+St. Paul's will not be offering a Christmas Eve service this year. A list of area United Methodist Churches that are holding Christmas Eve service(s) will be on the blog tomorrow.
+Claudia Mills will lead our worship service on December 29 as we bring 2024 to a joyful conclusion.
— Author Unknown
~ ~ ~
"Mary didn’t praise God because she was excited and unafraid. She praised God because she knew what was true, and she was choosing to hope in it. What this tells us is that Christmas is not about feelings. It’s not about nostalgia or parties or 'all the feels'. Advent and Christmas are about proclaiming what we know is true. This is a season when we praise God and thank God for what He has done and what He will do, not because it’s how we feel, but because it’s true."
— Sharon Hodde Miller
I raise my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
God won’t let your foot slip.
Your protector won’t fall asleep on the job.
No! Israel’s protector
never sleeps or rests!
The Lord is your protector;
the Lord is your shade right beside you.
The sun won’t strike you during the day;
neither will the moon at night.
The Lord will protect you from all evil;
God will protect your very life.
The Lord will protect you on your journeys—
whether going or coming—
from now until forever from now.
- Author Unknown
The choir will offer its annual cantata during worship.
Generous and gracious God,
we look to you for compassion
and thank you for your presence this night.
Overwhelmed by our burdens we easily forget
that you never leave us alone
and that your steadfast love for us never falters.
By coming together we find assurance and comfort
that we do not suffer this longest night alone.
You have given us strength to live through this night.
Turn us to reach out to those whose night is also long.
Grant that we may be your healing presence in their lives
by bringing them your compassion and comfort
that will assure them that they do not suffer alone. Amen.
— written by Quentin Chin, in Our Longest Night: A Service of Hope at Christmas Time. Posted on the United Church of Christ website.
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“Somehow, not only for Christmas but all the long year through, the joy that you give to others is the joy that comes back to you. And the more you spend in blessing the poor and lonely and sad, the more of your heart’s possessing returns to you glad.”
— John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)
(inspired by Isaiah 12: 1-6)
Almighty God, you are our salvation.
In you alone can we trust and not be afraid.
Lord, you were angry because of our sin and rebellion
and you have redeemed for yourself a people,
a remnant, from every tribe, tongue and nation.
You are to be praised!
Lord we confess that you are our strength and our song.
Without you we could do nothing.
Without you our souls would be empty and in despair.
Lord, grant your Spirit to come this morning
and remind us of the joy of our salvation.
Turn us in faith to thanksgiving
and proclamation of the glorious works you have done.
Help us sing for joy
for you have promised us that you will be in our midst
as we have gathered here this morning to hear from you.
We ask these things in the name of your Son,
our Savior and Sovereign King, Jesus Christ.
Amen & Amen.
— posted on the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church website (Aurora, CO)
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“The word of God is very important to Christmas. For unto us a child was born, and we should be reminded of how Christ’s amazing journey came to be.”
— Monica Johnson
(inspired by Matthew 3: 1-12)
Lord of our life, the path to you is straight,
yet we waiver in our behavior like the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Our hopes and dreams often are self-serving and materialistic.
We rush through this season buying gifts
that we hope will convey just the right message.
However, you invite us to ask ourselves if we are equally as busy
preparing messages that proclaim the Good News to a hurting world.
Through giving, remind us again, O God, of the baptismal covenant.
This Advent, may we proclaim a message that is exemplified
by our generosity, our kindness, and our prayers.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
— written by David S. Bell and posted on Design Group International. http://davidsbell.org/Offertory_Prayers.html
~ ~ ~
“Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
— Steve Maraboli
God is soaked
in our world.
God's Spirit
lives and breathes
in and through
all that is.
We are lost
only when we
do not understand
that God
is already with
and in each one of us.
Our task is recognition
of God's initiative
to be at home in us—
acceptance
of God-With-Us.
Then we cannot but
be glad.
Amen.
— written by Edwina Gateley in There Was No Path So I Trod One (1996, 2013). Posted on Journey with Jesus.
~ ~ ~
“I don’t think Christmas is necessarily about things. It’s about being good to one another, it’s about the Christian ethic, it’s about kindness.”
— Carrie Fisher
Note from Claudia Mills:
The 2024 Mitten Tree, with St. Paul's UMC partnering with the Boulder Beautiful Korean Church, once again produced a bounty of offerings to share with All Roads (formerly Boulder Homeless Shelter). As always, I contacted the shelter in the autumn to make sure they were still interested in receiving these donations and indeed they were! I took four bulging trash bags full of treasures to the shelter on Monday, which were gratefully received.
We ended up with:
53 pairs of socks
24 hats
23 pairs of warm winter gloves
8 scarves and 4 throws and a poncho
Several packages of hand warmers
32 $5 gift cards for coffee or meals
The items were all of such high quality--so very warm, attractive, and comforting. This ministry continues to be a blessing to Boulder's neediest. Thank you so much for your support of it.
Prayer requests:
God in this season
suspended between hope and fulfillment,
let we never forget what you have done.
May we be overwhelmed by your mercy,
which flows in wave after wave.
May we be honest about the darkness within us,
and perceptive of the light around us.
May we make straight the path for the Lord,
that together we may see God’s glory revealed.
— adapted from weekly Advent reflections by Mark Pierson. http://adventinart.org
~ ~ ~
“God is here. This truth should fill our lives, and every Christmas should be for us a new and special meeting with God, when we allow his light and grace to enter deep into our soul.”
