Fourth Sunday of Advent

“The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”
~ Albert Einstein

PRELUDE: Canon de Noël
Joseph Martin, arr.
©1997, Malcolm Music, A Division of Shawnee Press

GREETING

PSALM 95 Penny Phillips

You created this beautiful, astounding world—
from the caverns below
to the heights of the mountains above.
Seas and land, core and stars,
The life in it and on it.
Awesome. Amazing. Wonderful.
More wonderful still—to know myself as
a child of the universe–yours.”
I wait for your voice
Open my heart to you.
And ask to rest in your love.

PRAYER
Gracious Creator, bringer of light and joy, in this moment we ask you to help us let go of all our spinning thoughts and concerns. Help us to let go, so that we are able to receive the guidance of your presence. When our hands are bound in fists, we cannot accept anything new. When we begin to micro-manage every aspect of our lives we close off our hearts and our spirits, we cannot receive the blessings you have in store for us. Yet the world is a frightening place, and we rush to make it feel less so. Help us then to know when we are feeling overwhelmed and fearful. Help us then to breathe most deeply the air of love and trust. Your desire for us is for love and light and joy and we seek to live in that trust all our days.

HYMN #47 Still, Still, Still
Traditional, Trans. by George Evans
Words © 1960, 1988 Walton Music
Jürgen & Sarah Schweizer

INTRO

SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:26-38 Kitty Nesbitt

HYMN #40 Joy to the World
GF Handel (pub. dom)
Nancy McHenery, Kristina Villareal,
Layla & Sophie Sanchez-Jaimes

SERMON

PRAYER MUSIC: “Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen”
by Johannes Brahms
© 1995 Oxford University Press

PASTORAL PRAYER

QUESTION and BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE: “In dulci jubilo”
J. S. Bach, ed. H. Robert James
© 2015 Lorenz Publishing Co.