The Presbyterian Church in Leonia ORGANIZED 1899 AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY OF FAITH December 23, 2018 GOD IS CALLING US TO LET OUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE OTHERS, SO THAT THEY MAY SEE AND GLORIFY GOD. Matthew 5:16 The Rev. Dr. Leah Fowler, Pastor Renée Guerrero Harris, Organist/Choir Director Patricia Major, Church Administrator
4th Sunday of Advent 23rd of December 2018 Preparing for Worship 10:30 a.m. Please silence cell phones. An asterisk (*) in the bulletin means please stand if you are able. Speak in unison at the bold face areas. Newer English speaker? English copies of the sermon are available from the ushers to help you follow along. LARGE- TYPE editions of the Hymnal are available from the ushers, as well as Chinese/English, Spanish/English, Korean/English and Japanese/English Bibles. You may share joys and concerns to be shared during the Prayers of the People by filling out a blue prayer card and leaving it in the offering plate. Nursery care is available in the room adjacent to the rear hallway. Kindergartners to fourth graders remain in worship through the children s sermon; they then may go to the activity period. Parents may also sit with restless children in the Tower room, which is located off the rear of the sanctuary. Children are welcome to remain for the entire service. Sunday School and Adult Classes meet from 9:30 to 10:15 am. PRELUDE GREETING Rev. Dr. Leah Fowler INTROIT Veni, veni Emmanuel (trad.) Veni, veni Emmanuel; Captivum solve Israel, Qui gemit in exilio, Privatus Dei Filio. Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel, Nascetur pro te, Israel! 2
Gathering as God s People *CALL TO WORSHIP We look for an extraordinary sign of hope for our world but God s sign is most ordinary of all: A young woman is with child. We look to power for strength in our world but God points to the most vulnerable: She gives birth. We look far and wide for a key to God s mystery, but God points us home: She calls this child Immanuel: God-with-us! Let us rejoice, and worship our God in our ordinary, vulnerable lives: God-with-us! *INVOCATION *OPENING HYMN #105 People, Look East CALL TO CONFESSION A voice is crying out in the wilderness: Repent, for the reign of heaven is about to break upon you! Trusting in God s grace, let us confess our sin. PRAYER OF CONFESSION We confess we are not the people you hope us to be, Advent God. The very ones you favor? All too often, we ignore them, or worse fill them with ridicule. The ones you knock off their pedestals? We continue to admire them, seeking to copy their ways. The drumbeat for more and more? We give into the rhythm so easily, but we risk being sent away empty. Forgive us, Mighty God who comes in the weakness of a baby. Look with grace upon us, so we might see your love shining down. We could live secure in your hope; we could be the ones of peace for our world; we could learn to do your will, if we but welcome Jesus Christ into our hearts and into our lives. 3
Time for silent meditation ASSURANCE OF PARDON The wilderness will rejoice! The dry land will blossom. The people of God will return with joy and singing. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Thanks be to God. Amen. *SUNG RESPONSE #90 Wait for the Lord (sing twice) Passing of the Peace Listening for God s Word to Us PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION Faithful God, you chose Mary, full of grace, to be the mother of our Sovereign and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now fill us with your grace, that with her, we may understand your ways, rejoice in your salvation, and embrace your will; through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. A READING FROM THE EPISTLES Hebrews 10:5-10 (page 224 or page 272) A READING FROM THE GOSPELS Luke 1:39-55 (page 57 or page 69) The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. CHILDREN S SERMON Rev. Dr. Leah Fowler LIGHTING THE ADVENT WREATH MinBum Koo and Diane Lee I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. You said, I have made a covenant with my chosen one, 4
I have sworn to my servant David: I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations. (Psalm 89:1-4) New life is coming. We can count it in days now. God is breaking through. God s Word will change the world. We will all be changed by the Language of Love. The covenant has come down through the generations. The love of God is never-ending. We give thanks for God s faithfulness. Today we light the candle of Love. (Light the fourth candle.) We give thanks for God s steadfast Love. SUNG RESPONSE #137 He Came Down He came down, that we may have light! (3x s) Hallelujah, forevermore! He came down, that we may have love! (3x s) Hallelujah, forever more! SERMON The Quickening of God-with-Us Rev. Dr. Leah Fowler HYMN #100 My Soul Cries Out with a Joyful Shout THE WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS SHARING OF OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS 5
ANTHEM Come, Lord Jesus, Dwell Among Us Mineko Yajima Hinton, Violinist Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free; from our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in Thee. Dear Desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart. Come, Lord Jesus, dwell among us, free us from our long dark night. Come, Messiah, come and save us, fill our world with heaven's light. Born Thy people of deliver, born a child, and yet a King, born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring. By Thine all sufficient merit raise us to Thy glorious throne. Come, Lord Jesus, dwell among us; come to set Thy people free. *DOXOLOGY Old Hundredth Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise God all people here below; Praise God above ye heavenly host; Creator, Christ and Holy Ghost! Amen. PRAYER OF DEDICATION PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE WITH LORD S PRAYER 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 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. *HYMN #102 Savior of the Nations, Come *THE CHARGE and BENEDICTION Going Forth in Dedication and Service 6
