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ADVENT THROUGH CHRISTMAS SEASON 2017-­2018 SERIES OVERVIEW

“COMING HOME”

In the United States, Christmastime and thoughts of home just go together. “I’ll be Home for Christmas,” and “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays,” are two of the most popular holiday songs, year after year. Christmas movies and television shows regularly feature stories of people going to their family home or extended family home over the holidays. Among the rituals we create for this darkest time of the year in the Northern hemisphere, perhaps the majority of them are associated with either going home or doing special things at home-­-­ whether lighting candles and having a time of family prayer during Advent, or decorating a Christmas tree, or caroling through a neighborhood, or hosting festive “open house” parties for friends, neighbors, and colleagues. It’s all about home. Advent and Christmas Season are about another kind of homecoming, the homecoming of Christ to redeem and renew us, this earth, and all creation till “heaven and nature sing” with joy eternally. The Scriptures the church uses for Advent focus first on the final fulfillment, and later on the beginning of that fulfillment in Jesus. As they seek God’s joyous desire, they also make plain just how far from it we have been and challenge us with just how far we have to go, ourselves, to begin to live into it. This year’s Advent and Christmas Season series embraces the secular seasonal metaphor of homecoming to wrap the challenging biblical texts this season gives us. Each week’s service will invite us to “unwrap” something that leads us toward making our hearts, our lives, our families, our communities, and our world more like the home Christ’s ultimate homecoming will make it to be. And each week, we also suggest an afternoon or evening gathering for the whole church to experience a seasonal tradition together. Texts, Scriptures, and Weekly Invitations Advent 1, December 3: Come Down Home Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-­9 Invitation: Long for Christ’s Return Activity: St. Nicholas Day Advent 2, December 10: Home Is Where We Meet Scripture: Psalm 85:1-­2, 8-­13 Invitation: Attend to the Intersections (Loving-­kindness/faithfulness, Righteousness/peace) Activity: Ugly Sweater Day and Christmas Parties Advent 3, December 17: Joy Is Our True Home

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Scripture: I Thessalonians 5:16-­24 Invitation: Rejoice in God’s Homecomings Activity: Caroling Advent 4, December 24 (morning): God Makes This World a Home, Part 1 Scripture: Luke 1: 46-­55 Invitation: Turn with courage because Christ makes this world God’s home Activity: Las Posadas Christmas Eve, December 24 (evening): God Makes This World a Home, Part 2 Scripture: Luke 2:1-­7 (8-­20) Invitation: Become a manger for Jesus Note: This is designed as a brief (30-­minute) service of Word and Table to allow congregations to offer it at several times through the evening so all can find a convenient time to celebrate Communion, bringing families and friends who may be with them. After Christmas 1, December 31: Going Home Again Scripture: Luke 2:22-­40 Invitation: Choose your motives for the year to come Activity: Watch Night

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ADVENT I: Come Down Home December 3, 2017 Music Notes

Preaching Notes Planning Notes

FULL SERVICE

Abbreviations Key W&S=Worship and Song UMH=United Methodist Hymnal CCLI=Christian Copyright Licensing International (SongSelect) TFWS=The Faith We Sing BOW=United Methodist Book of Worship

ENTRANCE Greeting: Leader: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” (Psalm 122:1, NRSV) People: Welcome, preacher! Welcome, people! Welcome home! Let us worship joyfully in God’s house. Amen. Congregational Song: “Welcome” W&S 3152

OR

“Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble” CCLI 1097028 “Beautiful One” CCLI 3915912

Prayer for Illumination: Tear open the heavens, O God. Open our hearts. Let your Word fall on our ears, and lead us home. Amen. WORD AND RESPONSE Scripture Lesson: Isaiah 64:1-­9 Deacon or Lay Reader Sermon: Come Down Home Lighting the Advent Wreath

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Hymn: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” stanza 1, The United Methodist Hymnal, 211 All [sung]: “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.” Reader 1: God of justice and peace, healing and comfort, we see all that is wrong and wonder where you are. Reader 2: We are a broken people, unable to work together for our common good. We cannot see or hear each other even within our own families and communities. Reader 3: We are a suffering world, our nations are filled with conflict and violence. The fragile earth cries out with longing for redemption. All: We, God’s people, long for God’s presence, saying with the prophet: “If only you would tear open the heavens and come down!” (Isaiah 64:1, CEB) Reader: On this first Sunday of Advent, we light this candle to remind us of our longing that God will come into the world, bringing justice and peace, comfort and healing. Light a candle. All [sung]: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” Prayers of the People Deacon or Lay Intercessor

“Prayers of the People” -­ TFWS 2201 “Prayers of the People” -­ CCLI 3414705

http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/3414705/prayers-­of-­the-­people OR

“Prayer of the People” CCLI 7039048 http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/7039048/prayers-­of-­the-­people

THANKSGIVING (IF NO COMMUNION) Inviting Deacon or Pastor The Lord requires of us a pure offering, without blemish or spot. We must be right with God and our neighbor to offer ourselves or our gifts to God. Therefore, let us confess our sins against God, and reconcile with our neighbors. Let us pray.

