December 26, 2021

Order of Worship

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Welcome and Announcements

Christmas Carol Prelude

Joy to the World!

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.

Joy to the world! The Savior reigns: Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

He rules the world 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.

Psalm 98 adapted by Isaac Watts. Music: George Friedrich Handel

Away in a Manger

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,

The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;

The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,

The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the poor Baby wakes,

But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;

I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky,

And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay

Close by me forever and love me, I pray;

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,

And take me to heaven to live with Thee there.

O Come, All Ye Faithful

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;

Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

Refrain:    O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,

O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;

Glory to God, all glory in the highest;

(Repeat Refrain)

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning,

O Jesus, to Thee be all glory given;

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;

(Repeat Refrain)

Latin: John F Wade; Tr. Frederick Oakeley; Music: ADESTE FIDELES, John F. Wade’s Cantus Diversi.

Call To Worship

Scripture Reading:                                                        Matthew 2:1-12

Prayer of Invocation

Leader:          Today our Savior was adored by the Magi.

Let us also worship him with joy as we pray:

People:          Light from Light, shine on us this day.

Leader:          Christ, you revealed yourself in the flesh,

People:          Sanctify us through prayer and the word of God.

Leader:          Christ, your witness was the Spirit,

People:          Free our lives from the spirit of doubt.

Leader:          Christ, you revealed yourself to the angels,

People:          Help us to feel the joy of heaven on earth.

Leader:          Christ, you were proclaimed to the nations,

People:          By the power of the Holy Spirit open the hearts of all.

Leader:          Christ, you generated faith in the world,

People:          Renew the faith of all believers.

Leader:          Christ, you were taken up in glory,

People:          Enkindle in us a longing for your kingdom.

Christmas Blessings

1. God so loved us that He gave His one and only Son,

To ransom sinners from the grave, and save His precious ones.

Refrain:   And this joy of giving all we have is revealed to us in Christ,

When He came to us on Christmas Day as the perfect sacrifice.

2. God incarnate came to earth, for joy He bore the shame.

Endured a lowly human birth, to take the human’s blame.

(Repeat Refrain)

3. Bring your treasures; lay them down before your Savior’s feet.

For He has blessed us all around with wonders good and sweet. (Repeat Refrain)

(Copyright 2018 by Eric, C. Rose All Rights Reserved)

We Respond to God’s Presence

Angels from the Realms of Glory

Verse 1:    Angels from the realms of glory,

Wing your flight o’er all the earth;

Ye who sang creation’s story

Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.

Refrain:    Come and worship, come and worship,

Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Verse 2:    Shepherds, in the field abiding,

Watching o’er your flocks by night,

God with us is now residing;

Yonder shines the infant light:              (Refrain)

Verse 3:    Lord of Heaven, we adore Thee,

God the Father, God the Son,

God the Spirit, One in glory,

On the same eternal throne.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Lord of Heaven, Three in One.

We Three Kings of Orient Are

Verse 1 – Everyone:

We three kings of Orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse afar

Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star.

Refrain – Everyone:

O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to Thy perfect light.

Verse 2 – Men & Boys:

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, Gold I bring to crown Him again,

King forever, ceasing never Over us all to reign

(Repeat Refrain)

Verse 3 – Men & Boys:

Frankincense to offer have I, Incense owns a Deity nigh;

Prayer and praising all men raising, Worship Him, God on high.

(Repeat Refrain)

Verse 4 – Men & Boys:

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume Breaths a life of gathering gloom:

Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

(Repeat Refrain)

Verse 5 – Everyone:

Glorious now behold Him arise, King and God and Sacrifice;

Alleluia, Alleluia! Sounds thru the earth and skies.

(Repeat Refrain)

Words & Music: John H. Hopkins, Jr.

Children’s Sermon

Pastoral Prayer

The basket to receive His tithes and our offerings

is located on the left as you leave the Sanctuary.

We Worship Through Hearing

Sermon Hymn:                                                                                         

Psalm 119:129-136  (Pey)      

Grant me understanding, that I may live.

¹²⁹ Your decrees are wonderful; *

therefore my soul keeps them.

¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light; *

it imparts understanding to the simple.

Grant me understanding, that I may live.

¹³¹ With open mouth I pant, *

because I long for your commandments.

¹³² Turn to me and be gracious to me, *

as is your custom toward those who love your name.

Grant me understanding, that I may live.

¹³³ Keep my steps steady according to your promise, *

and never let iniquity have dominion over me.

¹³⁴ Redeem me from human oppression, *

that I may keep your precepts.

Grant me understanding, that I may live.

¹³⁵ Make your face shine upon your servant, *

and teach me your statutes.

¹³⁶ My eyes shed streams of tears *

because your law is not kept.

Grant me understanding, that I may live.

Today’s Message

Sermon Series: The ABCs of God’s Word

“ ‘Pey’ Attention”

Psalm 119:129-136

Notes

I. To God _______________. (Psalm 119:129-131)

A. Wonderful into ___________________

B. Unfolding into ___________________

C. Breathless into ____________________

II. To Us, O God Who has _______________ (Psalm 119:132-135)

A. ______________ us graciously

B. ______________ us to not sin

C. ______________ us from the world and ourselves

D. ______________ upon us as you teach us

III. To the change in us by God’s ____________   (Psalm 119:136)

We Are Sent Forth in Worship

to Share the Gospel

I Cannot Tell

I cannot tell why He whom angels worship

Should set His love upon the sons of men,

Or why, as Shepherd, He should seek the wanderers

To bring them back, they know not how or when.

But this I know, that He was born of Mary

When Bethlehem’s manger was His only home,

And that He lived at Nazareth and labored,

And so the Savior, Savior of the world is come.

I cannot tell how silently He suffered

As with His peace He graced this place of tears,

Or how His heart upon the cross was broken,

The crown of pain to three and thirty years.

But this I know, He heals the broken hearted

And stays our sin and calms our lurking fear,

And lifts the burden from the heavy laden,

For yet the Savior, Savior of the world, is here.

I cannot tell how He will win the nations,

How He will claim His earthly heritage,

Or satisfy the needs and aspirations

Of east and west, of sinner and of sage.

But this I know, all flesh shall see His glory,

And He shall reap the harvest He has sown,

And some glad day His sun will shine in splendor

When He the Savior, Savior of the world, is known.

I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship

When at His bidding every storm is stilled,

Or who can say how great the jubilation

When all the hearts of men with love are filled.

But this I know, the skies will thrill with rapture,

And countless voices then will join to sing.

And earth to heaven, and heaven to earth will answer:

“At last the Savior, Savior of the world, is King!”

Words: W. Y Fullerton; Music: Traditional Irish Melody LONDONBERRY AIR.

Benediction