You can watch today’s service here.
If you are watching our live stream this morning, you are invited to find a candle, so that we can all light candles at the same time. Today’s service is structured to commemorate all of the seasons of the church year, so it’s structured a bit differently than usual.
CALL TO WORSHIP (Psalm 65:11-13)
Pastor: This is the day the Lord has made.
Peoples: God made the sun and the moon and the passage of time.
Pastor: God crowns the year with bounty:
Peoples: The hills gird themselves with joy,
Pastor: The meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
Peoples: The valleys deck themselves with grain.
Pastor: God’s people shout and sing together for joy.
All: Let us worship God!
ADVENT
Meditation
We’ll start with Advent, which comes from the Latin verb “to come.” Christ is coming soon, but he isn’t here yet! Advent is the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, the time that we prepare for the Holy Child and reflect on how much we need a Savior in this world. Advent is a time of waiting, a time to prepare the way of the Lord, who is coming soon. In this moment of Advent, think about the world that God is being born into and the grace that we are waiting for, sometimes with patience and sometimes with anxiety and fear.
Prayer
Please pray with me: Holy One, many of us are in a season of our lives where we are waiting for a miracle. We don’t want to wait. We feel like we’ve waited more than long enough. We can’t expect a tiny child to fix all of our problems the moment he is born and we can’t expect a miracle the moment a vaccine is deployed, either. Help us to make room in our hearts for the waiting, because it isn’t time yet. Help us to be patient as we wait in hope for the peace, joy, and love that we know will come when the Christ child is born. Amen.
Hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
CHRISTMAS
Reading for Christmas: Luke 2:8-14
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom God favours!’
Meditation
Christmas is a fun and familiar season full of reindeer and cookies and presents and caroling and ugly sweaters. We often celebrate with bells and loud singing that probably would have woken up a newborn crying. It can be easy to get carried away. But the first Christmas was very simple, and maybe it’s okay if our Christmas is pretty simple this year, too. No matter happens, to us is born a savior, who is Christ, the Lord! Gloria in excelsis! In this moment of Christmas, think about the promises that have been fulfilled in your life. What miracles do you see amongst the chaos that is our world? What brings you joy?
Prayers of joy
In seasons of joy, like Christmas and Easter, I like to put a special place in our worship services for happy prayers. What joys do we give thanks for this morning?
Let us pray.
God of all creation, you have heard our cries and answered our prayers with the gift of your son,
your only son,
the son whom you love.
Let us sing songs of joy! Let us give devotion!
We rejoice in the love that you have shown us throughout time.
We rejoice in the earth that sustains us, the skies that inspire us,
and the living water that is your grace.
We rejoice in the diversity of creation and all of the seasons under heaven.
We rejoice in the flexibility of communities to find new ways to love each other.
We rejoice in the truly wonderful news that not one but TWO vaccine trials are having extremely promising results
We rejoice in the birth of a friend’s new baby girl.
We rejoice in the generosity of grandparents to step in and teach when schools are unable to meet in person.
We rejoice in the miracles that surround us and in the love of God.
Amen.
Epiphany
Meditation
Epiphany is when we remember the time that the Magi brought their gifts to Jesus and recognized him as divine. The day of Epiphany is twelve days after Christmas. In this particular church, we celebrate by having a birthday party for Jesus, complete with cake and presents. We model ourselves after the Magi and ask ourselves what gifts we can bring to Christ and to his church. In this moment of Epiphany, think about the gifts that you have to offer.
Invitation to the offering
With gratitude and joy, let us come, all of us faithful people, to bring gifts and offerings to the church like the Magi did so long ago. If you are able to, please consider mailing your offerings to the church (210 Smith Street). Alternatively, if you scroll up on this page, you’ll find a donate button at the top of the page that will link you directly to a secure page where you can make a one-time donation. If you received your pledge card for 2021 but haven’t filled it out, we would be very grateful to receive it as we plan for the year ahead. We appreciate your generosity as we seek to continue our mission and ministry throughout the community during this difficult time. Thank you for being a part of the story our church is telling.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Holy One, we pray for a spirit of wisdom, the wisdom to know whom to follow and how to treat one another, the wisdom to steward the gifts you have entrusted us in ways that bring you glory, the wisdom to worship you and you alone. Take these gifts, we pray, bless and use them so that the least of these members of your family would be fed, loved, cared for, and clothed in your name. Amen.
