METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Sunday, December 25, 2016 CHRISTMAS EVE and CHRISTMAS DAY PREPARATION The pastor s entrance and the beginning of the musical prelude are the calls to silent, personal preparation for the worship of God. THE GATHERING We are standing on Holy ground, And I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now, We are standing in God s presence on Holy ground. LITANY Leader: Embrace the Child and bless your God, People: For the works of God s hands are faithful and just. Leader: They have set a star to hang in the sky; People: With a blazing torch our God shall lead us. Leader: They have sewn the world a garment of light; People: With swaddling love our God shall clothe us. Leader: For the Child s sake, let us not keep silent; People: For the Child s sake, let us not find rest, ALL: Until all God s earth is robed in brightness, Until all God s earth shall burn with life!
OPENING HYMN Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King; Peace on earth, and mercy mild; God and sinners reconciled. Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies; With th angelic hosts proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem. Refrain: Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. Christ, by highest heav n adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord: Late in time behold Him come, Off-spring of a virgin s womb. Veiled in flesh, the God-head see, Hail th incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with men t appear, Jesus our Immanuel here. Refrain. Hail the heav n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings: Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die; Born to raise the sons of earth; Born to give them second birth. Refrain. Come, Desire of nations, come! Fix in us Thy humble home: Rise, the woman s conquering seed, Bruise in us the serpent s head; Adam s likeness now efface, Stamp Thine image in its place: Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in Thy love. Refrain. WELCOME Visitors standing If you are here for the first time, we are delighted that you came. If you are dropping in for a second or third visit, we are glad you found something you were looking for. We hope you will be challenged by our worship and that you will come back again. If you are looking for a faith community, we would welcome you as a part of our church family. When you are officially welcomed as a visitor, you will receive a Visitor s Information Card. Please fill it out, and return it to the Pastor, or place it in the offering plate. WELCOME! CONCERNS OF CHURCH AND CITY D. Billye Sanders LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT WREATH OFFERTORY For all things come from you, and of your own we have given you. 1 Chronicles 29:14 Your tithes and gifts help us: Pay the mortgage, utilities, maintenance, and security for the Metropolitan Meeting House. Provide free pastoral counseling services to members of our congregation; Fund the programs of the First Response Center, where we serve over 700 people living with HIV/AIDS, and other at-risk persons; Pay for the personnel and operating costs of our ministries; Provide educational materials and resources to assist in the spiritual growth and development of our community; Maintain meeting space for ministries, including Girl Scouts, various recovery/support groups, and community events; Fund our annual Anniversary and Homecoming celebrations; Give emergency assistance to members of the congregation and community through our benevolence fund. Every gift of your time, talent and treasure makes a vital difference in the life and ministries of Metropolitan Interdenominational Church. Thank You! SONG OF PRAISE The Voices of Metropolitan Reginald Green, Minister of Music DOXOLOGY Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God all creatures here below Praise God above ye heavenly host; Creator, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
PROCLAMATION THE WORD Luke 2:1-20 CHORAL RESPONSE Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage, For the living of these days, For the living of these days. PREPARATORY PERIOD CHRISTMAS EVE MESSAGE CHRISTMAS DAY MESSAGE NIGHT LIGHT THE SENIOR SERVANT THE SENIOR SERVANT SPEAK UP AND SPEAK OUT 2 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors! 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:1-20 SERMON NOTES
RESPONSE Please do not leave the sanctuary or in any other manner create a distraction during the invitational period. This is a moment of unparalleled importance. MOMENTS OF REFLECTION The Voices of Metropolitan INVITATION TO LIFE IN CHRIST This church will welcome into its membership any persons who love and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and who promise to live according to His laws of Love, recognizing all people as brothers and sisters for whom He gave His life. THE LORD S SUPPER Communion Prayer We do not resume to come to this, Thy table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs from under Thy table. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to partake of this sacrament of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, that we may walk in newness of life and grow to reflect Thy Spirit in all things forevermore, Amen. (We will eat and drink together after all have been served.) FELLOWSHIP CIRCLE We ve come too far to turn back now; By the grace of God we re gonna make it somehow. Nobody knows the trouble we ve seen; We ve come too far to turn back now. I will light the candle of hope this Christmas. Now millions of people are thrown back upon themselves for food which they do not possess, for resources that have long since been exhausted, for vitality which has run its course. But hope is the mood of Christmas; the raw materials are a newborn babe, a family, and work. Hope is the growing edge! I shall look well to that growing edge this Christmas. All around worlds are dying out, new worlds are being born; all around life is dying but life is being born. The fruit ripens on the trees, while the roots are silently at work in the darkness of the