Kathie Wilkinson Mt. Sylvan UMC Durham, NC Elshabach@AOL.COM MORNING WORSHIP AT 8:30 AND 11:00 DECEMBER 3, 2000 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT HANGING OF THE GREENS PRELUDE Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus Anna MacDonald and Kathie Wilkinson, pianists WELCOME AND MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES CALL TO WORSHIP Today we come together to prepare for the birthday of the King. Today we make ready our welcome for God's eternal Son, Jesus of Nazareth. Let us clear our minds and open our hearts to the coming of the Lord. Let us honor His birth by adorning our church for the coming of the King. Let our songs and symbols represent our personal rededication of our lives to the glory of God and to the manifestation of His love through His Son, Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosover believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. PROCESSIONAL HYMN 196 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus OPENING PRAYER O God, You sent Your eternal Son to be King of Kings and Prince of Peace. Grant that during this season of Advent, He may be born not only in our memories but anew in our hearts. Help us come to this season seeking Him, as did the shepherds of old, that we may return home rejoicing and praising God. May the star that first pointed the way to Bethlehem be the light that will lead us out of darkness. Amen. JESUS IS LIFE THE EVERGREEN GARLANDS AND WREATHS John 1:1-4 John 11:25-26 John 14:6 1 John 5:11-12 ANTHEM Christmas Isn't Christmas Owens Children's Choir Rebekah Givens, soloist JESUS IS THE FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY THE ADVENT WREATH O God, We ask Your blessings upon this Advent Wreath and pray that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in our faith so that the day of His coming will find us prepared and filled with joy. Amen. ANTHEM Light One Candle Sleeth Children's Choir LIGHTING OF THE CANDLE OF HOPE ANTHEM Come, Messiah, King Vader Come, O Come, Messiah, King, Promised Son Sent to redeem us one by one so we may tell The wonders of Your matchless love, Emmanuel. JESUS IS THE GOOD NEWS THE BELLS Anthem O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Mt. Sylvan Ringers JESUS IS OUR SAVIOR THE POINSETTIAS Matthew 2:1-2 Isaiah 53:5 Romans 6:23 JESUS IS THE CHRIST THE CHRISMON TREE ChiRho Dove Alpha and Omega Fish Star Cross Circle Crown Triangle O Chrismon Tree O Chrismon tree, O Chrismon tree, your branches are uplifted. You seem to say that on this day our world's supremely gifted. The shining of your candles bright Reminds us Light has come tonight O Chrismon tree, O Chrismon tree, you lift our eyes to heaven. O Chrismon tree, O Chrismon tree, in plainness you were growing, Until we came and brought you here and set your branches glowing. Your living beauty helps us see How clothed with Christ our lives can be, O Chrismon tree, O Chrismon tree, you lift our eyes to heaven. JESUS IS GOD INCARNATE THE CRECHE Emmanuel, Emmanuel Emmanuel, Emmanuel His name is called Emmanuel. God with us, revealed in us, His name is called Emmanuel. OFFERTORY 8:30 Of the Father's Love Begotten 11:00 O Come, O Come Emmanuel DOXOLOGY APOSTLES CREED PRAYER OF CONFESSION Almighty God, we confess that we have misused Your creation, and we ask for Your forgiveness. Our hearts are cold, warm them with Your love. Our hearts are sinful, cleanse them with Your precious blood. Our hearts are weak, strengthen them with Your Spirit. Our hearts are empty, fill them with Your presence. Forgive us, cleanse us, strengthen us, fill us - Not because of our faith or our efforts, But because You love us so much. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. ASSURANCE OF PARDON And she will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Glory to God. Amen. THE GREAT THANKSGIVING THE LORD'S PRAYER COMMUNION MEDITATION Dr. O'Keef GIVING OF THE BREAD AND CUP HYMN Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence 626 BENEDICTION RESPONSE Come, O Come, Messiah, King, Promised Son Sent to redeem us one by one so we may tell The wonders of Your matchless love, Emmanuel. CHIMES OF THE TRINITY POSTLUDE Recessional on "Love Divine" Following are the readings that are read by lay readers during the service. At the end of each of the readings, garland/wreaths are hung, poinsettias are brought in, representative Chrismons are hung on the tree, the tree is lighted, the creche figures are placed in the stable, etc. Evergreens We call this service today The Hanging of the Green because, traditionally evergreens have been used to celebrate God's gift of everlasting life through the nativity of Jesus. Green represents renewal, new life, freshness, and rebirth. Throughout the season of cold weather and short days, we are reminded of the spring to come in nature and our promise of new life through Jesus Christ. Cedar represents royalty, pine and fir represent ever living holly represents Jesus' passion and death, and ivy represents