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Confessing Isaiah 64:6, 8-­9 (NRSV) We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. Silence Yet, O LORD, you are our Father;; we are the clay, and you are our potter;; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity forever. Silence Pardoning and Peace Pastor As far as the East is from the West, so far does our God remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12) In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Glory to God. Amen! At peace with God, let us now offer the peace of Christ to one another. People exchange the peace of Christ. The offering is collected. Offertory Music Choir/Ensemble/Congregational Music during Collection: “He Came Down” TFWS 2085 “How Lovely, Lord, How Lovely” TFWS 2042 Congregational Thanks at Presentation of Gifts BOW 552 (All things come…) (May be introduced and concluded by singing UMH 588) OR THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION Invitation, Confession, Pardon and Peace UMH 7-­8

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People exchange the peace of Christ. The offering is collected. Offertory Music Choir/Ensemble/Congregational Music during Collection: “He Came Down” TFWS 2085 “How Lovely, Lord, How Lovely” TFWS 2042 Great Thanksgiving for Advent BOW 54-­55 https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/the-­great-­thanksgiving-­for-­advent Congregational Song “As a Fire Is Meant for Burning” TFWS 2237 OR “Shout to the Lord” TFWS 2074 OR “Good, Good Father”* CCLI 7036612 *See Music Notes for an important word about text Thanksgiving after Communion Deacon or Pastor and Congregation Thank you, God, for coming down home among us in this holy mystery, flesh and blood in our flesh and blood. Send us by your Spirit to hear the cries of others who long for your coming and join them in your work that makes all things new;; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. SENDING Go in peace, love, and power in the name of the our God who tears open the heavens. Amen. All [sung]: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” (UMH 211)

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MUSIC NOTES Welcome (W&S 3152) Laurie Zelman and Mark Miller’s hymn, “Welcome,” gives us what Laurence Hull Stookey has referred to as the “intersection of time and eternity” (Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church, p. 17) by connecting the past, present, and future with the eternal time of the reign of God. This hymn is rich with imagery of the table being prepared, shared, and extended into the world. If your congregation is unfamiliar with this hymn, consider adopting it as an opening hymn for a month and teaching it over time by asking them to sing the refrain (and taking the time on the first Sunday to teach it to them before worship). Continue singing it in following weeks as you gather for worship-­-­particularly around the table-­-­and have soloists sing the stanzas. Over time, the congregation will associate the hymn with the Eucharist and will be able to sing it as they build their liturgical memory. When accompanying on piano, which in this case is not easy, I recommend not playing the melody because it can easily complicate the singing. Improvise on the chords of the song and allow the voices to carry the melody. Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble? (CCLI 1097028) This text embodies the spirit of Isaiah 64:1 and calls for the congregation to sing songs of praise to the risen Christ. The call to “prepare the way of the risen Lord” makes this song ideal for the Advent season, and it ends with a call to “dance upon injustice.” Then the name of God might make “the nations… tremble” (Isaiah 64:2). Accompany with a band, piano, or solo guitar, but if using a piano, do not play the melody with the congregation. Allow the voice to lead, with the instruments supplying rhythm and a harmonic foundation. The range is very wide, so I recommend either Bb or B, depending on the congregation’s ability to begin musical phrases on a high D# or D. The key of A is also possible, but the low end of the range begins to get too low in this key. Beautiful One (CCLI 3915912) This song continues the summon to praise and offer prayers of adoration to God, who is “wonderful,” “powerful,” and “beautiful.” Even though the object of “Beautiful One” is never named, it becomes clear that the beauty lies in the saving power of Christ and the expanse of creation. The original key of D works well for this song, but if the chorus is too high for your congregation, it also works in C. The greatest musical and textual consideration is making sure to sing the first two statements of the chorus in one breath: “Beautiful One, I love you, beautiful One, I adore.” The tendency will be to breathe after the word “love,” which divides the text is disrupted and divided into musical phrases that simply do not work with the text. Singing this whole phrase is possible, but it requires a good, healthy breath! O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (UMH 211) One of the most well-­known, ancient hymns of the church, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is based upon the “O Antiphons” contained on the second page of the hymn in The United Methodist Hymnal. These antiphons were chanted refrains used in worship, one per day, during the last eight days of Advent leading up to Christmas Eve.

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Like the original antiphons, this hymn sings of the longing and somber nature of the Advent season. We have recommended its use within the liturgy for the lighting of the Advent candles. All are welcome to sing the opening phrase in the liturgy, but it is also possible to have a soloist sing it in a very legato (smooth and connected) manner with a brief pause on the last note of each phrase;; all should sing the concluding phrase: “Rejoice! Rejoice!...” Remove the plodding nature of the accompaniment and allow the melody to stand on its own as the stanzas originally did — as a haunting, unaccompanied chant. Or for a different approach, play a low E pedal point on an instrument such as organ, piano, cello, or bass, and bring in harmonies (with voices or instrumental accompaniment) on the refrain. History of Hymns Prayers of the People (TFWS 2201) Bonnie Johansen-­Werner’s simple setting of this intercessory prayer can be very powerful in its direct prayer to usher in the reign of God and the connection of that prayer to the needs of the local community and the world. Even though there is a caesura (complete cutoff) written in the accompaniment score, it would also be possible to hold a soft Eb pedal point underneath the spoken intercessions and prayer requests. The recommended form in The Faith We Sing is as follows: Refrain, Petition 1, Response;; Refrain, Petition 2, Response;; and so on. Ideally, the leader of the prayer should also serve as the cantor. The accompaniment can range from organ to piano, to an arpeggiated guitar or other plucked instrument. Prayers of the People (The Brilliance)

