St. Paul s United Church of Christ A welcoming Christ-centered community...
First Sunday after Christmas December 30 th, 2018 9:30 am Worship We re Glad You re Here! Welcome: No matter where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here! More than words, this statement is a reflection of the truth that we are all here because of God s love, grace, and mercy. This is a community held together by the honesty of our shared brokenness and the healing we receive through Christ. Get Connected: Use the Connection Card, signup online for the weekly E-news or monthly Newsletter, like us on Facebook, give us a call, or send an email. It is our joy to journey with you! Restrooms: These are located on the basement level of the church. Either go through the double doors in the front of the sanctuary and turn right to go downstairs, or use the stairwell in the back of the sanctuary and then walk through the fellowship hall. Children: Children of all ages are welcome within the worship service, so that may grow in God s love. (We readily expect to hear their presence and recognize their occasional need for a break from the worship space.) Children s activity bags, for use during worship, are available by both entrances to the sanctuary. A nursery, located beyond the double doors in the front of the sanctuary, is also available for children up to 5 years old. Please see an usher for assistance. Cell Phones: Remember to silence them (and watch chimes) as we enter into worship Hearing amplification devices: These personal devices are available for your use. Directly connected into our sound system, they make it possible to hear those leading worship without amplifying background noises. Please see our sound person for assistance. Your presence is a blessing: Please share with us any ways in which we might be a blessing to you in your journey of faith and life. Today s Scripture Readings Colossians 1:21-23 + Psalm 148 + Luke2:22-40 Minister All Members Pastor Rev. Joseph Motz Guest Minister Peter Detterline Worship Steward Wanda Druzba Worship Leaders Organist Grace Griffith Acolyte Ethan Nuss Ushers Eloise Stevens & Judy Reeser Nursery Barb Kerper & TBD 300 West First Street, Birdsboro PA 19508 610-582-8461 + office@stpaulsbirdsboro.org + www.stpaulsbirdsboro.org Pastor s e-mail: pastormotz@stpaulsbirdsboro.org
Order of Worship Welcome & Announcements Prelude (Prayer: With joy stemming from the hope of Christ s birth, let my heart sing to you this day. Here let your Spirit enfold me in the glory that has come, is now, and will be forevermore. Come Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for you.) Call to Worship Leader: Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; People: his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. Leader: The Lord has made his salvation known People: and revealed his righteousness to the nations. Leader: He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; People: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Leader: Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, People: Let all that has life give praise to the Lord! Hymn: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing #137 Prayer of Adoration Leader: O Lord, our God, you have brought song and rejoicing to our hearts. We praise you for the birth of your Son, and the gift of his life. In this our worship, let our joy be all the more, as you fill us with your Spirit, that in voice and in praise we might glorify you. All: Amen. Call to Confession (Please be seated) All: Corporate Confession Eternal God, whose Word is a lamp for our feet and a light unto our path, we recognize and confess the many ways we withhold ourselves from you.
Through Jesus you have offered us new life, redeeming hope, and freedom from all that would hold us in bondage. Yet, we confess that even now we lose sight of you as the glimmer of Christ s glory fades from our eyes and we surrender ourselves as slaves to this world once again. But if you only say the word, then we shall be saved. As you would reveal the fullness of your truth to Simeon and to Anna, giving joy to their hearts, and peace to their souls, come even now Lord God, that we may see and believe. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. Silent Confession (A time of personal prayer for God s healing and redeeming peace.) Assurance of Grace Leader: Hear these promises of God: Anyone who is in Christ is a new person altogether; the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new. Friends, believe the good news of Jesus Christ, with your lives, and you shall live. People: Thanks be to God! Amen. (Please rise in body or in spirit as the Gloria is sung once.) 1978, Les Presses de Taizé, All rights reserved. OneLicense.net License #A-714498 Passing of the Peace Leader: The peace of Christ be with you. People: And also with you. (After sharing Christ s Peace with others, please be seated.)
Epistle Lesson: Colossians 1:21-23 (p. #1832) It is in Jesus that God s redemption is brought to life for us and for all that has life. Psalm: Psalm 148 (p. #982) Gospel Lesson: Luke 2:22-40 (p. #1591) The prophetic witness to Jesus being the Christ continues when he is presented to the Lord in keeping with God s law. There the Spirit moves in those who have been waiting for the Messiah. Leader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God! (Please be seated) Sermon Don t Dip the Wise Men in Ketchup All: Statement of Faith In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve. We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Hymn: The First Noel #131 (verses 2-6) (Please be seated)
Receiving of Tithes and Offerings (We give as an act of worship, tangibly offering ourselves to God s service.) Offertory Offering Hymn: From All That Dwell Below the Skies From all that dwell below the skies, let the Creator s praise arise; Alleluia! Alleluia! Let the Redeemer s name be sung, through every land, by every tongue. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Harmonization Copyright Oxford University Press. From the ENGLISH HYMNAL, 1906. All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-714498 Prayers of the People (Believing in God s truth, we open ourselves as God s servants through prayer.) All: The 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, for ever. Amen. Commissioning Benediction Sending Hymn: Infant Holy, Infant Lowly #148 Postlude (As the acolyte carries the Light of Christ out into the world, so too are we to carry Christ s light from this sanctuary into the world, our communities, and our homes. May the presence of the Spirit go with you until we gather again in the shared joy of God s worship.)
Announcements Welcome Peter Detterline - Peter Detterline comes from a long line of preachers; both his father and grandfather served pulpits throughout their careers. In 1997, Peter became a commissioned minister for the United Church of Christ, and fills in for various churches as needed. He is an avid astronomer whose interests cover a wide range of the astronomical spectrum. Peter has just retired as the Director of the Boyertown Planetarium, and continues to teach astronomy at Montgomery County Community College and Moravian College. Astronomy for him is a deeply enriching experience that connects the heavens to the Earth. January Newsletter Now Available! Hard copies are available on the side door table and online at www.stpaulsbirdsboro.org Mission Birdsboro 5K Race Mark your calendars now for the April 27 th - 5K and 1 mile fun run/walk hosted by St. Paul s to benefit the work of Mission Trip Birdsboro and the ministry of St. Paul s. The 1 mile fun run begins at 8:30am and the 5k starts at 9am, with the course running through the heart of Birdsboro. Registration information will be available soon. Mission Trip Birdsboro The dates of July 16-21 st have been set for our 6 th annual local based, community mission trip. Applications for assistance will begin to be received in early February with participant registration opening in early April. To become a part of the leadership of this life-changing mission, please contact the church office. Hoagie Time! - January 25 and January 26 th is the 1 st hoagie sale of 2019. Orders will be due January 18 th and the price of each hoagie will increase.50 to $6.00. For this hoagie sale, the 10% tithing will be going to St. John s Hill U.C.C. in Boyertown. Without Hill Church s congregational members who volunteer during hoagie making days, we would not be able to make as many hoagies as we do. They also order hoagies at each sale. If you are interested in volunteering, see Sherry Hunter. 2019 Offering Envelopes--Available for Pick up in the CE wing of the church. Today will be the last day that giving envelopes will available to be picked up from the church. Please begin using the new envelopes next Sunday, January 6 th, 2019. Weather Cancellation Policy for Worship - Notice of cancellation, whenever possible, will be posted by Sunday morning at 7:30am on the website, Facebook page, church answering service message, and WFMZ 69news.