WORSHIP for SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 4, :30 A.M.

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1 WORSHIP for SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 4, :30 A.M. Grounded in the grace of God, we are a vibrant Christian community, disciples of all ages, gathered for worship and nurture, scattered to serve and to love. -MPC Mission Statement adopted by the Session March 31, 2008

2 Welcome to Morrisville Presbyterian Church WE WELCOME GUESTS AND VISITORS to our service today. If you are not a member, we invite you to consider membership with us. If you would like more information about how we can serve you, please speak to a pastor. THE CHANCEL FLOWERS are offered to the glory of God and are given in loving memory of Charles T. Burgess by the Burgess/Jurey families: We miss you. They are also given, with thankfulness, by Drew and Gail Hunger to honor the birth of their twin grandchildren: Sloane Mary and Colin Joseph, born November 22, Parents Greg and Kelly Hunger, and big brother James, are happy to have them home. USHERING AT TODAY S SERVICE: Head Usher Lisa Zazzu, Kym Bowser, Gail Flesch, Jim Gaston, Beth Keys, Travis Keys and Andrea Wolf. Jr. Deacons are James Gilbride and Evan Wadley. TODAY S ACOLYTE: Jesus once said, I am the light of the world. (John 8:12) We are grateful to our acolytes who each Sunday morning carry the light into the sanctuary, symbolizing the presence of Christ in the worshiping community. At the conclusion of the service, the acolyte bears the light out into the world, where we are called to follow Christ and serve others in his name. Today s acolyte is Vanessa Nolan. CHILDCARE FOR CHILDREN UP TO AGE 4 is provided in the Nursery/Pre-School room from 10:15 a.m. 11:45 a.m. Infants and toddlers are also welcome in worship. Visitors, please feel free to worship with your children for as long as they are able. If he or she gets wiggly and needs a stretch break, audio from the service is available in the chapel, until your child is ready to return to the sanctuary 2 for you to continue to worship together. HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES are available for use anywhere in the sanctuary during worship. These pocketsized receivers are available from Deacons in either Narthex and are to be returned after the service. HYMNALS, BIBLES, & BULLETINS WITH LARGE PRINT are available during worship each Sunday morning from a Deacon in the Narthex. Please return the Hymnal and/or Bible after the service. PASTORAL CARE REMINDER Members of the staff truly want to be attentive when members or friends of MPC are experiencing health difficulties. If you (or a family member) have been admitted to a hospital, please let us know by contacting the church office, and one of the pastors will be pleased to visit. You may also reach the pastors on their mobile phones Bruce Ballantine at and Debbie Heffernan at Thank you for your assistance. WORSHIP NOTE * The asterisk indicates that those who are able may please stand. PUBLICATION DEADLINES Please forward any announcements you would like included in the Bulletin by noon Tuesday of each week to Bulletin@MPCusa.net. Articles for the January edition of Currents are due by December 10. Send articles to Currents@MPCusa.net. C ONTACT US M ORRISVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH STAFF 771 North Pennsylvania Ave. Morrisville, PA Office@MPCusa.net Bruce Ballantine, Interim Pastor & Head of Staff (ext. 234)... BruceBallantine@MPCusa.net Deborah Heffernan, Interim Associate Pastor for Children, Youth & Family Ministry (ext. 225) DebbieHeffernan@MPCusa.net Jack McAnlis, Minister of Visitation...JackMcAnlis@MPCusa.net Timothy Carpenter, Director of Music... TimCarpenter@MPCusa.net Geoffrey Shoffstall, Principal Organist... GeoffreyShoffstall@MPCusa.net Rich Drabb, Property Manager (ext. 231)... RichDrabb@MPCusa.net Laurie Jacobson, Bookkeeper (ext. 226)... LaurieJacobson@MPCusa.net Damon Miller, Communication Coordinator... DamonMiller@MPCusa.net Diane Toner, Administrative Assistant (ext. 0)... DianeToner@MPCusa.net

