My God the Spring of All My Joys. 1 My God the spring of all my joys The life of my delights The glory of my brightest days And comfort of my nights

Transcription

1 First Sunday of Advent December 2, 2018

2 My God the Spring of All My Joys 1 My God the spring of all my joys The life of my delights The glory of my brightest days And comfort of my nights 2 In darkest shades if Thou appear My dawning is begun Thou art my soul's bright morning star And Thou my rising sun 3 The opening heavens around me shine With beams of sacred bliss If Jesus shows his mercy mine And whispers I am His 4 To God all glory, praise, and love Be now and ever given By saints below and saints above, The Church in earth and heaven. Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, Carl Gotthelf Glaser Public Domain ACCLAMATION & OPENING PRAYER Blessed be God, who forgives all our sins. His mercy endures forever. All: Almighty God, who sent your only Son, Jesus, the light of the world to shine in the darkness, and make you known: Open our hearts to receive you, believe in your name, and to live as children of God awaiting the triumphant return of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Only A Holy God 1 Who else commands all the hosts of heaven Who else could make every king bow down Who else can whisper and darkness trembles Only a Holy God 2 What other beauty demands such praises What other splendor outshines the sun What other majesty rules with justice Only a Holy God Come and behold Him The One and the Only Cry out sing holy Forever a Holy God Come and worship the Holy God 3 What other glory consumes like fire What other power can raise the dead What other name remains undefeated Only a Holy God 4 Who else could rescue us from our failing Who else would offer His only Son Who else invites us to call Him Father Only a Holy God Only our Holy God Dustin R. Smith Jonny Robinson Michael Farren Rich Thompson 2016 Farren Love And War Publishing Integrity's Alleluia! Music Integrity's Praise! Music Jonny Robinson, CityAlight Music Rich Thompson CityAlight Music 2

3 LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLE On this first week of Advent, we light the candle of hope to remind us that we wait in hope for the return of our Lord Jesus. Come Light Our Hearts For You O Lord our souls in stillness wait For You O Lord our souls in stillness wait Truly our hope is in You Truly our hope is in You 1 O Lord of life our only hope Your radiance shines On all who look to You in the dark Emmanuel come, come light our hearts 2 Oh joy above all other loves In You we find more than enough We come as we are O heal and restore Come light our hearts Sandra McCracken 2015 Drink Your Tea Music CHILDREN S DISMISSAL Children: Children: May the Lord be with you. And also with you. May the Word of the Lord grow in your hearts. Thanks be to God! Go in the peace of the Lord. At this time, children 4k-2nd grade are invited to go to Kids Time. Kids Time is a dynamic worship service that caters to younger children and prepares them to participate in the main worship service. The children will return prior to Communion. 3

4 SCRIPTURE READING Exodus 6:28-7:13 (p. 49) The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. One of the characteristics of our worship is the abundance of Scripture. We encounter God through his inspired, authoritative Word. GOSPEL READING The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark. Glory to You, Lord Christ. Mark 1:1-6 (p. 812) The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Christ. During the Gospel reading, we stand to honor Christ because the Gospels represent Christ s presence in the Church through his Word. MESSAGE Exodus: I Have Come Down to Rescue Them When You Don t See God s Power Rev. Patrick Dominguez THE APOSTLES CREED (said together) I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church*, the Communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. *The phrase holy catholic Church means the Church worldwide. 4

5 PRAYERS OF GOD S PEOPLE In joyful expectation of his glorious return, we pray: Lord Jesus, come to your Church as Lord and judge, and lead us to live in readiness for our redemption. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Come to your world as King of the nations; guide those in power to lead with righteousness and truth, and rebuke those whose leadership is harmful or unjust. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Come as the good shepherd, that people from this city and every city of the world will be saved and find life in you. We pray especially for our local missionary Robin Bolash, that you would give them success as they labor together with you. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Come as Savior and comforter to all who suffer and struggle with illness, addiction, loneliness or distress; set us free to serve you. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Come from heaven, Lord Jesus, with power and great glory. Lift us up to meet you, that with all your saints and angels we may live and reign with you in your new creation. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus, hear the prayers of your people. I invite you to lift up your prayers and needs, either silently or out loud. If aloud, please speak clearly for all to hear so that we might agree with you in prayer. Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Let us confess our sins to Almighty God. CONFESSION OF SIN (said together) Heavenly Father, we confess that we have obstructed the way for your Son s coming in our lives. We have lived for our own desires and interests, rather than seeking first your Kingdom and your righteousness. By the power of your Holy Spirit, prepare the way for your coming in our hearts. Straighten our crooked ways. Flatten the mountainous greed within us. Fill in the valleys of our unrighteous thoughts. Smooth out the roughness of our speech; so that all mankind may see your salvation, through Jesus Christ, the light who has come into the world. Amen. Many people kneel during the Confession of Sin as a sign of humility and repentance before God. Confession and repentance are the means God gives us for receiving the forgiveness made possible through Jesus Christ. 5

