9:00am - Worship Service
Welcome to Worship
Prelude “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” Trinity Ringers
* Call to Worship
& Lighting the 2nd Candle on the Advent Wreath
Leader: We come today seeking God’s peace in our
lives and for our world. We are reminded
from the prophet Isaiah that “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the spirit of
the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of
the Lord. With righteousness he shall judge the poor and decide with
equity for the meek of the earth.
People: 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
11:1-4,6-7)
(The 2nd Advent Candle is lit)
Leader: We light this candle for peace to remind us to
await the coming of God’s peaceable kingdom in the coming of the Christ child.
People: This is
the Lord for whom we wait waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
*Opening Song “Blessed Be the God of Israel” UMH 209
Kid’s Time
Invocation
Pastor: O Lord, open our lips
People: and our mouth shall show forth thy praise
Pastor: Praise the Lord
People: The Lord’s name be praised.
Pastor: Loving God, you are dangerous, but you are good. You don’t call us to safety but to live out
your story in the lives with bravery and trust in your faithfulness. Thank you for stepping down into our world to
save us and to love us. Give us wisdom
as we worship you this day. Amen.
Prayer
of Confession
Mighty God, we thank you for breaking into
our world to bring down systems of injustice and bring your reign of peace,
grace and hope. Help us to boldly follow
you and go where you send us to be your hands and feet in this world. As we waiting in this season, work on our
hearts, making your home. Amen.
* Statement
of Faith Isaiah 9:2-6 - On Screen
* Hymn Gloria
Patri UMH 70
Introductions /
Sharing our Concerns / Sharing our Joys
Community Prayer/Lord’s Prayer
Choral Response Chancel Choir
Scripture Lesson John
1:1-14, 16
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God. All things came into being
through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into
being in him was life, and the life was the light of all
people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome
it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name
was John. He came as a witness to testify to the
light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the
light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which
enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
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.
From his fullness we have all received,
grace upon grace.
Message “God is Dangerous” Rev Malcolm Stranathan
Receiving God’s
Tithe and our Offering
Offertory Anthem Christmas
Medley
Kid
Zone & Mt Christian Preschool
*Doxology
*Hymn “Of
The Father’s Love Begotten” UMH 184
*Sending Forth
Postlude “Then
Shall Your Light Break Forth” – Harris Deb P.
Enter to worship
God, Leave to serve God’s people
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Celebration
and Praise
Worship with a Beat! - 11:00 am
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Welcome
Announcements
Advent Candle Lighting
“Here I Am To Worship’
Song Celebration
‘O Come, O Come
Emmanuel’
‘Whom Shall I Fear’
Prayerful Conversations
John 1:1-14, 16
“God is Dangerous”
Rev Malcolm Stranathan
Reflection
‘We Won’t Be Shaken’
Announcements
Sending Forth
‘Go Light Your World’
Songs sung during the service are used by permission with
License No. 1415942.
Movie clips are used by permission with License No.
501045180
Bulletin cover and MS PowerPoint art and graphics
designed by Lori Stewart, 2014
THROUGH OUR SERVICE
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This Sunday – 12/07
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Next Sunday – 12/14
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Acolyte
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9:00
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Julia Baskett
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Nellie Squirlock
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Kid’s Time
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9:00
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Pastor Malcolm
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Carol Messerly
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Counters
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Andrea Smolen,
Rob Messerly
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Roz Norman, John & Nancy Coonts
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Greeters
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9:00
11:00
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Lynn Jacobson & Jackie Derr
Mark Coffin
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John & Nancy Coonts
Mark Coffin
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Liturgist
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Dave Ball
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Jon Lindberg
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Power
Point
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9:00
11:00
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Lori Stewart
Sharon Waligora
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John Salmans
Sharon Waligora
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Projection
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9:00
11:00
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Sam Hergert
Sam Hergert
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Sam Hergert
Hannah Shrader
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Sound
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9:00
11:00
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Help Needed!!
