December 15th, 2024
3rd SUNDAY of ADVENT
Find this service at www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live
Leading us today in Worship:
Minister: Rev. Dr. John G. Smith
Guest Musician: Saundra Lake
Lay Reader: Carol Clarke
Leader: regular font ~ All: bold font ~ Sung words: bold italics.
Asterisk * Indicates when the congregation may stand if able.
We Gather
PRELUDE: TBA
A Stewardship Moment:
Blessings have many faces; so do the needs of those around us. Let us rejoice in what we have been given and look for others with whom we can share it.
WELCOME
OUR COMMITMENT to SAFER SPACE & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the LAND
We believe all people are made in the image of God and are entitled to dignity and respect. At Grace United Church we try to offer a safer, inclusive and generous space for all who are seeking a faith community. We offer full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, all races, ages and abilities in the life and work of the ministry.
Grace United Church is situated on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Petun, Huron-Wendat, and Mississauga peoples, located within the boundary of the region of Treaty 18 of 1818. We humbly acknowledge the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples of Canada as traditional stewards of the land on which we work and worship and are committed to working actively toward genuine restitution and reconciliation.
LIGHTING the ADVENT CANDLE
Let us turn now to the light of Christ and our Advent Candles.
First, we lit the candle of hope, and prayed for hope to grow in us.
Second, we lit the candle of peace, and prayed that we might be the bearers of peace.
Now on this third Sunday, we light the candle of joy.
We remember the joy the shepherds felt when they went to the manger to see the newborn King.
We remember the joy Mary felt when she gave birth safely to her first-born.
We remember the joy Joseph felt when after all was said and done, his little family was going to be OK.
As we light these candles, let us remember that the birth of the Christ child is still happening. Christ is being reborn in our hearts this very moment. At this, we proclaim wonder and joy, and give thanks to God. AMEN
CANDLE LIGHTING SONG
“Advent’s Holy Light”
1. As we watch for the dawn of a brighter day,
A candle of hope lights the way.
As we look for the signs of the promised birth,
Of a Saviour who brings heaven to earth:
Lord we are waiting for peace to reign.
Lord, we are listening for love’s refrain.
For hope, peace, and joy and love to unite
In the beauty of wonder of Advent’s holy light.
3. As we watch for the dawn of a brighter day,
A candle of JOY lights the way.
As we look for the signs of the promised birth
Of a Saviour who brings heaven to earth…
Lord we are waiting for peace to reign.
Lord, we are listening for love’s refrain.
For hope, peace, and joy and love to unite
In the beauty of wonder of Advent’s holy light.
OPENING PRAYER
Loving God, in these Advent days,
While the darkness deepens and frosty winds moan,
We remember that deep down in the innermost reaches of our being,
the gifts of Advent and Christmas joy are springing up.
Our hearts and souls are like the crocus,
waiting for the signal to pop up above ground.
Our hearts and souls are like the amaryllis,
full and plump, and ready to express their tremendous beauty.
Our hearts and souls are like Mary the mother of Jesus,
pregnant with hope, pregnant with new joys,
ready to greet the new world we are going to create
one day at a time.
Here and now, in this moment,
Let us consider all the things that give us joy.
Let us give thanks for family, for friends, for our circles of care.
Let us remember the children in our lives.
Let us remember the lonely, the elderly, and those for whom this time of year brings grief and sadness.
As we gather at church, we generate joyful energy,
And putting our energies together, we can multiply the joy.
We gather inside the energies of God, who has called us to this place and time,
And who has given us a ministry of Joy to share with the world.
God give us abundant joy and love this day.
God give us strength and courage to share every gift we have.
God give us faith in tomorrow, faith in the next generations, faith in the story of Jesus, which is so needed in our world.
Most of all, God fill us with light, the Light of the World, that we might shine and sparkle,
and grace the places of our lives, this day, and everyday. AMEN
*HYMN: VU #232
“Joyful, Joyful We Adore You!
1. Joyful, joyful we adore you,
God of glory, life and love;
hearts unfold like flowers before you,
opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
drive the gloom of doubt away;
giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day.
2. All your works with joy surround you,
earth and heaven reflect your rays,
stars and angels sing around you,
centre of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flowery meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird and flowing fountain,
sound their praise eternally.
3. You are giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
wellspring of the joy of living,
ocean depth of happy rest!
Source of grace and fount of blessing,
let your light upon us shine;
teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine.
4. Mortals join the mighty chorus
which the morning stars began;
God’s own love is reigning o’er us,
joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
victors in the midst of strife;
joyful music leads us sunward
in the triumph song of life.