A wonderful addition to the modern worship music catalogue, this service music represents what is possible when combining modern music and liturgy. Short, cyclic choruses become responses as a part of congregational prayer. The A and B sections (“You hear us calling” and “Lord, have mercy”) are both equally usable as prayer responses. If you listen to the YouTube link in the worship order, you will notice a rolling accompaniment with many different instrumentalists. This kind of accompaniment gives a pulse to the prayers and is encouraged. However, keep in mind that whatever kind of accompaniment is possible with the musicians in your church is OK! Again, simpler accompaniments are oftentimes the best. For a keyboard, play simple chords on each beat. For a strummed instrument, something light, slightly syncopated, but steady is the best option. This song is a great example of modern music created to serve a liturgical purpose, and it is very accessible to churches with any instrumental accompaniment. The song is not meant to stand alone as a song;; it will require some intercessions to be created from the context of your community. Respond to each intercession with either the A theme (“You hear us calling”) or the B theme (“Lord, have mercy”). This poignant piece works with organ, piano, guitar, or any other simple accompaniment. He Came Down (TFWS 2085) Recommended this week as the first hymn of two during the offering, this Cameroonian work looks ahead and makes the connection that Christ “came down” to

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offer love, peace, and joy. Even though the cantor line is only written in the last measure of the song, it is also possible to begin with the cantor singing that question and, thus, setting the key for singing. Because both of the songs recommended for the offering this week are in the same key, it is advisable to get the opening pitch or tonic chord of G from the organ or piano. Sing this song a cappella with choir if possible, accompanied by djembes, shakers, and other percussion instruments. Here is an example of a basic rhythm to be played and improvised upon by the drums:

If a cappella singing is not an option in your context, it is also acceptable to accompany with organ, piano, or even a strummed guitar. However the accompaniment is played, make sure it is played with excitement! How Lovely, Lord, How Lovely (TFWS 2042) With this week’s thematic focus on “Come Down Home,” there must be a reference to the “abiding place” of God, and this modern paraphrase of Psalm 84 serves as a beautiful way to sing of God’s presence. Following “He Came Down,” there is also a movement resembling a meeting, in which God came to earth in flesh in the form of Christ and now dwells within us and all creation. Do not sing this hymn too slowly, or the lyricism of the tune will be lost. The best tempo will feel more like 2/2 (quarter note = 116), but it will allow for two musical phrases to become one, thus making it less choppy. The ideal accompaniment is piano or organ. History of Hymns As a Fire Is Meant for Burning (TFWS 2237) Ruth Duck’s classic text uses the image from Isaiah 64:8 of God as a potter and us as clay, shaped and molded to “live to God’s delight.” BEACH SPRING was created as a pentatonic, shape-­note hymn tune, and therefore, there are many ways to sing this hymn creatively: 1) Sing the hymn as written with organ or piano accompaniment. 2) Create a drone with either treble or bass clef voices on an open fifth (F and C

above) and the other clef singing the melody. 3) Sing the hymn in a round, either in one-­measure, two-­measure, or four-­measure

intervals. 4) Any other creative possibilities you might envision using the notes F, G, A, C,

and D! Shout to the Lord (TFWS 2074) This modern worship song from the 1990s speaks of the cosmic affirmation of Jesus as Lord of all creation. Again, the image of God coming down and the quaking mountains are echoed in this prominent song still featured in the CCLI Top 100 from Darlene Zschech and Hillsong. The best accompaniment for this song is a full band, but it is also possible to accompany with a small ensemble, piano, or solo guitar. Only the

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chorus is found in the Pew Edition of The Faith We Sing, but the lyrics can also be found within the Singers Edition of the same text or on the CCLI website. The key of A is included in The Faith We Sing, but the range of the verses in that key are very low and somewhat problematic for congregational singing. If singing in A, I recommend having an alto soloist sing the verses, with the choir and congregation joining at the chorus. If the congregation is singing the entire song, the key of Bb or B works best. History of Hymns Good, Good Father (CCLI 7036612) The nature of the Scripture this week could also lead to a singing of this recently composed song, which at the moment is at the top of the CCLI Top 100. The statement of God as a loving parent who knows our needs and calls us to move deeper in our understanding of our relationship with God and neighbor calls to mind the final statement from Isaiah 64 this week: “Now consider, we are all your people” (NRSV). The scriptural narrative acknowledges we are like clay in the potter’s hands, and so we become intertwined in the work of God as we are molded and shaped. It is in this context that the relationship between parent and child can be inferred. However, keep in mind the language in this song is very androcentric and begs to be balanced somehow in worship with a more expansive view of God, who, according to Article I in United Methodist Doctrinal Standards, is “without body or parts.” I don’t recommend changing the words in this song;; rather, I recommend using enough balancing, non-­male imagery within the other hymns and liturgy for this week if this song is to be included.

PREACHING NOTES We begin our Advent series this year with a difficult passage. My colleague Jackson Henry noted that Isaiah’s words read a little bit like a legal document, or even a United Methodist resolution:

Whereas, the LORD would rip open the heavens and descend, make the mountains shudder at your presence;; And whereas, as when a forest catches fire, as when fire makes a pot to boil to shock your enemies into facing you, make the nations shake in their boots;; And whereas, you did terrible things we never expected, descended and made the mountains shudder at your presence;; And whereas, since before time began no one has ever imagined, no ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him;; And whereas, you meet those who happily do what is right, who keep a good memory of the way you work;; And whereas, you have been angry with us;;

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And whereas, we have sinned and kept at it so long! And whereas, we are all sin-­infected, sin-­contaminated;; And whereas, our best efforts are grease-­stained rags;; And whereas, we dry up like autumn leaves, sin-­dried, blown off by the wind;; And whereas, no one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you because you’ve turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins;; And whereas, still, God, we know you are our Father. We’re the clay, and you are our potter;; All of us are what you made us;; Therefore be it resolved: We, your people, ask that you not be too angry with us, O God. We ask that you not keep a permanent record of our wrongdoing. We implore you to keep in mind, please, that we are your people—all of us. (Isaiah 64:1-­9, The Message, adapted by Dawn Chesser.)

We begin the season of Advent acknowledging our estrangement from our Creator. We acknowledge God’s anger and absence, and we confess our complicity in the situation: God has a right to be angry, because we, God’s people, have sinned against God and one another. We have not loved God with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done God’s will. We have broken God’s law. We have rebelled against God’s love. We have not loved our neighbors. We have not heard the cry of the needy. (Prayer of Confession (adapted by D. Chesser), “A Service of Word and Table I.” The United Methodist Hymnal. Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 1989. Pg. 8). As my colleague Taylor Burton-­Edwards notes in his sidebar on “Advent as Re-­Alignment,” the season of preparing for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ is a time for taking stock of our present lives, straightening our crooked paths, and bringing our mission and purpose into sharp focus as we prepare not only for the celebration of Jesus’ birth, but also his coming again in final glory. SIDEBAR: ADVENT AS REALIGNMENT by Taylor Burton-­Edwards Perhaps, in part, because I grew up as a boy in the 1960s and 1970s, I have a strong association between Christmastime (all of December) and electric train sets. This was no doubt reinforced because my maternal grandfather worked on the railroad all of his working life. So not only did I regularly see commercials about boys and electric train sets from Thanksgiving to the end of every year, but my grandfather would regularly tell stories both about his life on the railroad (he lived right across from the tracks!) and the

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electric train that his family had running around the Christmas tree when their children were young. I finally got my first electric train when I was ten years old. I was really excited when I opened the box and saw it. I couldn’t wait to put it together and make it run! And then I found out how hard it was to do that-­-­ not so much the putting it together part, but the making, and then keeping it running part. The tracks of the HO scale set linked together just fine with the couplers supplied. But the cars, especially the engine, were hard to get onto the track just right. I thought you should be able just to put them on the track and they’d be good to go. No. All the wheels of the engines and the cars had to be just right, or the train would either not move at all, or a misaligned wheel on one car would lead many to derail and fall off the track. My father could see how frustrated I was getting with this. He did two things that helped immensely. He offered to staple the track to a plywood backing so the track segments wouldn’t be pulled apart by the train running over them. But more importantly, he showed me what the rerailer track was for. It wasn’t just for connecting the track to its electricity source. It was also and primarily there to align the wheels of any engine or car you ran over it. It might take a few tries since the length of the track was shorter than some cars or engines, but it would eventually work and then help keep the cars aligned or realign them every time they passed over it again. Advent is like a rerailer track in the Christian year. It points us toward the culmination of all things in Christ as the North Star of our lives as individuals, congregations, denominations, and the body of Christ throughout the world. As we are reminded throughout this season, again and again, of where God intends to lead us all, we are enabled to get our lives realigned with the purposes and challenges of living in God’s kingdom here and now. We become aware of the great disjunction between where we are and where God longs and works for us to be, a disjunction so great the heavens themselves have to be torn apart and recreated, ultimately, to bring renewal to all things. We are also realigned with God’s intention to meet us where we are, to fill us with joy, and to do everything possible here and now through us to make this world more closely approximate what God is longing for it to become. Is it possible to run an electric train without the rerailer track? Yes. There are other ways to connect the power source to the track. But does it make good sense to do so? Not so much. The tracks and the train wheels, though built to scale, are imperfect. Motion and expansion and contraction over time because of the heat introduced by electricity and friction will separate the tracks unevenly, even if electricity still flows, and this will cause the wheels to start derailing. Having a rerailer in the circuit helps put the wheels back on track even if they’ve started to stray. So it is with us in the church and the work of Advent. We may have gone in a wide variety of directions during the season after Pentecost, many of them likely quite good. But in the course of pursuing all those directions, we may also have somewhat lost our

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bearings on where all our lives and labor as God’s people are heading. Advent comes around, year after year, to bring the whole church into the singular focus on that one thing. As with the rerailer track on my electric train set, it may take more than one passing over the track to realign us with our and the universe’s ultimate end. And so we take a full four weeks (and in the Eastern Church, six or seven weeks) to realign our lives around our true North Star. It’s spending that time focused on the end, the culmination of all things in Christ, that truly realigns and so prepares us to celebrate and contemplate the mystery of their beginning in his Incarnation, and then carries us through the rest of the Christian year. END SIDEBAR The truth is, as the holiday season begins in the Year of our Lord, 2017, we need to be brutally honest about our current reality. We need to be honest about who we are and where we are headed as God’s people. We need to confess our sin, as individuals and as communities. For it seems abundantly clear that, as Isaiah put it only a couple of chapters earlier, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips;; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5 NRSV). I write these words during early September. As I write, parts of Texas and Louisiana are still under water. In places where the water has receded enough for people to return to their homes, folks are coming face-­to-­face with their new reality: many have lost everything and will have to start fresh somewhere else. Others will have to spend months, perhaps even years, rebuilding. While there was not widespread loss of human life, the loss of animal and plant life has been profound. We grieve with our brothers and sisters who are facing the devastation. Meanwhile, Hurricane Irma has swept across the Caribbean and the southern United States. A Category 5 hurricane, Irma’s power and force is unprecedented in the history of human record-­keeping on such things. Islands were left demolished in her path, and while there were not a lot of deaths, thousands of lives have been destroyed. Only in her aftermath will we fully realize our own frailty as humans when faced with the power of nature. At about the same time, a massive earthquake hit Mexico, and a monsoon flooded India, killing over a thousand people. In the United States, fires raged across Washington and Oregon. On more than one occasion, I have wondered aloud if we are witnessing the end times. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has rescinded DACA, leaving nearly one million young people who immigrated to the United States illegally with their parents as children uncertain about their futures. The rhetoric between North Korea and the United States grows ever threatening, as American forces and their allies run military exercises in and around the Korean peninsula. Meanwhile, North Korea continues to test rockets and has just exploded a

