SPOTLIGHT OF OUR WORSHIP PARTICIPANTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Perhaps a moment of music as we begin?
BILL reads Jeremiah 31:7-14
For thus says the LORD: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “Save, O LORD, your people, the remnant of Israel.”
See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here.
With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.”
For the LORD has ransomed Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again.
Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty, says the LORD.
BILL – leads us in a Prayer of Adoration
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 heav’n and heav’n 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.
LAURA READS Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21
A holy people and blameless race wisdom delivered from a nation of oppressors,
She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord, and withstood dread kings with wonders and signs.
She gave to holy people the reward of their labors; she guided them along a marvelous way, and became a shelter to them by day, and a starry flame through the night.
She brought them over the Red Sea, and led them through deep waters;
but she drowned their enemies, and cast them up from the depth of the sea.
Therefore the righteous plundered the ungodly; they sang hymns, O Lord, to your holy name, and praised with one accord your defending hand;
for wisdom opened the mouths of those who were mute, and made the tongues of infants speak clearly.
SHERI SHARES PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see
Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed
Through many dangers toils and snares, I have already come
Tis grace that brought us safe thus far, and grace will lead us home
The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be, as long as life en – dures
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, than when we first be – gun
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see
MARILYN READS John 1:10-18
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,
who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
(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.'”)
From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
LAURA LEADS
Any reflections we want to share based on the scriptures, songs and/or prayers?
STEVE LEADS: Sharing of Joys & Concerns
- Confluence of pandemics (COVID-19, racial injustice, income inequality, climate);
- CONCERNS:
- Sheri’s recovery progress
- OTHER UPDATES?
- OTHER CONCERNS?
- JOYS:
- OTHER JOYS?
Prayer – concluding with The Lord’s Prayer
Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, all is bright,
‘round yon Virgin Mother and Child,
Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, Holy night, shepherds quake at the sight,
glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav’nly hosts sing Alleluia;
Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born.
Silent night, Holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.