earth against a time when there shall be new leaves, fresh blossoms, green fruit. Such is the growing edge! It is the one thing to try when all else has failed, the upward reach of life. It is the incentive to carry on. Therefore, this Christmas I will light the candle of hope than must burn all the year long. (From Moments of Celebration, in For The Inward Journey, pp. 247-8) HOWARD THURMAN METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH 2128 11 th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 3720 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 280779, Nashville, TN 37228 Phone: (615) 72METRO (726-3876) ~ Fax: (615) 259-9210 ~ website: www.micwhosoever.org Rev. Edwin C. Sanders, II, The Senior Servant Rev. John Cross, Senior Pastoral Assistant Pastoral Staff: Rev. Marcella Lockhart, Rev. Clifford Smith, Rev. Christopher Davis, Rev. Terry Terrell, Rev. Regina McCrary, Rev. Neely Williams, Rev. Stephanie Thompson, Rev. Cherie Booker, Rev. Christopher Goodwin
METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2016 CHRISTMAS EVE and CHRISTMAS DAY Metropolitan Interdenominational Church is a community of believers inclusive of all and alienating to none, leading the way to spiritual growth by sharing God s love with the world. TIPTOE ANTICIPATION TIPTOE ANTICIPATION is an expression I can never hear without thinking of The Reverend Doctor Fredrick George Sampson, III. As he waxed eloquently in his masterful sermonic style, always laced with beautiful Shakespearean recitations, he would use the words TIPTOE ANTICIPATION to convey the sense of wonder we experience in waiting for the realization of the fulfillment of the promise of The Lord. Especially on this Christmas Sunday, I find myself appreciating what he was desperately trying to say. While so many in the world are caught up in the commercialism and secular gaiety of the season, those of us who are focused on the coming of Christ are spending the long nights of December in meditation and prayerful preparation for the celebration of Jesus birth. Just this past week we witnessed the once-in-500-years occurrence of a total lunar eclipse during the winter solstice. This solstice is defined by the longest period of darkness in the year for those of us who live in the northern hemisphere. Yet, at the same moment, it is the beginning of a time when the days grow longer and longer until we reach the day of greatest light in June. The symbolism of this happening is of profound significance for those of us who are going through difficult times and are waiting in TIPTOE ANTICIPATION on the hoped-for day of our deliverance from our troubles. The song writer has written Trouble Don t Last Always, but the spirit of believing in the ultimate good that is at work in the universe is often the only thing which allows us to hold on. Money is short, jobs are scarce, disease is spreading and emotions are strained, however we are sustained everyday by our relationship to a God who has never forgotten or forsaken us. As we celebrate the anniversary of Jesus birth, let us remember that this relationship and this relationship alone allows us to live in TIPTOE ANTICIPATION. (modified from Sunday, December 13, 2009) -Senior Servant
UPCOMING EVENTS NO MIDWEEK FELLOWSHIP: Wednesday, December 28, 2016 Financial Freedom/Entrepreneurship Seminar Series will resume Saturday, January 14, 2017. Join us Saturday mornings 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. at the First Response Center, 1219 9 th Ave. North, Nashville 37208. Watch Night Service Saturday, December 31, 2016 at 10:00 p.m. Friday evening Dancercise, 7 p.m. Voices of Metropolitan Rehearsal, Saturday, 12 2 p.m. No 6-7p Saturday Worship, Dec. 31st; Instead, join our Watch Night Service, 10p 12a ~ Giving Summary ~ Date Offering Budgeted Offering Actual Offering (Un)Realized Summary (Un)Realized January, 2016 $28,850.00 $21,668.00 ($7182.00) ($7,182.00) February, 2016 $23,080.00 $22,536.10 ($543.90) ($7,725.90) March, 2016 $23,080.00 $27,527.23 $4,447.23 ($3,278.67) April, 2016 $28,850.00 $29,929.83 $1,079.83 ($2,198.84) May, 2016 $28.850.00 $26,483.66 ($2,366.34) ($4,565.18) June, 2016 $23,080.00 $20,684.67 ($2,395.33) ($6,960.51) July, 2016 $28,850.00 $29,991.85 $1,141.85 ($5,818.66) August, 2016 $23,080.00 $18,659.46 ($4,420.54) ($10,239.20) September, 2016 $23,080.00 $22,620.48 ($459.52) ($10,698.72) October, 2016 $28,850.00 $28,875.59 $25.59 ($10,673.13) November, 2016 $23,080.00 $20,029.22 ($3,050.78) ($14,443.91) December 4, 2016 $5,770.00 $6,465.00 $695.00 December 11, 2016 $5,770.00 $4,756.01 ($1,013.99) December 18, 2016 $5,770.00 $6,669.79 $899.79 December, 2016 $17,310.00 $17,890.80 $580.80 2016 Year to Date $300,040.00 $286,176.89 ($13,863.11) MIDWEEK FELLOWSHIP MEAL SCHEDULE January 4 Circle 5 January 25 Circle 1 January 11 Circle 6 February 1 Circle 2 January 18 Circle 7 February 8 Circle 3 BIBLE READINGS Read Pray Sacrifice NEW YEAR S DAY December 26, 2016 - January 1, 2017 Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 United Way Employee Giving Campaign: Please designate #3255 to support the First Response Center. For the Combined Federal Campaign, Write In Metropolitan Interdenominational Church First Response Center. THANK YOU for shopping at Kroger and using your registered Kroger-Plus card! We received $169.85 in Community Rewards from The Kroger Company for last quarter. If you have not done so yet Please RENEW your enrollment through Kroger Community Rewards. Online: www.kroger.com/communityrewards. Not online? No problem! Call 1-800-576-4377, option 3, for assistance. Support Metropolitan Interdenominational Church First Response Center whenever you use your Kroger Plus card. SICK, SHUT IN, and RECOVERING MEMBERS Leon McKinley Corder 1902 Elliott Avenue; Nashville, TN 37204-2004 Send prayers, No visitors, please. Evelyn Martin 3253 Spears Road; Nashville, TN 37207 615-227-0095 Connie Ryans 1703 Pecan Street; Nashville, TN 37208 615-310-7855 William Sanders 2531 Glenrose Avenue #A-29; Nashville, TN 37210 615-485-2538 Emmilye Wilson-Walton P.O. Box 78795; Nashville, TN 37207 615-262-9375