Bedford Presbyterian Church First Sunday of Advent - Hope November 22, 2020 at 10 AM Worship-at-a-Distance Format GATHERING TOGETHER Chimes Gathering Music Welcome and Announcements Pastor John Sawyer PREPARING FOR THE WORD Call to Worship and Advent Wreath Lighting1 Elder Alicia Wooldridge I dream of sunflower fields. I dream of key lime pie with a mile-high meringue. I dream of the days when we could be part of a crowd. I dream of snow days. I dream of empty beds in jail cells. I dream of a world that will let kids be kids. I dream of full tables instead of empty bellies. I dream of schools with enough money to teach. I dream of parents with enough money to feed. I dream to keep awake, because if we don’t dream of better days, then we might forget that this is not what God imagined. So today we light the candle of hope, for hope is the very thing that keeps dreams afloat. May this light be an invitation to keep awake. May this light be our invitation to be Advent people—people who dream. Amen. Song of Response “He Came Down” HE CAME DOWN He came down that we may have hope. Hallelujah forever more. Prayer of the Day God of power unexpected, we want you to tear open the heavens and come down; to make mountains quake, water boil, and stars to fall until all nations tremble at your presence! But you, you will not perform according to our wants and whims. Instead you come like the sound of sheer silence: Thin. Quiet. Instead you are born among us as an infant. Instead you show us how love is made perfect in weakness. So, we will stay alert, or at least we will try, because we are your people and there is no other God besides you. Amen. Hymn # 82 (see below) “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” HYFRYDOL ENCOUNTERING THE WORD Children’s Sermon Pastor John Sawyer Prayer for Illumination Elder Alicia Wooldridge 1 Adapted from a prayer by Sarah Are / A Sanctified Art LLC / sanctifiedart.org. 1 First Scripture Reading Mark 13:24-37 Listen now for the Word of God. Our ears are open. Second Scripture Reading Isaiah 64:1-9 Pastor John Sawyer . The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Sermon “Tearing Open the Heavens” (Hoping is the Cure) RESPONDING TO THE WORD Hymn # 102 (see below) “What Shall I Render to the Lord” MARTYRDOM Affirmation of Faith – A Brief Statement of Faith (11.4) Deacon Mary Beth Dopfer In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace. In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” Call for the Offering Offertory Special Music Emily, Sarah, and Maddy Costello At this time, you are invited to offer your tithes and offerings, by writing a check and putting it in an envelope to the church, or through our church’s online giving website (https://bedfordpresbyterian.org/giving/one-time-gifts-pledges/), or by scanning this QR code and making a donation. If you have not yet completed an Estimate of Giving Card for 2021, you can do so online or send it to the church office. Your giving has a direct impact on the ministry and mission of Bedford Presbyterian Church! Thank you! Advent Song of Response LASST UNS ERFERUEN Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise God, all creatures high and low. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise God, in Jesus fully known: Creator, Word, and Spirit, One. Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 2 Prayer of Dedication (Unison) Deacon Mary Beth Dopfer Faithful God, we thank you that Christ is being revealed in every time and place until he comes again in the fullness of glory. Strengthen our testimony and spiritual gifts; increase generosity in us, we pray, as we wait for the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer (“debts/debtors”) Pastor John Sawyer 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. GOING FORTH IN GOD’S NAME Hymn # 88 (see below) “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” VENI EMMANUEL vv. 1-2, 6-7 Charge and Benediction and Peace May the peace of Christ be with you. And with you. Closing Song NORTHUMBRIA MORNING BLESSING May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May he bring you home, rejoicing, at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home, rejoicing, once again into our doors. Postlude Liturgists and Leaders in today’s worship service – The Reverend John Sawyer, Pastor Mrs. Barbara Flocco, Music Director Elder Alicia Wooldridge, Liturgist Deacon Mary Beth Dopfer, Liturgist Emily Costello, Sarah Costello, and Maddy Costello – Special Musicians for the Day Mr. Marc Murai and Elder Michael Chen, Sound and Video Technicians Members of our IT and Communications Committee and Covid-19 Task Force Information on ways to access audio and video versions of today’s service can be found at www.bedfordpresbyterian.org. Where’s your Hilltop Crier email newsletter? Many of our members are finding BPC’s emails in their Spam or Junk folders these days. But you can change that in two ways! 1. By adding [email protected] to your address book or contacts. 2. By marking each Hilltop Crier e-mail as “not spam” and moving them to your inbox to train your email system where they should go. Try the above methods for a few weeks…this works for most people! 3 082-come thou long.mus, Page 1 JESUS CHRIST: ADVENT Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus 82 b 3 jœ ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ & 4 ˙ œ ˙œ. œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ ˙ œœ ˙œ œ œ ˙. 1 Come, thou long - ex - pect-ed Je - sus, born to set thy peo-ple free; 2 Born thy peo - ple to de - liv - er, born a child and yet a king, j . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ œ œ . ? 3 ˙ œ ˙œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙. b 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b jœ ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ & ˙ œ ˙œ. œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ ˙ œ œ ˙œ œ œ ˙. from our fears and sins re - lease us; let us find our rest in thee. born to reign in us for - ev - er, now thy gra- cious king-dom bring. j . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ œ œ . ? ˙ œ ˙œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙. b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . & ˙ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙ œ Is-rael’s strength and con - so - la - tion, hope of all the earth thou art; By thine own e - ter - nal Spir - it rule in all our hearts a - lone; ˙ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ ? ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙. b ˙ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙. b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ & ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œbœ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙. dear de - sire of ev - ery na - tion, joy of ev - ery long-ing heart. by thine all - suf-fi - cient mer - it raise us to thy glo-rious throne. œ ˙ œ ? ˙ œ œ œ œ œnœ œ Aœ œ ˙ œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙. b œœœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ With its opening “Come,” this hymn sounds the note of entreaty and invitation that characterizes the Advent˙. season (from the Latin adventus = “coming”). Its blending of memory and hope helps us to give voice to our present faith as we stand between the past and the future. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TEXT: Charles Wesley, 1744 HYFRYDOL MUSIC: Rowland Hugh Prichard, 1830; harm. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906 8.7.8.7.D (alternate tune: STUTTGART, 83) 6/20/13 102-savior of the-315.mus, Page 1 JESUS CHRIST: ADVENT Savior of the Nations, Come 102 b 4 & b 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ 1 Savœ - iorœ ofœ the na œ- tions,œ come;˙ vir - gin’s 2 From God’s heart the Sav - ior speeds; back to 3 Now your man - ger, shin - ing bright, hal - lows 4 Praise we sing to Christ the Lord, vir - gin’s œ œ œ ? b 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ b 4 œ œ œ ˙ œ b œ œ & b œ œ œ #œ ˙ œ œ œ œ son, make here your home. Mar - vel now, O God his path - way leads; out to van - quish night with new - born light.