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nuclear bomb in a remote area deep underneath the earth’s crust, causing earthquakes and aftershocks and possible contamination. By the time you read these words, I imagine there will be other disasters, catastrophes, challenges and fears occupying the headlines. Is it worse now than in years past? Could this be the end? Maybe, but if it is, we can’t know for certain, for no one knows the day or the hour. Therefore, we must live, always, as those who are ready, who are fully prepared for God’s kingdom to come, and for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Isaiah’s words help us to see our current predicament through a wider lens. The prophet reminds us that human beings have always and everywhere struggled with our failures. We have always had periods when it felt like God was angry or absent. We have always been sin-­infected, sin-­contaminated, and prone to blow about like fallen leaves on a breezy autumn day. As such, we have always needed rituals to help us return to God, right our ship, realign our lives to God’s mission. The Season of Advent, as we prepare the way of the Lord, is one of those times. Whether we are sailing calm seas right now or facing a catastrophic storm, we need our Lord. We need to hear God’s voice speaking clearly. We need reassurance that unlike people, who keep records on the size of each hurricane, our Lord is not keeping a record of our wrongdoings. We need to be confident that the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Psalm 103:8, NRSV). As we light the first candle in our Advent wreath today, officially enacting this annual ritual reminder, and as we move toward the celebration of the birth of the one God sent to save us from the law of sin and death, let us take seriously God’s call on our lives. Let us make our confession of sin, as individuals and as a human community. Let us pray that God will have mercy on us. And let us embrace our need for a Savior. SIDEBAR: ST. NICHOLAS DAY by Taylor Burton-­Edwards So my spouse (also clergy) and I were/are “modern” Christian parents who wanted to observe Advent and Christmas as the church has done so historically, and we didn’t want to teach our children the mythology of Santa Claus. This is hard to do in U.S. culture, even in U.S. church culture! What we decided to do was practice St. Nicholas Day. The real St. Nicholas was a bishop in Myra, Turkey. While even some of the stories surrounding him may be more legendary than historical, what those legends contain is witness to a Christian leader who was personally committed to the care of people and families who faced poverty, particularly but not exclusively families with children. His “saints day” in the Western Christian calendar is December 6.

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St Nicholas Day at our home would draw on some of the Santa Claus mythology, but primarily on enacting the witness of the actual saint. There were stockings to open in the morning, primarily including gold wrapped chocolate, relating to the legend that St. Nicholas would leave gold coins or balls of gold at the homes of people overnight as a means of concealing the gift was from him. We would then spend the morning involved in work with a local nonprofit that worked with people who were poor. This might be ringing bells with the Salvation Army, or volunteering with a food pantry, or getting a list for shopping for people who may not have much to give their children for Christmas. Over lunch, we would write Christmas carol parodies for fun (ask me about those sometime!). In the afternoon, we would shop for other people, not ourselves. And in the evening, we would put up the Christmas tree, watch one traditional Santa-­centered Christmas video, and talk about how what we knew about the real saint related (or didn’t) with how the video portrayed Santa Claus. St. Nicholas Day may be one way you might consider helping the children in your family or congregation bring Santa Claus “down home” into a full observance of Advent, rather than allowing that figure to overshadow the celebration of God’s incarnation in Jesus Christ throughout the season and well into Christmas itself. END SIDEBAR

PLANNING NOTES ADVENT 1: COME DOWN HOME

Reading Notes NRSV texts, artwork and Revised Common Lectionary Prayers for this service are available at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Leccionario en Español, Leccionario Común Revisado: Consulta Sobre Textos Comunes. Lectionnaire en français, Le Lectionnaire Œcuménique Révisé Calendar Notes ADVENT 1: COME DOWN HOME The color for Advent is either blue or purple. Some congregations choose a pink candle and pink paraments for Advent 3, but this is not strictly necessary nor universally followed. The colors for Advent 4 (December 24 in the morning) remain Advent colors. Christmas colors are white and gold, beginning December 24 after sunset. December December 3 Advent-­Christmas Series (Year B) Begins Global Migration Sunday December 21 Longest Night/Blue Christmas December 24 Christmas Eve (evening) December 25 Christmas Day December 26 Kwanzaa December 31 Watch Night/New Year’s Eve

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January January 1 New Year’s Day/Holy Name of Jesus January 7 Epiphany Sunday AND Baptism of the Lord Season after Epiphany Series Begins (forthcoming) January 11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day January 14 Human Relations Day (Special Sunday with Offering) January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday January 18-­25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity January 21 Ecumenical Sunday

February All Month Black History Month February 11 Transfiguration of the Lord Scouting Sunday

February 14 Ash Wednesday Lent Series Begins February 19 Presidents Day

March March 2 World Day of Prayer March 11 UMCOR Sunday Daylight Saving Time Change Song (Spring) (USA) March 25 Passion/Palm Sunday Holy Week Series Begins March 29 Maundy/Holy Thursday March 30 Good Friday March 31 Holy Saturday (until Sundown) Easter Eve/Easter Vigil (after Sundown) April April 1 Easter Day Easter Series Begins April 15 Native American Ministries Sunday April 22 Festival of God’s Creation April 25 World Malaria Day

May All Month Christian Home Month (2018 Theme: Families Called to Peace, forthcoming) Asian Pacific American Heritage Month May 3 National Day of Prayer May 4 May Friendship Day (UMW/CWU) May 7-­13 Christian Family Week (2018 resources forthcoming) May 10 Ascension Day May 13 Ascension Sunday Festival of the Christian Home/Mother’s Day (USA)