POSTLUDE Song of Mary (F. Lopez) Mineko Yajima Hinton, violinist My soul exalts the Lord, my God, and my spirit rejoices in praise to God my Savior. For he has chosen me, the handmaid of the Lord. Age to age, generations will call me blessed. For the favor of the mighty one has shown to his servant, for He has honored me, the bondslave of the Lord. In his goodness, his kind compassion, he sends the promised one the Val to pay. And remembrance of his great mercy, the holy one has done great things, great things for me. O magnify his holy name. Our liturgist, Suzanne Broffman, and our reader, Gretchen Harders, are helping lead our worship today. The art on the bulletin is called The Glorious Visitation, Mary and Elizabeth by Lucy D Souza-Krone. The artist is from the village Goa on the west coast of India. She is part of INSCAPE (Indian School for Art and Peace), a Christian ashram that brings together Christian and Indian culture. 7
A Prayer Practice for Home: Reflect on Advent Art Use today s bulletin cover art for your reflection by reading below what the artist, Lucy D Souza Krone, says of her painting. Then, with forgiveness for any lack of artistic excellence, try getting out your own colored pencils or paints, and prayerfully create a picture of one of your favorite Advent or Christmas images. Invite the Holy Spirit to move or speak to you while you create and remember that the finished product is not as important as the prayer itself. Mary and Elizabeth rejoice and dance singing the Magnificat. Together they form a butterfly, with the child in the embryo in the centre, signifying that both are pregnant. The child is in the form of a coconut (a coconut is broken and offered in the Holy places in India) also indicates the sacrifice of Jesus and St. John. The sun in the centre above points out to John`s saying, he must increase, I must decrease, John 3:30 where John, the Baptist, would like to disappear and let Jesus get all the attention and importance. John has been the one who prepared the way for Jesus: Mary and Elizabeth are in the yellow orange form depicting them to BE with the child, and full of Grace and Light. In the child and due to the child this Glorious Visitation has taken place, the child brings them Joy, Hope, Light and Life. TODAY: USHERS: Gretchen Harders, Maryellen Neu COUNTERS: Hyung Shim, Fumio Ito GREETER: Nancy Salvati NURSERY: Judy Nyirongo We welcome all visitors in the name of Jesus Christ. We invite you to sign the guest register in the entry room and to join us for coffee in the entry room following the service. 8
Readings for Sunday December 30, 2018 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Psalms 148 Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:41-52 GREETER Month of December: Nancy Salvati Month of January: Venge Nyirongo, Susan Dindial SECOND READERS December 30: Venge Nyirongo January 6: Jack Peters January 13: Lisa VanDeWeert January 20: Ingrid Brennan USHERS December 24: Karen Peters, Jack Peters, Susan Dindial December 25: Wanangwa Nyirongo, Jihyun (Julia) Kim December 30: Roberta Toolen, Eulalia Cabrera January 6: Lisa VanDeWeert, Jennifer Watson, Roberta Toolen January 13: Fara Razavy, Wanangwa Nyirongo, Hyung Shim COUNTERS December 24: Olivia Taylor, Jonathan Phillips December 25: Pete Shanno December 30: Hyung Shim, Fumio Ito January 6: David Voreacos, Fumio Ito NURSERY December 30: Vicky Li January 6: Yukiko Aoki January 13: Sarah Han January 20: Kristen Richter COMMUNION SERVERS December 25: Susan Shanno, Pete Shanno 9
Monday, 12/24/18 Tuesday, 12/25/18 Wednesday, 12/26/18 Thursday, 12/27/18 Next Sunday, 12/30/18 CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK 8:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service with Candle lighting 10:30 a.m. Christmas: Relaxed, kid-friendly service Sing Christmas carols; enjoy a guided meditation, Communion. 7:30 p.m. Al-Anon Meeting 7:30 p.m. Bottles and Badges Meeting 9:15 a.m. Choir Rehearsal 10:30 a.m. Worship ANNOUNCEMENTS PLEDGE YOUR 2019 STEWARDSHIP TO THE CHURCH! We have $122,278 pledged so far and hope to get a total of $132,000 for our 2019 budget. There are still several households that have not yet pledged. Please consider your stewardship, which helps to fund our many ministries of worship, education, music, outreach, and mission, and also helps to keep our building as a warm and safe space where many groups can gather. Pledge forms are on the Ark. For those who have pledged for 2019, your personal box of envelopes for 2019 are available and will be on the Ark with your name on the box. Any questions or concerns, contact Pat Major or Rev Leah. 10
WE GIVE TO OTHERS At Christmas, we celebrate a great gift to us, and one of our responses is giving gifts to others. We have two distinct opportunities for such giving through our congregation: The annual Alternative Christmas Gift List is available on the Ark. With it, you can support one or more particular ministries. You may also make a donation using the Christmas Offering envelope in your box of weekly envelopes. These gifts will be split between the Presbyterian Joy Offering, which benefits training for racial/ethnic leaders in the Presbyterian Church (USA) as well as supporting retired PC(USA) clergy (see insert in today s bulletin), and the Healing Space Sexual Violence Resource Center to provide for immediate care, counseling services and legal support for survivors of sexual violence As you have been blessed, share with others. 11
CHURCH OFFICE: 201-944-1358 181 Fort Lee Road, Leonia, NJ 07605 Web Site www.leoniapres.org The Rev. Dr. Leah Fowler, pastorleonia@gmail.com Office Administrator, Patricia Major, secretaryleonia@gmail.com 12