Digital Liturgy 12/13/20
Invitation to Worship
To all who are weary and need rest
To all who mourn and long for comfort
To all those who wander and are looking for a story
To all who feel isolated and miss community
To all who are broken and want healing
To all who feel worthless and wonder if God cares
To all who are oppressed and yearn for justice
To all who fail and desire strength
To all who sin and need a Savior
To all who hunger and thirst for righteousness
And to whomever will come–
This church opens wide her arms and offers welcome
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
Call To Worship
Our souls magnify the Lord!
Our spirits rejoice in God our Savior!
The mighty One has done great things for us!
Holy is God’s name!
Let us worship God.
For God is our Maker and our Redeemer;
from generation to generation God gives mercy.
Songs
Third Sunday of Advent
Today we continue to remember the season of Advent as a church. As we've seen, “Advent” means coming. Advent helps us prepare our hearts during this season by reflecting on the two comings of Jesus: first, his coming through his incarnation in Bethlehem and second, his future coming in glory to judge the living & the dead & to set all things right.
As a church, we celebrate Advent with a wreath and candles. Each Sunday during the four weeks of Advent, one candle—each representing a different theme—is lit.
On the first week of Advent, we lit the Prophecy Candle, which represents the promises that were kept in Jesus' First Coming and the hope and expectation of his Second Coming. Last week we lit the Bethlehem Candle, which represents the humility of Jesus' birth and the meekness that is to mark his people as we follow Jesus in the world and await his return.
The third Sunday in Advent represents a shift; we move from a tone of expectation of Christ’s coming to one of rejoicing at the arrival of God’s kingdom with the coming of Jesus. The third candle is called the Shepherd’s Candle, and represents joy, the kind of joy the shepherds experienced when the angel told them that Christ was to be born. The Advent season is now more than halfway over, and Jesus’ coming—both the celebration of his first coming and his second coming—is nearer now than it was when we began the season of Advent.
Read the following:
As we come to light the third candle of Advent, let us listen to the prophecy of Isaiah:
[1] The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
[2] it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the majesty of our God.
[3] Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
[4] Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
[5] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
[6] then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
[7] the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
[8] And a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
[9] No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
[10] And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
(Isaiah 35:1-10, ESV)
As you light the Prophecy Candle, say:
We light the first candle of Advent to remind us to look up with hope and center our hearts and minds upon a loving God who sent us his Son, who is coming again.
As you light the Bethlehem Candle, say:
We light the second candle of Advent to remind us of the humility of Jesus, who took on the form of a servant, and to remember that God's great gift came to us in Bethlehem and to look forward to his coming again.
As You Light the Shepherd’s Candle, say:
We light the third candle of Advent to remind us to rejoice because God has come to save us and to be with us, and to rejoice because he will come again to set all things right.
Pray aloud:
God of joy and exultation,
you strengthen what is weak;
you enrich the poor
and give hope to those who live in fear.
Look upon our needs this day.
Make us grateful for the good news of salvation
and keep us faithful in your service
until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives for ever and ever. Amen.
Sermon “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks”
A sermon preached by Pastor Nate Downey. The sermon will premiere at 10:30 AM on December 13 and will be available to stream anytime after that.
Response
In response to God’s goodness and faithfulness, let’s respond through giving and singing.
Give
If you are part of the Town Church family, you can give online or text any dollar amount to 84321 to give. As Pastor Nate mentioned, you can designate a gift specifically to support the Silamo family who are planting a church among the Rendille people in Kenya.
Sing
Benediction
Say this together:
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body
be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Amen.