3 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT G A T H E R I N G WORDS of WELCOME Pastor Heffernan MINUTE for MISSION Deacon Food Baskets Deacon Greg Neiman PRELUDE A Rose Breaks Into Bloom - Johannes Brahms LIGHTING of the ADVENT CANDLE INTROIT Prepare the Way *CALL to WORSHIP One: A voice cries: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, All: make straight in the desert a highway for our God. *HYMN 88 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verses 1 & 2) Geoffrey Shoffstall The Book Group Family Chancel Choir Elder Beth Becker VENI EMMANUEL *PRAYER of CONFESSION Unison Holy God, we confess that we do not walk in your light. We hurt and destroy one another and neglect the poor and hungry. We let evil grow among us and fail to bear good fruit. Forgive us, God of grace. Awaken us to your Word, so that we may be ready to welcome you with joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. *SILENT PRAYERS of CONFESSION *RESPONSE 601 Amen (DANISH) Here each worshiper may offer silent prayers of confession. Congregation *PROMISE of FORGIVENESS One: The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. May the God of mercy, who forgives you all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. All: Amen. *RESPONSE to GOD S PARDON (back cover of hymnal) Glory to the Father GLORIA PATRI 3

4 *THE PEACE One: The Peace of Christ be with you. All: And also with you. One: Let us greet one another with the Peace of Christ. As a sign of their reconciliation in Christ, the people share the peace of Christ, greeting one another with these or similar words: The peace of Christ be with you, Peace be with you, or simply, Peace. PRAYER for ILLUMINATION L I T U R G Y o f t h e W O R D OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 11:1-10 (Old Testament, pages ) One: This is the Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. ANTHEM Redeemer of the Nations, Come - arr. Don M. Dicie Redeemer of the nations, come, reveal yourself in virgin birth; the birth which ages all adore, a wondrous birth befitting God. From human will you do not spring, but from the spirit of our God; O word of God, come, take our flesh, and grow as Christ in Mary's womb. You came forth from the eternal God, and you returned to that same source. You suffered death and harrowed hell, and reigned once more from God's high throne. With God the Father you are one, and one with us in human flesh; O fill our weak and dying frame, with Godly strength that never fails. Your cradle shines with glories light, its splendor pierces all our gloom. Our faith reflects those radiant beams, no night shall overcome it now. All praise, O unbegotten God. All praise to you eternal Word. All praise life-giving Spirit, praise. All glory to our God triune. Martin Luther / trans. Charles Price EPISTLE READING Romans 15:4-13 (New Testament, page 153) One: This is the Word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. TIME for YOUNG DISCIPLES Children in grades K-5 may leave for music time with Mr. Carpenter. GOSPEL READING Matthew 3:1-12 (New Testament, pages 2-3) One: This is the Gospel of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. 4

5 SERMON Abounding in Hope Pastor Ballantine *HYMN 94 Now the Heavens Start to Whisper JEFFERSON PRAYERS of THANKSGIVING and SUPPLICATION THE LORD S PRAYER (debts and debtors) OFFERING Invitation to Give Presentation of Gifts Offertory Music Savior of the Nations, Come - J.S. Bach/Wilhelm Kempff *Doxology 606 Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow *Prayer of Dedication S E N D I N G OLD HUNDREDTH *HYMN 88 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verses 5-7) VENI EMMANUEL *CHARGE and BLESSING *CHORAL BENEDICTION - Arise, Shine Forth *POSTLUDE Come Now, Savior of the Nations - Dietrich Buxtehude Announcements TODAY! ADVENT CELEBRATION - 11:30 A.M. Get back to what Christmas really means. Come along, children of all ages, for lunch, singing, shepherd games, crafts, storytelling, cookie decorating and card making. CLOTHING CENTER THIRD ANNUAL CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE - TODAY AT 11:30 A.M. The MPC Clothing Center will be open for business today for your shopping convenience. Located in the basement in Room 4, we have many clothes and other items for sale at reasonable prices. Please come and see for yourself what great things we have to offer. See you today. ADVENT SUPPER - WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7 Join our friends from Morrisville United Methodist Church and St. John Lutheran Church for an Advent Supper and Worship Service at St. John Lutheran Church at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 7. Rev. Wendy Bellis is scheduled to preach. Sign up in the Communication Center or call the church office by noon on Tuesday, December 6. 5

