Service Sunday December 22, 2024
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
Watch a video recording of the whole service through YouTube below.
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”
Listen to an audio recording of the message below or read it at the bottom of this page.
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,
and illumine the pathway home. ©
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
© Music Reproduced with permission under License number A-605748, Valid for: 26/10/2024 - 25/10/2025; One License - Copyright Cleared Music for Churches.
Sermon 22 December 2024
“Favoured Ones”
Luke 1:26-55
Gracious God, be with us today in this place, in the Scriptures and in our words.
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts praise your Holy name. Amen.
It was the night of the children's Christmas play and little Johnny was upset because he didn’t get the part of Joseph.
He was assigned the inn keeper.
Because he was still bitter, when Joseph and Mary arrived at the inn to ask if there was room, little Johnny threw the play by saying,
“Sure, come on in!”
Jospeh was at first taken aback, but with quick wit, stepped in, looked around and said,
“This place is a dump. I’d rather stay in the barn.”
[forwarded by Tim Price]
“You’ve won the lottery!”
“Your special gift is waiting..”
“You could be the next 10 million dollar winner!”
“Claim your prize now!”
It seems just too good to be true, and it usually is.
You know the routine.
Someone claims that you have been specially chosen to receive a free gift through some special promotion.
Just call a number or press 1 for more information.
But usually all you get is a high pressured sales pitch.
Or worse, someone trying to steal your identity.
You didn’t win anything, except for an opportunity to get your ear talked off.
That is the way the world is.
There are no free lunches.
If they give you something free you wait for the other shoe, or sales pitch, to drop.
It is a limited time offer for a free subscription trial for 30 days!
I imagine things were no different 2000 years ago either.
“It a limited time offer for a free camel, trial 30 days.”
It’s no wonder Mary was a little apprehensive at the greeting from the Angel.
When the angel Gabriel came to Mary he said
“Hail, O favoured one.”
Luke says that Mary “was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.” (Luke 1:29)
I can imagine she wondered what kind of greeting this was.
I mean what should someone think.
“Favoured one” - “Chosen One” - “You have been chosen by a special lottery!”
But Mary was not dealing with a telemarketer, pushy email or even a door to door salesman.
She was truly favoured by God.
She had been specially chosen to be the vehicle through which grace came into the world.
The man speaking those words was an angel who had come from the very presence of God!
This was a genuine offer.
Mary had been specially chosen by God.
Mary, a poor peasant girl, chosen by the Almighty to be the mother of the Messiah!
It seemed too good to be true.
Mary accepted what the angel said, but did not seem to fully believe it.
Then the Angel gave her a sign.
Her old barren Aunt Elizabeth was six months pregnant.
So Mary went to see her and John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb.
The Spirit told Elizabeth that Mary carried the Messiah and she said
“Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
Only then did Mary fully believe.
She was blessed, favoured, by God, not only to witness the coming of the Saviour of the world, but to play a crucial role in His arrival!
No wonder Mary sang for joy about God lifting up the lowly!
“Greetings, favoured ones!
The Lord is with you!”
What, you don’t believe me?
Blessed are you among people!
Would it help if I had some wings on?
You still don’t seem to get it.
Almighty God has blessed and favoured you and God is with you!
OK, so I’m not the angel Gabriel come from glory.
I’m just preacher Reverend Max from Minden.
Yet what I say is true.
God Almighty has blessed you.
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour you carry the life of God with in you.
You have a crucial role to play in bring the Saviour to the world.
Your role is to bear Jesus’ light for all the world to see.
God has sent a saviour.
He lives in you.
You are blessed.
Christmas is almost here.
The world is getting more and more frantic each day.
It is through your life that God brings Jesus into the world.
Imagine how Mary felt when she realized that she was truly carrying the hope of the ages in her womb and how she sang for joy.
You carry the hope of the ages in your heart!
It is your role to bring the love of God to birth in your everyday life.
You are truly favoured by God.
Blessed are you among people, and blessed is the fruit of your heart!
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
By: Rev. Alex Stephenson
Edited By: Rev. Max Ward
