December 24: 4th Sunday of Advent Welcome to OPC

Welcome and Announcements Chimes “” ~ Welcome and Announcements Greeting Each Other Ringing of the Bell

Lighting of the candles Prelude “” ~ Lighting of the candles

L: Rejoice in the Lord always. P: We will say it again: Rejoice! CALL TO WORSHIP (from Philippians 4) L: Rejoice in the Lord always. P: We will say it again: Rejoice! L: Let your gentleness be known to all. P: The Lord is near!!

L: We rejoice in the hope of the Christ’s coming. CALL TO WORSHIP L: We rejoice in the hope of the Christ’s coming. P: We rejoice in his healing presence! L: Let us sing songs of joy and praise this day P: As we wait joyfully for his coming!

LIGHTING OF THE JOY CANDLE L: Today we light four candles – the first Candle is Hope and it is a gift from God. P: The second Candle is Peace, God’s gentle healing peace for our lives.

LIGHTING OF THE JOY CANDLE L: The third Candle celebrates Love, because of God’s steadfast love in our lives. P: For each of those Candles we are thankful.

LIGHTING OF THE JOY CANDLE L: Today’s Candle is Joy, because of God’s joyful presence in our lives. P: May the light of these Candles – Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy – bring comfort to our spirits.

HYMN #13 “Prepare the Way” v.1 Prepare the way, O Zion, Your Christ is drawing near! Let every hill and valley a level way appear.

HYMN #13 “Prepare the Way” v.1 Great One who comes in glory, foretold in sacred story, O blest is Christ that comes in God’s most holy name.

HYMN #13 “Prepare the Way” v.2 Christ brings God’s rule, O Zion, He comes from heaven above. His rule is peace and freedom, and justice, truth, and love.

HYMN #13 “Prepare the Way” v.2 Lift high your praise resounding, for grace and joy abounding. O blest is Christ that comes in God’s most holy name.

HYMN #13 “Prepare the Way” v.3 Fling wide your gates, O Zion, Your Savior’s rule embrace. And tidings of salvation proclaim in every place.

HYMN #13 “Prepare the Way” v.3 All lands will bow rejoicing, their adoration voicing. O blest is Christ that comes in God’s most holy name.

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison) Joyful God, forgive us when we pay more attention to satisfying our own needs than seeking you and your will for our lives;

forgive us for being more interested in possessing the material things of life rather than your spiritual gifts.

Turn our lives around so that we are looking in the right direction – towards you, for only then can we hope to recognize the signs of your healing presence in the world.

(silence is observed for individual reflection and prayer)

* ASSURANCE OF PARDON L: Sisters and Brothers, our God is a God of joy, forgiveness, and new life. Let us prepare and commit our lives to God’s way of Love.

* ASSURANCE OF PARDON P: Thanks be to you, the Advent God, who comes among us, setting us free to love and to be loved. Amen.

“Three English Carols” CHOIR ANTHEM “Three English Carols” ~arr. Stan Pethel

Time With Young Christians

PROCLAIMING THE WORD SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’

But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great,

and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’

The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son;

and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 55:1-12

Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your eat, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. See, I made him a witness to the peoples,

a leader and commander for the peoples a leader and commander for the peoples. See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace;

the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the fiend shall clap their hands.

L: This is the Word of the Lord. P: Thanks be to God!

“Come” Rev. Tedd Pullano

*HYMN #38 “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” v.1 It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old From angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold;

*HYMN #38 “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” v.1 “Peace on the earth, good will to all, from heaven’s all-gracious King”: The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.

*HYMN #38 “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” v.2 Still through the cloven skies they come, with peaceful wings unfurled, And still their heavenly music floats o’er all the weary world:

*HYMN #38 “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” v.2 Above its sad and lowly plains they bend on hovering wing, And ever o’er it’s Babel sounds the blessed angels sing.

*HYMN #38 “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” v.3 And ye, beneath life’s crushing load, whose forms are bending low, Who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow,

*HYMN #38 “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” v.3 Look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing: O rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing.

*HYMN #38 “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” v.4 For lo, the days are hastening on, by prophet bards foretold, When with the ever-circling years comes round the age of gold;

*HYMN #38 “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” v.4 When peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling, And the whole world give back the song which now the angels sing.

OFFERING OUR GIFTS TO GOD Offertory Invitation OFFERTORY “” ~

*DOXOLOGY #592 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 DEDICATION Gracious God, in response to the great blessings you have given us, we offer these gifts in joy. We especially give thanks for the great gift of your love Who comes to us soon.

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION We pray that Jesus will be born anew into our hearts, and that the witness of our lives will convince others of the wonder and the miracle of Christmas. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

RESPONDING TO THE WORD JOYS AND CONCERNS PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE PASTORAL PRAYER

The Lord’s Prayer (unison) 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.

BEARING AND FOLLOWING THE WORD INTO THE WORLD

*HYMN #22 “Angels From the Realms of Glory” v.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!

*HYMN #22 “Angels From the Realms of Glory” v.2 Shepherds, in the fields 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!

*HYMN #22 “Angels From the Realms of Glory” v.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!

*HYMN #22 “Angels From the Realms of Glory” v.4 All creation, join in praising God the Father, Spirit, Son, Evermore your voices raising to the eternal Three in One: Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King!

*BENEDICTION

Postlude “” ~