Celebration of Worship The First Sunday in November 29, 2020

*Indicates for the congregation to stand All numbers listed are from The United Methodist Hymnal. Hearing assistance devices are available from the sound operator. PRELUDE THE MEANING OF ADVENT Dan Darby Advent is the time of year in which we prepare for the celebration of . The word “Advent” means “coming” and Christmas is the celebration of the coming of the Messiah into our world. Today, on the first Sunday of Advent we will talk about what the term “Messiah” means and about the decorations we use to celebrate the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Our Hanging of the Greens celebration is a formal opening of the Advent season, a time of preparing our hearts through scripture, song, prayer, and beautiful decorations for the full and proper appreciation of this anticipated season of the Christian year. *CALL TO WORSHIP Andrew Main Leader: How shall we prepare this house for the coming of the King? People: With branches of cedar, the tree of royalty. Leader: How shall we prepare this house for the coming of the eternal Christ? People: With garlands of pine and fir, whose leaves are ever living, ever green. Leader: How shall we prepare this house for the coming of our Savior? People: With telling of his passion, death, and resurrection. Leader: How shall we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Son of God? People: By hearing again the words of the prophets, Who foretold the saving work of God. Leader: For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. People: Glory to God in the highest! SCRIPTURE Isaiah 7:14, KJV Joel McDowell 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. *HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verse 1) UMH No. 211 O come, O come, Emmanuel, [Refrain] And ransom captive Israel, Rejoice! Rejoice! That mourns in lonely exile here Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. Until the Son of God appear. CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER Marilyn McMurrey O God who placed in the hearts of all your children a longing for the One who brings peace and life: we thank you that in of Nazareth all our longings have found fulfillment. We commit this service to you as a time of preparation so that, throughout the season of Advent, the beauty of the sanctuary and our grounds will remind us of all the joy of Christ’s coming. In His name we pray. Amen. SCRIPTURE Isaiah 11:1-3, 6-9, CEB Corrine Wahle A shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse; a branch will sprout from his roots. 2 The Lord’s spirit will rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of planning and strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. 3 He will delight in fearing the Lord. He won’t judge by appearances, nor decide by hearsay. . . 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; the calf and the young lion will feed together, and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow and the bear will graze. Their young will lie down together, and a lion will eat straw like an ox. 8 A nursing child will play over the snake’s hole; toddlers will reach right over the serpent’s den. 9 They won’t harm or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain. The earth will surely be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, just as the water covers the sea.

SCRIPTURE Isaiah 2:4-5, KJV Corrine Wahle

4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verse 2) UMH No. 211 O come, thou Wisdom from on high, [Refrain] And order all things far and nigh; Rejoice! Rejoice! To us the path of knowledge show Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. And cause us in her ways to go.

LIGHTING OF THE FIRST Shelley Thompson In this first week of Advent, we focus on teachings showing us that Jesus is royalty. From the Old Testament we read Isaiah 9:6-7(CEB) “A child is born to us, a son is given to us, And authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be vast authority and endless peace For David’s throne and for his kingdom. Establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness Now and forever. The zeal of the Lord of heavenly forces will do this.”

From the New Testament we read Luke 1: 30-33 (NIV) “…the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’” [8:30 I add this crown as a reminder that Jesus is the Messiah, our only King and Christ.] [11:00 I light the candle as a reminder that Jesus is the Messiah, our only King, and Christ.] Let us pray: Blessed are you, our God, King of the universe. You came to us in Jesus to show us who you are and who you call us to be. We yield our lives to him. Jesus, be our Christ, our Messiah, our King. To you, O Lord, we offer our time, our talents, our resources, our influence, our all to you. Help us to live in such a way that we honor you in all that we do. Amen. *HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verse 3) UMH No. 211 O come, O come, great Lord of might, [Refrain] Who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height Rejoice! Rejoice! In ancient times once gave the law Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. In cloud and majesty and awe.

THE MEANING OF THE GREENERY, WREATHS, AND HOLLY Paula Darby Evergreens have long been used to symbolize eternal life. While winter kills most plants, evergreens remain, reminding us that in Christ, life is eternal. The compassionate nature of God was demonstrated in his Son, Jesus Christ. Like the unfading greens we use, this nature never changes nor fades. Some of our greenery is in the form of wreaths. The circles that form our wreaths have no beginning and no end, another symbol of eternity. The ancient Romans used wreaths as a symbol of victory. The battles won by the Messiah defeated sin, death, and the devil. Our Christmas wreaths are an emblem of his victory that has become our victory. The red berries in the holly on our Advent represent the red drops of blood from the cruel thorns in the crown of Jesus, and remind us during this joyful season of the price paid for us by Jesus, the Messiah sent from God.

HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verse 4) UMH No. 211 O come, thou Root of Jesse’s tree, [Refrain] An ensign of thy people be; Rejoice! Rejoice! Before thee rulers silent fall; Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. All peoples of thy mercy call. THE ANGELS Joel McDowell Angels are God’s Messengers. An angel announced to Zachariah that in their old age, he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a child. That child became , who announced the coming of the Messiah. The angel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would bear the Christ Child. Angels announced to the shepherds that the Messiah had been born. Our church has an angel watching over it. SCRIPTURE Revelation 3:7, CEB Marilyn McMurrey 7 “Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: These are the words of the one who is holy and true, who has the key of David. Whatever he opens, no one will shut; and whatever he shuts, no one opens. HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verse 5) UMH No. 211 O come, thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heavenly home. The captives from their prison free, Rejoice! Rejoice! And conquer death’s deep misery. Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. [Refrain] THE POINSETTIAS Corrine Wahle The star shaped poinsettia flower is known as the Christmas Star, reminding us of the Star of which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ. The leaves of the white poinsettias represent his purity. It is said that the poinsettias’ association with Christmas comes from a Mexican legend. The story goes that a child, with no means for a grander gift, gathered humble weeds from the side of the road to place at the church altar on . The congregation witnessed a Christmas miracle when the weeds turned into brilliant red flowers with deep green leaves. The poinsettia is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States ambassador to Mexico and the amateur botanist who introduced the plant to the U.S. in 1825. The ancient Aztecs considered the poinsettias to be symbols of purity. Today, poinsettias herald the bright good cheer of the celebration of Christmas. SPECIAL OFFERING FOR THE UNITED METHODIST STUDENT DAY Andrew Main Today you are invited to make a special donation to support United Methodist Student Day in the envelopes provided or through online giving. Your gifts help to provide college and university scholarships to United Methodist students across the nation. Your gifts to the General Fund of the Church may be place in the offering baskets or made online through our website. PRAYER OF DEDICATION OF OUR GIFTS TO THE LORD Andrew Main The gift of Christ is the greatest gift we could ever receive. This day, O Lord, receive our gifts of to support the work of Christ in the world. Amen. *DOXOLOGY Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. *HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verse 6) UMH No. 211 O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer [Refrain] Our spirits by thy justice here; Rejoice! Rejoice! Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. And death’s dark shadows put to flight. THE CHRISMONS Paula Darby In 1957, Mrs. Frances Kipps Spencer of Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, Virginia began thinking about a way to decorate the in her church that would be more suitable for a Sanctuary. She thought that the traditional bright ornaments were not appropriate for a worship setting and began looking for something that would reflect the Christian faith. Thinking of the tradition of decorating a birthday cake with the honoree’s name, Mrs. Spencer decided to place the name of Jesus and his title, Christ, on the tree. Rather than using English, however, she used the Greek monograms. Thus, the Greek letter “Chi Rho” became one of the earliest Chrismon’s because they are the first two letters in the Greek word for Christ. These simple monograms and some crosses decorated the first Chrismon Tree. Over the years, Frances Spencer added other designs using signs and symbols utilized by the early Christians. As these designs increased in number, they included references to Jesus’ life, ministry, and teachings. Chrismon’s, or Christ monograms, are traditionally white, gold, and silver. White is the Church color for Christmas and symbolizes Christ’s purity, and the gold and silver his majesty and glory. Let us look a little more closely at a few of the Chrismon’s on our tree:

The Anchor Cross reminds Christians that Jesus is the anchor of their faith. (Linda Winkelmann) The Triquetra is made of three loops making a triangle representing the three parts of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Corrine Wahle)

The Shell with the Drops of Water, symbolizes baptism and reminds all of us that we are forgiven, born again, and called to be a part of Jesus’ church. (Marilyn McMurrey)

The Cross reminds us that Jesus died for each of us that we might know the love of God and experience his salvation. (Joel McDowell)

The Cross and Crown remind us that even though Jesus died in humiliation on the cross, he rose again to become the King and Kings and Lord of Lords. (Andrew Main)

