1. December 17: 3rd Sunday of Advent
Welcome to OPC

2. Welcome and Announcements
Chimes
“Trepak”
~Tchaikovsky
Welcome and Announcements
Greeting Each Other
Ringing of the Bell

3. “Fantasia on a French Carol” ~Hughes Lighting of the candles
Prelude
“Fantasia on a French Carol”
~Hughes
Lighting of the candles

4. L: Brothers and Sisters, we gather this day in Love.
CALL TO WORSHIP
L: Brothers and Sisters, we gather this day in Love.
P: With love this day, we wait.
L: What do we wait for?

5. P: We wait for the One who brings healing and comfort.
CALL TO WORSHIP
P: We wait for the One who brings healing and comfort.
L: We wait for the One who binds up the brokenhearted.

6. P: We wait for the One to display his glory and love to all.
CALL TO WORSHIP
P: We wait for the One to display his glory and love to all.
L: And how do we wait?
P: We wait with joy, with awe, with hope, with excitement.

7. P: Let us worship God in joy!
CALL TO WORSHIP
L: Let us worship God.
P: Let us worship God in joy!

9. LIGHTING OF THE LOVE CANDLE
L: Creator God, as we journey through Advent, help us to experience your love.
P: Help us to better understand your love for each of us.

10. LIGHTING OF THE LOVE CANDLE
L: As we continue to prepare for the coming of the Christ,
P: Grant us the courage to share your love with those who need it.

11. LIGHTING OF THE LOVE CANDLE
L: Grant us love for the unexpected challenges.
P: Grant us love for the vulnerable ones.
L: Grant us love in the presence of God.
P: Grant us love for one another and love to build your kingdom.

12. HYMN #1 “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” v.1
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, Born to set Thy people free; From our fears and sins release us; Let us find our rest in Thee.

13. HYMN #1 “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” v.2
Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art; Dear desire of every nation, Enter every longing heart.

14. HYMN #1 “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” v.3
Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King. Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

15. HYMN #1 “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” v.4
By Thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By Thine own sufficient merit Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

16. *PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison)
O God of the Covenant, have mercy upon us as we make our confession this morning. Too often we have ignored your calling.

17. The afflicted still await good tidings
The afflicted still await good tidings. There are brokenhearted who need to have their wounds bound. The captives still yearn for freedom,

18. and those who mourn remain to be comforted
and those who mourn remain to be comforted. Forgive us when we fail to follow Christ’s call to faithful ministry; restore us and make us worthy to serve in his name.

19. (silence is observed for individual reflection and prayer)

20. * ASSURANCE OF PARDON
L: Our God is a God of forgiveness of sin and new life. Let us prepare and commit our lives to God’s way of Love.

21. * 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.

23. PROCLAIMING THE WORD
SCRIPTURE READING:
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

24. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;

25. to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion – to give them a garland instead of ashes,

26. the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins,

27. they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense,

28. and I will make an everlasting covenant with them
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.

29. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns herself with her jewels.

30. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

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

32. Presented by the OPC Choir

33. “Come, Jesus, Prince of Peace”
~Diane Hannibal

34. “A Star, A Song, A Sign”
~Brad Nix

35. “And the Glory Shone Around” ~Diane Hannibal/Jon Paige

36. “Way Down Yonder in Bethlehem”
~Michael Barrett

37. “A Caribbean Noel”
~Shayla Blake

38. OFFERING OUR GIFTS TO GOD Offertory Invitation OFFERTORY “What Child Is This” ~Purvis

39. *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.

40. *PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God of deep love, please accept and bless these gifts this day. In receiving them, grant us comfort, and anoint us with your Spirit to be able to reveal your Love as clearly as Jesus did,

41. *PRAYER OF DEDICATION
by binding up the brokenhearted, proclaiming the good news of justice and peace, and releasing those who are oppressed in any way. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

43. 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.

44. 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.

45. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

46. BEARING AND FOLLOWING THE WORD INTO THE WORLD

47. *HYMN #4 “Creator of the Stars of Night” v.1
Creator of the stars of night, Your people’s everlasting light O Christ, Redeemer of us all, We pray You hear us when we call.

48. *HYMN #4 “Creator of the Stars of Night” v.2
When this old world drew on toward night, You came, but not in splendor bright, Not as a monarch, but the child Of Mary, blameless mother mild.

49. *HYMN #4 “Creator of the Stars of Night” v.3
At your great name, O Jesus, now All knees must bend, all hearts must bow: All things on earth with one accord, Like those in heaven, shall call you Lord.

50. *HYMN #4 “Creator of the Stars of Night” v.4
To God the Father, God the Son, And God the Spirit, Three in One, Praise, honor, and glory be From age to age eternally. Amen.

51. *BENEDICTION

52. Postlude
“Psalm 100” ~Knecht