Worship *Hymn of Praise to God Hark! the Herald Angels Sing No Confession of Sin Silent Prayer Corporate Prayer We confess to You, Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that we have grievously sinned in thought, word, and deed. Forgive our sins through Christ Jesus. Make us truly contrite. Fill us with holy fear; and give us grace to amend our lives according to your Word. Almighty and merciful Father, restore our souls in Jesus Christ, that we may be merciful and kind, even as you are. Let your forgiveness make us willing to forgive all wrong which we have suffered, and to ask forgiveness for every wrong which we have done. Give us the spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ who dwelt among men in great humility, and was meek and lowly of heart. Let the same mind be in us which was also in Him. Let our love and charity be abundant as our joy, that our hearts may be tender to all need, and our hands give freely for His sake. And grant that, being rooted and grounded in the mystery of the Son of God being made flesh for us, we may receive power to overcome the world and gain the life eternal through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

3 Assurance of Pardon But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV) *Confession of Faith Q. Why is the Son of God called Jesus, meaning savior? A. Because he saves us from our sins. Salvation cannot be found in anyone else; it is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere. Heidelberg Catechism No. 29 *Hymn of Faith in Jesus Christ What Child Is This No. 213 Worship of God with Tithes and Offerings In the Bleak Mid-winter...Based on a Holst carol / arr. Gordon Young ( ) *Hymn Infant Holy, Infant Lowly No. 216 *Congregational Petitions and the Lord s Prayer Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV) Scripture Lesson Micah 5:1-6 (ESV pp ) Sermon To Whom Much Is Given The Lord s Supper The general order of communion will be back to front, with the balcony coming first. As the minister begins to serve those distributing the elements, that is your signal to come forward. However, individuals may commune at any time during the distribution of the elements. Wine will be found in the outside tray, grape juice in the inside tray. If you need to be served in your pew, please notify an elder or deacon. Gluten free bread is available upon request. You are welcome to participate in the Lord s Supper if you are a baptized Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, and a faithful member or adherent of this or some other congregation, recognized as belonging to the fellowship of Christian believers. If this does not describe you, we are glad you are here and commend to you this prayer for your use during the time of the Lord s Supper.

4 Jesus, you claim to be the way, the truth, and the life. Grant that I might be undaunted by the cost of following you as I consider the reasons for doing so. Please guide me, teach me, and open to me the reality of who you are. Give me an understanding of you that is coherent, convincing, and that leads to the life that you promise. Amen. What sweeter music can we bring Than a carol, for to sing The birth of this our heavenly King? Awake the voice! Awake the string! Dark and dull night, fly hence away, And give the honour to this day That sees December turned to May. Why does the chilling winter s morn Smile, like a field beset with corn? Or smell like a meadow newly shorn Thus on the sudden? Come and see The cause, why things thus fragrant be: Tis he is born, whose quickening birth Gives life and lustre, public mirth, To heaven and the underearth. We see him come, and know him ours, Who, with his sunshine and his showers, Turns the patient ground to flowers. The darling of the world is come, And fit it is, we find a room To welcome him. The nobler part of all the house here, is the heart, Which we will give him; and bequeath This holly, and this ivy wreath, To do him honour; who s our King, And Lord of all this revelling. What sweeter music can we bring Than a carol, for to sing The birth of this our heavenly King. Robert Herrick ( )/John Rutter Hymn On Christmas Night All Christians Sing No. 227 Reading of Scripture Luke 2:1-7, 8-14, (ESV p. 857) *Hymn Christians, Awake, Salute the Happy Morn No. 209

