MORRIS-ROSENFELD ECUMENICAL SHARED MINISTRY
ORDER OF SERVICE FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2024
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Due to copyright limitations, we are unable to print the words to many of the songs. However, our musicians have chosen music to fit the scriptures. We invite you to look up the words in your worship book and ponder them. If you do not have a worship book, ponder the words of one of your favourite hymns and listen for God’s voice. Those who have the internet may find the songs on YouTube.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Every time we open our mouths and speak, we are either saying let there be light or let there be darkness.”
– Glennon Doyle Melton
Before we worship, we reflect…
Often called the visitation, the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth is full of joy, recognition, gratitude, and blessing.
As the women encounter each other, so do Jesus and John the Baptist. Yet the theological meaning is almost overshadowed by the sheer physicality of the encounter. As the celebration of Christ’s birth approaches, the four active and responsive bodies in this text remind us that this is, after all, the incarnation itself unfolding.
God becomes a body in Jesus, and that body will be offered up for the sake of the world. This body, recognized already by John in the womb, will eventually undergo the suffering and shame of death on a cross. Without losing sight of that big picture, today we enter into the up-close picture of Mary and Elizabeth’s encounter and share in the joy and gratitude they have in common with all who recognize Christ in their neighbor.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT & PRAYER
We acknowledge we gather and worship on Treaty 1 Territory, the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Anishininew, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Red River Métis Nation.
Lord God, bring us together as one, reconciled with you and reconciled with each other. You made us in your likeness, you gave us your Son Jesus Christ. He has given us forgiveness from sin. Lord God, bring us together as one, different in culture, but given new life in Jesus Christ, together as your body, your Church, your people. Lord God, bring us together as one, reconciled, healed, forgiven, sharing you with others as you have called us to do. In Jesus Christ, let us be together as one. Amen.
CALL TO WORSHIP – From Rev. Jenny McDevitt, Bayside Presbyterian Church, Virginia Beach, VA
We are waiting on you, God. We are still waiting.
The darkness is deeper, but look! The star is beginning to shine.
The everlasting light is creeping closer. Hope is in the air. Peace is promised. Joy is on the tips of our tongues.
Love is coming. Love divine, all loves excelling. We are waiting on love. And Love is waiting on us.
GATHERING SONG: With One Voice 629 All Earth Is Hopeful
CENTERING PRAYER – Rev. F. Schaefer
God of Grace and Surprise, today we embrace the miracle of the incarnation of your only begotten Son. We stand in awe and wonder of your plan of salvation which confounds the wisdom of this world. Thank you for fulfilling your promise given by the prophets of old–the sign of reconciliation in and through Jesus, our Lord.
Help us to recognize the incarnation of your grace especially with those who suffer, those who are impoverished and victimized. Enable us to stand in solidarity with the least of our brothers and sisters in Christ, so that the world will see in us the good news of Emmanuel, God-with-us, in whose very name we pray. Amen.
CANADIAN LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF – Chad | Shelter and supplies for families fleeing conflict
In April 2023, a war broke out between two factions in Sudan, which led to the displacement of thousands of people to Chad and other neighbouring countries.
Alia Mahamat Saleh Youssouf is a 50-year-old Sudanese refugee living in a camp in Chad. In her previous life, she was a teacher in her village and lived with her husband and four other family members. The conflict forced the family to flee to Chad for safety.
Your generous gifts enabled our partners to provide emergency shelter and food, sanitation facilities and clean water to hundreds of families like Alia’s.
“I live in the shelter built by LWF with my children and my husband. It is separated from the others, which allows us to light a fire in a stove made of three stones,” Alia said. “My environment is quite good thanks to the awareness-raising on hygiene and sanitation. It’ll be difficult for us to get back to how we used to live, but we have hope.”
Thank you for your compassion and generosity in responding to the needs of families like Alia’s!
LIGHTING THE CANDLE OF LOVE
When the people were looking for deliverance, the prophet Micah declared, “But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah…from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient day.” But what if Micah is also talking to us, proclaiming, “But you, O [fill in name of church or community], from you shall come forth for me…” What? What might God be calling forth from us?
God invites us to receive the promise of God’s salvation and the sustenance of God’s mercy and grace, enabling us to live the promise as God-bearers to the world. As Christ was born in Bethlehem, so too we answer God’s invitation to have Christ born among us today and every day.
We light this candle of love as a sign of our commitment to live as people of God’s promise, a promise of salvation and flourishing for all people that springs forth from God’s love for all creation.
Light the fourth candle of the Advent wreath.
Verses 1 – 4, Voices United 1 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
A NEW CREED
We are not alone; we live in God’s world.
