Christmas Eve Prep

December 24, 2014

Christmas Eve Service

Draft

Prelude

Centering Moment                                                           Rev. Mark CR

Time to turn off the cell phones.   It’s even time to put a piece of duct tape on the face of your watch.  It’s Christmas Eve and time is standing still for a moment. 

It is the time, maybe the only time of the year, when here and now drift away and we fall under the spell of story-time. 

Tonight we are both here, AND on a lonely hillside outside of Bethlehem.

Tonight, we are with each other, friends and family, returning students and relatives from far away, AND we are also with the Magi, on a journey and such a hard time for journey. 

Tonight we listen to our choir, AND we listen to choirs of angels, a whole heavenly host of angels we have heard on high. 

Tonight, like every night, is new, a never happening before moment in onrushing time, AND yet, we have been here before, done this before, told this story before, and heard it before.

There is a way that the story we tell tonight is always happening: birth and death and taxes, weary travelers with no place to stay, babies born, sudden signs of grace and glory and surprising generosity.

The past and the present are closely woven tonight, and we sense the presence of our own eternal selves, our souls perhaps, with our everyday selves tonight.

And when, at this evening’s end, we pass a visible sign of grace, the light of a candle, from hand to hand, we will see the radiance and beauty of one another, as seen through the eyes of a timeless love.

Come, it is Christmas Eve, let us worship together.

Carol: CH#144 O Little Town of Bethlehem

We light the HOPE Candle

As the HOPE candle is lit, a bell calls us to look for God's work of HOPE in our world.

Scripture Reading:  Luke 2:1-7

2 ^1-5 About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

^6-7 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

The Children Prepare a Manger for the Baby Jesus

Rev. Mark leads a Children's Moment. 

All children are welcome to come forward to help make a place for the Baby Jesus. 
 

Carol: CH#147.......Away in a Manger       

We Light the PEACE Candle

As the PEACE candle is lit, 
a bell calls us to look for ways we can make paths for PEACE in our world.

 

Scripture Reading:  Luke 2:8-12

^8-12 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

Christmas Reading: "The Legend of the Lightning Bug"       William Cintra

Special Music: "The Night Before Christmas" by Carly Simon     Lisa Scully and Lisa CR 


We Light the JOY Candle

As the JOY candle is lit, 

a bell calls us to reach deep inside ourselves and know the JOY of being God's child.

Scripture Reading: Luke 13-18

^13-14 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

^15-18 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Carol: CH # 167.....Go Tell it on the Mountain

A Christmas Eve Affirmation:  Unison Reading

We believe in God whose light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness can never smother it.

We believe that on a night like this night in Bethlehem

there was born a Saviour,

who is Christ the Lord.

We believe in the Word who has become incarnate, our very flesh and blood,

yet full of grace and truth.

We believe in the blessed appearing of the salvation of our God,

that is for the happiness of all people.

We believe in Jesus the Christ, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of peace;

Of the increase of this rule and of this unique peace,

there will be no end.

The zeal of the God of hosts will do this.

We believe in God's great love.

We Light the LOVE Candle

As the LOVE candle is lit, 

a bell calls us to reach out to our world with the LOVE we have known.

Special Music        "Brightest and Best"                                                 Barbara Baker

 

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:19-20

^19-20 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

Responsive Reading:

Leader:  The prophet Isaiah once proclaimed:  The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6

People:  Tonight, we open our hearts to our Messiah, our Savior, and he comes to us as a little child.

Leader:   Watch and listen, as a little child lights the Christ candle of our Advent wreath.  Let this light be a symbol pointing to the light of God's love and grace:  a light that is brought forth in the birth of the baby Jesus.

We light the CHRIST Candle;

In the quiet a child acolyte brings the light from the back and lights the Christ Candle. Another child follows with a bell.

Invitation to Communion: 

Carol: CH#153.......It Came Upon the Midnight Clear stanzas 1, 3 and 4 
    Elders come forward during the music, and pray over the bread and cup.

 Communion

     

All are invited to partake of the Lord’s Supper by coming forward down the center aisle for intinction. Break off a piece of bread and dip it in the cup. Alternatives will be available for gluten free on the right (pulpit side) of the sanctuary.

Please pick up a candle as you circle around the sanctuary to return by the outside aisle to your seat.