6 CHRISTMAS CAROLING Attention all Middle and High Schoolers: join in the MPC neighborhood Christmas Caroling Sunday, December 11 6:30-8:30 p.m. We will meet in Room 220, sing carols throughout our MPC neighborhood and then return to MPC for cookies and hot chocolate. Bring your friends and family. Please contact Patrick Gilbride at if you plan to attend. IVINS OUTREACH/DEACONS ANGEL TREE The MPC Christmas tree is set up in the lounge. We want church families to have plenty of time for shopping since the gifts are due at MPC on Sunday, December 11. Please watch for new Angels, as they appear on the tree. Instructions will be on the back of the tags. If you have additional questions, please contact Amy Schnurr at Thank you for helping these families and for making their holidays complete! ORNAMENT SALE Youth in Mission will be selling two ornaments depicting the stained glass windows at MPC in the Communication Center on Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas. These beautiful porcelain ornaments are made in the USA and half of each ornament s $10.00 cost will be donated to our Youth in Mission program. May God bless you all for your continued support of our youth. S.N.O. ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY The Saturday Night Out (S.N.O.) Annual Christmas Party will be held December 10, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. at the Drake residence. Please RSVP at to be assigned an appetizer or dessert. Remember to bring an unwrapped toy to donate to the Salvation Army. Don t forget your gag gift too for the traditional swap. Everyone is welcome! SUPPORT DEACON FOOD BASKET PROGRAM THROUGH AMAZON Support the Board of Deacons Food Basket Program when you shop on Amazon. Go to smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com and select Morrisville Presbyterian Church as the charity. Amazon will then donate.5% of your purchase to the church. MANY THANKS A great big "Thank you" to the approximately 45 members who helped with clean-up projects around the church on Sunday, November 20. A lot was accomplished. Rich Drabb and Roger Anderson appreciate all of your hard work. CURRENT ADULT EDUCATION CLASS The Coming of the Messiah With Reverend Jack McAnlis Sundays, December 4, 11 and 18 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. This class will study Old Testament biblical passages about the Messiah who was to come to the Hebrews and compare those expectations to the birth of Jesus, the Christ, in the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke. MUSICAL OFFERING The Central Jersey Choral Society (CJCS) will perform Handel s The Messiah in the MPC Sanctuary on Sunday, December 11 at 4:30 p.m. Tickets for adults are $15 ($20 at the door) and free for children under 12. Tickets are available online at cjchoralsociety.org. Follow us on Facebook! Find us at Morrisville Presbyterian Church 6