Bill Ray
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Sam Dennis
Bill Ray
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Ushers
Captains
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9:00
11:00
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Steve Reyda
Gary & Patricia Heinz
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Steve Reyda
Gary & Patricia Heinz
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Sermon
We are on week two of our Church-wide Advent series called
Under Wraps. Last we talked about how God is Expectant. We learned in our worship and the small
groups meeting on Sunday morning and throughout the week how in the birth of
the Christ child everything changed between us and God. God
expect to change the world through this child.
As Christ’s followers, God expect a change in
us and we left asking ourselves what we are expecting in this season of Advent
to do in preparation of Christmas day.
How will we prepare for Christ’s coming?
I have to admit that a sermon title that says, “God is Dangerous” doesn’t sound like a
very “Ho, Ho, Ho … Happy” topic for the Advent Season. And yet look how much God put everything on
the line, how God bet the whole house, God wasn’t willing to hold back even his
own Son to spare humanity. John 3:17
states that God sent his son into the world, not to condemn the world but so
that the world might have life through him.
God sent his Son into our world, the divine Word, wrapped up in human
flesh (this is where the title of “Under Wraps,” comes from, the divinity under
the wraps of human flesh. It is a pretty
bold move! God sends all of God's love and grace in the form
of a vulnerable child. And yet, this
child would be a threat to the principalities of this realm and the enemy that
is embroiled in a battle against God’s reign. God the Father and God enfleshed in
Jesus of Nazareth didn't lay down his life so that we should live out our lives by playing it safe or being timid rather the God who is dangerous
encourages us to trust in God as we step into the places that make us
uncomfortable. The places that if we
trust in God and we step out in faith, we ultimately find that God already
preceded us.
But we get ahead of ourselves. Today reading from John sounds very similar
to some other verses found elsewhere in the bible. Anyone want to guess? …. In
the opening verse of Genesis 1, we hear how the “earth was a formless void, and
how darkness was upon the face of the deep and how suddenly the Spirit of God
moved across the deep water and then God spoke, “Let there be light” and there
was light. without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. “ to “Let us create
human beings in our image, let us create them male and female” The language is highly liturgical and it
said to be from a Priestly set.
John’s reading is on par with the priestly liturgy of
Genesis, …
“in the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God and the Word was God … All things came into being
through this Word.
“What has come into
being in him was life, and the life was the light of all
people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not
overcome it.”
Whereas Genesis is
focused on the nature of this God is who and why is creating, John’s gospel is
attempting to tell us about who God is wrapped up in Jesus of Nazareth. First and foremost, this God who comes to us,
this is the word, the Logos, of God who predates created order and is eternal
with God the father. God is that is
sending his son to us, and prior to being wrapped in human flesh the Word of
God was present, from the very moments of creation and even before…
The
moment that God came “under wraps” was in a little suburb of Jerusalem called
Bethlehem. It was long foretold that
from this little town, a great king, the Messiah, would rise up. We even have a hymn that speaks of this
prophecy (perhaps you know it).
O Little town of Bethlehem, how
still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years, are met in thee tonight
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years, are met in thee tonight
“The hopes and fears of all the years” … Few of us will ever
know what it is like to live in an oppressive reality, where kings governed
ruthlessly, or where foreign emperors with their soldier garrisons and
governors would impact our everyday lives.
By the first century C.E. and centuries previously the people of Israel were
ruled by bad kings or were occupied by
foreign powers. People were often on the
look out for Messiah, someone who would throw out the occupy force and bring
about peaceable kingdom as spoken of in Isaiah 9.
God expected this child born of Mary in the city of David,
also called Bethlehem … to change
everything. God dangerously placed
“ultimate cosmic power, in an itty bitty living space” of a child and in the
Gospel of Matthew, we hear what happened when some gentiles from the east,
Magi, wisemen, astrologers see a great portent in the heavens which they
perceive to be a sign that the new king has been born to the Jews and so they
come to investigate and bring gifts and seek out the child in the palace of the
current king Herod who fears the news that new king has been born to the Jewish
people. If not for an Angel that warned
Joseph to take the mother and child into Egypt until it was safe, they may have
met a terrible fate for the child was a treat to the existing king and as we
know that when King Herod felt threatened he did ruthless things.