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May 19-­20 Change the World Weekend May 20 Day of Pentecost Heritage Sunday (forthcoming) May 24 Aldersgate Day May 27 Trinity Sunday Peace with Justice Sunday May 28 Memorial Day (USA)

For Your Planning Team: ADVENT 1: COME DOWN HOME In the Series As with all series starts, keep these key elements about today’s service in mind as you complete your planning: 1. Include an overture-­-­ Find an effective way to preview or sample the key themes you’ll be exploring in the coming weeks of Advent and Christmas Season. Use the Series Overview for starters. And be sure to preview the weekly “events” you’ll host as part of this series. 2. Use or introduce musical and/or visual threads you will continue to draw on throughout the series. Our series graphics and series theme around Home offers rich opportunities to create your “stage set” and incorporate musical cues throughout the series from secular Christmas and other seasonal music. 3. Start strong, with a plan to build on the first week in the second, maintain development through the middle, and conclude stronger than you began. Strong means confident, clear, and decisive. It need not (and often will not) mean “exciting” or even “impressive” (in terms or music or spectacle). Series ends, like the fourth movement of each service (Sending Forth), are about wrapping together, sending forth, and creating a segue into the next series, not simply wrapping up and closing down the current one. This series actually offers two opportunities for a segue into the next, and the first of these happens on the same day! We provide resourcing for Advent 4 in the morning, and a simple (and brief) service of Christmas Eve Communion you might offer at multiple times in the later afternoon and evening to kick off the celebration of Christmas Season, which continues next Sunday. Whichever of these services you offer, remember to use the opportunity of what may be larger than usual numbers of visitors to invite people to (and preview!) your next series (After Epiphany), which begins January 7 (we combine Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord this year because of the peculiarities of the calendar and under the guidance of the Book of Worship). Since most United Methodist congregations will celebrate Communion today (first Sunday of the month), keep in mind that the role and timing of the sermon is only the first part of the “middle.” Leave plenty of time for response to the word and Communion. This Week’s After Church/Afternoon Activity: St. Nicholas Day

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As described in the Sidebar in the Preaching Notes, we’re commending your congregation adopt some practice of St. Nicholas Day into your activities today. St. Nicholas Day is December 6. Consider creating an opportunity for children and adults to make Advent wreaths for home use and to wrap and exchange small gifts with other families. Have plenty of holiday snacks on hand and tell stories about the real St. Nicholas as part of the day. And if “Santa Claus” will be part of your seasonal activities, today may be the most appropriate Sunday to schedule his visit. Additional Resources for this Service 2014 Planning Helps for these readings Ecumenical Prayer Cycle: Myanmar, Thailand

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ADVENT II: Home is Where We Meet December 10, 2017

Music Notes Preaching Notes Planning Notes

FULL SERVICE

Abbreviations Key TFWS=The Faith We Sing W&S=Worship and Song UMH=United Methodist Hymnal CCLI=Christian Copyright Licensing International (SongSelect) BOW=United Methodist Book of Worship ENTRANCE Greeting: Leader: It is good. People: It is good. Leader: To be in the house of the Lord. People: To be in the house of the Lord. Leader: One more time. People: One more time. Congregational Song: “Gather Us In” TFWS 2236 OR “You Are Good” W&S 3014 “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” UMH 400 Prayer for Illumination: “Jesu, Tawa Pano” (2-­3x) TFWS 2273 Spirit, speak the Word. Spirit, speak the Word. Spirit, speak the Word. Speak the word to us. Text by Taylor Burton-­Edwards WORD AND RESPONSE Scripture Lesson Psalm 85:1-­2, 8-­13 UMH 806 Sermon: Home is Where We Meet Congregational Song: “We Offer Prayer, E’en as We Meet”

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TEXT (paired with MORNING SONG): We offer prayer, e’en as we meet in this provided space, for all who know a void within and long to sense your grace: For those whose homes will vacant be this sacred holiday, who long for warming of the soul, God, be their rest and stay. For those who’ve made the earth their home, who dwell outside today-­-­ on streets, beneath the overpass, God, be their rest and stay. For those who’ve faced deep tragedy and seasons of dismay, who’ve loved and worked and made and lost, God, be their rest and stay. God, help us know your children’s needs with open hearts and minds, that we may form a stronger bond, held fast by Love Divine. Text by Jackson Henry Copyright © 2017 The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church Lighting the Advent Wreath Hymn: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” stanza 5, The United Methodist Hymnal, 211 All [sung]: “O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home. The captives from their prison free, and conquer death’s deep misery.” Reader 1: God of Love, you created the universe and all that is in it. You created all things and called them good. Reader 2: God of Love, you wove into life a beautiful diversity from your infinite palette of creativity. All the creatures that walk or swim, crawl or fly sing praises to you. All: We, God’s people, affirm the creation of all things in love, saying with the psalmist: “God’s salvation is very close to those who honor [God] so that [God’s] glory can live in our land. Faithful love and truth have met;; righteousness and peace have kissed.” (Psalm 85:9-­10, CEB)

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Reader: On this second Sunday of Advent, we light this candle to remind us that the God of Creation calls us home to love all that we meet. Light two candles. All [sung]: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” Prayers of the People Deacon or Lay Intercessor “Prayers of the People” -­ TFWS 2201

“Prayers of the People” -­ CCLI 3414705 http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/3414705/prayers-­of-­the-­people

OR “Prayer of the People” CCLI 7039048

http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/7039048/prayers-­of-­the-­people THANKSGIVING (IF NO COMMUNION) Inviting Deacon or Pastor The Lord requires of us a pure offering, without blemish or spot. We must be right with God and our neighbor to offer ourselves or our gifts to God. Therefore, let us confess our sins against God, and reconcile with our neighbors. Let us pray. Confessing Deacon or Pastor We confess our sin, O God, our Redeemer. Based on Psalm 85 We have failed to offer steadfast love. Restore us, O God of our salvation. Meet us here, and make us whole. Silence We have been unfaithful to your calling to be your voice, hands, and feet to work for righteousness, justice, and peace, in all the ways they were available to us. Restore us, O God of our salvation. Meet us here, and make us whole. Amen.