The Star summons us to travel with the wise men to Bethlehem and worship the newborn king. (Linda Winkelmann)

The last Chrismon we will consider today is two chi's superimposed upon one another. The chi in its normal position looks like an “X” in English. In Greek it stands for “Ch”, and is the first Greek letter in the word “Christ.” The chi in the position of the cross represents Christ's crucifixion. Together, they remind us that the baby in the manger came to earth to die on a cross and win our salvation. (Shelley Thompson) THE LIGHTING OF THE CHRISMON TREE (Joel, turn on the tree lights as Corrine reads the following) The lights on the Chrismon tree are always white, symbolizing that Christ is the light of the world. The green tree reminds us of the gift of eternal life given to us by the Christ of the Chrismon tree. SPECIAL MUSIC Manger Throne Andrew Main and Paula Darby

SERMON Dr. Dan Darby ″Messiah and King″ INVITATION TO CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP HYMN OF INVITATION O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verse 7) UMH No. 211 O come, O King of nations, bind [Refrain] in one the hearts of all mankind. Rejoice! Rejoice! Bid all our sad divisions cease Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. and be yourself our King of Peace.

BAPTISMAL AND MEMBERSHIP VOWS OF THE (8:30 a.m. service) Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin? I do. Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves? I do. Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races? I do. According to the grace given to you, will you remain a faithful member of Christ’s holy church and serve as Christ’s representative in the world? I will. Will you be loyal to Coldspring United Methodist Church and support it by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness? I will.

CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE TO NEW MEMBERS (8:30 a.m. service) We rejoice to recognize you as fellow members of Christ’s holy church. We welcome you to Coldspring United Methodist Church. With you we renew our vows to uphold it by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness. *ANNOUNCMENTS *BENEDICTION POSTLUDE

United Methodist Student Day This Sunday, November 29, we will be taking up an offering for United Methodist Student Day. You may also give online through our website to this cause. Your donations will be used by the United Methodist Church to grant scholarships to United Methodist students in college and graduate school. Brie Amszi and the Darby children have received scholarships in the past. Thank you for your generosity! Your gifts will be used to help fund the education of United Methodist Students throughout the country.

Online Giving You can support your church through online giving! Just go to www.coldspringmethodist.org and click on the button "Donate online to CUMC." Make your donation to the General Fund to support the ministry of the church.

CHURCH CALENDAR Prayer Concerns November 29 – December 6, 2020 (Please remember the following in your prayers.) SUN. UM Student Day Special Offering Scot Bauer Tammy Michelli First Sunday of Advent Esther Best Helene Moolman 8:30 a.m. Outdoor Worship Service Robin Binnig Justin Murphy 9:45 a.m. Sunday School all ages Pam Bolton Betty McConnell 11:00 a.m. Hanging of the Greens Wayne Brignac Anna Noumair Worship Service Sanctuary/ Debbie Carter Kara Ogg Livestream Worship Service Tommy Cervanka Olatunde Oniya MON. 5:30 p.m. SFLC Meeting Jackie Cleveland Rita Orlando 6:30 p.m. Zoom ″Incarnation″ Advent Dick Countiss Haley Parella Bible Study Austin Davis Edward Pavey 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts Dave Denny Margaret Pennington TUE. 2:00 p.m. Mission Committee Meeting Lawrence Dirden Jessie Rae 3:15 p.m. Evangelism Committee Meeting Mary Faris Donna Rice 7:00 p.m. Cub/Girl Scouts Thom Farrell Lesie Roberts WED. 5:30 p.m. UMYF/ Kings Kidz Don Ferguson Gene Roeseler FRI. 10:00 a.m. Private Wedding Eleanor Ferguson Elizabeth Ross SUN. Holy Communion Sunday Rod Goodwin Sylvia Sellers 8:30 a.m. Outdoor Worship Service Jes Hall Edd Schrimsher 9:45 a.m. Sunday School all ages 11:00 a.m. Worship Service Sanctuary/ Stephanie Hall Betty Sherman Livestream Worship Service T.J. Hayes Allan & Astrid Sipos Judy Henry Donna Smith Family Zaiden Jones Judy Swanson Vicki Jowell Truitt Thomson Karmin Kahle Denise Thurmond Susan Koppleburger Joe Turner Edith Kyle Ashton Vienne Kenneth Lew Baylee Windt Diane Light Jade Wilson Kristen Matthew David Yannitell Those on the Front Lines Fighting COVID-19/U.S.A

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