6 May almighty God, who sent his son into the world to save sinners, bring you his pardon and peace, now and forever. Amen. During the Absolution the priest declares God s forgiveness as promised in the Bible for all who confess and turn away from their sins. (1 John 1:9) The peace of the Lord be always with you; And also with you. The Peace reminds us that we must reconcile with one another before we receive Holy Communion (Matthew 5:23). Peace be with you or God s peace are some of the phrases used as we great one another. WELCOME & OFFERING Come Down O Love Divine 1 Come down O Love divine Seek Thou this soul of mine And visit it with Thine own ardour glowing O Comforter draw near Within my heart appear and kindle it Thy holy flame bestowing 2 O let it freely burn Till earthly passions turn To dust and ashes In its heat consuming And let Thy glorious light Shine ever on my sight And clothe me round The while my path illuming 3 Let holy charity Mine outward vesture be And lowliness become mine inner clothing True lowliness of heart Which takes the humbler part And o'er its own shortcomings Weeps with loathing 4 And so the yearning strong With which the soul will long Shall far outpass the power Of human telling For none can guess its grace Till Love create a place Wherein the Holy Spirit Makes His dwelling Bianco da Siena Fernando Ortega Richard Frederick Littledale Public Domain Music: 2011 Kachitower Music 6

7 HOLY COMMUNION We welcome all baptized Christians who are willing to repent of their sin and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation to receive Holy Communion. If this is not authentic for you to receive you may remain seated or come forward and fold your arms across your chest and we will pray a blessing over you. It is our custom to use wine during communion. If you prefer, you may receive grape juice from the smaller chalices on the end of the serving lines. The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord! Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give him thanks and praise. Leader continues in Eucharistic Prayer. Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. LORD S PRAYER (said together) Our Father who art in Heaven Hallowed be Thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those Who trespass against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom And the power and the glory Forever and ever Amen PRAYERS FOR THOSE NOT TAKING HOLY COMMUNION Prayer for Those Searching for Truth. 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. If what you claim is true, please guide me, teach me and open me to the reality of who you are. Give me an understanding of you that is coherent, convincing and that leads to the life you promise. Prayer of Belief. Lord Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever dared admit, but through you I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you for paying my debt on the cross, taking what I deserved in order to offer me complete forgiveness. Knowing that you have been raised from the dead, I turn from my sins and receive you as my Savior and Lord. Please come into my life through the power of your Holy Spirit. A prayer team is available at the back of the sanctuary to pray with any who desire further prayer. Unable to come forward? Please inform an usher to request that Communion be brought to you. Gluten-free wafers available upon request. 7

8 Trinity Song Holy Father, Son and Spirit Holy Communion, Three-in-one Holy Father, Son and Spirit Holy Communion, Three-in-one Come with your peace, with your invitation Bind us together in holy love Come with your peace, with your invitation Bind us together in holy love Sandra McCracken 2016 Drink Your Tea Music [ASCAP] All rights reserved. Used by permission. Admin. by Music Services. Send Us Your Spirit Come Lord Jesus Send us Your Spirit Renew the face of the Earth Come Lord Jesus Send us Your Spirit Renew the face of the Earth David Haas 1988 GIA Publications Good Good Father 1 I've heard a thousand stories Of what they think You re like But I've heard the tender whisper Of love in the dead of night You tell me that You re pleased And that I'm never alone You're a Good Good Father It's who You are It's who You are It's who You are And I'm loved by You It's who I am It's who I am It's who I am 2 I've seen many searching for answers Far and wide But I know we're all searching for answers Only You provide Because You know just what we need Before we say a word You are perfect in all of Your ways You are perfect in all of Your ways You are perfect in all of Your ways to us 3 Love so undeniable I can hardly speak Peace so unexplainable I can hardly think As You call me deeper still As You call me deeper still As You call me deeper still Into love love love Anthony Brown Pat Barrett 2014 Capitol CMG Genesis Common Hymnal Publishing Housefires Sounds Lions Den Family Music sixsteps Music Vamos Publishing PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING (said together) Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen. 8

9 BENEDICTION Remain watchful with your eyes on Christ, who humbled himself to be born in a manger, and who will come again in glory. And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you now and forever. Amen Our Great God Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God Let ev'ry creature in the sea And ev'ry flying bird Let ev'ry mountain Ev'ry field and valley of the earth Let all the moons and all the stars In all the universe Sing praises to the living God Who rules them by His Word 2002 New Spring Word Music, LLC Dejamesolo Music Fernando Ortega Mac Powell Our service begins with a processional where the cross and the clergy process into the sanctuary and ends with a recessional. Traditionally, the entire congregation processed in together. While that is no longer done, the symbolism remains. We remind ourselves and each other that we follow the cross of Christ into the presence of God to worship him. Then we are sent out into the world, following Christ, to love God and our neighbor. DISMISSAL Go forth in hope. The Christ is coming. Thanks be to God! 9

