K H P C (U.S.A.) THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT DECEMBER 17, 2017 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel. Ma hew 1:23 KJV We Are Christ s Le er to the World! from 2 Corinthians 3
Welcome to worship WELCOME TO KIRK IN THE HILLS We are glad to have you with us today for worship. If this is your first visit to the Kirk, please introduce yourself to a pastor after worship. About today s service Perhaps there is no character more appropriate than Mary for our Advent series, Carry the Light. Hers is a literal carrying of the person of Jesus and, like so many of the prophets before her, she wonders how she could possibly be up to the task. Do you ever feel unworthy to bear the light of Jesus? Do you ever wonder why God would choose you to share the love of Christ? If so, today we look to Mary for guidance. We close out Adventures in Advent and Praying Through Advent this morning too. If you have not had the chance to check them out, today is your last chance! The afternoon will be filled with Lessons and Carols at 4:00 p.m.; we hope everyone will come. The following prayer invites us to prepare our hearts for worship and our lives for faithful living: In our secret yearnings we wait for your coming, and in our grinding despair we doubt that you will. And in this privileged place we are surrounded by witnesses who yearn more than do we and by those who despair more deeply than do we. Look upon your church and its pastors in this season of hope which runs so quickly to fatigue and in this season of yearning which becomes so easily quarrelsome. Give us the grace and the impatience to wait for your coming to the bo om of our toes, to the edges of our fingertips. We do not want our several worlds to end. Come in your power and come in your weakness in any case and make all things new. Dr. Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth If you have children Childcare is available for infants and children up to age 2 from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the nursery (Abbey 24). Please check children into the nursery before the service. Following the Word with the Children, children ages 3 through grade 12 will be dismissed for Sunday School. Worship Bags: Children are always welcome in worship! If you are worshiping with your child at the 11:00 a.m. service, please pick up a worship bag as you enter the sanctuary. Worship bags are updated weekly and designed to help children follow along in worship. If you need audio or visual assistance Hearing assistance units, large-print bulletins and hymnals are available upon request from an usher. If you are in need of prayer You may submit prayer requests online at kirkinthehills.org under Resources/Prayer Request. Stephen Ministers are available for personal, confidential prayer in Melrose Chapel after each worship service. Melrose Chapel is located on the left-hand side of the pulpit. Join us for fellowship and coffee We encourage worshipers to greet one another as they leave and assist visitors in finding their way to the coffee and fellowship in Heritage Hall after the 9:15 a.m. service. Cover Art The Annunciation is a wall painting created as a commission to decorate a chapel in the church of Santa Felicita, Florence, Italy. It is frescoed (painted into wet plaster) around a window. Pontormo depicts the revelation to Mary by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. It is a lively composition that (in this detail) captures Mary s imagined facial expression while she replied My soul magnifies the Lord, ʺ 2 Check in on Facebook and let people know you were with us today!
THE SERVICE FOR THE LORD S DAY 9:15 & 11:00 a.m., Sanctuary My soul magnifies the Lord. Luke 1:46b THE GATHERING OPENING VOLUNTARIES Noël Suisse Louise-Claude Daquin Prelude on Divinum mysterium John R. Watkinson (9:15 a.m.) Bereite dich, Zion Johann Sebastian Bach Bereite dich, Zion, mit zärtlichen Trieben, den Schönsten, den Liebsten bald bei dir zu sehn. Prepare yourself, Sion, with tender efforts, to behold your lovely one, your beloved, near you soon! The Junior Girls Choir * Those who are able are invited to stand at the ringing of the tower bell. * INTROIT Divinum mysterium O that birth forever blessed, When the Virgin, full of grace, By the Holy Ghost conceiving, Bore the Savior of our race, And the Babe, the world s Redeemer, First revealed his sacred face, Evermore and evermore. * PROCESSIONAL HYMN 38 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear Carol * OPENING SENTENCES The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all! And also with you! * OPENING PRAYER In the season of Advent, we are here to watch and wait and pray for the coming of light into the world. We long for the day when the things of darkness selfishness and greed, suffering and oppression shall be no more. Lord, by your presence, light up the past that we might learn from it with thankfulness. Light up the present that we might live in it with love. Light up the future that we might prepare for it in hope. As we watch and wait and pray, may we be always ready to encounter the Lord who is already and always with us. * Those who are able are invited to stand. 3