His resurrection. As we decorate our homes and places of worship with evergreens during the Advent season, let us remember God's eternal and everlasting love for us. Wreaths The wreaths that are hung on the doors and inside our sanctuary also have symbolic significance. Their endless circle reminds us of the endless love of God, and the evergreens remind us that when we accept God's gift of eternal life through our Savior Jesus Christ, we will never die. The circle of the wreath is a visible reminder of the flowing of the years, the repetition of the holidays and seasons. Winter leads to spring, which leads to summer and fall. Winter comes again and the process repeats continually. In the Church, Advent leads to Christmas which moves through Epiphany to Lent and Easter, and Pentecost, and we come once more to this day, the first Sunday in Advent and we begin telling the Christian story once more. That story, God's story, our story, like the wreaths of Christmas knows no end as it inspires and changes each of us again and again. Advent Wreath The Advent wreath is exactly what the word implies, a circle of evergreens bound together. Placement in a circle represents God's gift of life through Jesus Christ to a world of darkness. The emphasis of the Advent wreath is the anticipation of the Messiah's coming. Three of the candles are purple, representing penitence in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, and His royalty. The fourth candle is pink representing the joyfulness of Christ's coming. The white candle in the center represents the purity of Jesus who was the perfect Son of God. Each week one of the candles will be lighted as we celebrate the four Sundays of Advent. The Christ Candle will be lighted on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Lead congregation in prayer printed in bulletin. Children will sing Light One Candle. Read Isaiah 60: 2-3 Hope is in our hearts this Advent as we gather for worship. Not the hope of a child wishing for a new toy at Christmas, but the hope of faith - the confidence that God is in control of the creation, that salvation is for us all, and that our time in this life has a meaning and purpose greater than ourselves, greater than the pursuit of pleasure, greater than the acquisition of things. May our hope be built on the promises of God - that we are loved, that life is eternal, that God will never turn His back on us. Hope is in our hearts as we light this candle. God, who gives us hope, hear us as we worship You today. Light the candle. Bells Bells have been used for centuries to call people to worship, to announce both good news and bad, to proclaim births, to celebrate peace at the end of a time of war. Today we ring the bells to share the great and glorious news of the coming of the Messiah. May the bells we hear today remind us that God asks for the gift of our hearts given to the Christ who is coming into the world. O come, O come, Emmanuel. Poinsettias The bright red poinsettia has become the most popular of all Christmas flowers. The star of the leaf represents the star that stood over the Christ child, and the red flower represents the shed blood of Christ who came to be our Savior. Matthew 2:1-2 Isaiah 53:5 Romans 6:23 The Chrismon Tree Chrismon is a word that stands for Christ monogram. A Chrismon tree is an evergreen decorated with white and gold ornaments based on signs or symbols of Christ. The Greek letters Chi Rho are the monogram for Jesus Christ. The Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and remind us that Christ is the beginning and the end. The Star represents the star of Bethlehem that pointed the way for the Magi to find the true light, Jesus. The Circle reminds us of the never ending love of God. The Triangle symbolizes the three persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Fish is the acrostic for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, and is one of the signs used by the Christians of the early church. The Cross reminds us of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ to pay the debt for our sins. The Crown symbolizes Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The white lights represent Christ who is the light of the world. Our Chrismon tree is a tree of symbols, reminding us that the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of a baby, the incarnation of God. The Creche On our altar is a creche to remind us of the humble birthplace of our Savior. There was no room for Him in the town of Bethlehem. Let us be reminded to make room for Him in our hearts and lives. Let us not forget in the beauty of our nativity sets that the stable where Jesus was born was a dirty, smelly place - a most humble place. Let us remember that on Christmas, God came to be with us, to interact with human beings in every state of poverty, despair, fear, and pain. The significance of the creche is central to the doctrine of Christmas. God became real and lived among us. We know God today because a baby was born in Bethlehem.