5 *Benediction +Silent Prayer And is it true? And is it true, This most tremendous tale of all, Seen in a stained-glass window s hue, A Baby in an ox s stall? The Maker of the stars and sea Become a Child on earth for me? No love that in a family dwells, No carolling in frosty air, Nor all the steeple-shaking bells Can with this single Truth compare - That God was man in Palestine And lives today in Bread and Wine. John Betjeman s Christmas And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. G. F. Handel, from Messiah Postlude *Congregation standing +The congregation is invited to kneel CCLI License # Fourth Sunday of Advent December 24 Morning Worship & Fellowship & Refreshments in DeSoto Hall 9:45 am Christmas Eve Candlelight Services 4:00 & 11:00 pm Welcome & Announcement Elders Mike Pfefferle Dick Hannula Congregational Petitions Leaders Nick Heermann Adam Jackson Nursery Schedule

6 Jennifer & Christina Sullivan No Nursery Provided Kathy Hannula & Ally Bennett 9:45 am Coffee/Tea Hosts Thom & Becky Wilson Nancy Rowan Jim & Shari Roland Church Library Rich Dryden Building Monitors Ken Rowan Kyle Proctor Prep for 11:00 Service 9:40 10:45 am 6:00 pm Monday December 25 - Church Office Closed Tuesday December 26 - Ladies Bible Study is on break and will resume January 2 nd. - Samson Society is on break and will resume January 9 th. Wednesday December 27 - No Prayer Meeting this evening - ESL Writing Class is on break and will resume January 10 th. - No Jr. or Sr. High Youth Group this evening - Choristers are on break and will resume January 10 th. Thursday December 28 - Tea & Talk/Knitting Friendships is on break and will resume on January 4 th. Lord s Day December 31 Morning Worship Sunday School Choir Rehearsal Evening Service & 9:45 am 4:45 pm 6:00 pm Welcome & Announcement Elders Peter Chiou Steve Jack Congregational Petitions Leaders Bob Somerville Jeff Bone Nursery Schedule Dana Isenberger & Dawn Darby Jr. High girls & teachers 9:45 am

7 Emily Downie & Mariela Aown Denise Welch & Evangeline DeGraaf 6:00 pm Coffee/Tea Hosts Blake & Terri Hurlbut Tina LeFebvre Ray & Carole Weigley Church Library Elizabeth Jimmink Building Monitors Adam Skrivan Luke Knauss rep for 11:00 Service 9:40 10:45 am 6:00 pm Upcoming Events For details please see Information/Events on the web site. January 1 Church Office Closed January 21 Sanctity of Human Life Sunday January Pacific Northwest Presbytery Meeting, Green Lake, Seattle January 31 Annual Meeting This Evening: Candlelight Services We meet this evening for our Candlelight Christmas Eve Services at 4:00 pm and 11:00 pm. Both services of Lessons & Carols will include congregational singing of beloved Christmas hymns. The Choristers will sing in the 4:00 service, and the adult choir will sing at 11:00. Sunday School Today We gather in DeSoto Hall today during the Sunday School hour for fellowship and refreshments Bible Reading Plan Available Craig DesJardins 2018 Bible reading plan is available in the narthex and also is on the Faith Presbyterian Church website: faithtacoma.org. Click on the Information tab, then Bible Reading for a calendar or a printable single sheet reading plan for your Bible. Meeting with the Elders The elders are aware that there has been considerable discussion among members of the congregation concerning our proposal eventually to move from three pastors to two. We know that the announcement of this plan came as a surprise to most of you. Understandably there is both interest and uncertainty in many minds. We now realize that more communication should have been promptly forthcoming. We intend to redress that failure in this way. Beginning in January the elders will be meeting with the congregation in groups of manageable size to provide a more complete account of our thinking and to answer questions that people may have. Other changes are in store, of course, chief among them the calling of a new senior pastor, and we want to talk with you about those as well. Everyone will be invited to such a meeting and we hope our conversations together will prepare us all for the changes that are in store. Church Budget Plan for 2018 The Budget Committee will be meeting to discuss the financial plan for If you have any comments please contact Doug Lawty or Derek Whaley by Friday, January 12 th. The elders and

