Dec. 14, 2025, Third Sunday of Advent, Worship Bulletin & Prayer Concerns

A Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the Church of Christ, Union

December 14, 2025    

10:30 am 

The Third Sunday of Advent

Meditation  

In a world full of fear, where do you see glimmers of Joy?

From There to Here: We Gather

Hymn Sing Choose Your Favorites!

Welcome

Welcome to this service of worship!  Please sign in using the pew folder, passing it back down the row so all can greet one another by name, and place the sheet in an offering plate. We’re glad you’re here! During the service, you are invited to rise in body or in spirit, standing or sitting, at points in the service marked “<>.”  

 The Call                            Carla Baumann, Reader

 One:      Jeremiah said, “I am only a boy.” 

All:      Moses said, “Who am I to do this work?”

One: Mary said, “How can this be?”

All: We often say, “But God, I am afraid.”

One: Even when we are afraid, God invites us closer.

All: So may we trust the Inviter.

One: May we heed God’s invitation.

All: May we summon our courage and sing God’s praise.

One: Let us worship our courageous, inviting, calling God.

All: May we worship, not in fear, but in Joy.

Lighting the Candle of Joy Chris & Grace McKenzie, Readers

The Advent Wreath tradition reaches back to pre-Christian northern Europeans who lit candles awaiting the winter solstice. By the 1500s, both Lutherans and Catholics had adapted the Advent Wreath as a devotional way to prepare for the coming of Christ, the Light of the World. Each week as we wait through Advent, we light a new candle representing an aspect of the light God intends for all people. This Sunday the candle of Joy is lit.

Reader 1:  In a world full of fear, where do you see joy?

Reader 2:   There are glimmers of joy in birthday candles and homemade cards. I see joy in the laughter of children and the delight of grandparents. I see joy in meals around the table and in the singing of Christmas songs. And there is joy in doing work that matters, acts of love and service and hope and peace.

Reader 1:  Even in a fearful world, joy is all around us.

Reader 2:  Today we light the candle of joy as a reminder of this good news. May this flicker of light help us remember that even in a fearful world, joy is here. Joy is real and is a gift of God meant for all.

       [The Candles of Hope, Peace and Joy are lit.]

Reader 1: Thanks be to God for that good news! Let us pray…

Prayer of Approach and Confession

 One: Courageous God, you invite us to live into our call. You invite us to act, to serve, and to trust. Instead of responding with a resounding “yes,” however,

All: we often hide our face.

One: We dig our heels in.

All: We look for someone else to volunteer. Forgive our fear and spark courage in us. Remind us that every person is capable of making a difference. Remind us that even when we’re scared, we are not alone. You invite us forward. With baby steps we come closer to you, we pray: Amen.

Words of Assurance

One:      Family of faith, no matter where your path has led you in the past, today is a new day. So join me in declaring this good news: We are known. We are forgiven! We are sent to serve. May we step forward in faith, always moving closer to God’s call.

All: Amen.

¨ Hymn 

¨ Passing the Peace of Christ

All who come to this sanctuary are welcome companions on the journey of faith. Please turn to those nearest you and greet them with words of peace.

 Word and Worship   

Scripture Reading Luke 1:26-56

 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
    Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him  from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the aid of his child Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

~ New Revised Standard Version, updated

Children’s Moment                                        as the children return to their seats we sing:

May God’s blessings guard, protect and guide you.  God bless you, God bless you. Our savior’s loving arms be ever ’round you. God bless you, God bless you. 

Scripture Reading Jeremiah 1:4-10

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,  says the Lord.”

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

~ New Revised Standard Version, updated

Special Music           Celtic Advent                                   Barrett, Angerman

                           Union Church and First Christian Church Choirs

Be not afraid, I bring you good news. The Savior is coming in glory to you. He shall be called “God’s Holy One.” Will you be ready? Will you be ready for Him when He comes? Light the candle, Jesus is coming. Open your hearts, prepare ye the way.

Sleepers awake, for soon is the dawning. He will turn night into glorious day, He will turn night into day. Be of good cheer and put away fear, the light is coming to dry every tear. Love now with us, God’s perfect Son. Veni Emmanuel Captivum solve Israell Jesus is coming. Could He be coming today?

Sermon                       “Yes, Yes, Yes!”  in a “No, No, No” World              Rev. Kent Gilbert

Video Reflection

A chance to take in what we have heard and reflect together.

