December 21, 2014 Prep

Theme: We Wonder as We Wait upon God's Presence

Overall Advent Spiritual Step:  
Becoming an environment with open doors that God can enter and fill with loving presence.

 Sound Notes:

 
Reference Scriptures:John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life,^[a] and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.^[b]
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own,^[c] and his own people did not accept him. ¹² But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,^[d] full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,^[e] who is close to the Father’s heart,^[f] who has made him known.


Call To Worship:

Leader: All creation holds its breath.
People: The time is almost here.
Leader: The heavenly choir of angels waits for its cue to sing.
People: Excitement is all around us.
Leader: The grace of God takes on human form.
We gather to make ready our hearts

for the coming of God's gift of LOVE.

— Rev. Nancy J, on her blog, wonderings through life and other such nonsense. http://ruminari.wordpress.com/

Invocation:

Lord Jesus Christ, we await your coming,
We wait filled with hope,
Knowing your light will shine in the darkness.
We wait anticipating your peace,
Believing that one day it will fill our world.

We wait with joy,
Bubbling us in expectation of your birth.

We wait embracing your love,
May we reach out to share it with our neighbors.
Lord we wait, and as we wait, we pray the prayer you taught us, Our Father....

~ written by Christine Sine

Hymn Suggestions:

Hymn of Praise: CH # 143      Joy to the World

Prayer Hymn:CH # 162       What Child is This

Advent Wreath Hymn:  128   One Candle is Lit        stanza 4

Communion Hymn:  CH # 133     Like a Child       stanzas 1 and 3

Hymn of Invitation: CH # 150      Hark! the Herald Angels Sing