Lent
Meditation
Lent is the time between Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday, a dark season of penitence and fasting. The word “alleluia” is buried and forgotten during this season because Lent is not a season of rejoicing. In Lent, we remember that we are dust and will return to dust. We remember that our time will someday come to die. What is worse, we remember that Jesus died—and not only do we remember that Jesus died, but we are forced to remember that we human sinners were responsible. Lent stretches out longer than Advent because we dread the judgement we deserve for our actions. We put off the crucifixion as long as we can and we follow Jesus out into the wilderness. In this moment of Lent, think about the burdens that you are carrying. What are the sins you wish could be forgiven?
Please join with me in our unison prayer of confession, followed by a time for silent personal confession.
Prayer of confession
On this morning we confess, Lord of all, that we have often put other priorities ahead of our loyalty to you. We focus on ourselves and become unable to tend to those in need. We obsess on our own desires to the detriment of your creation. We dismiss those without earthly status and seek out those we think can benefit us. We forget that following you means caring for those most in need of compassion and relief. Forgive us, merciful Lord. Free us from a past we cannot change. Turn us toward you. Shape us into a people who better resemble you, Christ our King, Jesus our servant Lord. Amen.
TRIDUUM
Reading for Triduum: John 19:16-18, 28-30
They took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him.
After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Meditation
Triduum is only three days, thank God. It’s already long enough and the weight of the events of the three days we remember…is enough to crush any heart. On the first day, Thursday, we remember the last meal Jesus shared with his friends, and how he washed our feet and told us good-bye. On the second day, Friday, we look up in horror as our Lord and Savior hangs bleeding from the cross of execution that we ourselves hung him on. What have we done? On the third day, Saturday, Christ lies cold in a tomb. There is silence. The world is dark.
In this moment of Triduum, think about what in your life is hard. What are you grieving? Where are the areas of your heart or your life that are empty?
Easter
Meditation
The silence of the tomb will not last forever. On the third day, Jesus rises again and the women who had gone to the tomb are the first preachers of the resurrection. Easter has come at last and the color is white or gold. Bring out the chocolate and the sticky buns and the fancy hats! Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! In this moment of Easter, think about the times in your life when you have felt reborn, or given a new opportunity, or a second chance. There are moments in our lives when immense weights are lifted off of our chests. Easter is one of those moments.
Hymn: Thine Is the Glory
1 Thine is the glory,
risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory
thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment
rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes
where thy body lay.
Refrain:
Thine is the glory,
risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory
thou o’er death hast won.
2 Lo! Jesus meets us,
risen from the tomb;
lovingly he greets us,
scatters fear and gloom.
Let the church with gladness
hymns of triumph sing,
for the Lord now liveth;
death hath lost its sting.
Refrain:
Thine is the glory,
risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory
thou o’er death hast won.
3 No more we doubt thee,
glorious Prince of life!
Life is naught without thee;
aid us in our strife.
Make us more than conquerors
through thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan
to thy home above.
Refrain:
Thine is the glory,
risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory
thou o’er death hast won.
Pentecost
Meditation
On Pentecost, our sanctuary bursts into flames of red and even we frozen chosen Presbyterians reach down deep inside ourselves to find the light of the Holy Spirit that burns inside us all. We celebrate the birth of the church and the diversity of the communion of saints who have followed Christ since he came to earth so long ago. In this moment of Pentecost, think about the times in your life when you felt a fiery passion for your church or community or a cause that you believe in. What motivates you to take an active role? What changes would you like to see around you? How could you help to make them happen?
Reading for Pentecost: Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (A Brief Statement of Faith)
We trust in God the Holy Spirit, everywhere the giver and renewer of life. The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor, and binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the Church. The same Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture, engages us through the Word proclaimed, claims us in the waters of baptism, feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and calls women and men to all ministries of the church. In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” Amen.
Hallowtide
Meditation
Hallowtide is a short season, lasting from October 31 to November 2. During Hallowtide, which includes All Souls Day, we remember those who have gone before us. We are grateful for lessons that they taught us and the roles they played in our lives. We are glad that we know they are now with God. At the same time, we grieve that they are no longer with us, because we miss them, no matter how much time has gone by. In this season, there is both joy and sadness, because grief and loss are complicated storms of emotions. We know that death isn’t the end. We know that Christ was resurrected and promised us that we would join him. We know that we belong to God in life and in death and that nothing can pull us away from God’s embrace. We know that. But that doesn’t mean that it hurts any less to live without the people we love. If we truly believe in the resurrection, then we should be able to accept the inevitability of death and find ways to prepare for it, not brush the subject aside with distaste or fear. Hallowtide is a season when some people visit cemeteries with flowers and memories, or light candles, or share stories of those whom they have lost. In this moment of Hallowtide, think about the losses that you carry with you, everywhere you go. What do your memories mean to you? What do you think resurrection and reunion will feel like?
