Worship from Home Dec. 27, 2020

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Blacknall Worship from Home
December 27, 2020

Prelude | “Joy to the World!”

Doris Stam, flute

Almighty God, the angels in heaven never cease to sing Your praise. From the dawn of time, to the night of your birth--and even in this moment--all of creation adores You. By Your Holy Spirit, loosen our lips, tune our hearts, to join the angels and sing “joy to the world” and “glory to the King.”  In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

Song | “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing”

Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King:
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come, offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased as Man with us to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by, born that we no more may die,
Born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.

Words by Charles Wesley, 1739.  Music by Felix Mendelssohn, 1840, adapted by William Cummings, 1857.

Lighting the Advent Candles

Light all candles….
The first candle represents the hope that Jesus brings.
The second candle reminds us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
The third candle reminds us to rejoice at the birth of Christ.
The fourth candle represents the incarnation of Christ, the Lord of Love.
The center candle is the Christ candle.  Jesus Christ is Lord! 

Scripture reading | Isaiah 42:1-9

“Here is My servant, whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put My Spirit on Him, and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise His voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice;4 He will not falter or be discouraged ‘til He establishes justice on earth. In His teaching the islands will put their hope.”

5 This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

8 “I am the Lord; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” 

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to us, a people walking in darkness.  In You, we see the very salvation of God.  May our eyes be opened to recognize You in Your active, loving, saving presence in the world.  May we live and walk in the light of Your revelation, such that Jesus is seen by those around us – for we have seen Him.  We pray this in the name of Jesus, the Light of the World.  Amen.

Song | “Go, Tell It on the Mountain”

Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born. 

While shepherds kept their watching
O’er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.

The shepherds feared and trembled
When, lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior’s birth.

Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born,
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn. 

Words by John W. Work.  Traditional African-American Spiritual.

Call to Confession

As we heard from the prophet Isaiah, “3 A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice;4 He will not falter or be discouraged ‘til He establishes justice on earth.  (Is. 62:3-4).

The Lord does not give up on what is bruised and smoldering, damaged or dissipating. Rather, through God’s own faithfulness, the Lord sets right what is bent towards wrong. That is the God who spoke through the prophet Isaiah and who offered His own life on the cross. May God do this work in us, as we kneel and confess our sins.

Prayer of Confession

Lord, we are bent and fading by comparison with the glory for which you made us. We lack love, and we have no patience with weakness in ourselves or others. We lack righteousness, and our lives are designed to avoid our own weakness and to perpetuate the weakness of others. We lack truth, and we are not capable of seeing our utter need for your faithfulness. But we trust that you do not falter and you are not discouraged by our sins. In the name of one man, Jesus Christ, whose life was holy, we ask you to forgive our sins. By the Holy Spirit, may the glory of Christ and the hope of justice be manifest in us. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Beloved, this is true: in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

Passing the Peace

May the peace of the Lord be with you.
Response: And also with you

Affirmation of Faith | Apostles Creed               

We believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

Children’s Blessing

With Leslie Petree

Children’s Worship

If you would like to receive the Children’s Worship video email, please contact Beth Solie.

Proclamation of the Word | Pastor Allan Poole

Luke 2:21-40

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”, 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. 

Song of Response |  “Once in Royal David’s City”

Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby in a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little Child.

And our eyes at last shall see Him, through His own redeeming love,
For that Child so dear and gentle is our Lord in Heav’n above,
And He leads His children on to the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable, with the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in Heaven, set at God’s right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned all in white shall wait around.

Presenting Our Gifts | Online Giving

You are invited to respond to God’s Word by giving to the mission God has called us to at Blacknall. 

Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession

(As you pray the following petitions, you are encouraged to pause and lift to the Lord particular concerns or people or events. Read prayer requests from Blacknall members and ministry partners here.)

Lord, we proclaim with Simeon that we have seen the salvation of God in Jesus Christ.

He is the consolation for the brokenhearted, the redemption for those who are trapped.

He is a gift--not only to us--but to all nations.

We pray for those who are brokenhearted and for those who are bound by sin, disease, or addiction. We ask for comfort and for release in Jesus’ name.

We pray for Your church and ask that we would be faithful stewards of what we have seen and heard in Jesus Christ. We ask that, like Simeon and Anna, You would give us patience.

Assure those who are old and have been waiting; give faith and perseverance to those who are young. 

We pray for peace in our city, our nation, and our world. Though we falter and become discouraged, we trust You to bring forth justice.

With thankful hearts, we pray together as you taught us... 

Our Father...

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.

Benediction

 

Song | “The First Noel”  

Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
Who hath made heaven and earth of naught,
and with His blood our life hath bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel!