UNION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF HANCOCK
We respect tradition — and we welcome inclusive language about people and expansive language about God. Please pray using words most meaningful to you.
Open and Affirming of ALL God’s Children
Drawing © Caleb Edwards
Third Sunday of Advent – Joy – December 15, 2024
This service will be in-person and on Zoom at 10 a.m.
(Recorded for Facebook and YouTube)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 822 2425 2518 Passcode: 755650
The first pew in front of the pulpit has books and quiet activities for people of all ages.
Please borrow something that suits you, and return it after the service.
Silent Prayer
God of joy, show us the way. Open our hearts and hands in generosity and justice, so that whatever we do, wherever we are – at home, at school, at work – we act and live as your children, made in your image. Empower us to be more giving, more fair. Remind us that your abundant love is always with us, day and night, night and day. Come, Jesus, Come! Amen
* Indicates points in the service when we stand in body or spirit
Announcements
Prelude What Star Is This? Puer Nobis/ Praetorius/ Ritter
Welcome
*Advent Candle Lighting
Reader One: No matter what troubles overwhelm us today, Isaiah reminds us that in all of our preparation and passionate pursuit of God’s coming kin-dom, we must not forget that God’s salvation has come and is coming. “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:3) With joy you will remember that God’s salvation is already present among us.
Congregation: Faced with the troubles and the suffering of the world, we choose to live in joyful presence to God and one another. We will not turn away from the pain and the hurt in our world. We will not stop rejoicing in God, whose salvation fills us to overflowing. God’s love flows through us and floods our troubled world with hope, peace, and joy.
Reader Two: We light this candle of joy as a sign of our commitment to be present to ourselves, our friends, our families, and our neighbors that in sharing our vulnerable lives we might share in the glorious joy of God’s salvation.
*Introit One Candle is Lit (vs. 3)
Come, fes-tive-ly sing while a-waiting the birth,
Join an-gels in danc-ing from heav-en to earth.
Wave ban-ners of good news, lift high thank-ful praise.
Once can-dle is lit for the joy of these days.
*Call to Worship
One: Rejoice! For the inbreaking of the Holy is found in humble places; it meets those who are weary and in need of wonder.
All: Rejoice! For the Holy guides us when we feel lost; it is a bright star in a directionless night.
One: Rejoice! Holiness is found for those who seek Her—thanks be to babies and children who remind us that the Holy is found in the present moment.
All: Rejoice! For we are casting out, discarding, crumbling old ways that keep us from the Kin-dom of heaven in the here and now.
One: God is near!
All: Let us rejoice!
*Passing of the Peace (ASL) and Lighting of Peace & Justice Candle
*Hymn With Joy Draw Water B. #109
With joy draw wa-ter from the spring; sal-va-tion’s liv-ing well.
The Ho-ly One is in your midst; glad prais-es sing and tell!
A shoot has sprung from Jes-se’s tree; of God the cho-sen One.
A branch of knowl-edge and of truth; a gift of love has come!
With love the poor will be re-ceived; the proud will turn a-side;
And faith-ful-ness will be a path, and righ-teous-ness the guide!
The wolf shall lie down with the lamb; the calf and li-on play.
God’s peace shall dwell with-in the land; a child shall show the way!
With joy draw wa-ter from the spring; sal-va-tion’s liv-ing well.
The Ho-ly One is in your midst; glad prais-es sing and tell!
*Invocation (in unison)
Mysterious and Powerful God—shake up our old ways! Radicalize our spirits towards compassion! Align us with your anger and hope! Change our Lives! What joy, what delight to be found in co-creating beauty. Open us to the Holy Spirit moving through us. Come, Holy Spirit, Come! Amen
Children’s Message Common Garter Snake
from “All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings”
Written by Gayle Boss. Illustrated by David G. Klein
Greek Scriptures Luke 1:39-45
Contemporary Reading SNOW GEESE Mary Oliver
Special Music Angels We Have Heard on High French Carol/ Bill Ingram
Message
*Hymn Lift Up Your Heads, O Mighty Gates (vs 1,2,3) B. #117
Lift up your heads, O might-y gates; be-hold the glo-rious Rul-er waits!
