4th Sunday of Advent
Dec 22, 2024
Loving God and loving neighbor, here in Central Vermont
and to the ends of the earth, all to the glory of God.
Prelude Music
Prepare your heart for worship.
Rebekah Barnes
Welcome and Announcements Listen for upcoming events and ways you can get involved.
Pastor Josh
Lighting the Candles Jesus is the light of the world.
Acolytes
Statement of Faith—Based on Various Passages for Advent Confess what you believe about the Christian faith.
Pastor Josh
Jesus Christ is the brightest revelation of God’s love. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Greeting Your Neighbors Greet your neighbors in the name of the Lord.
Congregation
Call to Worship—Based on WSB D.1.2.13 Hear God call you to worship through his word.
Scott Puopolo
L: God calls us to worship and we respond. Let us praise our Lord Jesus Christ.
C: Alleluia! Jesus is coming!
L: At Christmas Jesus came as a baby.
C: Alleluia! Jesus is coming!
L: He came to be like us because he loves us.
C: Alleluia! Jesus is coming!
L: He came to save us from our sin.
C: Alleluia! Jesus is coming!
L: He died, rose from the dead, and lives in heaven. He will come again because he loves us.
C: Alleluia! Jesus is coming!
L: We praise Jesus, who came as a baby and will come again at the end of time.
C: Alleluia! Jesus is coming!
Opening Prayer Invite God to work in you as you worship today.
Scott Puopolo
Worship Songs Join with the congregation in praise to God.
The Proctors
#111—Medley of Away in a Manger (slightly upbeat tempo) and chorus from More Precious Than Silver
Verse 1
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;
the stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
Verse 2
The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
but little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
and stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
Verse 3
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
and fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.
Chorus
(Oh) Lord You are
More precious than silver
Lord You are
More costly than gold
Lord You are
More beautiful than diamonds
And nothing I desire
Compares with You
Adore
Verse 1
You stepped down from heaven
Humbly You came
God of all creation
Here with us
In a starlit manger Emmanuel
Light of the world here to save
Chorus
Adore
Come let us adore
O come let us adore Him
The Lord
Worship Christ the Lord
Let all that is within us adore
Verse 2
Wise men bring their treasures
Shepherds bow low
Angel voices sing
Of peace on earth
What have I to offer to heaven’s King
I will bring my life my love my all
Bridge
Angels sing praises ring
To the newborn King
Peace on earth here with us
Joy awakening
At Your feet we fall
Mary Did You Know
Verse 1
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would one day walk on water
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would save our sons and daughters
Did you know
That your baby boy
Has come to make you new
This Child that you delivered
Will soon deliver you
Verse 2
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would give sight to the blind man
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would calm a storm with His hand
Did you know
That your baby boy
Has walked where angels trod
And when you kiss your little baby
You’ve kissed the face of God
Oh Mary did you know
Interlude
Ooh Mary did you know ooh ooh
Bridge
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb
Verse 3
Oh Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Is Lord of all creation
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Will one day rule the nations
Did you know
That your baby boy
Is heaven’s perfect Lamb
And the sleeping Child you’re holding
Is the great I Am
Oh Mary oh
Fourth Sunday of Advent Readings: Love (Purple)
Kevin and Sherri Blakeman
READER #1: Today we relight the candles of HOPE and PEACE and JOY and also light the fourth candle of the Advent wreath. This is the candle of LOVE. With Christians around the world, we light these candles to remind us that Jesus brings light into the dark places of the world.
READER #2: During the Advent season we remember the promise of God to send a deliverer who would not only teach but also demonstrate God’s love to us.
READER #1: The prophets declared this good news to Israel, even when they rebelled against God.
READER #2: “’For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10).
READER #1: This love was fully revealed to us in the gift of Jesus Christ.
READER #2: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
BOTH READERS TOGETHER: We light the candle of love to proclaim that God’s love is revealed in the gift of Jesus Christ.
Special Music: TBA
Various
Scripture Meditation—Isaiah 11:1-10 (Pg 683 in Pew Bible) Hear a reading from the Gospel that relates to the sermon text.
Chris Holmes
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. 6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
Congregational Prayer Lift your burdens and concerns to the Lord.
Pastor Josh
The Lord’s Prayer In closing, pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray.
Congregation
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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Children Dismissed for Children’s Program
Yanmei and Audrey
Scripture Reading—John 1:1-18 (Pg 1053 in Pew Bible) Read this portion of God’s word.
Scott Puopolo
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 were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
L: The grass withers and the flower fades.
C: But the word of our God will stand forever.
Sermon—Advent Cleaning Part 4 Hear God’s word proclaimed and explained.
Pastor Josh Moore
Song of Response—Adore Respond to the preaching of the word with song.
The Proctors
Verse 1
You stepped down from heaven
Humbly You came
God of all creation
Here with us
In a starlit manger Emmanuel
Light of the world here to save
Chorus
Adore
Come let us adore
O come let us adore Him
The Lord
Worship Christ the Lord
Let all that is within us adore
Verse 2
Wise men bring their treasures
Shepherds bow low
Angel voices sing
Of peace on earth
What have I to offer to heaven’s King
I will bring my life my love my all
Bridge
Angels sing praises ring
To the newborn King
Peace on earth here with us
Joy awakening
At Your feet we fall
Extinguishing the Candles You are the light of the world.
Acolytes
Benediction Receive a parting blessing.
Pastor Josh
Postlude Music
Rebekah Barnes