Sunday December 15th Worship Service

(Image: Stushie Art)

©Order of Worship for Sunday December 15, 2024

Third Sunday of Advent

For the Avent Ferry UMC Worship Video Click Here (Link opens in a new window)

The worship video will be available live at 11:00 am

Prelude: …………..“Joy To The World”…………..Handbell Choir
Music: G.F. Handel Arr. by Martha Lynn Thompson
 
Coming of the Light:……………………………….
 
Greetings………………………..……………Pastor Steven
 
Announcements:………………………………………..Lorri B.

Call to Worship:………………………………….Pastor Steven

Children of God, our world is full of the fruit of humanity’s greed, apathy, and neglect for the love of God, neighbor, self, and all creation.
What, then, should we do?
Our world is also full of the fruit of God’s love that wells up all around us, sustaining us, saving us, reviving us to live as the people of God.
What, then, should we do?
God encircles us on every side, Love divine present with us in creation, in community, and in the anticipated arrival of the infant Emmanuel. What then, children of God, should you do?
We will live in joyful presence with God and neighbor, turning away from sin and toward a life with God and one another marked by joy, justice, and mercy. Amen.
Opening Prayer: ……………………………..……………Margaret S.
 
Lighting of the Advent Candles:………………………..Cullen W.
No matter what troubles overwhelm us today, Isaiah reminds us that in all of our preparation and passionate pursuit of God’s coming kin-dom, we must not forget that God’s salvation has come and is coming. “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). With joy you will remember that God’s salvation is already present among us.

Congregation: Faced with the troubles and the suffering of the world, we choose to live in joyful presence to God and one another. We will not turn away from the pain and the hurt in our world, and we will not stop rejoicing in God, whose salvation fills us to overflowing that God’s love might flow through us and flood our troubled world with hope, peace, and joy.
We light this candle of joy as a sign of our commitment to be present to ourselves, our friends, our families, and our neighbors that in sharing our vulnerable lives we might share in the glorious joy of God’s salvation together.
Light the third (pink/rose) candle of the Advent wreath.

Opening Hymns:…..“Angels from the Realms of Glory” #220 UMH
Words: James Montgomery, 1816 Music: Henry T. Smart, 1867
 
1. Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o’er
all the earth; ye who sang creation’s story
now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King.
 
2. Shepherds, in the field abiding, watching o’er your
flocks by night, God with us is now residing;
yonder shines the infant light.
Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King.
 
3. Sages, leave your contemplations, brighter visions
beam afar; seek the great Desire of nations;
ye have seen his natal star;
Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King.

4. Saints, before the altar bending, watching long in
hope and fear; suddenly the Lord, descending,
in his temple shall appear:
Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King.
 
“Good Christian Friends, Rejoice” #224 UMH
Words: 14th cent Latin; trans by John Mason Neale, 1855
Music: German melody, harm. By Gary Alan Smith, 1988
Harm. © 1989 UM Publishing House
 
Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and
soul and voice,
1. give ye heed to what we say: News, news!
Jesus Christ is born today! Ox and ass before
him bow, and he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today, Christ is born today!
 
Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and
soul and voice,
2. now ye hear of endless bliss: News, news!
Jesus Christ was born for this! He hath opened
heaven’s door, and ye are blest forever more.
Christ was born for this, Christ was born for this!
 
Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and
soul and voice,
3. now ye need not fear the grave: News, news!
Jesus Christ was born to save! Calls you one and
calls you all to gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save, Christ was born to save!
 
Passing of the Peace:…………………………..Pastor Steven
Let us offer signs of reconciliation and peace to one another.
 
Gloria Patri: “Glory Be to the Father” #71 UMH
Words: Lesser Doxology, 3rd-4th century
Music: Henry W. Greatorex, 1851
 
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.


Old Testament Lesson: …..Isaiah 12:2-6…………Margaret S.
In your midst is the Holy One of Israel
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and will not be afraid, for the Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.”  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.  And you will say on that day: “Give thanks to the Lord; call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth.  Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Giving of our tithes and offerings ………………..Pastor Steven
 
Offertory: ….…..“All Night, All Day”……………..Handbell Choir
Spiritual arr. By Martha Lynn Thompson © 1986 Agape, Carol Stream, IL.

Offertory Response:  “The Doxology” #94 UMH
Words: Thomas Ken, 1674 Music: Geistliche Kirchengesänge, 1623;
Adapt. © 1989 The United Methodist Publishing House

AFUMC Online Giving Link (click here) 

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise God,
all creatures here below: Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise God the
source of all our gifts! Praise Jesus Christ, whose power up-lifts!  Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
 
Prayer After Receiving:…………….……Pastor Steven
 
Prayers of the People: ………………………Pastor Steven
 
Anthem:…“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”..Handbell Choir
Lobe den Herren Arr. by Martha Lynn Thompson

Gospel Lesson……………..Luke 3:1-6……………Margaret S.

Prepare the way of the Lord
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'”

“Unsettled World” #2183 TFWS
Words: David Sparks Music: Hal H. Hopson © 1994 Hope Publishing Co.
 
1. Unsettled world, where people long to
find their way, to feel secure, from lives of turbulence
and rush we come, to seek your peace, our God, your
word to hear, our faith to live.
 
2. Unsettled world, where money rules and
greedy systems call the tune; for strength to keep our
values straight we come, with trust in you, O God, your
word to hear, our faith to live.
 
3. Unsettled world, where angry poor from
grinding need at affluence stare, with tears and thirst for
truth and right we come, with longing in our hearts, your
word to hear, our faith to live.
 
4. Unsettled world, unsettled church, whose
structures creak and doctrines swirl, by faith, and in the
strength of Christ, we strive, in true community, your
word to hear, our faith to live.

Sermon:…………….“What’s Going On?”…………Pastor Steven

Closing Hymn:…“The King of Glory Comes” #2091 TFWS
Words (Ps 24:7-10; Matt 1:23) © 1966, 1982 Willard F. Jabusch, admin by OCP Publications
Music is a traditional Israeli folk song
 
The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him, lift up your voices.
 
1. Who is the King of glory; how shall we call him?
He is Emmanuel, the promised of all ages.
The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him, lift up your voices.
 
2. In all of Galilee, in our city or village,
he goes among his people curing their illness.
The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him, lift up your voices.
 
3. Sing then of David’s son, our Savior and brother;
in all of Galilee was never another.
The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices.
Open the gates before him, lift up your voices.”


Dismissal with Blessing:……………………Pastor Steven
Postlude:……………………..………………………………Greg D.

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Sunday December 15th at 6:00 pm: Combined Christmas celebration with Rios De Agua Viva, Chinese Christian Fellowship, and Jolly African Singers 

Upcoming Advent Events at AFUMC

Sunday December 15th at 6:00 pm: Combined Christmas celebration with Rios de Aqua Viva, Chinese Christian Fellowship, and Jolly African Singers 

Tuesday December 24th at 5:30 pm: Christmas Eve candle lighting service 

Sunday December 29th at 11:00 am: Carols and singing with coffee and cookies

Looking for a way to fulfill your giving back to God of your financial blessings? Follow this link to online giving at Avent Ferry Give , click to set up online giving via AFUMC or set up a monthly tithe via your bank’s bill pay. You can also mail your check to Avent Ferry UMC, 2700 Avent Ferry Rd. Raleigh, NC 27606.