241201 – Worship Bulletin

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

Lighting of the Advent Candle

Leader: Why do we light the Advent candle?

Response: Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the Light of Life.”

Leader: In the days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established. All the nations shall stream out of it.

Response: Let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Leader: He shall judge between the nations, and settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more.

Response: Let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Lighting of the Advent candle.

Leader: We light this candle as a symbol of expectation. May the light of Christ show us the way of salvation.

Response: Let us walk in the light of the Lord.

The Voluntary for Silent Prayer

*Call to Worship: Hebrews 1:1-3

Minister: Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

People: He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Minister: After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Unison: Come, let us praise our Savior!

*Hymn of Adoration: “You’re the Word of God the Father”

1 You’re the Word of God the Father,
From before the world began;
Every star and every planet
Has been fashioned by Your hand.
All creation holds together
By the power of Your voice:
Let the skies declare Your glory,
Let the land and seas rejoice!

You’re the Author of creation,
You’re the Lord of every man;
And Your cry of love rings out
Across the lands.

2 Yet You left the gaze of angels,
Came to seek and save the lost,
And exchanged the joy of heaven
For the anguish of a cross.
With a prayer You fed the hungry,
With a word You stilled the sea.
Yet how silently You suffered
That the guilty may go free.

3 With a shout You rose victorious,
Wresting victory from the grave,
And ascended into heaven
Leading captives in Your wake.
Now You stand before the Father
Interceding for Your own.
From each tribe and tongue and nation
You are leading sinners home.

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*Prayer of Adoration and Congregational Invocation

Unison: God of All Grace, we thank you for sending your Son, Jesus. In him mercy and truth meet together and righteousness and peace kiss each other. In him the enslaved find redemption, the guilty pardon, the unholy renovation. In him are everlasting strength for the weak, unsearchable riches for the needy, treasures of wisdom and knowledge for the ignorant, fullness for the empty. All this and more we have in him. Blessed be his name. Amen!

From “The Name of Jesus” in The Valley of Vision

*Affirmation of Faith: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 15

Minister: What kind of mediator and deliverer must we seek?

People: One who is a true and righteous man, and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is at the same time true God.

Gloria (Tune: “Gloria”)

Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

The Revelation of God’s Will: Ex. 20:1-17; Mt. 22:37-40

Unison: And God spoke all these words saying: ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ‘

Minister: You shall have no other gods before me.

People: You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Minister: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

People: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.

Minister: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

People: Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Minister: You shall not murder.

People: You shall not commit adultery.

Minister: You shall not steal.

People: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Minister: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’”

Unison: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, mind and strength…and your neighbor as yourself.”

Hymn of Response: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (No. 194)

1 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here,
until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

2 O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
who to thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
in ancient times didst give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. [Refrain]

3 O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan's tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them vict'ry o'er the grave. [Refrain]

4 O come, thou Dayspring from on high,
and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death's dark shadows put to flight. [Refrain]

5 O come, thou Key of David, come
and open wide our heav'nly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery. [Refrain]

Prayer of Confession

Unison: Most holy and merciful Father, we acknowledge and confess before you our sinful nature, prone to evil and slothful in good, and all our shortcomings and offenses. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. But, O Lord, have mercy upon us, who are ashamed and sorry for all that has displeased you. Teach us to hate our errors; cleanse us from our secret faults; and forgive our sins—for the sake of your dear Son. And O most holy and loving Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, enable us to live in your light and walk in your ways, according to the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray, Amen.

Private Confession

Pastoral Prayer

Promise of the Gospel

Minister: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. I Peter 3:18

*Hymn of Thanksgiving: “Thou Who Wast Rich beyond All Splendor” (No. 230)

Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor,
All for love’s sake becamest poor;
Thrones for a manger didst surrender,
Sapphire paved courts for stable floor.
Thou who wast rich beyond all splendor,
All for love’s sake becamest poor.

Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake becamest man;
Stooping so low, but sinners raising,
Heavenward by Thine eternal plan.
Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake becamest man.

Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Savior and King, we worship Thee.
Emmanuel, within us dwelling,
Make us what Thou wouldst have us be.
Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Savior and King, we worship Thee.

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Worship of God through Tithes and Offerings

*Doxology (Tune: “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.

*Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication

*Reading of The Holy Scriptures: John 14:1-11

Minister: This is the Word of God.

Unison: Thanks be to God for his Word!

*Prayer for Illumination

Sermon: “Jesus Came to Reveal God” (Rev. Seth Wallace)

*Hymn of Response: “O Come, All Ye Faithful” (No. 208)

1 O come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him
born the King of angels;

Refrain:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

2 God of God,
Light of Light;
lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
very God,
begotten, not created; [Refrain]

3 Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heav'n above;
glory to God
in the highest; [Refrain]

4 Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning:
Jesus, to thee be all glory giv'n;
Word of the Father,
late in flesh appearing; [Refrain]

*The Benediction

Postlude

*Denotes congregation standing, if able.