Communion Meditation

Sharing the Light

  

Two elders each light a candle from the Christ Candle of the Advent Wreath.

The elders light the candle of the first person to the right and left of the communion table.

Please pass the light from person to person as we sing.

For safety, the unlit candle should tip to the lit one.

Carol: CH # 145   Silent Night

Benediction

   Ministers offer a blessing from the middle of the sanctuary.

Closing Carol  CH #143   "Joy to the World"     st. 1

    



November 23, 2014 Thanksgiving Participant Order with Texts

Order of Service:

A Community Service of Thanksgiving

We Gather in God’s Graceful Presence

Prelude

Welcome                                                                             Lisa CR

Invocation                                                                          Candace Moberly
 God of grace and light, you stir to life the seasons of our living. You draw us close to your heart by the gentle kindness of your Spirit. We collect ourselves tonight to remember and rejoice. As we breathe deeply of this fresh air of grace and warm ourselves in the light of your love, we trust you to meet us here. Thank you. You are all we need. Amen.

 Hymn of Grace CH # 718       "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come"      ALL stanzas

Centering Reflection                   “When” by Joyce Rupp                  Lee Hubbard
"I must be thankful for what is, and stop thinking about what is not." -Nancy Wood

"In one of his journal notations, Thomas Merton writes that we are always thinking that our life will be truly happy "when." We are not satisfied with what is currently our situation because we have it in our mind that our life won't be happy until something else occurs: when I have one more thing I want, when I get rid of this personality flaw of mine, when I am truly successful, when I learn to pray better, when I find the right person in my life, when, when, when...

Waiting for "when" keeps me from appreciating what I now have. Longing for promises and dreaming dreams is not a harmful deed as long as the present moment is not overlooked, as long as gratitude rises for what is already here, as long as I do not base my happiness on what is still wanting. Thankfulness for what God has already been given is the foundation for hoping for what is not yet.

Today, let us put aside our "when this happens" and our "if only that could be," our "when things get better" an our "just as soon as I have this." Let us harvest what we now have, gathering in all the gifts that already belong to us. Let us observe what God has placed in the granaries of our hearts and marvel at the abundance.

As we stand before this heap of blessings and take a long grateful look, we are able to say "farewell" to "when." We can enjoy what is now.  

 

Call to Worship                                                                   Candace Moberly

Leader: Come, let us worship God with thanksgiving!
All:  We join our hearts and voices as one!
Leader: As we draw together in gratitude, there is blessing and new life,
All: We find our hearts' home in God's community of grace!

We Remember the Tilling and Planting

Invitation to Remember                                                      Terry Scherf
(Places a large empty basket in front of the Communion Table) 
Text suggestion (elaborate as feels right) In a moment, we will be led in a guided prayer. Using the paper and pencils in your pew, choose an image or an idea that you experience during the prayer and record it. You may write a word or phrase, you may sketch a quick drawing or symbol that represents a moment you've remembered when you knew God was with you this past year. Hold the paper and let your words or sketch remind you throughout the service of that moment in your life. 

Guided Prayer Experience                                                  Rachel Small-Stokes
Companion God, grant us peace of mind and stillness of heart as we reflect on the past. We are looking for the places, moments, experiences, and encounters that reveal your presence. Where and when and how have you been with us? Clear our eyes. Make us aware of the times when you comforted us. Show us the moments when you challenged us. Remind us how you have gifted and encouraged us.

Speak to the parts of our hearts that are constantly on the move, seeking, wandering, reaching. Cheer us on and help us find the many, many aspects of our lives that inspire gratitude and wonder.

We remember....
sticky situations when we felt trapped.....but you led us on to freedom
revelations and brilliant insights........when you affirmed our faith and renewed our work.
opportunities that opened up.......and you helped us rise to the challenge
other folks along the way........who guide us, walk with us, share nourishment with us.
needs that you met.....when you responded to our hunger and thirst for meaning and love
that one desperate moment of confusion and darkness that nearly overwhelmed us.....
....and the way you dispelled it with one tiny spark of clarity and light....
our hope for reaching fullness of life in you.....and your promise of peace, joy and purpose.

Traveling God, we celebrate your companionship on this twisting, turning journey of our life and faith.  Teach us to treasure this journey and the process of finding you. Soothe our fears and fill us with courage for yet another year of wandering, working, walking and waiting with you. Amen.
 