10 W E L C O M E! We are glad you are worshiping with us this morning. We want to get to know you! Connect Cards can be found under the seats in the sanctuary. Turn in completed cards in the lobby for a free gift as a thank you for joining us. Connect We want to keep you connected to the life of Apostles! To be added to The Pulse contacts, fill out a yellow connection card and drop in the offering basket. You will receive our weekly e-newsletter and other important church-wide announcements. Our online communication tool connects you to ministries and members of the Apostles community. For more info contact Marsha Whyte: marsha@apostles-raleigh.org Community Interested in connecting deeper into the community here at Apostles? Consider joining a Community Group! Contact Jay for more information. Jay Traylor jay@apostles-raleigh.org The Deal + Small Groups (6th - 12th grades) happen Sundays from 6-8pm during the school year. Contact Emily for more information. Emily Gebbie emily@apostles-raleigh.org The Vine 20 s + 30 s Fellowship cotavine@gmail.com Seek P rayer The Apostles Prayer Ministry is a safe place to seek prayer for a variety of concerns. You will find trained prayer teams and a prayer room at the back of the sanctuary. apostles.raleigh.org/ prayerministry Serve There are several ways to connect and serve in the life of Apostles. Take a look at our Ministry Teams and find out how you can get involved. If there is an area or gifting that you have that you do not see listed, we want to know about it! apostles-raleigh.org/church Year End Giving Records Please note that gifts of securities and mutual funds must be transferred to, and received in, the Church's brokerage account by noon on Dec. 31, 2018 to be included with 2018 giving. Because the church offices will be closed December 25-December 28, we are requesting that you make every effort to bring any year end gifts for the general offering during the services on December 23, 24, and 31, or simply mail them. Payments mailed and postmarked by December 31, 2018 will be reflected on your 2018 Giving Record. If your bank issues your payment, please allow plenty of time for our receipt by mail. You can always check your giving records by logging into Apostles Link. Click on the Give option in the left margin; go to Schedules/ History tab where you can see your history or print a Giving Statement for you or your family. For any questions about your giving, please contact Laynette Rustin, accounting@apostle-raleigh.org. 10

11 What s Happening at Apostles Potluck, Prayer & Praise Wednesday, December 5 ~ The evening will begin with a potluck dinner at 5:30 in the fellowship hall, followed by a time of prayer and praise in the sanctuary at 6:30. A-I: side dish J-O: dessert P-Z: main dish Women s Retreat Bake Sale Sunday, December 9! Please bring a goodie you d like to donate, labeling the contents. All baked goods can be dropped of the day of the sale. Buy a goodie: The bake sale will be open after both the 8:30 and 11:00 services. Consider grabbing a treat for a friend, neighbor or Christmas gift! Proceeds will go toward scholarships for the Women s Retreat in March. Questions: Jane Speight {janespeight2@gmail.com}. Women s Christmas Coffee & Dessert Wednesday, December 12 7pm ~ Bring a friend and a dessert to share for this sweet time of fellowship. Contact Ann Dotson to RSVP: ann@apostles-raleigh.org This Week Sunday, December 2 Worship Services: 8:30am + 11am Advent Wreath Making: 10am Student Christmas Party: 6-8pm Monday, December 3 Community HOPE: 5:30-6:30pm Pub Theology: 7-9pm Lynnwood Brewing Concern Women in the Word (W): 7-8:45pm Tuesday, December 4 Tuesday Prayer & Praise: 1:30-2:30pm Community HOPE: 5:30-6:30pm Wednesday, December 5 Band of Brothers (M): 7am Sleepyheads (M): 7:15am Growing in Grace (W): 9:30-11:30am Community HOPE: 5:30-6:30pm Potluck, Prayer & Praise: 5:30pm Thursday, December 6 Men s Fraternity (M): 6:30-8am Blackwater Group (M): 7-8am (offsite) Community HOPE: 5:30-6:30pm Poinsettia Dedication We will be decorating the sanctuary with poinsettias for the Advent Season. If you would like to give one in honor or in memory of someone, laura@apostles-raleigh.org with (1) "in honor of" or "in memory of", (2) the person's name, and (3) who is giving the gift. The list of dedications will be in the Christmas Eve bulletin. A $15 minimum donation, which supports the flower ministry, is suggested. Student Minist ry Christmas Party tonight in the Fellowship Hall! Bring a $5 wrapped gift and a snack to share. And don t forget your best Christmas attire. {6-8pm} Children s Ministry Lessons for December 2, 2018 Nursery: John is Born {Luke 1:5-25; 57-80} Kids Time: Gabriel Visits Mary {Luke 1:26-38} Christmas Pageant ~ December 16 {10:00am between services} (M) Men (W) Women 11

12 P ride For Parents Gift Drive Please bring a new, unwrapped toy or article of clothing for the Pride for Parents Christmas Store. Pride for Parents is a ministry that provides new items for local low-income families to purchase at reduced costs. There will be a drop off area in the lobby. Items will be collected through December 9th. Volunteers are needed in the Pride for Parents Store! Contact the Volunteer Coordinator for more information: {pride4parents@gmail.com}. C H U R C H O F T H E A P O S T L E S Members of the Anglican Church of North America and Rwanda 333 Church at North Hills Street Raleigh, NC Church Office Hours: M-Th 9am-5pm; Closed Fridays 12 // //