Sunday Worship Bulletin - Fourth Church

Bulletins are posted on the day prior.

Sunday, December 28
10:00 a.m. Worship Service

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PRELUDE

Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head
John Jacob Niles

From Heaven Above, to Earth I Come
Johann Pachelbel

INTROIT
Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light
Johann Sebastian Bach

DOXOLOGY
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below; praise God above, ye heavenly host; Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

CALL TO WORSHIP
One: Praise God for coming to dwell among us, Emmanuel.
All: Praise God for the good news of Jesus Christ, the pioneer of our salvation.
One: Praise God who is present with us still, lifting us up and carrying us.
All: God’s glory shines in heaven and on earth. Let us worship God!

HYMN

“Joy to the World”

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, and wonders, wonders of his love.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Merciful God, in great love you have claimed us as your children. We confess that we have not loved you as we should. We have not participated fully in your purposes and plans; we grow weary and give up when the way is hard. We have not loved our siblings as you intend. Forgive us, especially when we fail to protect children so vulnerable and precious in your sight. Forgive our misuse of power against people and against your creation. Set us free from fear that we may wholly trust in you. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who shared our flesh and blood. Amen.

DECLARATION OF PARDON
One: Friends, believe the good news.
All: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
Leader: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
People: And also with you.

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TIME WITH CHILDREN

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

HANDBELL ANTHEM
“In the Bleak Midwinter”
Harold Darke

FIRST LESSON
Psalm 148

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and women alike, old and young together! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!

One: The Word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.

GLORIA PATRI
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.

SECOND LESSON
Matthew 2:13–23

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 1and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.” When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”

SERMON
“A Tale of Two Christmases”
Joseph L. Morrow

HYMN

“In the Bleak Midwinter”

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan; earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain; heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign: in the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed the Lord God incarnate, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there; cherubim and seraphim thronged the air; but his mother only, in her maiden bliss, worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Apostles’ 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.

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.

OFFERING

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OFFERTORY ANTHEM
“Coventry Carol”
Fifteenth-century English

OFFERTORY RESPONSE
What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION
All glory, honor, and praise we give to you, O God. You blessed your creation with the magnificent gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. Our gifts to you are the first fruits of our time, talent, and treasure. We ask your blessing upon them in service to the gospel. Amen.

HYMN
“Go Tell It on the Mountain”

Refrain: Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!

While shepherds kept their watching o’er silent flocks by night, behold, throughout the heavens there shone a holy light. (Refrain)

The shepherds feared and trembled when lo! above the earth rang out the angel chorus that hailed our Savior’s birth. (Refrain)

Down in a lowly manger the humble Christ was born, and God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn. (Refrain)

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

CHORAL BENEDICTION
God Be in My Head
John Rutter

POSTLUDE
In Dulci Jubilo
J. S. Bach

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