Sunday Worship - December 12, 2021

This is the livestream of our Third Sunday of Advent worship service from our newly restored sanctuary. Order of Worship Prelude - Veni, Emmanuel (arr. Gerhard Krapf) Philip Everingham Ringing of the Church Bell Eric Miller Lighting of the Advent Candles The Hussey Family We light these candles as a sign of the coming light of Christ. As the Lord has promised, in days to come, “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. (Isaiah 35:1) Hymn - O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Hymn No. 88 , verses 1, 6, 7) 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. O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here; disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind; bid envy, strife, and discord cease; fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. Prayer of Confession In unison God of everlasting joy, you call us to prepare ourselves for the good news of your presence. We ask for courageous hearts, open to repentance. Refine us with the fire of your Holy Spirit, and take away everything that gets in the way of our loving you and each other. Show us what to do, and grant to us the will to do it, for we make these prayers in our Savior’s name. Hear our prayers ... [a time for silent confession] Response - While We Are Waiting, Come (Hymn No. 92) While we are waiting, come, while we are waiting come, Jesus our Lord, Emmanuel, while we are waiting come. Assurance of Forgiveness Sharing the Peace Word With Children Ellen Clark Prayers of the People The Lord’s Prayer In unison 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. Offering of Ourselves to God Make your annual financial commitment by mailing your pledge card to First Presbyterian Church, or online at http://www.granpres.org/commit Give online at http://www.granpres.org/give Offertory - Bring Us Hope (Ruth Elaine Schram) The Angel Choir; Joy Hire, director; Philip Everingham, piano; Robin Brown, violin Gospel Reading - Luke 3:7-18 Sermon Hymn - Joy to the World (Hymn No. 134, verses 1, 4) 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. 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. Prayer of Dedication In unison Dear God, baptize us with your Holy Spirit and fire, so that we might become more like Jesus - more hopeful, peaceful, joyful, kind, bold - and always glad to share our coats, our food, our blessings with our neighbors near and far. In Jesus’ name. Amen Announcements Benediction Postlude - Rejoice, Rejoice Believers (arr. Paul Manz) ____________ Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service has been obtained from ONE LICENSE with license A-722069.