7 FOOD CENTER NEEDS Do you have an hour to spare on Wednesdays at noon? The Food Center needs a few extra hands to help break down the operation: food needs to be put away, tables need to be cleaned and stacked away, garbage and recycling needs to go out, computers need to be locked away and floors need to be swept. We also need someone to drive any leftover food to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, which is an easy 2.2 miles drive away. If your schedule allows, please consider participating in this most meaningful ministry. Please MPCfoodcenter@gmail.com to tell us you d love to help or for additional information... or just stop by. Thanks! Paper and plastic grocery-sized bags are always needed, but we have plenty of egg cartons for now. Thank you for your continued contributions to The Food Center. THEATRE EXCURSIONS Bristol Riverside Theatre America Rising Series Stabilized Turbulence by Ken Kaissar Monday, December 19 Dinner at 5:00 p.m., performance at 6:00 p.m. Individual Tickets cost $15.00 and include a simple dinner. This series presents works in progress which are followed by a discussion between the audience, playwright and director. For information about the play's plot or purchasing tickets, visit If you want a ride, please Susan Light at susanklight@verizon.net. We Extend Our Sincere Thanks to our Clothing Center Volunteers: Bea Donini, Eve Fletcher, Kathy Foster, Betsy Jurey, Lyn Kita, Shirley May, Dolores Morris and Sarah Sunderland. Christmas Eve Services 5:00 p.m. Children s Lessons and Carols Service 7:30 p.m. Candlelight Worship Service and Communion Featuring Family Choir, Soloists & Chancel Ringers 11:00 p.m. Candlelight Worship Service Featuring Chancel Choir and Soloists Christmas Day Service 10:30 a.m. Worship and Carol Sing 7

8 December 7 St. John Lutheran Church Rev. Wendy Bellis SUNDAY, December 4 - Second Sunday of Advent 8:30 a.m. God s Thunder Rehearsal Chapel 9:30 Sunday School for All Ages 10:30 Worship Service Sanctuary 11:30 Advent Celebration for Fellowship Hall All Ages 11:30 Clothing Center Open House Room 4 11:45 Teen Choir Chapel MONDAY, December 5 9:30 a.m. Presbyterian Women Conference Room 6:00 p.m. Cub Scouts Rooms 104, 220, 222 6:30 Cub Scouts Fellowship Hall 7:00 Trustees Room 200 7:00 Food Packing Room 4 7:00 Boy Scouts Fellowship Hall 7:00 Scout Parent Meeting Chapel 7:00 CJCS Dress Rehearsal Sanctuary 7:30 Youth Ministry Becker Residence TUESDAY, December 6 9:00 a.m. Food Center Set-Up Fellowship Hall 9:30 Congregational Ministry Lounge 10:00 Clothing Center 1:30 p.m. Staff Meeting Room 200 6:00 GSEP Senior Troop 2030 Room 125 6:30 Food Center Fellowship Hall 7:00 Pastor Nominating Conference Room 7:30 Alcoholics Anonymous Room 220 Advent Supper Series 6:00 p.m. - Wednesdays MPC Weekly Calendar December 14 Morrisville United Methodist Church Rev. Debbie Heffernan Weekday Nursery School and Head Start use MPC facilities for their classes. Information about their schedules and calendars can be accessed at and respectively. WEDNESDAY, December 7 8:00 a.m. Food Center Fellowship Hall Noon Brown Bag & Bible Conference Room 1:00 p.m. Weekly Prayer Meeting Room 200 6:00 Youth Club Fellowship Hall 6:00 Advent Supper Series St. John Lutheran 7:00 Finance Committee Conference Room 7:30 Worship Committee Room 202 THURSDAY, December 8 11:00 a.m. Food Stocking Fellowship Hall Noon Alcoholics Anonymous Room 222 6:30 p.m. Oakville Girl Scouts Room 220 6:45 Chancel Choir Music Room 7:00 Outreach Board Conference Room 7:00 To Live Again Fellowship Hall 8:15 Chancel Ringers Chapel FRIDAY, December 9 7:30 p.m. Alcoholics Anonymous Room 122 SATURDAY, December 10 SUNDAY, December 11 - Third Sunday of Advent 8:30 a.m. God s Thunder Rehearsal Chapel 9:30 Sunday School for All Ages 10:30 Worship Service Sanctuary 11:30 Fellowship Time Reception Lounge Host: Worship Committee 11:45 Teen Choir Chapel 4:30 p.m. CJCS Concert Sanctuary 6:30 Youth Caroling Room 220 & Neighborhood 7:00 Board of Deacons Conference Room M O R R I S V I L L E P R E S B Y T E R I A N C H U R C H 771 NORTH PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE MORRISVILLE, PA