Service Sunday December 22, 2024

Services

Dec 18

Written By Highland Hills

Worship Leader: Rev. Max Ward, B.A., M. Div.

Music Director: Melissa Stephens, B. Mus., B. Ed., A. Mus.

(For a Printer Friendly PDF version click this link)

All are Welcome!

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service

The Gathering

Welcome and Announcements.
Focusing Moment.

Acknowledgement of Land

As we gather, we are reminded that we are situated on treaty land that is steeped in rich Indigenous history. As a faith community we have a responsibility for the stewardship of the land on which we live and work. Today we acknowledge the Mississaugas of Alderville First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation, Scugog Island First Nation and the Chippewas of Beausoleil First Nation, Georgina Island First Nation and the Rama First Nation that are all signatories of the Williams Treaty (1923) and Treaty 20 (1818) on whose traditional territory we are meeting.

THE APPROACH

CALL TO WORSHIP:

One: Love, in the midst of apathy—hate is not the opposite of love, apathy is.

ALL: When apathy sets in, love is a choice. Love is a verb. Love is less what we feel and more what we do.

One: An act of love. A labour of love.

ALL: We come choosing love when apathy is easier, choosing love when it means it may come with pain.

One: Let us pray for Emmanuel, for love that resists apathy, for wisdom to choose the way of love even when it is woven together with pain and sorrow.

Written by Whitney Bruno, Lettle Current and Sheguiandah U.C., Little Current, Ont.

Gathering, Advent 2024, p.29. Used with permission.

ADVENT CANDLE-LIGHTING LITANY:

FIRST ADVENT HYMN: “Hope Is a Star” VU #7 – verse 4

4 Love is a flame that burns in our heart,

Jesus has come and will never depart.

When God is a child there's joy in our song.

The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,

and none shall be afraid.

One: On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we come with love as a community of faith.

ALL: We watch, we wait, we wonder.

One: When we feel God’s unfailing love, we are able to give love to—and receive it from—our families, our friends, our community of faith, and, yes, even those we find hard to love. There is enough love for all.

ALL: We experience God’s love in the greatest gift for all of us, in the birth of Jesus, who is bringing love to the world.

One: As we light the fourth candle in our wreath, we breath in the Spirit of love.

(take a breath, then light the candle.)

Let us pray:

God of love, we give thanks for your unfailing love and for the gift of love in the human relationships that give our lives meaning. May we come to the manger filled with your infinite love. Amen

SECOND ADVENT HYMN: “A Candle Is Burning” VU #6 – verse 4

4 A candle is burning, a candle of love,

a candle to point us to heaven above.

A baby for Christmas, a wonderful birth,

for Jesus is bringing God's love to our earth.

LEARNING TOGETHER:

HYMN: “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” VU #48

1 Hark! the herald angels sing,

'Glory to the newborn King,

peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!'

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

join the triumph of the skies;

with the angelic host proclaim,

'Christ is born in Bethlehem!'

Refrain Hark! the herald angels sing,

'Glory to the newborn King!'

2 Christ, by highest heaven adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord,

late in time behold him come,

offspring of a virgin's womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

hail, the incarnate deity,

pleased with us in flesh to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel! Refrain

3 Hail, the heavenborn Prince of Peace!

Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

risen with healing in his wings.

Mild he lays his glory by,

born that we no more may die,

born to raise us from the earth,

born to give us second birth. Refrain

THE WORD

Scripture: Luke 1:26-55

Leader: Hear and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

MESSAGE

“Favoured Ones”

OUR RESPONSE

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and

A CONTEMPORARY INTERPRETATION OF THE LORD’S PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, heavenly Mother,

Holy and blessed is your true name.

We pray for your reign of peace to come,

We pray that your good will be done,

Let heaven and earth become one.

Give us this day the bread we need,

Give it to those who have none.

Let forgiveness flow like a river between us,

From each one to each one.

Lead us to holy innocence

Beyond the evil of our days —

Come swiftly Mother, Father, come.

For yours is the power and the glory and the mercy:

Forever your name is All in One.

Amen.

HYMN: “Joy to the World!” VU #59

1 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.

2 Joy to the earth! the Saviour 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.

3 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.

4 He rules the earth 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.

PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY PRAYER:

On this Sunday when the Advent candle of love spreads the warmth of your love, God who is love, we offer these gifts for your purpose in the world. Bless them as signs of our love for neighbours worldwide. Bless us as a sign of your love cultivated within our hearts, beating to the cadence of right relation within all Creation. Amen.

Written by Gord Dunbar, Kincardine P.C., Kincardine, Ont.

Gathering, Advent 2024, page 33. Used with permission.

SUNG BLESSING: (MV #220)

Love shines as the solitary star.

Faith is the inner light.

You and I together mirror the Light of Lights,

Sending Forth:

One: Now may Love, which is our source, also be our guide and destination as we continue to live the lives that God has given us. May others experience the deep deep love of God through knowing us, and may joy, hope, peace, and most of all love fill our hearts this day, this night, and forevermore.

ALL: Amen!

Written by Bob Root, Peterborough, Ont.

Gathering, Advent, 2024, p.34. Used with permission.

A Time of Fellowship

Highland Hills