Special music: The Old Churchyard
Come, come with me down to the old churchyard,
for we know well the way, though the path be dark.
Friends slumber in there that we want to regard;
We will trace out their names in the old churchyard.
Mourn not for them, their trials are o’er,
And why weep for those who will weep no more?
For sweet is their sleep, though cold and hard
Their pillows may be in the old churchyard.
I know that it’s vain when our friends depart
To breathe kind words to a broken heart;
And I know that the joy of life, it is marred
When we carry our friends to the old churchyard.
But once I’m at rest ‘neath yonder tree,
I’ll fly up to Heav’n, my Lord to see!
I’m so weary and so worn, why would you disregard
The peace I’d find in the old churchyard?
I shall not weep when it’s my time to go
To that haven of rest where no tears ever flow;
For I fear not to enter that dark lonely tomb
Where our saviour did lay ere he conquered the gloom.
I rest in the hope that one bright day
Sunshine will burst through these prisons of clay,
And old Gabriel’s trumpet and voice of the Lord
Will wake up the dead in the old churchyard.
Ordinary Time
Meditation
We’ll end with Ordinary Time, which makes up most of the year. Ordinary Time is everything other than Christmas, Easter, and the other major holidays. Each year has fifty-two weeks and thirty-three or thirty-four Sundays fall under Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time happens in two chunks: between Epiphany and Lent and then between Pentecost and Advent. We call it “ordinary” not because it’s boring but because it comes from a Latin word for “order,” since these Sundays are counted. So in this moment of Ordinary Time, think about the seasons of Christ’s life, of our own lives, and of the world. After all, there is a season for everything. What kind of season are you living right now?
Prayers of the people (Jill Duffield)
We reflect this Lord’s Day on a season of much turmoil and pain. There are many known to us and countless known only to you who suffer in body, mind, and spirit, yearning to be sought out and cared for with compassion. We pray that those far off would be gathered close and welcomed home. We ask that the injured have their wounds bound. We lift up to you the grief-stricken and those who cannot quiet their fears and worries. We trust your word, that you yourself will seek out the vulnerable, that you yourself will bring justice, that you yourself will heal and make whole those who are hungry, lonely, or imprisoned. We ask for the wisdom and courage to participate in the outpouring of your compassion on the world you so love.
Even as we recognize the great needs and the deep hurt around and within us, we know too the joy of your sure presence and the gift of this earthly life. We do not want to neglect to give thanks for the beauty of the sunset, the love of friends and family, the pleasure of music, the enjoyment of our daily bread. There is more than we can name for which to rejoice, give thanks, and sing.
As we reflect on what has been, we look in hope to what will be, trusting that you are unquestionably Lord of all and Christ is indeed king. There is nowhere we can flee from your Spirit, no centimeter of creation unredeemed, no person beyond your purview of care or transformation. In this wonderful knowledge we live our lives and make our prayer in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to say when we pray…
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 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.
Reading for Ordinary Time: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a timeto keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
Question for reflection
For everything there is a season. We are all in different seasons of our lives and at various times, we approach the throne of God in different ways. Sometimes we come ready to muck the stables and fluff up the hay for the child who is coming. Sometimes we come heavy-laden with sin and grief and doubt. Sometimes we come in jubilation. Sometimes all we have to bring to the throne is ourselves. What season of the church year speaks to you the most right now, in this season of your life?
Hymn: When Morning Gilds the Skies
1 When morning gilds the skies,
my heart awaking cries:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer
to Jesus I repair:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
2 Let earth’s wide circle round
in joyful notes resound:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Let air and sea and sky
from depth to height reply:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
3 Be this, while life is mine,
my canticle divine:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this the eternal song
through all the ages long:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Benediction
For everything, there is a season.
But in every season, remember this:
God is with you, and God created you.
Jesus Christ is with you, and Jesus Christ saved and redeemed you.
The Holy Spirit is with you, and the Holy Spirit sustains your every breath.
From wherever you are, go in peace,
with every blessing of the year,
to love and serve the Lord: Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit.
VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR
If you are using this page to follow along with today’s worship service while it is being live streamed, please join us for virtual coffee hour! Turn on your video camera and join us after the benediction with this link. You could also join over the telephone by dialing (312) 626-6799 and entering the meeting code 146 874 134, followed by the password 075003.