Children's Message. Bay Shore Church Sunday Worship, December 22, 2024

This Sunday, December 22 in Worship Luke 1: 39 - 56 "Laboring Love" Join us on this Fourth Sunday of Advent as we hear the story of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and reflect on her song of praise to God (the Magnificat). This week, we light the Advent candle of love and we remember that all of us are called to labor for love and bear love into the world. Elizabeth and Mary both stepped out in faith and responded to God’s call to love. Let us be inspired and encouraged by their faithfulness, as we take our own final steps to Bethlehem this year and ponder what love is being born anew in us. This Sunday our Handbell Choir, Chancel Choir and Quartet have prepared some lovely and familiar carols for this Fourth Sunday of Advent. Since we are celebrating the 1960’s decade in the history of our church this month, I have chosen carols written in the 1960’s for our choral call to worship and offertory. Wihla Hutson and Alfred Burt’s O Hearken Ye was written in 1965 and is part of a three set collection of delightful carols that in the beginning were sent each year to family and friends in a yearly Christmas card. Do You Hear What I Hear was arranged by Harry Simeone in 1962 and originally written as a prayer for peace during a time of global crisis. Our Bay Shore Bells will be playing the Ukrainian carol - Carol of the Bells arranged for bell choir by Arnold Sherman and contains with many sparkling bell effects throughout. And our Quartet will be singing the most beautiful choral arrangement of Away in a Manger that I personally have ever heard. It was delicately arranged by Sheldon Disrud, a gifted teacher with boundless enthusiasm for music who was one of the first professors to accept a position at Chapman University when it moved to Orange in 1954. Sunday’s service will be filled with the sounds of Christmas. Come and join us!