The Sov-ereign One is draw-ing near; the Sav-ior of the world is here.
Fling wide the por-tals of your heart; make it a tem-ple, set a-part
From earth-ly use for heaven’s em-ploy, a-dorned with prayer and love and joy.
Re-deem-er, come! I o-pen wide my heart to you; here, Christ, a-bide!
Let me your in-ner pres-ence feel; your grace and love in me re-veal.
Prayers of the People – Sharing Joys & Concerns
Our Father (Creator, Mother) 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen
Lead me Lord, lead me in thy righteousness, make thy way plain before my face.
For it is thou Lord, thou Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety.
Invitation to Offering – Sharing forms a bridge where and when there are gaps between us. Our desires are more alike than different—we all aspire to love, liberation, and peace. Let us bring forth our gifts with joyful spirits.
Offertory We Three Kings of Orient Are J.H. Hopkins/ Linda R. Lamb
*The Doxology
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God for all that love has done; Creator, Christ, and Spirit, One. Amen
*Prayer of Dedication (spoken in unison)
To our shared joy we dedicate our offerings. God of Abundance—bless these resources to your Kin-dom of mutuality. Amen
*Hymn Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee R. #7
Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love; hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening, to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, drive the dark of doubt away; giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!
All thy works with joy surround thee, earth and heaven reflect thy rays, stars and angels sing around thee, center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea, chanting bird and flowing fountain, call us to rejoice in thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest, wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest! Source of grace and fount of blessing, all who live in love are thine; teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the happy chorus which the morning stars began; God’s own love is reigning o’er us, joining people hand in hand. Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife, joyful music leads us sunward in the triumph song of life.
*Benediction
*Sung Blessing All Good Gifts the tune is the refrain from R. #528
All good gifts around us come forth from God’s own love,
So, thank you, God, we thank you, God, for all your love.
Postlude Noel in G Daquin/ Smith
(Please remain seated for the Postlude)
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or visit this link to our PayPal account: paypal.me/hancockucc
or mail offerings to:
Union Congregational Church, PO Box 443, Hancock, ME 04640 (Attention: Treasurer)
Contact Us
207.422.3100 207.323.6743
Resources
Starry Nights: An Advent Devotional Full of Light and Wonder – Silent Prayer
enfleshed: liturgy that matters, adapted – Call to Worship, Invocation, Offering Prayers
UMC-discipleship-org – Advent Wreath Lighting liturgy, adapted
Many thanks to those who make this service possible –
in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Handbell Choir Members – Director, Pat Summerer, Mary Angela Davis, Nick Davis,
Phoebe Devenish, Jeanne Edwards, Debbie Riley
Music Minister – Debbie Riley
Deacons – Vicky Espling & Doug Kimmel
Liturgist – Sarina Brooks
Audio-Video Support – Patrice Alexander
Office Administrator – Vicky Espling
Student Ministry Intern – Sarina Brooks
Settled Minister – Rev. TJ Mack
The Body of Christ – You
The New Century Hymnal (B.) Hymns of Truth and Light (R.)
Copyright © 1995 The Pilgrim Press Copyright © 1998 First Congregational
Church of Huston, Texas
"Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE,
License #A-738532. All rights reserved.
One Candle is Lit
Chalice Hymnal
With Joy Draw Water
Words Copyright © 1986; rev. 1993 Anne McKinstry
Lift Up Your Heads, O Mighty Gates
Words and Music - Public Domain
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
Words and Music - ©2020 Stephen DeCesare / Exultet Music
Contributors: Henry Van Dyke, Ludwig Beethoven, Stephen DeCesare
All Good Gifts
Words and music © 2017, Maureen Briare, adapted by Phil Devenish
Music Johann A.P. Schulz, 1800. Public Domain
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