Living Prayer

Call to Prayer

Each week, we join millions of Christians who pray for one another through the ecumenical prayer cycle and, locally, the Berea Ministerial Association’s prayer cycle. Let us hold the people of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and our siblings at Berea Church of Christ our hearts, and pray for them today and throughout the week.

Ringing the Peace Bell

The Union Church Peace Bell was created by Jeff Enge in honor of Union Church member Carl Eschbach (1904-1998).  A twin bell hangs in Berea’s sister province in Japan and is also rung in the hope of peace for all nations.  

Embodied Prayer

You are invited to reflect and pray at the candle table. You may also choose to source the essential ingredient of solitude and private prayer, remaining with your own thoughts in your pew.

For Reflection

The First Step ~Rev. Sarah (Are) Speed

Watch any parent. It starts with the first step.

They kneel down. They smile with anticipation.

They reach for their baby, calling and cooing them forward.

And then before they know it, they’re running behind a bike. They’re yelling, “Keep pedaling! You got it! I’m right here!”

And they’re jumping up and down,

because that little red helmet passed the mailbox.

And then, just like that, they’re driving circles in the church parking lot.

They’re giving instructions about easing on and off the pedal.

They’re having conversations about curfew and heartbreak.

And then, before they know it, they’re standing in a hospital room.

Their heart is bursting. And they say, “Put her head right here. Rock her gently. Do you remember the nursery rhymes? You were born for this.”

The first step is always the hardest,

but you, beloved, were born for this.

Boyung Lee writes: “Some fear protects us. But some fear is the threshold of transformation—the fear that comes when we are on the edge of saying yes to God.”

How do you discern between the fears that are protective and the fears that are holding you back from transformation?

Offertory  Emmanuel Is Coming Union Church and First Christian Church Choirs

A Chance for Generosity: easytithe.com/union

A community of caring relies on support. Your recurring or one-time donation will make a ministry of healing, justice, and teaching available to all in need.

¨ Use your smart phone or computer and go to easytithe.com/union. No registration required, but registering once makes future generosity simply entering an amount and a click.

¨ Baskets for checks or cash are located at the head of each aisle for those who wish to make an in-person donation.

¨ Give by Text. Text an amount to 859-448-3403 (Example:  Text “$50.00 Offering”).

¨ Give by Mail to: 200 Prospect St., Berea, KY 40403.

Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!

¨  Doxology                     Old Hundredth

To God all glorious heavenly Light, To Christ revealed in earthly night, To God the Spirit now we raise Our joyful songs of thankful praise. Amen.

Silent Prayers and Prayers of the Community Carla Baumann, Reader

God who calls in the night, God who surprises us in the day,

if you tapped on my shoulder today, would my knees shake?

Would my mind race? Would my voice waver?

Would I be ready? Would I be brave?

Would I hear your call for what it is?

Would I reply, “Let it be with me according to your will”?

It’s hard to know.

You called Mary and Moses, Jeremiah and Peter. You call ordinary people all the time. You call artists and activists, poets and prophets, teachers and healers—young and old alike.

So when you call each of us, and as we move through this world listening,  open our ears to the joy in your voice. Replace our fears with the delight in the wonder and wisdom your presence brings. Even in fear and trembling, open our heart to your invitation, to your inspiration, and once open, rush in and fill us with bright “Yes! Yes! Yeses!” for the joy of hope and peace in the ways you love this world and all the people in it. Pour your spirit into every hurt. Transform every shadow to new beginnings. Be joy in the mourning, be peace in stillness, be love in the gaps to us. You have sent your son into the world not to condemn but to fill it with such love as this. Even when our voices shake, we pray together in the way Jesus taught reaching to you as. . .

 Our Lord’s Prayer                          

Our Maker, Our Mother, and Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; Thy kin-dom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:    for thine is the kin-dom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

¨ Hymn #107   Awake! Awake, and Greet the New Morn         Rejoice, Rejoice

1 Awake! Awake and greet the new morn,
for angels herald its dawning,
sing out your joy, for Jesus is born,
behold! the Child of our longing,
Come as a baby weak and poor,
to bring all hearts together,
to open wide the heavenly door,
and lives now inside us forever.

2 To us, to all in sorrow and fear,
Emmanuel comes a-singing,
whose humble song is quiet and near,
yet fills the earth with its ringing.
Music to heal the broken soul
and hymns of loving kindness,
the thunder of the anthems roll
to shatter all hate and injustice.