8 deacons will meet on Tuesday, January 23 rd to approve the budget. The annual meeting will be held Wednesday, January 31 st with dinner beginning at 6:00 pm in DeSoto Hall followed by the meeting at 7:00 pm in the sanctuary. Annual Ministerial Relief Fund Offering for Widows Gifts to this fund assist widows of PCA pastors and missionaries by providing for their basic necessities of life: food, housing, utilities, and healthcare. If you wish to donate please note Widows Fund on the offering envelope. Last Opportunity - Lost and Found This evening is your last opportunity to check the lost & found at the bottom of the stairs in the old narthex. Anything left after this evening will be given away. Thank you. Messiah Singers Invited to ACM Festival Choir Rehearsals for the ACM choir are on Tuesday evenings, January 16 through March 20. Handel s Messiah will be presented at Merrill Gardens, Tacoma, on March 13 and at Faith Presbyterian Church on Palm Sunday, March 25. Register online: acmusicians.org/festival choir. Questions? Contact Ron Bechtel. Deadline for Youth Scholarship Competition is January 20 ACM sponsors an annual competition for young Christian musicians. Register now online: acmusicians.org/events. Questions? Contact Ron Bechtel. Russian Pianist to Present Concert on February 3 Dr. Yelena Balabanova will play her favorites in concert at Faith Presbyterian Church, Saturday, February 3, 2:00 p.m., a benefit event for ACM. For more information, go to acmusicians.org/ events. Choristers Rehearsals Underway Choristers meet each Wednesday evening, 7:00 to 8:15, under Melissa McMillan s direction. To register your treble-voiced child (ages 7 +), contact Melissa. An Experiment in Streaming Our Services Through the end of this year the and 6:00 pm services will be live-streamed. In other words, one can go to the church s website (faithtacoma.org), hit the Live! button and view the service as it takes place. Obviously, this is an advantage to those who might not otherwise be able to be present with us. We have already had individuals both out of state and out of the country take advantage of this opportunity. Questions remain, however, and the service is not free; so we will re-evaluate at the end of the year. Questions or comments may be addressed to the church office, Mr. Lawty or one of the elders. On the Cover Albrecht Dürer Woodcut, Adoration of the Magi (The Life of the Virgin), c. 1503

9 Men of Faith, Morning Prayer Meetings & Devotions There are opportunities to meet with fellow Men of Faith for prayer and devotions each week: Wednesday mornings with Phil Perkins: We meet at Old Town Anthem coffee shop at 2312 N. 30th St., Tacoma. This group meets at 6 am for Bible reading and prayer. After several years we continue to focus solely on the Psalms which serve as a life guide. One of the ancient church fathers, Athanasius wrote, Whatever your particular need or trouble, from this same book (the Psalms) you can select a form of words to fit it, so that you...learn the way to remedy your ill. Thursday mornings with Thom Wilson, 6:30 am at the church. Join us in studying through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as we pray for our concerns and the world around us. College & Career Community Groups College & Career is a young adult ministry of Faith Presbyterian Church. The goal is to provide opportunities for young adults 18 and older, whether single or married, to do life together throughout the week and form deep Christian friendships. C&C Community Groups are weekly small groups that meet in a home for dinner and fellowship. We currently have two established groups: one that meets on Tuesday at Caleb and Tamala Bestvater s home at 7 pm and one that meets on Thursday at Nate and Rachael Shelden s home at 6:30 pm. For more details, or if you re interested in joining a C&C Community Group, please contact one of us and we ll help you get connected! Meals on Wheels The purpose of Meals on Wheels is to provide meals for those families needing extra help due to illness, death in the family, adoption or childbirth. If you know of a need, please contact Kathy Haass, Alisha Bennett or the church office. Meal needs will be requested via TNT (This n That), the church s announcement system. To receive TNT s, please contact the church office. Thank you! Nursing Mothers In addition to the nursery rooms, Room #117 the Women in the Church room, is open and available for your convenience during all Worship Services. The service can be seen and heard in the WIC room. Hearing Assistance If you would like a device to help with hearing the worship service, please see a Deacon.

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