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
Fourth Sunday of Advent - Love - December 22, 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 love, show us the way. Make us tender and strong, like Mary, able to whisper a lullaby into a baby’s ear, speak truth to the powerful on behalf of the lowly, and sing an Advent song with our whole hearts, celebrating your transformative, hopeful, peaceful, joyful love.
Come, Jesus, come! Amen
* Indicates points in the service when we stand in body or spirit
Announcements
Prelude A Christmas Pastorale G. Valentini/ E. Power Biggs
Welcome
*Advent Candle Lighting
Reader One: When the people were looking for deliverance, the prophet Micah declared, “But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah…from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient day.” (Micah 5:2) But what if Micah is also talking to us, proclaiming, “But you, O Union Congregational Church of Hancock, from you shall come forth for me…”
Congregation: God invites us to receive the promise of God’s salvation and the sustenance of God’s grace, enabling us to live the promise as God-bearers to the world. As Christ was born in Bethlehem, so too we answer God’s invitation to have Christ born among us today and every day.
Reader Two: We light this candle of love as a sign of our commitment to live as people of God’s promise, a promise of salvation and flourishing for all people that springs forth from God’s love for all creation.
*Introit One Candle is Lit (vs. 4)
Come, wan-der where li-on and lamb gent-ly play,
where evil is ban-ished and faith takes the day,
a babe in a man-ger to fool the world’s eyes.
One can-dle is lit for God’s lov-ing sur-prise.
*Call to Worship
One: In holy wonder, with divine expectation, we echo the mother of God reciting her poetry of freedom:
All: “God’s mercy extends from generation to generation.
One: God scatters the proud and lifts high the humble.
All: God’s promises to the hungry, the captive, and the weary will be fulfilled.”
One: A testimony to persistent hope, we join the whole world in waiting.
All: Our spirits rejoice! The time is nearly here.
*Passing of the Peace (ASL) and Lighting of Peace & Justice Candle
*Hymn Praise to the Living God R. #18
Praise to the liv-ing God, the God of love and light,
whose words brought forth the myriad suns and set the worlds in flight;
whose in-fi-nite de-sign, which we but dim-ly see,
per-vades all nature, making all a cos-mic u-ni-ty.
Praise to the liv-ing God, from whom all things de-rive,
whose Spir-it formed up-on this sphere the first faint seeds of life;
who caused them to e-volve, un-wit-ting, toward God’s goal,
till hu-man-kind stood on the earth, as liv-ing, think-ing souls.
Praise to the liv-ing God, who knows our joy and pain,
who shares with us our common life, the sa-cred and pro-fane.
God toils wher-e’-er we toil, in home and mart and mill,
and deep with-in the hu-man heart God leads us for-ward still.
Praise to the liv-ing God, a-round, with-in, a-bove,
beyond the grasp of human mind, but whom we know as love.
In these tu-mul-tuous days, so full of hope and strife,
May we bear wit-ness to the Way, O Source and God of life.
*Invocation (in unison)
Come, Faithful One, and make us prophets of your nearness. We prepare through repentance for wrong actions. We prepare with acts of care and mutual aid. We prepare with offerings of imagination, readying ourselves for changes to come. We eagerly anticipate your birth among us. Amen
Children’s Message Red Fox
from “All Creation Waits: TheAdvent Mystery of New Beginnings”
Written by Gayle Boss. Illustrated by David G. Klein
Greek Scriptures Luke 1:46-55
Contemporary Reading A Blessing of Angels John O’Donohue
Special Music There Is a Child Don Besig and Nancy Price
Message Rev. TJ Mack
*Hymn My Soul Gives Glory to My God B. #119
My soul gives glory to my God. My heart pours out its praise.
God lifted up my lowliness in many marvelous ways.
My God has done great things for me: yes, holy is God’s name.
All people will declare me blessed, and blessings they shall claim.
From age to age, to all who fear, such mercy love imparts.
dispensing justice far and near, dismissing selfish hearts.
Love casts the mighty from their thrones, promotes the insecure,
leaves hungry spirits satisfied, the rich seem suddenly poor.
Praise God, whose loving covenant supports those in distress.
remembering past promises with present faithfulness.
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 – We know this to be true: Love will come and take on flesh. With awe, let us bring our resources together and welcome the presence of God.
Offertory Wintertime Pastorale French Canadian/ Roberta Rowland- Raybold
*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)
God of solidarity, you come to us in the likeness of children. You are born in yearnings for freedom and made known through the flesh of refugees and immigrants. You draw near to we who cling to your promises of deliverance. With thanks, we bring our offerings. Amen
*Hymn People, Look East R. #116
People, look east. The time is near of the crowning of the year.Make your house fair as you are able, trim the hearth and set the table.People, look east and sing today: Love, the guest, is on the way.
Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare, one more seed is planted there:Give up your strength the seed to nourish, that in course the flower may flourish.People, look east and sing today: Love, the rose, is on the way.
Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim one more light the bowl shall brim,shining beyond the frosty weather, bright as sun and moon together.People, look east and sing today: Love, the star, is on the way.
Angels, announce with shouts of mirth him who brings new life to earth.Set every peak and valley humming with the word, the Lord is coming.People, look east and sing today: Love, the Lord, is on the way.
*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 The Shepherds Wilbur Held
(Please remain seated for the Postlude)
Support our Church Financially
Please visit Hancock (Maine) UCC on Facebook or our new webpage www.hancockucc.com
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
Many thanks to those who make this service possible –
in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Music Minister – Debbie Riley
Deacons – Nick Davis and Pat Summerer
Liturgist – Alison Boden
Audio-Video Support – Ron Schwizer
Office Administrator – Vicky Espling
Student Ministry Intern – Sarina Brooks
Settled Minister – Rev. TJ Mack
The Body of Christ – You
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
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
My Soul Gives Glory (Magnificat)
Words - ©1987 GIA Publications, Inc.
Contributors: Medical Mission Sisters
All Good Gifts
Words and music © 2017, Maureen Briare, adapted by Phil Devenish
Music Johann A.P. Schulz, 1800. Public Domain
Christmas Poinsettias were given by:
Jack Candy in loving memory of Charlie & Betty Lewis
Mary Angela and Nick Davis
in loving memory our sister, of Susan Davis Cummings
Gary and Jeanne Edwards
in loving memory of Jenifer Edwards, Nelson & Patricia Edwards
Gary and Jeanne Edwards
in loving memory of Lynne Josselyn, Robert & Lora Josselyn
Vicky and Everett Espling in loving memory of loved ones
Jackie and Bobbi Hunt
in memory of our mothers, Grace Hunt and Hattiemae Thomas
Sonny and Gerry Mehl
in loving memory of Brandan Kent
Sonny and Gerry Mehl
in loving memory of James Salter
Bill O’Meara
in loving memory of my mother, Jean O’Meara
Barbara Reeve
in loving memory of Bill Reeve
Jenifer Remick
in loving memory of Anne Krichels
Jenifer Remick
in loving memory of Emmy Lou
Cynthia Wood and David Wildes
in loving memory of loved ones
Comments