Payette United Methodist Church Liturgy
Sunday, December 18th, 2022 [Advent 7 - Theme: Emmanuel (Love)] Welcome/Announcements - Mary Beth Gathering Hymn: Family of God - Music Team Calling Song: Come, Christians, Join to Sing (UMH #158) - Music Team Responsive Reading: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 (CEB) - Sharon Wada One: Shepherd of Israel, listen! You, the one who leads Joseph as if he were a sheep. You, who are enthroned upon the winged heavenly creatures. Many: Show yourself before your people! Wake up your power! Come to save us! One: Restore us, God! Make your face shine so that we can be saved! Many: Lord God of heavenly forces, how long will you fume against your people’s prayer? One: You’ve fed them bread made of tears; you’ve given them tears to drink three times over! You’ve put us at odds with our neighbors; our enemies make fun of us. Many: Restore us, God of heavenly forces! Make your face shine so that we can be saved! One: Let your hand be with the one on your right side—with the one whom you secured as your own-- Many: then we will not turn away from you! Revive us so that we can call on your name. One: Restore us, Lord God of heavenly forces! Many: Make your face shine so that we can be saved! One: This is our prayer. Many: Lord, hear our prayer. Opening Prayer (in unison) - Sharon Wada We proclaim the greatness of the Lord, and our spirits rejoice in God our Savior! For you, Lord, have looked with favor on your lowly servants. You, the Almighty, have done great things for us and holy is your name. You have mercy on those who fear you from generation to generation. You have shown strength with your arm and scattered the proud in their conceit, casting down the mighty from their thrones and lifting up the lowly. You have filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. You have come to the aid of your people, to remember the promise of mercy, the promise made to our forebears, to Abraham and Sarah and their children for ever. Amen. Sing together: Gloria Patri (UMH #70) - Music Team Scripture Readings - Sharon Wada Before reading, the reader prays the following words: One: God, open our hearts and minds by the power of the Holy Spirit, that as the scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Eternal God, you do not abandon us in exile but hear our plea for returning and rest: Visit us we pray with your presence and raise us to greet with hope and joy the promised day of salvation; through Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns now and for ever. And all the people said: Many: Amen. Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 7:10-16 (CEB) Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: “Ask a sign from the Lord your God. Make it as deep as the grave or as high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I won’t ask; I won’t test the Lord.” Then Isaiah said, “Listen, house of David! Isn’t it enough for you to be tiresome for people that you are also tiresome before my God? Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel. He will eat butter and honey, and learn to reject evil and choose good. Before the boy learns to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned. One: The story of God for the people of God! Many: Thanks be to God! New Testament Reading: Romans 1:1-7 (CEB) From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for God’s good news. God promised this good news about God’s Son ahead of time through the prophets in the holy scriptures. God’s Son was descended from David. He was publicly identified as God’s Son with power through his resurrection from the dead, which was based on the Spirit of holiness. This Son is Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Christ we have received God’s grace and our appointment to be apostles. This was to bring all Gentiles to faithful obedience for his name’s sake. You who are called by Jesus Christ are also included among these Gentiles. To those in Rome who are dearly loved by God and called to be God’s people. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. One: The story of God for the people of God. Many: Thanks be to God! Advent Candle Lighting - Sharon Wada One: As we light this seventh Advent candle, we remember that the God who became incarnate and dwelt among us in the flesh of Jesus is the same God who is with us now in the presence of the Holy Spirit. As we light this candle, our prayer is that we may begin to see where the Spirit is at work among us even now. And all the people said: Many: Amen. Sing together: O Come, O Come Emmanuel Verse - Music Team O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. Praise Song: Mary Did You Know? (Jennifer Henry lyrics) - Music Team Children’s Time - Cheryl Castillo Prayers of the People - Danny Crego One: Shepherd of Israel, may Jesus, Emmanuel and son of Mary, be more than just a dream in our hearts. With the apostles, prophets, and saints, save us, restore us, and lead us in the way of grace and peace, that we may bear your promise into the world. Brothers and sisters, as we joyfully await the glorious coming of the Christ, let us pray for the needs of the church, our community, and the world. Are there any requests? (The congregation is invited to speak their requests. After each request is spoken, we all respond in unison, “Lord, hear us.”) One: In joyful expectation of his coming to our aid we pray to Jesus. O Emmanuel, God with us, We know that when you appear in your fullness you will bring to light the things now hidden in shadow, and will disclose the hidden desires of the heart. God of promise, you have given us a sign of your love through the gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior, who was promised from ages past. We believe as Joseph did the message of your presence whispered by an angel, and offer our prayers for your world, confident of your care and mercy for all creation. Amen. And now, because we often fail to love, because we acknowledge that we are sinners living in sinful systems, and because we acknowledge that we are all in need of God’s mercy and grace, let us confess our sins. Many: God of the living and the dead, We confess that we have sinned against you by what we have done and by what we have not done, We remember our broken promises and missed opportunities; The gifts we have taken for granted; The love we have not shown or returned; Forgive us, comfort and heal us, lift our guilt from us, That we may walk in freedom and grace to the glory of your name. Amen. One: May God who is both power and love forgive us and free us from our sins; heal and strength us by the power of the Holy Spirit; and bring us to new life through Christ our Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are a forgiven people! Many: Thanks be to God! Offering Prayer - Danny Crego Sing together: Doxology (UMH #94) - Music Team Prayer song: Fairest Lord Jesus (UMH #189, vs. 1, 3, & 4) - Music Team Sermon Text: Matthew 1:18-25 (CEB) One: This is the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Many: Glory to you, Lord Christ! One: This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save God’s people from sin.” Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled: Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, And they will call him, Emmanuel. (Emmanuel means “God with us.”) When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he didn’t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus. This is the Gospel of our Lord. Many: Praise to you, Lord Christ! Sing together: God with Us (Mercy Me version) - Music Team Closing Hymn: All Praise to Thee, for Thou, O King Divine (UMH #166 vs. 1, 2, & 5) - Music Team Sending Forth/Benediction One: May God bless you and keep you; may God’s face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; may God’s countenance be lifted upon you and give you peace, from this day forth and forevermore. Many: And now, God, send us out to do the work that you have given us to do; to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To Christ, to you, and to the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen. Prelude Thank you for worshiping with us today! (CCLI License #1552544)
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