* GLORIA PATRI Puer nobis LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLE SUNG RESPONSE (See insert) All praise, eternal Son, to thee Whose Advent sets thy people free, Whom with the Father we adore And Holy Spirit, evermore. Amen. 9:15 a.m., The Field Family 11:00 a.m., Gordon and Carol Allardyce We light this candle for all God s messengers, preparing the way for change, signs pointing to a new age to come. God, as we wait for your promise, give light, give hope. Soloist Choir All In this world of darkness, Carry the Light. Carry the Light. We are given light. Carry the Light. Carry the Light. Hope for all the dying. Go and tell the children, Go and tell the children, How will they know? They are precious in His sight. They are precious in His sight. How will they know Carry the Light. Carry the Light. That Jesus loves them Carry the Light. Carry the Light. And He died to save them? Go and preach the gospel, Go and preach the gospel, Til there is no more night. In the name of Jesus Christ, Carry the Light. WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS COMMUNITY ACCLAMATION Til there is no more night. In the name of Jesus Christ, Carry the Light. From 2 Corinthians 3, our acclamation is a weekly, communal reminder of who we are called to be as a community of faith. We are whose? We are Christ s! We are Christ s what? We are Christ s le er! We are Christ s le er where? We are Christ s le er to the world! ANTHEM (9:15 a.m.) The Li le Road to Bethlehem Michael Head As I walked down the road at set of sun, The lambs were coming homewards, one by one. I heard a sheep-bell softly calling them Along the li le road to Bethlehem. Beside an open door, I drew nigh, I heard sweet Mary sing a lullaby. She sang about the lambs at close of day And rocked her tiny King among the hay. 4 Across the air the silver sheep-bell rang, The lambs are coming home, sweet Mary sang, Your Star of gold is shining in the sky, So sleep, my li le King, go lullaby.
As I walked down the road at set of sun, The lambs were coming homewards, one by one. I heard a sheep-bell softly calling them Along the li le road to Bethlehem. The Treble Boys Choir WORD WITH THE CHILDREN (9:15 a.m.) Following the Word with the Children, children ages 3 through grade 12 will be dismissed for Sunday School. THE WORD CHORAL PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION How silently, how silently, The wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts The blessing of His heaven. No ear may hear his coming, But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him, still The dear Christ enters in. St. Louis SCRIPTURE READING Micah 5:2-5a The Ruler from Bethlehem ANTHEM (11:00 a.m.) There is No Rose Malcom Archer There is no rose of such vertu As is the rose that bare Jesu. Alleluya. For in this rose conteined was Heaven and earth in litel space, Resmiranda. 1 By that rose we may well see There be one God in persons three, Pares forma. 2 Leave we all this worldly mirth, And follow we this joyful birth. Transeamus. 3 1 a wonderful thing; 2 of the same form; 3 let us go The Intermediate and Senior Girls Choirs SCRIPTURE READING Luke 1:46-56 Mary s Song of Praise The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. SERMON Carry the Light: Mary Dr. N. Phillips 5
* HYMN 9 The Snow Lay on the Ground Venite Adoremus The words Venite adoremus Dominum are pronounced Veh-nee-tay ah-doh-ray-moose Doh-me-noom. THE THANKSGIVING PRESENTATION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS Our giving is an offering to God. All offerings, whether made in the worship service or outside of it, are part of our worship of God and are used to support the Kirk s ministry here and in other parts of the world. * PRAYER OF DEDICATION ANTHEM Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day John Gardner Tomorrow shall be my dancing day: I would my true love did so chance To see the legend of my play, To call my true love to my dance: Sing O my love, O my love, my love, my love, This have I done for my true love. Then was I born of a virgin pure, Of her I took fleshly substance; Thus was I knit to man s nature, To call my true love to my dance: Sing O my love In a manger laid and wrapped I was, So very poor this was my chance: Betwixt and ox and a silly poor ass, To call my true love to my dance: Sing O my love... Then afterwards baptized I was; The Holy Ghost on me did glance, My Father s voice heard from above, To call my true love to my dance: Sing O my love... MISSIONAL INVITATION B.O.O.T.S. Be er Opportunities Overcoming the Snow. Children in the Pontiac School District need winter boots. Donate gently used or new boots (kids sizes 13+ or adult sized up to size 8). Place in the box in the Abbey Lounge. * DOXOLOGY Old Hundredth Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him, above ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION 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. SENDING * RECESSIONAL HYMN 44 O Li le Town of Bethlehem St. Louis 6