— Fr. Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975)
Lord God, we adore you because you have come to us in the past.
You have spoken to us in the Law of Israel.
You have challenged us in the words of the prophets.
You have shown us in Jesus what you are really like.
Lord God, we adore you because you still come to us now.
You come to us through other people and their love and concern for us.
You come to us through men and women who need our help.
You come to us as we worship you with your people.
Lord God, we adore you because you will come to us at the end.
You will be with us at the hour of death.
You will still reign supreme when all human institutions fail.
You will still be God when our history has run its course.
We welcome you, the God who comes.
Come to us now in the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.
— Caryl Micklem, "Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship"
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“There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus the Christ. It is the time to love the Lord, our God, with all our heart—and our neighbors as ourselves.”
— Thomas S. Monson (1927-2018)
Third Sunday of Advent
Link to YouTube worship https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eft4pGzJVog&t=2s
Celebrating the Wonders of the Spiritual Life
*Hymn...“Toda la Tierra” (All Earth is Waiting)” (UMH #210)
Acknowledgments
We greet each other in Christ’s name as we enter into worship together. In consideration of others, please silence your cell phones.
The prelude calls us to worship; let us listen quietly in reflection and prayer. *Indicates please stand if you are able
Today’s Meditation Verse
“Be glad in the Lord always! Again, I say be glad!” —Philippians 4:4 (CEB)
Welcome...Bob Muckle
Prelude...Jubilate Ringers / “Ukrainian Bell Carol,”
arranged by Dan R. Edwards
Lighting the Advent Candle...Bishop family First Reader: An innkeeper’s hospitality issue... Light two candles on the Advent wreath.
The Christmas season is filled with activities—shopping, partying—added to our normal flow of things. How can we find time to entertain the Christ child? So often we go with what clamors the loudest, and we miss the gentle “tap, tap”at the door.
Second Reader: Weary travelers choke the inn, demanding their lodging, food, entertainment. And here stand a pair of poor ragged souls asking you to do even more. How can one be hospitable in such a time to such as these?
First Reader: “I’m sorry, but I am full. But I see you too have a need. Perhaps we can work something out. There is a stable out back....” And another candle joins those flickering two.
Light the third candle on the Advent wreath.
Prayer: O holy child of Bethlehem, we open our hearts to You. And we seek to offer Your hospitality to others in need in this holy season. Amen.
—Before the Amen, Maren Tirabassi & Maria Tirabassi, 2007
Canticle of Zechariah (UMH #208)...Bob Muckle
First Lesson: Zephaniah 3:13-20...Bob Muckle
Bell Anthem...“Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,” arranged by Cathy Moklebust
Community prayer concerns and celebrations...Bob Muckle Please wait for the usher to bring you a microphone so that all in the congregation will be able to hear your prayer clearly.
Pastoral Prayer / The Lord’s Prayer...Rev. Jessica Rooks
Second Lesson: Isaiah 12:2-6...Bob Muckle
Leader: This is the Word of God for the people of God. People: Thanks be to God.
Sermon...Rev. Jessica Rooks / “Preparing for the Messiah” *Hymn...“Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” (UMH #196)
*Words for the Journey...Rev. Jessica Rooks Postlude...Kyle Dacon
+The choir will offer its musical gift to God and to the congregation on December 22 with its annual cantata. Please be sure to invite friends, family, and neighbors to this wonderful celebration of the season.
+St. Paul's will not be offering a Christmas Eve service this year. A list of area United Methodist Churches that are holding Christmas Eve services will be on the blog on December 23.
+Claudia Mills will lead our worship service on December 29 as we bring 2024 to a joyful conclusion.
We long for your peace, and trust in your promise;
we hear your call to turn toward you,
to change our lives and welcome you in.
Meet us here and fill
our minds with your wisdom
and our hearts with your peace,
that our worship together
may open us to the challenge
of your dream of wholeness for all.
In the Name of the One who is coming, we pray.
Amen!
— Rev. Susan A. Blain, in “To Dream God’s Dream: Service Prayers for the Second Sunday of Advent. “
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“Come, then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a heavenly way of life has been ‘in planted on the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels.“
– St. John Chrysostom (347-409)
Our District Superintendent, the Rev. Jessica Rooks, will bring the message. The annual Church Conference will follow after the worship service.
As streets fill with shoppers
Bright lights and tempting offers
Christmas songs and children’s laughter
You lead us along a different path
To a desert river and a Prophetic voice
A call to repentance
A call to service
A call to immerse ourselves
In living water that will never run dry
A call to prepare a way in our own lives
For the Saviour of the world to enter in
To know the touch of tender mercy
And rest in your forgiving love
For your faithful prophets
And your Living Word
We give you thanks. Amen
— written by Rev. John Birch, and posted on Faith and Worship. http://www.faithandworship.com
~ ~ ~
“Christmas is a season for kindling the fire for hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.”
— Washington Irving (1783-1859)
It’s dark outside
and the nights are long.
We watch and wait with mounting expectation
for the coming of your son into the world.
We ease our waiting with the
blandishments of tinsel and tree.
We delight in their beauty,
but Lord, in our eagerness
guard our hearts from celebrating
the things we have made
instead of the gift you will give.
Amen.
— from Grace Church in Ealing, London, UK
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“And when the Lord Jesus has become your peace, remember, there is another thing: goodwill towards men. Do not try to keep Christmas without goodwill towards men.”
— Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