3 In deepest night Christ’s coming shall be,
when all the world is despairing,
as morning light so quiet and free,
so warm and gentle and caring.
One without voice breaks forth in song,
a lame one leaps in wonder,
the weak are raised above the strong,
and weapons are broken asunder.

4 Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night,
though cold the winter and cheerless,
the rising sun shall crown you with light,
be strong and loving and fearless;
Love be our song and love our prayer,
and love, our endless story,
may God fill every day we share,
and bring us at last into glory.

From Here to There

Community  Connections

Announcements

We share opportunities for Beloved Community and ways to serve. Please see the listing  of church & community events, prayers, and notices in the pages following the service.

Lighting the Justice Candle to Lead us Forth

On this “Heartbeat of Justice” Sunday, let us remember and honor Annriette Stolte. An Honorary Lifetime Deacon of Union Church, Annriette was seen everywhere in Berea and in the wider area of Eastern Kentucky, working faithfully with justice and compassion as a motivating force. Annriette worked as a social worker in Eastern Kentucky, co-directed the Berea Children’s Center, served on the Madison County School Board, and was a founding member – along with her husband, Bill – of Berea Home Village. She worked to oppose nerve gas incineration at the Blue Grass Army Depot, sheltered refugees seeking asylum, joined many peace and civil rights demonstrations, and supported the Poor People’s Campaign May her spirit be with us!!

¨  Benediction

¨  Benediction  Response you’re invited to join in singing:

Postlude

Our Prayers for Others

¨ Dave Reilly’s nephew, Herb Post, ill with kidney cancer that has spread to his lung.

¨ JoAnn Russell, Reda Hutton’s aunt, facing several medical challenges.

¨ All the people of Ukraine for their safety and sovereignty. Prayers also that the government of Russia will turn to reason & respect for their own peoples’ lives as well as for Ukrainian families.

¨ That the fragile ceasefire in the Middle East may hold; and those suffering receive the aid they need.

¨ We pray for our country, and those who are directly affected by the actions and inaction of our government to address the needs of its people and the world.

¨ Our neighbors experiencing housing insecurity, homelessness and food insecurity.

¨ Our church family members in nursing homes or who are homebound: Betsy Hoefer, Dorie Hubbard, Susan Kramer, Lois Morgan, Sara Parker, Hattie Parks, Cheryl Payne, Alva Peloquin, Laura Robie, Theresa Scherf.

¨ Celebrations with Prayers of Joy!

Birthdays: December  15 – Opal Bailey; 16 – Thana Connelly; 17 – Joan English, Laura Wick; 18 – Jeff Pool; 19 – Joy Gritton; 21 – Pam Chabora, Maxine Keller

If we haven’t got your important dates, let us know. We’ll help you get connected in FellowshipOne Go!

Poinsettias are Given

In honor of …

Wilma Wollenweber, matriarch of the Kleppinger clan

All the Union Church staff by Charles Hoffman

Mim and Margie Pride by Douglas Eschbach

In memory of  ….

Guy Patrick by Peggy Patrick

Annriette & Bill Stolte and Eef Fontanez by Reid Livingston & Lisa Bosley

Stan, Betty and Greg Bolster and John, Thelma and David Spearen by Steve & Sandy Bolster

Charles & Clarice King by Lothar & Carla Baumann

Parents Clyde & Graham Hoffman and grandparents Erna & Walter Hoffman and Evelyn & John Angus McLeod by Charles Hoffman

Kathleen O’Brien Moore and Robert Maurice Moore, Sr., by Joan Moore

Irene & Lafayette Kirk by Tennant Kirk

Marie Gilbert, Helen Lujin, Kevin Burke, Gib Gilbert by Kent Gilbert & Diana Hultgren

Frank Hultgren & Heidrun Hultgren by Kent Gilbert & Diana Hultgren

Her husband, Kevin Sean Burke, by Carla Gilbert

Parents, Helen Lujin & Carl Lujin, and brother, Carl Jr. , by Carla Gilbert

George & Elsie Hardman by Joan English and Sue Hardman Zimmerman

Eef Fontanez by the Lakes family

Tom Parker by Sara Parker, Tina, Jason, Iris, and Opal Parker-Bailey

Carl B. & Ruth Z. Eschbach by Douglas Eschbach

Richard Bellando , Dottie Blackburn, Jerry Cooper, Eef Fontanez, Jan Hamilton, Phyllis Hughes, Kelly Mehler, Carol Shaffer, Larry Shinn, Annriette Stolte and Barbara Walters by Rev. Kent Gilbert and the Union Church staff

As a gift from Michael Bowling