December 31 @ St. Paul's UMC: Worship

The magi are on the move

Tim Cook offers a solo

Ben Glancy stepped in as liturgist

Claudia Mills offered today's message

We love fellowship time!

 First Sunday of Christmas / Seventh Day of Christmas

(Link to today's service)

Today’s Meditation Verse: “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name throughout the earth.”  —Psalm 8:9

Welcome...Claudia Mills

Prelude...Hyeji Park

*Call to Worship...Rebecca Glancy

The new year is nearly upon us. There are promises yet to be fulfilled.

Very soon, we will burst into a new season of grace, free once more to commit to joy, excitement, love, and forgiveness. We are lucky to see each day and each year as a cup overflowing.

Praise God for the blessing of a heart that always struggles to renew! We are blessed to meet this season with a spirit that has learned from the past and yet yearns toward the future. We are thankful.

—Before the Amen, Maria I. Tirabasi & Maren C. Tirabasi

*Hymn...“Joy to the World” (UMH #246)

Dialog for New Year’s Eve (based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-13)... Rebecca Glancy 

For everything there is a season.  And a time for every matter under heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.

A time to break down, and a time  to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh.

A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to be silent and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.

God has made everything suitable for its time. God has put a sense of past and future into our minds.

God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before Him. Whatever God does endures forever.

—Rev. Thomas Weitzel, on Liturgies by TLW

Community prayer requests, concerns, and celebrations

Pastoral Prayer / The Lord’s Prayer...Claudia Mills

First Gospel Lesson: Luke 14: 28-32...Rebecca Glancy

Special Music...Tim Cook and Louise Cook / “Labor of Love” by Andrew Peterson

Second Gospel Lesson: Matthew 6: 25-34...Rebecca Glancy

This is the Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Sermon...Claudia Mills / “Looking Toward the New Year: Lessons from a Frog, a Toad, an Ant, a Grasshopper – and (Most of All) Jesus”

*Hymn...“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” (UMH #140)

*Words for the Journey...Claudia Mills

Postlude...Hyeji Park