Musical Offering                                             Al & Alice White

We Celebrate the Harvest in Abundance

Scripture: Psalm 85                                                              Candace Moberly

¹ You, Lord, showed favor to your land;
    you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
² You forgave the iniquity of your people
    and covered all their sins.
³ You set aside all your wrath
    and turned from your fierce anger.

⁴ Restore us again, God our Savior,
    and put away your displeasure toward us.
⁵ Will you be angry with us forever?
    Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
⁶ Will you not revive us again,
    that your people may rejoice in you?
⁷ Show us your unfailing love, Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.

⁸ I will listen to what God the Lord says;
    he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
    but let them not turn to folly.
⁹ Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
    that his glory may dwell in our land.

¹⁰ Love and faithfulness meet together;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.
¹¹ Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
    and righteousness looks down from heaven.
¹² The Lord will indeed give what is good,
    and our land will yield its harvest.
¹³ Righteousness goes before him
    and prepares the way for his steps.

Visual  & Spoken Reflection                                            Mark CR (visual) & Wanda Olive (spoken)
Just as we get used to the changes and transition of fall it seems, a new season is already moving into our world. Snow dances on chilly breezes and drops a dusty covering on the carpet of fallen and fading leaves. Bare branches reach to the sky and shudder in the winter winds, reaching down from an arctic source. The sun seems more reluctant every day and slowly, the ground will grow colder and colder until it can finally hold thick blankets of snow and ice.

But down below, deep down but not too deep, nestled in the rich brown earth, there is a secret wonder. A tiny miracle rests, waits, sits silent in becoming. A week, a month, a season ago, there was a plant standing here, sprouting, blooming, growing and producing. Birds and squirrels and people and horses, we all enjoyed its beauty and its gifts. Sweet scents, bright colors, drops of nectar, bites of tasty fruit and crunchy leaves. 

None of us noticed then, probably not even the plant, a seed, singular and small, falling to the ground. Sinking gradually under the weight of footsteps and raindrops, until it lies now, here. It is wrapped in this summer's grass roots. It is cloaked by this year's fall of leaves. It soaks in sweet nitrogen and oxygen from this year's snows. Draw from all the rich wonder of this year, just past....it is becoming next year's plant.

In the gift of a spinning world, swinging from season to season, we find an insight into the seasons of our lives. When we think of all that has come and gone this year, what small thing has fallen into our hearts unnoticed, but bearing great potential? What seed has God planted there, at the center of who we are when we're alone? Or who we are when we're together? What tiny miracle lies, potent and powerful, just beneath the soil of our shared community? What will these seeds of faith look like in a week or a month or season from now? What are they becoming? 

Sharing the Harvest                                                              Phil Bradley
Text Suggestion: This can be both a Call to Offering and an introduction to the work of BUURR. 

Instrumental Offertory

We Begin to Dream of New Seasons of Growth

Challenge to Grateful Discipleship                                       Kent Gilbert
Text Suggestion:  A Charge or Challenge that invites us to let gratitude inspire and inform our response to God's call.

Hymn of Praise CH# 714  "For the Fruit of All Creation"                ALL

Act of Commitment                                                               Terry Scherf
Text Suggestion: As we sing our Hymn of Thanksgiving, we will pass this basket around. Place the paper with your "moment" of knowing God's presence into the basket. When it reaches the back, someone bring it forward and return it to the table. Let God's blessed presence in our lives in 2014 become the fruit bearing vines of  faithful lives in 2015 in Berea, Kentucky, and in our world.

We Depart Rejoicing

Hymn of Thanksgiving  CH# 717      "Let All Things Now Living"     ALL

Benediction                                                                            Candace Moberly
Text Suggestion: And now to God, our Creator, Redeemer and Comforter, be all glory, honor and praise, now and forevermore. Let us depart rejoicing,children of Gos,  into this next season of our lives! Amen.

Postlude

January 4, 2014 Order

8:30 AM Order of Service:

Welcome and Announcements

Call to Worship
Leader: A new day has dawned, a new year begun,
People: O Lord, call us so we may hear Your voice!
Leader: The world turns to hopes and dreams of the future,
People: O Lord, keep us in Your ways and on Your path!
Leader: We enter this new year with hope and excitement,
People: O Lord, remind us that You lead us

Hymn of Praise: CH # 159 There's a Song in the Air  sts. 1 & 2

Lighting of the Candles
Children are welcome to come forward.
Leader:  In the beginning, God said,
People: 'Let there be light' and there was light!
Leader: We light these candles today,
People: Because God is with us in this time and in this place!