We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God’s presence, to live with respect in Creation, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION — Rev. Andy James, First Presbyterian Church of Whitestone, New York
Speak to us, Lord. Speak to us in the waiting, the watching, the hoping, the longing, the sorrow, the sighing, the rejoicing. Speak to us by your Word in these Advent days, and walk with us until the day of your coming. Amen.
READINGS AND PSALM
First Reading: Micah 5:2-5a
The prophet Micah, having pronounced judgment upon Judah, speaks of a future shepherd-king who, like David, will come from the small town of Bethlehem. (Ephrathah refers to the area around Bethlehem.) This king will restore Israel and bring peace. New Testament writers understood this passage to be referring to Jesus.
2 But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; 5a and he shall be the one of peace.
Psalm 80:1-7
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine upon us, and we shall be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts, how long will your anger fume when your people pray?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine upon us, and we shall be saved.
Second Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10
The author of Hebrews uses the image of religious sacrifice to convey the significance of Christ’s coming. Through obedient acceptance of God’s will, Christ allows his own body to become the greatest sacrifice of all, one through which we are made a holy people.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’ (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10 And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Gospel: Luke 1:39-55
Elizabeth, John’s mother, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, are two women filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. In Elizabeth’s inspired greeting and Mary’s song of praise we hear of a saving God who remembers, scatters, lifts up, and fulfills all things.
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
HYMN: With One Voice 632 The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came
SERMON
They came faithfully every Sunday to attend Sunday School and sat with my older sister during worship, since I was up front with the choir. Not always clean, their clothing not always large enough to fit them properly; sometimes they would show up in winter weather without boots, hat, mitts or scarf. Yet, faithfully they came, each Sunday, to be with “their favorite teachers”, me and Kelly.
Danielle was not the prettiest child I had seen. When she and Tina first walked through the door, my immediate thought was that Danielle was a plain-looking child. It was her zest for life, in spite of obvious hard times at home, that impressed me. She had a big, crooked smile that lacked a few teeth, yet that smile was a genuine expression of the happiness that existed within this scruffy young person!
Time passed, and as it passed, Danielle seemed to blossom. The congregation had taken donations of clothing, and with her mother’s permission, Danielle became the owner of several pretty dresses of the correct size. One Sunday, as my family was heading home, I remarked that I no longer thought Danielle plain, but rather that she had become beautiful to my eyes. My mother replied, “That’s love.”
Such a simple statement, “that’s love”, yet such a powerful reality. God LOVED the world so much that the Christ Child was born in a barn, to stress that God’s love is to be found in the most unlikely places. That is what is so amazing about love–where you least expect it, expect it.
Love changes people. It changed Danielle, yes, but more importantly, love changed ME. Danielle still looked the same as she did when she first walked into my classroom, yet through the eyes of love she became transformed. I became transformed.
I have been blessed with the privilege of being with people as love changed them. I have seen a battered, addicted woman transformed into a woman of strength and purpose. I have seen a broken young man, believing himself unworthy of love, transformed into a leaping, cartwheeling, worthy-of-love and full of joy human being!
I believe that I am able to help share the transforming love of God with others because I, too, have received God’s transforming love. God’s love transforms, liberates, gives new life! All through the gift of a child. Amazing! Who would have thought a child could do all that! The point is, a child cannot do all those things–not without God. It was God’s presence in Danielle that transformed me. It is God’s presence in the Christ Child that transforms us. Trust the presence of the infant Jesus, the child at one with God, within you, and others. You, too, will be transformed.
That’s love.
Amen.
HYMN OF THE MONTH: Voices United 12 She Walked In The Summer
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
As we prepare for Emmanuel, God-with-us, let us pray for all people and places that long for God’s presence.
God our uniter, increase communication and cooperation in our relationships with those of other traditions and religions. Root your church in the radical message of your incarnation, and enable us to pursue your justice in the world. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
God our creator, we praise you for the beauty that surrounds us. Awaken in us a renewed sense of care for the wildlife in our communities. Form us into faithful stewards of what you have made. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
God our sovereign, Mary proclaims a new way of life that lifts up the lowly and fills the hungry with good things. Nurture in local governments and municipalities a desire to care for all who are overlooked and ignored. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
God our beacon, as the northern hemisphere begins its slow turn toward more daylight, remind us that even in the deepest nights, you are there. Comfort the lonely and bereaved. Hold closely the frightened, anxious, depressed, and ill. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
God our guide, shepherd the leadership of this congregation. Bless the council, board and staff in discerning future ministry and open their hearts to the voices of the community. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
God our life, you remember the promises you have made to your people. In gratitude for those who have died, we praise you for your faithfulness throughout history. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Savior of the nations, come, and receive these prayers and the pleas of our hearts, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against
us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
SENDING SONG: With One Voice 730 My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness
BENEDICTION
God of endings and beginnings, God in the darkness and the light, God, our hope for the journey, ☩ bless and keep you now and forever. Amen.