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Silence Pardoning and Peace Steadfast love and faithfulness have met each other. Righteousness and peace embrace. (Based on Psalm 85:10) In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Glory to God. Amen! At peace with God, let us now offer the peace of Christ to one another. People exchange the peace of Christ. The offering is collected. Offertory Choir/Ensemble/Congregational Music during Collection:

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” UMH 140 Congregational Thanks at Presentation of Gifts BOW 552 (All things come…) (May be introduced and concluded by singing UMH 588) OR THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION Invitation, Confession, Pardon and Peace UMH 7-­8 People exchange the peace of Christ. The offering is collected. Offertory Music Choir/Ensemble/Congregational Music during Collection:

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” UMH 140 Great Thanksgiving for Advent BOW 54-­55 https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/a-­great-­thanksgiving-­for-­advent Congregational Song: “God Almighty, We Are Waiting” W&S 3047 OR “Peace, Salaam, Shalom” W&S 3181

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Thanksgiving after Communion Deacon or Pastor and Congregation Thank you, God, for meeting us in this holy mystery, flesh and blood in our flesh and blood. Send us by your Spirit to be faithful signs of your steadfast love, people in whom righteousness and peace regularly meet, so that among us all may find a home;; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. SENDING Go forth from this place with eyes open to see with ears open to hear with hearts open to embrace each one we meet: In the name of our God who is swift to mercy, relentless in justice, and perfect in peace. Amen. All [sung]: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” (UMH 211)

MUSIC NOTES Gather Us In (TFWS 2236) Marty Haugen shows his deft musicianship and wordsmithing in the creation of this hymn. The text is both poignant and boldly imperative, and its selection and use must be done with a holy confidence. Its inclusion this week is reflective of the theme: “Home Is Where We Meet,” and the gathering there. We cannot sing this hymn idly because the text and tune simply won’t allow it! The tune resembles that of either a sea chanty or a tune sung somewhat lustily at an Oktoberfest, but either way, it is a tune that requires life and energy in its singing. Allow the 6/8 meter to have a rocking motion by placing emphasis on beats 1 and 4. The accompaniment should also be played rigorously on the organ or piano. Guitar can also accompany alongside either keyboard instrument. History of Hymns You Are Good (W&S 3014) This song of praise by Israel Houghton has become a favorite, from modern worship services to vacation Bible school programs, and everything in between. The

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accompaniment can be tricky, so I recommend its use for advanced instrumentalists-­-­whether piano, guitar, or full band. The tempo must stay quick and energetic, but even at a tempo of about 126 bpm, the vocal parts are actually very accessible, easily learned, and very motivic (this strong tune will leave worship with you, and you might be singing it days afterward!). If you have a vocal group who can sustain the energy through the bridge, I recommend using the first half with a leader to improvise on the melody. A choir-­-­whether adults, youth, or children-­-­can accompany the repetitive portion of the bridge. If these ensembles are not available in your context, I simply recommend singing the verse and chorus only with a transition to the coda. If played and sung in E, it will also provide a great segue into the next hymn, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” History of Hymns Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (UMH 400) A long-­time favorite of many churches, this setting of Robert Robinson’s hymn text has its origins in the folk hymn tunes of the nineteenth century. One of its best characteristics is its ability to relate to congregations of all ages, nations, and races. Whether accompanied by organ, piano, or worship band, the melody is very accessible, and its motivic quality and interesting contours make it both fun to sing and memorable. Make sure the tempo never lags behind. The phrases of this tune call for intensity to reflect the praise in the text. In our hymnal, the setting is in E-­flat, but it could also work in E, especially transitioning out of the previous hymn, “You Are Good.” History of Hymns Spirit, Speak the Word This week’s Prayer for Illumination is in the form of song. The tune is from Patrick Matzikenyiri’s “Jesu, Tawa Pano” from Zimbabwe. The words are new, by Taylor Burton-­Edwards. Whatever your opening song has been, ask your musicians to create a musical segue to this tune that slows the tempo further so this song can be sung in a meditative way 2-­3 times before you pray the Psalm (today’s Scripture reading) from the hymnal. Consider using the song again as the response instead of the one printed in the hymnal, and keeping the chord progression of the song going quietly in the background as the Psalm is prayed. Then sing it one last time at the conclusion of the Psalm as lead in to the sermon. We Offer Prayer, E’en As We Meet This hymn was created for the theme of “Home Is Where We Meet” to address issues of loss and grief during the holiday season. Home can be a place of comfort and rest, but it can also be a reminder of sadness and struggle. In order for us to speak of home, we must always remember that these kinds of images are not always nurturing to everyone. I have set the text to the tune MORNING SONG, which frames the text in a solemn manner. Accompaniment can vary, with organ, piano, or guitar, and other treble or bass clef instruments providing countermelodies and descants. View and download We Offer Prayer, E’en As We Meet » O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (UMH 211)