Invocation & Lord's Prayer

Holy One, you have promised to be with us,
And long ago sent your Spirit to abide among us
and guide us to a future of goodness and hope. 
We come seeking your truth, your justice, your kindness.
O God, you are with us this morning.
Let us feel your presence and
welcome you into our lives.
Come and fill these desires of our hearts,

As we pray, Our Father…..

Joys & Concerns
Prayer Hymn CH # 575 Come and Find the Quiet Center sts. 1 & 2
Prayers of the People

Scripture: Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

Communion Hymn: CH# 404 A Hymn of Joy We Sing ALL


Invitation to Share in the Lord's Supper
Christians of all denominations and backgrounds are welcome
to share in communion & offering.

Words of Institution

The Lord's Supper and Offering
Please come forward down the center aisle to partake of the elements.
Gifts, tithes and offerings may be placed in the basket on the table.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Invitation to Discipleship

Hymn of Invitation: CH # 469 I Am The Light of the World sts. 1, 2 & 4

Blessing
Children are welcome to come forward.
Leader: The light that was in one place at one time, is now in all places and all times,
People: For God has placed the light in us!
Leader: We go in peace!

           

10:40 AM Service Order

Gathering and Preparing for Worship

Opening Music:

Welcome & Announcements

Call to Worship

Hymn of Praise:   CH # 159 There's a Song in the Air  sts. 1 & 2

Leader: A new day has dawned, a new year begun,
People: O Lord, call us so we may hear Your voice!
Leader: The world turns to hopes and dreams of the future,
People: O Lord, keep us in Your ways and on Your path!
Leader: We enter this new year with hope and excitement,
People: O Lord, remind us that You lead us 

Lighting of the Candles

Invocation & Lord's Prayer

Holy One, you have promised to be with us,
And long ago sent your Spirit to abide among us
and guide us to a future of goodness and hope. 
We come seeking your truth, your justice, your kindness.
O God, you are with us this morning.
Let us feel your presence and
welcome you into our lives.
Come and fill these desires of our hearts,

As we pray, Our Father…..

Turning to God in Prayer

Moments of Fellowship and Greeting

Joys & Concerns

Prayer Hymn: CH # 575 Come and Find the Quiet Center sts. 1 & 2

Prayers of the People

Musical Reflection

Contemplating God's Word 

Scripture: Luke 2:41-52

Choir Voluntary

Children's Moment & Blessing

Sermon

Sharing at the Lord's Table

Invitation to Communion

Christians of all denominations and backgrounds are welcome to share in communion.

 Please hold the elements as we partake in unison.

 

Communion Hymn: CH# 404 A Hymn of Joy We Sing ALL

Prayers for Bread & Cup and Words of Institution

Call to Offering

Offertory

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Going Forth in Faith

Invitation to Discipleship

Hymn of Invitation: CH # 469 I Am The Light of the World sts. 1, 2 & 4

Benediction

Choral Response and Carrying Out of the Light

Postlude

January 4, 2014 Prep

Theme: Christ revealed in a child

 Sound Notes:

 
Reference Scriptures: Luke 2:41-52


Call To Worship:

Leader: A new day has dawned, a new year begun,
People: O Lord, call us so we may hear Your voice!
Leader: The world turns to hopes and dreams of the future,
People: O Lord, keep us in Your ways and on Your path!
Leader: We enter this new year with hope and excitement,
People: O Lord, remind us that You lead us!

Invocation:

Holy One, you have promised to be with us,
And long ago sent your Spirit to abide among us
and guide us to a future of goodness and hope. 
We come seeking your truth, your justice, your kindness.
O God, you are with us this morning.
Let us feel your presence and
welcome you into our lives.
Come and fill these desires of our hearts,

As we pray, Our Father…..

Hymn Suggestions:

Hymn of Praise: CH # 159 There's a Song in the Air  sts. 1 & 2

Prayer Hymn:  CH # 575 Come and Find the Quiet Center sts. 1 & 2

         

Communion Hymn:  CH# 404 A Hymn of Joy We Sing ALL

Hymn of Invitation: CH # 469 I Am The Light of the World sts. 1, 2 & 4