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

Fourth Sunday of Advent December 21, 2014, 10:30 am

Meditation
“In this world, hate never dispelled hate. Only Love dispels hate. This is the law, ancient and inexhaustible.”

— Buddha

From There to HEre

Hymn Sing           Choose Your Favorites!
Welcome & Announcements
Prelude     Angels We Have Heard on High         arr. Smith/Hustad
Handbell Choir, Jenny Bromley
Introit       Medley of Violin Carols
Deborah Payne
Hebrew Scripture Lesson                  Psalm 89:1-4
Special Music       Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding   Weisse
Abigale Embry, Sharona Nelson
Lighting the Fourth Advent Candle    
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 LOVE is lit. As we light the candle, let us sing:
*  Opening Hymn   People, Look East Besancon
Anthem    The Dream Isaiah Saw           Troeger, Rudolph
Union Church Choir
Lions and oxen will sleep in the hay, leopards will join with the lambs as they play, wolves will be pastured with cows in the glade, blood will not darken the earth that God made.
Little child whose bed is straw, take new lodgings in my heart. Bring the dream Isaiah saw: life redeemed from fang and claw.
Peace will pervade more than forest and field: God will transfigure the Violence concealed deep in the heart and in systems of gain, ripe for the judgment the Lord will ordain.
Little child whose bed is straw, take new lodgings in my heart. Bring the dream Isaiah saw: justice purifying law.
Nature reordered to match God’s intent, nations obeying the call to repent, all of creation completely restored, filled with the knowledge and love of the Lord.
Little child whose bed is straw, take new lodgings in my heart. Bring the dream Isaiah saw: Knowledge, wisdom, worship, awe.
*  Passing the Peace of Jesus Christ
All who come to this sanctuary are welcome companions on this day! You are invited to turn to those nearest you and greet them with words of peace and joy. Children are invited to come down at this time to enjoy the music.

The Word in our Midst

Children’s Anthems        How Far Is It to Bethlehem?   arr. David W. Music

Joyful Noise Choir

How far is it to Bethlehem? Not very far. Shall we find the stable room lit by a star? Can we see the little child? Is he within? If we lift the wooden latch may we go in?
May we stroke the creatures there, oxen or sheep? May we peek like them and see Jesus asleep? If we touch his tiny hand will he awake? Will he know we’ve come so far just for his sake?
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.
Will You Be Ready?                Mark Patterson
Jubilee Choir
People who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The light will shine upon them; may it shine brightly tonight.
Will you be ready for the light, ready for the light to shine upon you? Will you be ready for the light, ready for the light to shine?
Will you be watching? Will you be listening? Will you hear the angels sing? Will you be waiting? Will you be searching for a savior and a king?
People keep watching; true light is coming; look for a bright star in the East. Look for the Christ Child, born in a manger: there you will find the Prince of Peace.
Children’s Blessing                                      As the children return to their seats, we sing:

May God’s presence 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.

Following Children’s Moment, children grades K-3 are invited to Children’s Church, which takes place in the chapel.  If this is your child’s first time attending Children’s Church, please accompany them to fill out a registration form.  Otherwise, children are welcome to follow volunteers to their worship spaces. For children preschool & under, care is available in the Nursery, downstairs off the Community Room. Please pick up your children in the Chapel after the service.
Special Music       Sherburne        Tate, Reed
ShapeNote Singers
                  Seasonal Selection      
Al & Alice White
Gospel Lesson: Hymn #119 Black My Soul Gives Glory           Luke 1:46b-55
Sermon     Heart of Hearts           Rev. Kent Gilbert
Special Music       God’s Counting on Me-God’s Counting on You         Seeger
Andy Blyth

Gifts given for Love to flow

Call to Offering
Our gifts help sustain this particular community of caring by sustaining the building, pastors and staff, and all the materials that make our ministry of healing, justice, and teaching available to all in need. In addition, a good portion of our contributions flows out to aid to those in need via many external agencies.
This can now be done online or by text to  859-448-3403 (Example: Text “$50.00 Offering” to contribute to the ongoing ministries, or add “youth,” or “missions” or designation of your choice to benefit one in particular.)
Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!
Offertory             Es Ist Ein’ Ros’ Entsprungen  Praetorius
(Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming) lyrics #127 Black
Carrie Jadud, Debbonnaire Kovacs, Sharona Nelson, Robert Rorrer
                  ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime        arr. Cathy Moklebust
Handbell Choir
*  Doxology To God all glorious heavenly light;   Old Hundredth
                  To Christ revealed in earthly night;
                  To God the spirit now we raise
                  Our grateful hymn of thankful praise. Amen.

Praying it Forward

Ringing of 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.
Special Music       Ave Maria       Schubert
Charles Hoffman
Silent Prayers and Prayers of the Community
As the music plays, let us pray silently
We invite you to focus your prayers in whatever way is comfortable for you, or to use these areas of prayer for your meditation:
For our world, including our ecumenical prayer cycle nations of Cape Verde, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and Senegal, and all places where war and violence reign.
For our nation, including our leaders making difficult decisions, our media, and our racial and economic divides.
For our community, including our brothers and sisters at the Holy Pentecostal Sanctuary, our nonprofits and faith communities working for a more just and peaceful world, and those who do not have what they need to thrive.
For our church, including all those on our prayer list, those going through hard and frightening times, and those who sit beside us, whether we know them or not.
For our families, including relationships that need mending, people who need healing, and loved ones who need celebrating.
For ourselves, that we might be transformed by God’s love, that we might have our needs met and be moved to help meet the needs of others, and that we might be servants to God’s great vision of a world of peace.
Amen.

From Here to There

*  Closing Hymn #143 Black          On Christmas Night All Christians Sing       Sussex Carol
*  Benediction                   Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy    Grossman, Fraser,                   Jack Marshall, Robert Rorrer Kohan, Davis, Onorati, Simeone
Postlude    Go Tell It on the Mountain      arr. Elliott
———————————————
*  Please rise in body or in spirit
Especially in our prayers
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 Cape Verde, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal and our brothers and sisters at the Holy Pentecostal Sanctuary in your hearts, and pray for them.
Please also hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week:
* Those in harm’s way in service of our country, and those who wait and worry for them.
* For the victims of violence everywhere, and especially under the influence of racial prejudice and simmering fear. Peace to Ferguson, Missouri, and everywhere our madness reigns.
* Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound:  Edith Hansen, Klara Welsh, Bernice Robertson, Nancy Jones, Mary Miller, Averill Kilbourne, Alva Peloquin, Ruth Butwell
* Debbonnaire Kovacs, at the death of her father
* The family of Jim Wallace, at his passing
* Peggy Coyne, recovering from surgery
* Rich Royalty,  who has had a stroke
* Michael Embry’s mother, Kelly Basham, struggling with health problems
* Melissa Neal, recovering from surgery
* Joan Moore, at the death of her father, Bob Moore, on Friday morning
* Dennis Jacobs, whose father has died
Longnight Service tonight, 7:00 pm, Cowan Chapel Whether we are missing someone we love this Christmas, or we find ourselves in need of contemplation, renewal and hope, we gather this evening, as darkness comes, to worship God in the midst of grief.
We gather to shed tears if they come, and to join our voices with one another and our forebears in the faith who still cry out, “How long?”
Christmas Eve services There will be two services on Christmas Eve: 5:30 pm followed by a finger-food reception for all, and a special 11:00 pm service in Cowan Chapel to welcome the Christ Child at midnight. Please bring a generous portion of food to share-Union Church always hosts a lot of guests!! To spare our CL&G Board members doing dishes instead of enjoying the festivities, we ask for savory or sweet finger foods that can be