ORDER FOR WORSHIP
PRELUDE Sean Cotty
SALUTATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
* PASSING OF THE PEACE
* SANCTUS (pew card)
* CALL TO WORSHIP Elizabeth Mahowald
Lift up your hearts in prayer:
lift up your voices in praise.
Let your eyes rise in expectation
and your hands in exultation,
for the Lord has drawn near
and dwells among us.
* HYMN No. 150 What Child Is This?
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Loving God,
We confess that we have not followed the light of your Word.
We have not searched for signs of your love in the world
or trusted your good news to be good.
We have failed to praise your Son’s birth
and refused his peace on earth.
We have expected little and hoped for less.
When hardness of heart keeps us from doing justice and acting with love,
Forgive us, gracious God.
(Silent Prayers of Confession)
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
SUMMARY OF THE LAW
Herein is wisdom.
Glory be to God.
* Gloria Patri (pew card)
ANTHEM: Pacem Noel Larry Clark & Rae Moses
Dona nobis pacem.
The first Noel, the angels did say
was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
Response: Hear Our Prayer O Lord
Hear our prayer, O Lord, hear our prayer, O Lord;
Incline thine ear to us, and grant us thy peace. Amen.
* HYMN No. 161 Once in Royal David's City
Prayer of Illumination
Mighty God,
the shepherds of old were full of your praises,
saying that all they had heard and seen
was mirrored by what they had been told.
Move among us now with your Holy Spirit,
that we too might hear and experience
the wonder and joy of the living Word
as we seek to welcome the written Word into our lives.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
SCRIPTURE READINGS:
Psalm 148 p. 508
Galatians 4:4-7 p. 947
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
SERMON In God’s Family Rev. Blaine Crawford
* CONFESSION OF FAITH:
Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 33
Why is [Jesus] called God’s “only Son”
when we also are God’s children?
Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God.
We, however, are adopted children of God—
adopted by grace through Christ.
OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS
Offertory: Candlelight Carol John Rutter
How do you capture the wind on the water?
How do you count all the stars in the sky?
How can you measure the love of a mother,
or how can you write down a baby's first cry?
Candlelight, angel light, firelight and starglow
Shine on his cradle till breaking of dawn.
Gloria, Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Angels are singing; the Christ child is born.
Shepherds and wise men will kneel and adore him,
Seraphim round him their vigil will keep;
Nations proclaim him their Lord and their Savior,
But Mary will hold him and sing him to sleep.
Find him at Bethlehem laid in a manger:
Christ our Redeemer asleep in the hay.
Godhead incarnate and hope of salvation:
A child with his mother that first Christmas Day.
* The Doxology (pew card)
* Prayer of Dedication
* HYMN No. 157 Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
* BENEDICTION
Response: May The Grace of Christ Our Savior
May the grace of Christ our Savior and the Father's boundless love,
With the Holy Spirit's favor, rest upon us from above. Amen.
POSTLUDE
Remember the following individuals in your daily prayer:
Rosario Calco, Jose, Gracinda and David Cerqueira, Rosemarie Dappio, Dombrowski family, Joan Dwyer, Angela Edward, Rosemarie Graffeo, Lynne Johnson, Robert Keller, Kathy Kissane, Jason Knese, Ginny Marsico, Ann McCaffrey, Denise Moran, Stacey Muller, Joan Pearson, Keith Pearson, Megan Peters, Kook Ryo, Debra & Greg Sparrow
Announcements
2018 Offering Envelopes are at the entrance of the church. If you do not see your box and would like one, put your name on the sign-up sheet.
Church Office will re-open Tuesday, January 2nd.
Bargain Boutique will re-open Saturday, January 6th.
Epiphany Sunday, January 8, 2018
After the service, the coffee hour will be hosted by the Sunday School staff with “King Cakes.”
Guest Preacher: Rev. Joshua Bode
On Sunday, January 14, we will welcome the Rev. Joshua Bode to the pulpit. Rev Bode previously served as a chaplain in Albany Medical Center and has served in the Woodstock (NY) Reformed Church for the last ten years. Recently he accepted a call to the Protestant Church in the Sultanate of Oman.
Weekly Calendar
Tuesday Bible Study will resume January 16, 7:30 pm.
Pastor Blaine and the class will be exploring the book of Ruth.
Wednesday Yoga Class will resume January 17, 7:30 pm.
Thursday Prayer Group will resume January 4, 6:00 pm.