We Listen
Hope in the Rich Dark of Winter a poem by John Soos
To be of the Earth is to know
The restlessness of being a seed
The darkness of being planted
The struggle toward the light
The pain of growth into the light
The joy of bursting and bearing fruit
To love being food for someone
The scattering of your seed
The decay of the seasons
The mystery of death and the miracle of birth
Theme Conversation
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Luke 1: 46 - 55 “Mary’s Song of Praise” (NRSVUE)
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Zephaniah 3: 14 – 20 (NRSVUE)
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
as on a day of festival.”
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors
at that time.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the Lord.
RESPONSE
These words from scripture are meant to guide us, nurture us, and teach us.
Thanks be to God!
MINISTRY of MUSIC: TBA
SERMON: “Letting Go, Letting Joy”
We Respond
*HYMN: VU #74
“What Child is This”
1. What child is this, who laid to rest,
on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
while shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
haste, haste to bring him laud,
the Babe, the Son of Mary!
2. Why lies he in such mean estate
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear; for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading.
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
haste, haste to bring him laud,
the Babe, the Son of Mary!
3. So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh;
come, one and all, to own him.
The King of Kings salvation brings;
let loving hearts enthrone him.
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
haste, haste to bring him laud,
the Babe, the Son of Mary!
INVITATION to the OFFERING
Sometimes we wonder how generous we should be. John the Baptizer was very clear: Share what you have so that everyone has enough, and do not give in to greed. I wonder what that could look like here? What joy would that kind of generosity bring us? Friends, let us trust God to be sufficient in all things as we share our gifts for our community of faith and for God’s work in the world through Mission and Service.
PRAYER of DEDICATION of OUR OFFERINGS
God of joy, may giving these gifts be our deepest joy. You are the God of abundance, and on this day, we give thanks knowing that you are our salvation; we will trust, and will not be afraid, for you are our hope and our strength. Amen.
Donate online: www.graceunitedthornbury.ca, select “Give”
or contact the office by email: accounting@graceunitedthornbury.ca
or phone: 519-599-2438 to arrange a cheque pick-up, or an e-transfer.
Mail: Grace UC, 140 Bruce St. S. PO Box 219, Thornbury, ON N0H 2P0
or Offering Plate at the back of the sanctuary.
Tap your debit card at the door of the church, or Donate to Grace United Church through CanadaHelps.org. Our account is set up with them now and it is easy to register. Tax receipts are given automatically at the time of giving. Care, Prayer, Share
Memories and Blessing Tree
What’s up at Grace?
We Go Out
*HYMN: VU #48
“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
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!’
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!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the newborn King!’
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.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the newborn King!’
*COMMISSIONING
*SUNG BENEDICTION: VU #884
“You Shall Go Out with Joy”
You shall go out with joy
And be led forth with peace
The mountains and the hills
Will break forth before you
There’ll be shouts of joy
And all the trees of the field
Will clap, will clap their hands
And all the trees of the field
Will clap their hands
The trees of the field
Will clap their hands
The trees of the field
Will clap their hands
While you go out with joy
POSTLUDE: TBA
*****
SOURCES: The following are used with permission:
Stewardship Second & Invitation to the Offering & Prayer of dedication of our Offerings from: © 2024 The United Church of Canada/L’Église Unie du Canada. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ca. Any copy must include this notice.
Prayers written by Rev. Dr. John Greg. Smith.
[1] Hope in the Rich Dark Winter: A poem written by John Soos, in Earth Prayers from Around the World: 365 Prayers, Poems and Invocations for Honoring the Earth, Elizabeth Roberts, ed. San Francisco: Harper One, 1991.
HYMNS and SUNG VERSES:
- “Advent’s Holy Light:” Words and music are by Joel Raney © 2024 Hope Publishing Company, all rights reserved. We have purchased the song for our use.)
- “Joyful, Joyfull We Adore You:” Words: Henry van Dyke 1907. Music: Ludwig van Beethoven 1824. Adapted by Edward Hodges. Descant: © 1979 G.I.A. Publications, Inc. Words, Music, Adaptation: Public Domain. Descant: G.I.A. Publications, Inc .
- “What Child is This:” Words: William Chatterton Dix 1865. Music: English melody, harmony attributed to John Stainer 1871. Public Domain.
- “Hark the Herald Angels Sing:” Words: Charles Wesley. Music: Felix Mendelssoln, adaptation: William Hayman Cummings . Public Domain.
- “You Shall Go Out with Joy:” Words: Steffi G. Rubin. Music: Stuart Dauermann. Words and Music: © 1975 Lillenas Publishing Company, administered by The Copyright Company - obo, P.O. Box 128139, Nashville, TN 37212-8139, tel.: 615-321-1096, fax: 615-321- 1099. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission. Words, Music: Lillenas Publishing Company administered by The Copyright Company. One License #608577.
Scripture Readings:
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Prelude: TBA
Ministry of Music: TBA
Postlude: TBA
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