Dec 24
Worship Leader: Michele Rizoli
Speaker: Peter Haresnape
Song Leader: Bob Loewen
Pianist: Sandra Horst
Ushers: Ginny and Herb Buckwalter
Tech Team (In-Person \/ Online): Dennis Giesbrecht
Coffee: Andrew and Christine Sloss
NO Activity Period<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gathering songs:
Come light of the world (Slides)
215 – Oh, How shall I received thee
Call to worship
Today we remember an ancient story of darkness and light.
A story of God\u2019s love, embodied in Jesus.
Let us worship together
And know that God is with us.
Lighting of advent candle
In the darkness there is a presence.
Mary knows she is not alone.
We light a candle that shines with Gabriel’s word.
For we are not alone. Jesus comes to be with us.
Jesus we who have found favor with God await your coming.
Come, O Jesus, come, and accompany us in this darkness.
Hymn: 808 Between Darkness and Light
Welcome, introductions and Announcements
Hymn: 229 – Unexpected and Mysterious (accompaniment at 507)
243 – Infant Holy, Infant lowly
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-14 – Michele
Hymn: 242: Noche anunciada
Giving with Gratitude
Hymn: 251: There were angels hovering round
Children\u2019s time
Congregational Prayer (Response: Holy One, send us your love)
Scripture: Revelation 12 – Marieke Meyer + Thane Ladner
Sermon: Peter Haresnape
255 – Love came down at Christmas
Benediction<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scripture
Matthew 2:1-14
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, \u201cWhere is the newborn king of the Jews? We\u2019ve seen his star in the east, and we\u2019ve come to honor him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. 4 He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They said, \u201cIn Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6 You, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah,
because from you will come one who governs,
who will shepherd my people Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, \u201cGo and search carefully for the child. When you\u2019ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.\u201d 9 When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
13 When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, \u201cGet up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him.\u201d 14 Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Revelation 12
12 Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because she was in labor, in pain from giving birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: it was a great fiery red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept down a third of heaven\u2019s stars and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that when she gave birth, he might devour her child. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child who is to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was snatched up to God and his throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the desert, where God has prepared a place for her. There she will be taken care of for one thousand two hundred sixty days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7 Then there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but they did not prevail, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 So the great dragon was thrown down. The old snake, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was thrown down to the earth; and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow the salvation and power and kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ have come.
The accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them day and night before our God,
has been thrown down.
11 They gained the victory over him on account of the blood of the Lamb
and the word of their witness.
Love for their own lives didn\u2019t make them afraid to die.
12 Therefore, rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them.
But oh! The horror for the earth and sea!
The devil has come down to you with great rage,
for he knows that he only has a short time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
13 When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he chased the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she could fly to her place in the desert. There she would be taken care of\u2014out of the snake\u2019s reach\u2014for a time and times and half a time. 15 Then from his mouth the snake poured a river of water after the woman so that the river would sweep her away. 16 But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17 So the dragon was furious with the woman, and he went off to make war on the rest of her children, on those who keep God\u2019s commandments and hold firmly to the witness of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Listen to the service here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Listen to the sermon here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n