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION Please take your seats as the pastor gives the congregation a charge to live the life of faith and then speaks words of Godʹs blessing on all gathered. CLOSING VOLUNTARY Paean on Divinum mysterium John Cook We hope that you experience a strong sense of welcome and home this morning! We invite everyone to offer greetings and peace at the close of the service. We hope that you will make a special effort to reach out in friendship to those you have yet to meet. If you are new to the Kirk, we hope you will visit us at one of our Connect stations in the Narthex, Abbey Lounge, Welcome Center or Heritage Hall. About today s hymns It Came Upon the Midnight Clear was wri en by Massachuse s pastor Edmund Hamilton Sears in 1849 and is unique in its stress on the social message of Christmas. The tune, which was first published in 1850, is by Richard Storrs Willis, but was composed for another text. Willis was a music critic who, following his academic studies at Yale as well as in Germany under composer Felix Mendelssohn, began his career in New York City, and spent the last forty years of his life in Detroit as a writer for the Detroit News. The Snow Lay on the Ground is a carol of Anglo-Irish origin, and dates from the late nineteenth century. The words of the refrain, Venite adoremus Dominum is Latin for Come, let us adore the Lord. The tune is believed to be of Italian origin. O Li le Town of Bethlehem was wri en by Phillips Brooks, rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, in 1868 for a Christmas Sunday School service, and recounts when on Christmas Eve 1865 he traveled from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on horseback across the Field of the Shepherds and worshiped in the Church of the Nativity. The tune St. Louis was composed by Lewis Henry Redner for this text. Redner was organist, choir director, and superintendent of the Sunday School of Holy Trinity Church during the time Brooks was rector. About today s choral music Bereite dich, Zion Johann Sebastian Bach This anthem is from Bach s Christmas Oratorio. The oratorio is in six parts, each part being intended for performance on one of the major feast days of the Christmas period, with each part based on the Gospel for each feast day. Bereite dich was originally a solo from the first part, which was intended for Christmas Day. Zion refers to the Church, the lovely one refers to the Christ. The Li le Road to Bethlehem Michael Head Michael Head was a twentieth century British composer, pianist, organist and singer. Known for his tuneful melodies, this se ing of a poem by Margaret Rose is one of his most beloved works. There Is No Rose Malcolm Archer This anthem is a se ing of an anonymous text which portrays the great mystery of the Nativity. The wonderment of heaven and earth in the same space of Maryʹs womb (resmiranda, a marvelous thing ) leads to the revelation of the Holy Trinity (pares forma, of equal form ). The rejoicing of the angels and shepherds (gaudeamus, let us rejoice ) culminates in a commitment to follow the birth of Christ (transeamus, let us cross over ). Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day John Gardner The text of this anthem is connected to the imagery found in the Old Testament book, the Song of Solomon, which speaks in figurative language of the love between God and his people and which in the Christian tradition is interpreted as an allegory of the love of Christ for the Church. This anthem is a se ing of four stanzas of an eleven stanza poem which recounts the complete Christ story, from his birth through his Ascension. 7
K H 1340 W L L R B H, M 48302 (248) 626-2515 kirkinthehills.org Office Hours Monday Friday, 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Open Door Hours Wednesday Friday, 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Worship Services 11:00 a.m. Service for Families with Very Young Children 4:00 p.m. Family Service for Younger Families 6:00 p.m. Family Service 8:30 and 11:00 p.m. Holy Night Services Stay connected with Kirk in the Hills 8 Rev. Dr. Nathaniel D. Phillips, Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. William L. Adams III Rev. Fernando Rodríguez Rev. Angela Ryo Rev. Jasmine L. Smart Rev. Dr. Norman M. Pritchard, Pastor Emeritus Rev. Dr. Keith O. Provost, Parish Associate Glenn A. Miller, Director of Music & Organist Dennis N. Curry, Associate Director of Music & Carillonneur