PRELUDE “White Christmas”
WORDS OF WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ADORATION
INTROIT “Coventry Carol”
CALL TO WORSHIP
ONE: Wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”
MANY: On this first Sunday of Christmas, we, too, have come to worship Jesus the Messiah: the son of David, the son of Abraham.
ONE: When the wise men saw the child with Mary his mother, they knelt down, paid him homage, and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
MANY: On this first Sunday of Christmas, we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you, O God.
ONE: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.
MANY: Glory to God in the highest heaven!
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Almighty God,
you wonderfully created,
and yet more wonderfully restored,
the dignity of human nature.
In your mercy,
let us share the divine life of Jesus Christ
who came to share our humanity,
and who now lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
HYMN [Blue#28][GTG#132] “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice”
REPENTANCE
CALL TO CONFESSION
SILENT CONFESSION
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of Christmas, we would never have thought to find your Savior in an innocent baby. We confess we would have expected a warrior with a great army. We would not have thought to find your kingdom to be one of service, obedience and humility. We confess we would have expected, maybe even wanted, a kingdom that reflected our own values and self-interests.
Lord, forgive us when we quickly leave Christmas behind and neglect to live lives worthy of our calling as followers of our Lord, the Prince of Peace. By your Holy Spirit, help us turn to you and live according to the values of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
GLORIA PATRI [Blue#579[ [GTG581]
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
THE WORD READ AND PROCLAIMED
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
RESPONSE [Blue#586] [GTG#601] “Amen”
1st SCRIPTURE Psalm 147:1-11
2nd SCRIPTURE Hebrews 2:10-18
ONE: The Word of the Lord
MANY: Thanks be to God
HYMN [Blue#29] [GTG#136] “Go, Tell It on the Mountain”
SERMON “For Unto Us a Child is Born” CP Ford J. Dieth
RESPONSE
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Apostle’s Creed
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, 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.
RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
OFFERTORY “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
DOXOLOGY [GTG#606]
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
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.
RESPONSE “Hear Our Prayer O Lord”
HYMN [Blue#53] [GTG#145] “What Child Is This”
PARTING PRAYER
Holy God,
We praise you. Let the heavens be joyful, and the earth be glad. We bless you for creating the whole world, for your promise to your people Israel, and for Jesus Christ in whom your fullness dwells. Born of Mary, he shares our life. Eating with sinners, he welcomes us. Guiding his people, he leads us. Visiting the sick, he heals us. Dying on the cross, he saves us. Risen from the dead, he gives new life. We may be one with each other and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. Amen.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
RESPONSE [Blue#53] [GTG#145] “What Child Is This” Refrain only
POSTLUDE “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
*Note: the hymn lyrics in the bulletin and on the projection screen are from the Glory To God Hymnal (© 2013 Westminster John Knox Press), which we are transitioning to. Words in the “Blue” Presbyterian Hymnal (© 1990) in your pew may differ slightly. The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved.
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-Prayer List-
December 28
- For people on the move: immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and displaced neighbors— detained, uprooted, or returned to danger; those traveling from Central and South America; those facing detention and enforcement in the United States; those risking the Mediterranean; and Rohingya refugees displaced from Myanmar; and all families driven by violence, persecution, poverty, and climate-related disaster.
- For war, instability, and mass violence: we hold before God the people of Palestine and Lebanon; Syria and Yemen; Ukraine; Sudan—especially Darfur—and South Sudan; Ethiopia; eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; Nigeria; Haiti; and those suffering across the Sahel in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, in Somalia, in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado, and in the Central African Republic, praying for the protection of civilians, the easing of suffering, and the emergence of a just and lasting peace.
- For repression and discrimination: for civilians in Myanmar; the Uyghur people in China; the people of North Korea living without freedom; women and girls in Afghanistan; those silenced by state power in Israel, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong; Kurdish communities across Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran; Assyrian communities in Iraq and Syria; ethnic Armenians displaced in the South Caucasus; marginalized communities in India and persecuted minorities in Pakistan; and Indigenous peoples worldwide, wherever land, language, culture, and life are threatened. We also hold before God all who endure racism, exclusion, and dehumanization in the United States and across the world.
- For poverty, illness, and healing: the poor and vulnerable; all living with disease and disability, including cancer and AIDS; and all seeking recovery from addiction and trauma— for wise, compassionate care.
- For deliverance and renewal: an end to trafficking, forced labor, and sexual violence; protection for political prisoners, journalists, and human-rights defenders; strength for peacemakers, medical teams, humanitarian workers, and UN agencies; repentance where power and wealth are misused; urgent action on global warming; and repentance of every voice that dehumanizes others, treating any people as less than human.
- Prayers of health and a speedy recovery for Sue Crawford who has been ill.