When that child would grow up, he threated those in
authority, religious or political, Jesus taught in a way that threatened “the
way things were done” he was not militaristic as some wanted to see in a
messiah, but he succeeded to speak against injustices, to challenge the rule of
law if it meant to oppress another, and he advocated for the least, last and
lost. We sometimes prefer to think of
Jesus a meek and mild but he was also the one who turned over the money
changers tables in the temple …
We sing a song on the most holy of nights, we light candles
and we take the light from one candle and we pass it to others and then to more
until the entire room, while we sing in hushed voices …
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 Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!
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 Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!
I’d like to think that verse two really captures the night
that it wasn’t really a Silent night anywhere that night. A woman gives birth in stall, surrounded by
the noise of animals mooing, baaing, and bleeting. Not to mention behind a inn that was full of
patrons. (for there was no room for them
in the inn) Bethlehem and was full of
people all there for a census. Meanwhile
out in the country side, shepherds are suddenly scared by a celestial sight of light
streaming, an angel declaring “fear, not followed by a proclamation of “for
Unto us is born this night” and then chorus’ of angels that I can only picture
puts Handel’s Hallelujah choir to shame …
The reality of “Christ the Savior is born” means that those
spiritual forces opposed to God’s reign had to be equally afraid along with a
discordant clamor taking place. We don’t talk about spiritual battles but the
author of this chapter writes, “Jesus is dangerous, all right, He is dangerous
to the forces of darkness because he came to usher in a new era when sin would
lose it grip on humanity and death would no longer have the last word. Jesus is born into this world to bring light
to the darkness.” ( Under Wraps Study Manual, pg 36) and later on the page…
“Jesus comes not only to thwart the spiritual battles we
fight daily but also to turn the battle on its head for Jesus won the battle at
Calvary. … and while the last gasp of evil has not yet been heard … Christ
continues to make advances for the kingdom and calls us into battle with
him. As we fight for the purposes of
God, we need to remember that good is never a lost cause since the battle has
already been won on the cross.”
Break
forth, O beauteous heavenly light, And usher in the morning;
O shepherds, shrink not with afright, But hear the angel’s warning.
This Child, now weak in infancy,Our confidence and joy shall be,
The power of Satan breaking, Our peace eternal making
O shepherds, shrink not with afright, But hear the angel’s warning.
This Child, now weak in infancy,Our confidence and joy shall be,
The power of Satan breaking, Our peace eternal making
God is dangerous and being followers and at times we are
called out of our comfort zones to take a chance on behalf of God’s
kingdom.
Were in good
company.
Abraham and Sarai left their homeland and followed God to a
new homeland. Lots of dangers along the way.
Joseph spoke the word of God eventhgouth it made him
unpopular with his brothers and in the end it was the salvation of Israel.
Hundred of years later when Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites,
God called Moses to go in and bring the people of Israel out of slavery.
Jeremiah was too young when he was called to be a prophet
for God but God gave him harsh words to preach and he remained faithful his
entire long life.
Mary said yes to be the bearer of God’s divine son into this
world.
Jesus was obedient, even unto death and yet was raised and
now sits at the right hand of God to intercede for us.
Saul persecuted the church, had a radical conversion and
became the greatest pastor evangelist expanding the kingdom for gentiles.
BIG than life people whose names we know but each started a
very ordinary people in their own right.
Their dangerous faith is a witness for us
The author of our
study asks us, “Do we have a dangerous faith?”
Understanding that each of us are gifted by God’s Holy
Spirit is God calling you to use your gifts to help another, to serve in our
community, to speak against an injustice, to step out in a bold new
adventure.
Don’t hesitate, in this season of
Advent let us cast our worries and care, our timidity and “joyously and
triumphantly” give praise to the one who calls us to live our lives to the fullest for God’s kingdom and call.
O Come All Ye Faithful, Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye
to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord
