Fourth Sunday of Advent/Christmas Pageant
Grace Presbyterian Church
Seeking to equip people to live as Christian disciples wherever God has placed them.
Welcome And Opening Prayer
Prelude Jesu, joy of man’s desiring Johann Sebastian Bach
Lighting of the Advent Candle
One: We have lit three candles–one for hope, one for peace, and one for joy.
Today, we light the fourth candle–the candle of love.
With this flame, we signify the love of God that surrounds and fills us at all times, but we recognize it in a special way in the Christmas story.
There is no greater power than love.
It is stronger than any rulers and empires,
stronger than grief or despair,
stronger even than death.
We love because God loves us.
All: Loving God, we open ourselves to you this Christmas season. As these candles are lit, light our lives with your imagination. Show us the creative power of hope. Teach us the peace that comes from justice. Fill us with the kind of joy that cannot be contained, but must be shared. Magnify your love for us. Prepare our hearts to be transformed by you, that we may walk in the light of Christ. Amen.
First Scripture Reading (In Unison) Psalm 100 Led by the Sunday School
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Hymn * “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending”
Lo! He comes, with clouds descending,
once for our salvation slain;
thousand thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of His train.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
God appears on earth to reign.
Every eye shall now behold Him,
robed in dreadful majesty;
those who set at naught and sold Him,
pierced, and nailed Him to the tree,
deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
shall the true Messiah see.
Those dear tokens of his passion
still his dazzling body bears,
cause of endless exultation
to his ransomed worshipers;
with what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
gaze we on those glorious scars!
Yea, amen! Let all adore Thee,
high on Thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory,
claim the kingdom for Thine own:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou shalt reign, and thou alone.
Call to Confession
Confession of Sin
God of love, it’s not always easy for us to love like you love us. We can be mean. We can be spiteful. We can hold back our affection when we are mad. Forgive us, and remind us who we are when we’re at our best. We will try to live into our best selves. And when we don’t, we know that you love us still. Thank you. (Let us continue, personalizing this prayer for ourselves, in silent prayer.)
Assurance of Pardon
Gloria Patri
Passing of the Peace
Time with the Children A Christmas Story
Prayer for Illumination in Unison
Lord, we open up our hearts and minds to hear and understand your word. Teach us, we pray, so that we might grow closer to you and one another. Amen.
Second Scripture Reading Luke 2:1-7
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Sermon Children’s Play
The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem
From Nazareth to Bethlehem
Hymn Red 146* “Joy to the World”
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.
Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns:
let all their songs employ;
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground;
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.
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.
Offertory Behold, his kingdom now is come The Porter’s Gate
Matt Sullivan, vocals, guitar, and keyboard
Gwen Blackman and Anna Sullivan, vocals
Doxology
Pastoral Prayer/The Lord’s Prayer
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.
Hymn Green 106* “Soon, and Very Soon”
Soon and very soon
we are goin’ to see the King,
Soon and very soon
we are goin’ to see the King,
Soon and very soon
we are goin’ to see the King,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
we are goin’ to see the King!
No more cryin’ there
we are goin’ to see the King,
No more cryin’ there
we are goin’ to see the King,
No more cryin’ there
we are goin’ to see the King,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
we are goin’ to see the King!
No more dyin’ there
we are goin’ to see the King,
No more dyin’ there
we are goin’ to see the King,
No more dyin’ there
we are goin’ to see the King,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
we are goin’ to see the King!
Benediction
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