ORDER OF WORSHIP FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT *HYMN 20 Watchman, Tell Us of the Night ABERYSTWYTH December 24, 2017 10:00 a.m. The beginning of the opening voluntary is a call to silent, personal meditation. Please silence all electronic devices as we prepare our hearts and minds to worship God. OPENING VOLUNTARY Es ist ein Ros entsprungen Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) INTROIT Infant holy, infant lowly, for his bed a cattle stall; Oxen lowing, little knowing, Christ the Babe is Lord of all. Swift are winging angels singing, noels ringing, tidings bringing: Christ the Babe is Lord of all. Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping vigil till the morning new; Saw the glory, heard the story, tidings of a Gospel true. Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow, praises voicing, greet the morrow: Christ the Babe was born for you. Polish Carol, arr. David Willcocks (1919-2015) PRAYER OF CONFESSION Blessed Lord, who in a rude stable gathers all creation: what shall we bring you but our lives in need of a great forgiveness? So in your mercy, be to us the eternal Word spoken against our ancient loneliness, the true Light who scans our darkness and scatters our despair, the good Shepherd who declares for the poor and brings hope to them that are cast down, the Savior who has come to redeem us from our sin. Then at your birth, send us into the astonished night, that with archangels and great kings, with sparrows and shepherds, all tongues may praise you until the brimming world repeats the sounding joy. Glory to God in the highest! KYRIE ELEISON Richard Proulx (1937-2010) LIGHTING OF THE FOURTH ADVENT CANDLE Leader: Through prophets and angels, God promised to raise up a holy child who would establish a household of justice and mercy. We believe as Joseph did that the child born to Mary in Bethlehem brings tidings of peace and joy to a broken world. Greg and Maddie Dickinson, and Diane and Bill Murphy Ever faithful God, You have promised us a sign of your love through the gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Open our hearts to receive your Son, that we may open our doors to welcome all people as sisters and brothers and open our hands to work for the coming of your reign. Amen. PROMISE OF THE GOSPEL
*GLORIA PATRI *THE PEACE Laud and honor to the Father, Laud and honor to the Son, Laud and honor to the Spirit, Ever three and ever one; One in might and one in glory, While unending ages run. WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS REGENT SQUARE (Hymn 417) As a forgiven people, let us share Christ s peace with one another. The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you. CHILDREN S MOMENT HYMN (seated) During the organ introduction, children through fifth grade may process to the Chapel to meet for the Gathering. Go with us, Lord, and guide the way, Through this and every coming day, That in your Spirit strong and true, Our lives may be our gift to you. TALLIS CANON SERMON The God Who Is Born Ms. Jarvis For unto us a child is born; to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION Through the words of Scripture and the work of your Spirit, send us even unto Bethlehem, that we may behold the light shining in the darkness and bow down with shepherds and kings before the child who was born for us, in whose name we pray. Amen. OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 9:2-7 (p. 638) *HYMN 48 Lo, How a Rose E er Blooming ES IST EIN ROS NEW TESTAMENT LESSON Luke 1:26-38 (p. 56) *HYMN 4 Creator of the Stars of Night CONDITOR ALME SIDERUM PRAYERS The Lord be with you, And with your spirit. Let us pray. O Lord show thy mercy upon us, And grant us thy salvation. O God, make clean our hearts within us, And take not thy Holy Spirit from us. Prayers concluding with 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, forever. Amen.
