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Old Greenwich, THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL United Church Connecticut CHURCH OF GREENWICH of Christ Founded in 1665 The Songs of Advent The Second Sunday of Advent 6 December 2009 10 o’clock in the morning elcome to this Service of Worship at The First Congregational WChurch. On this second Sunday of Advent we are especially pleased to welcome Dr. Henry Perry as our guest preacher. Dr. Perry, a Senior Associate in the Health Systems Program of the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, has extensive experience with maternal and child health programs as well as in research and teaching about health and health care in resource-poor settings. As we consider mothers and children today, we remember that God’s caring among us embodied a different kind of greatness and power than what the world knows. As George MacDonald wrote, “They all were looking for a king To slay their foes and lift them high; Thou cam’st, a little baby thing, That made a woman cry.” PREPARING FOR WORSHIP *All who are able please stand ‡Seating of latecomers PRELUDE Terence J. Flanagan, organ La Nativité (from Poèmes Èvangéliques, Op.2 ) Jean Langlais CALL TO COMMUNITY Rev. Avery C. Manchester Please sign and pass the red book. PRAISING GOD CALL TO WORSHIP *‡OPENING HYMN AND PROCESSION Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus Pilgrim (red) Hymnal 103 LIGHTING OF THE SECOND ADVENT CANDLE Dana, Dean, Gavin, Nadia and Kameron Zikria Opening Sentences Scripture: Luke 1:26-31 Prayer: Eternal Source of birth and new life, we await with great anticipation the coming of the Child. As this season unfolds, help us, like Mary, your servant, to rejoice in your surprising love. Amen. Lighting of the second Advent Candle: We light the second Advent Candle recalling that visit of long ago that announced the coming of this blessed event. May we, too, respond with openness and trust. During the lighting of the Advent Wreath, The Palmer Handbells will play What is this Lovely Fragrance, Arranged by Cathy Moklebust. CONFESSING TO GOD CALL TO CONFESSION Rev. Mark D. Montgomery PRAYER OF CONFESSION We are a people of the road, O God, busy with the business of movement to important destinations, vaguely conceived. We are a people of personal privacy, O God, guarding our spaces from intrusion by this tangled world, vividly pressing. We are a people of inner hesitance, O God, fearful of going too deeply into the life of discipleship, demandingly present. Forgive us, O Lord of the lowly Advent, for our rushing, our hiding, our foreboding, for we would be open to that moment of wonder once again where both the simple and the proud draw near to Bethlehem, as we share our common prayer… 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. WORDS OF ASSURANCE ‡Congregational Response Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. HEARING GOD'S WORD FIRST LESSON Olivia Hartwell Psalm 80:1-7 ive ear, O Shepherd of Israel, G you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved. O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. SCRIPTURE ANTHEM The Children’s Choir Advent Candlelight Carol Arranged by Anna Laura Page and Jean Anne Shafferman Advent candle burning bright through the night, shine your light of hope (peace, love, joy) telling people everywhere: soon the Savior comes, soon He will be here! People gather and prepare in the night with the light of hope (peace, love, joy). SECOND LESSON Olga Hartwell Luke 1:39-55 n those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean “I town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” *‡HYMN Mary, Woman of the Promise New Century (black) Hymnal 123 As the hymn begins, the Church School children and teachers will leave for their classrooms. Children in second grade and older will leave independently. Children in kindergarten and first graders will meet their teachers at the back of the Meetinghouse (Narthex) and will go to their classrooms as a group. It is not necessary for parents to accompany their children because there are Hall Helpers to guide anyone who needs help. SERMON Mothers and Children Around the World: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Dr. Henry Perry RESPONDING TO GOD *AFFIRMATION OF FAITH I believe in Jesus Christ and in the beauty of the gospel that began in Bethlehem. I believe in Him whose spirit glorified a little town, Of whose coming only shepherds saw the sign And for whom the crowded inn could find no room. I believe in Him who proclaimed the love of God to be invincible, Whose birth the angels sang, Whose cradle was a mother’s arms, Whose home in Nazareth had love for its only wealth, Who looked at people and made them see what his love saw in them, Who by this love brought sinners back to purity And lifted human weakness up to meet the strength of God. I confess our everlasting need of God, The need of forgiveness for our greed and selfishness, The need of life for empty souls, The need of love for hearts grown cold. I acknowledge in Christ a faith in life redeemed, That looks beyond the present evil; And I pray that this redemption may begin in us! Amen. *Advent Gloria (refrain from Angels We Have Heard on High) Gloria in excelsis Deo, Gloria in excelsis Deo. CALL TO OFFERING Rev. Dr. David D. Young OFFERTORY ANTHEM The Chancel Choir; Carolyn Paulus, soprano Magnificat in G Charles Villiers Stanford For text, see Second Lesson. *Advent Response (verse 3 of As With Gladness Men of Old) As they offered gifts most rare, At the manger rude and bare, So may we with holy joy, Pure and free from sin’s alloy, All our costliest treasures bring, Christ to thee, our heavenly King. *PRAYER OF DEDICATION SACRAMENT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER (seated) Prayer of Consecration Serving of the Bread and Cup In the tradition of our church, let us partake of the bread as it is served, remembering our individual uniqueness in the eyes of God and our diversity within the Body of Christ. Let us hold the cup until all have been served, remembering our oneness with God and our unity in the Body of Christ. Prayer of Thanksgiving Since, dear God, in this place, at this table, we have touched, we have tasted, and we have heard the signs of your love for us, grant that we may go away from this house filled with our love for you and overflowing with your love for those who are around us and who share our lives. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. GOING FORTH TO SERVE GOD *CLOSING HYMN AND PROCESSION Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence Pilgrim (red) Hymnal 107 *CLOSING SENTENCES Leader: A child in a foul stable Where the beasts feed and foam, People: Only where he was homeless And you and I at home. Leader: We have hands that fashion and heads that know, But our hearts we lost - How long ago! People: In a place no chart nor ship can show Under the sky’s dome. (G.K. Chesterton) *BENEDICTION *BENEDICTION RESPONSE POSTLUDE Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland; BWV 661 Johann Sebastian Bach The flowers in the Meetinghouse this morning have been given with grateful memories of their parents by Barbara and John Norrgard.