OFFERING OFFERTORY ANTHEM Gabriel s Message Basque Noel, arr. Willcocks The angel Gabriel from heaven came, His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame, All hail, said he, thou lowly maiden Mary! For known a blessed mother thou shalt be, All generations laud and honour thee, Thy son shall be Emmanuel by seers foretold, Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head, To me be as it pleaseth God, she said, my soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name. Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn, and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say, *AFFIRMATION OF FAITH I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, The Apostles Creed And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. *HYMN 5 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence PICARDY *BENEDICTION CLOSING VOLUNTARY Variations on Aberystwyth Jack C. Goode (1922-2002) *DOXOLOGY Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God, all creatures here below, Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise God above, ye heavenly host, Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! LASST UNS ERFREUEN LEADING WORSHIP: Cynthia A. Jarvis, Brian D. Russo, Austin Crenshaw Shelley, Cassie Paulk; MUSIC: Gallery Choir; Daniel Spratlan, Conductor; Ken Lovett, Organist GREETERS: Elders: Martha Agate and Taylor Slaughter; Deacons: Douglas Olson and Edie Russo USHERS: William Cobb, Substitute Team #1 Leader; Richard Brown, Carolyn Manwaring, Kevin Raphael, and Harry Spaeth FLOWER GUILD: All Team Members MUSIC ATTRIBUTIONS: Hymns, anthems and texts reproduced with permission CCLI. License #: 3140916. OneLicense.net #: License # 717-519, copied with permission.
In Loving Memory of Remembered by In Loving Memory of Remembered by Our loved ones Blessings of family and friends Margaret Friel In honor or Aleida Garcia, a mother seeking justice Alex Garcia In honor and memory of family and friends George A. Butler Jim Van Blarcom, Bradley Strange and George Butler Our loved ones Mildred S. Owen and Harris A. Carr Gilbert and Jayne Lorenzon In thanksgiving for grandchildren: Blake, Harper and Flynn In celebration of baby Georgie Carluccio Terry Frazier B. Graeme Frazier III Our parents and brothers Joan W. Jarvis John and Barbara Armbruster Vee Barrett Mark, Rebecca, Frances and Taylor Bernstein Laura Brobyn Laura Brobyn Nancy Brown Barbara T. Butler and family Tom and Lisa Butler and family The Canfield family Ann O. Carr Emilie H. Carr Sandy and George Connelly The Cornely family The Cornely family Teddy and Alex DeCaro Barbara Frazier Graeme and Becky Frazier Nancy and Dick Hassold Cindy Jarvis Jeanne Lutz Charles F. McClintic Our parents: Mrs. and Mrs. James Kirlin and Mr. and Mrs. William Murphy III Jean Benjamin Margaret and Chester Olson Loved Ones Harry and Faith Dunlop In celebration of my grandchildren: Seth and MacKenzie John W. Sheble In thanksgiving for our family James E. Robertson, Jane I. Robertson, Phoebe M. Roberts and Burgess P. Standley Jr. In thanksgiving for grandchildren: Ben, Emma, Charlotte and Colin James P. VanBlarcom Robert William White In thanksgiving for this special church, PCCH; and in memory of a special friend, Janet Cross The Lutz family The McClintic family Diane and Bill Murphy The Olson family The Olson family Ed and Anne Pringle Alison Rudolf Edie Russo Mrs. John W. Sheble Frank and Taylor Slaughter Barbara and Harry Spaeth Anne Standley and Dave Robertson Grace and Dick Stewart Alice Lea Tasman Mary Anne and Peter VanBlarcom Susan White and the Burns family Elsbeth Wrigley Maxine and Morris Steinman and Eileen and George Kaufman Jane (Steinman) and Russel Kaufman Our grandparents, Beverly and Fritz Dorer and Thomas N. Lawton The Lawton family Our parents Hope and Dave Luken
from No End of Fun, 1967, Wislawa Szymborska (1923-2012), trans. by Stanislaw Baranczak and Clare Cavanaugh So this is his mother. This small woman. The gray-eyed procreator. The boat in which, years ago, He sailed to shore. The boat from which he stepped Into the world, Into un-eternity. Genetrix of the man With whom I leap through fire. So this is she, the only one Who didn t take him Finished and complete. She herself pulled him Into the skin I know, Bound him to the bones That are hidden from me. She herself raised The gray eyes That he raised to me. So this is she, his Alpha. Why has he shown her to me. Born. So he was born, too Born like everyone else, Like me, who will die. The son of an actual woman. A new arrival from the body s depths. A voyager to Omega. Subject to His own absence, On every front, At any moment. He hits his head Against a wall That won t give way forever. His movements Dodge and parry The universal verdict. I realized That his journey was already halfway over. But he didn t tell me that, No. This is my mother. Was all he said.