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One of the most well-­known ancient hymns of the church, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is based upon the “O Antiphons” contained on the second page of the hymn in The United Methodist Hymnal. These antiphons were chanted refrains used in worship, one per day, during the last eight days of Advent leading up to Christmas Eve. Like the original antiphons, this hymn sings of the longing and somber nature of the Advent season. We have recommended its use within the liturgy for the lighting of the Advent candles. All are welcome to sing the opening phrase in the liturgy, but it is also possible to have a soloist sing it in a very legato (smooth and connected) manner with a brief pause on the last note of each phrase;; all should sing the concluding phrase: “Rejoice! Rejoice!...” Remove the plodding nature of the accompaniment and allow the melody to stand on its own as the stanzas originally did — as a haunting, unaccompanied chant. Or for a different approach, play a low E pedal point on an instrument such as organ, piano, cello, or bass, and bring in harmonies (with voices or instrumental accompaniment) on the refrain. History of Hymns

Prayers of the People (TFWS 2201) Bonnie Johansen-­Werner’s simple setting of this intercessory prayer can be very powerful in its direct prayer to usher in the reign of God and the connection of that prayer to the needs of the local community and the world. Even though there is a caesura (complete cutoff) written in the accompaniment score, it would also be possible to hold a soft Eb pedal point underneath the spoken intercessions and prayer requests. The recommended form in The Faith We Sing is as follows: Refrain, Petition 1, Response;; Refrain, Petition 2, Response;; and so on. Ideally, the leader of the prayer should also serve as the cantor. The accompaniment can range from organ to piano, to an arpeggiated guitar or other plucked instrument. Prayers of the People (The Brilliance)

A wonderful addition to the modern worship music catalogue, this service music represents what is possible when combining modern music and liturgy. Short, cyclic choruses become responses as a part of congregational prayer. The A and B sections (“You hear us calling” and “Lord, have mercy”) are both equally usable as prayer responses. If you listen to the YouTube link in the worship order, you will notice a rolling accompaniment with many different instrumentalists. This kind of accompaniment gives a pulse to the prayers and is encouraged. However, keep in mind that whatever kind of accompaniment is possible with the musicians in your church is OK! Again, simpler accompaniments are oftentimes the best. For a keyboard, play simple chords on each beat. For a strummed instrument, something light, slightly syncopated, but steady is the best option.

This song is a great example of modern music created to serve a liturgical purpose, and it is very accessible to churches with any instrumental accompaniment. The song is not meant to stand alone as a song;; it will require some intercessions to be created from the context of your community. Respond to each intercession with either the A theme (“You hear us calling”) or the B theme (“Lord, have mercy”). This poignant piece works with organ, piano, guitar, or any other simple accompaniment.

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Great Is Thy Faithfulness (UMH 140_ The Scripture contains the following text this week: “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky” (Psalm 85:10-­11, NRSV). This favorite song could be featured in a variety of ways, from congregational singing to a plethora of settings and arrangements for choirs, handbell ensembles, or other groups. Whether you are in a traditional or modern setting, or something else entirely, this hymn continues to be sung in a variety of contexts as a reflection of awe in response to God’s faithfulness. History of Hymns God Almighty, We Are Waiting (W&S 3047) Ann Bell Worley has created a Trinitarian hymn that ends every hope-­filled stanza with the word, “child.” It is clear that Worley constantly points toward the hope found in the Incarnation and the presence of Emmanuel. The very essence of Advent is contained in the second stanza of this hymn as we are “looking back and looking forward.” HYFRYDOL is a wonderful tune for this hymn by creating moments of forward motion and rest in just the right places. The downward motion of the melody in the last phrase always seems to embody the “coming down” of God to earth in the birth of Jesus. The ideal accompaniment is organ or piano. History of Hymns Peace, Salaam, Shalom (W&S 3181) Discipleship Ministries’ former Director of Music Resources, Dean McIntyre, created this effective, simple song with a haunting melody. Salaam is the phonetic rendering of the Arabic word for “peace,” and Shalom is the Hebrew equivalent. Every phrase uses all three words, as cohesive and inseparable as the persons of the Trinity, and each successive melodic sequence rises in the same way as prayers for peace until the final statement. Find ways to use this as a liturgical piece, even outside of worship, by creating prayers or readings with “Peace, Salaam, Shalom” as a sung response. If you do not have Worship & Song in your church, you can also find the hymn setting here.

PREACHING NOTES

Every year, somewhere around September, I ask my husband Scot the annual holiday question: “What are we doing for Christmas?” Scot was a bachelor until he married me seven years ago. His father passed away in 2008, but his mother still lives in the house where he grew up in Arkansas. Over his entire adult life, unless the weather prevented his travel, Scot’s habit was to spend Christmas with his family of origin. My history with holiday celebrations is very different from his.

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As both a pastor and a pastor’s daughter and granddaughter, Christmas for me has never been about “coming home,” especially if, by those words, one means returning to one’s roots, one’s home of origin. My mother grew up in a parsonage. I grew up in a parsonage. I raised my sons in parsonages and rental properties. Although my parents have now lived in their current house, which they own, for more than a decade, it was never my home. As a family, we have no “home.” Furthermore, even if we did have a family home, we were not a family that was ever able to get together with the extended relatives for Christmas. My dad worked on Christmas Eve, so when I was growing up, our family couldn’t travel to see grandparents and relatives at Christmastime. I’ve worked for the church since I was twenty-­one, and so I, too, have always worked on Christmas Eve. I have never been able to visit family over the Christmas holidays. As a single mother raising two children, for many years, I also had to navigate the challenging road of helping my sons have ample time with both their father and with me over the holidays. Because we had to be flexible each year, as a family, we never developed many hard Christmas traditions. Nowadays, with our parents aging and our adult children living far away, it is rare for Scot and me to spend Christmas with family. We do sometimes make the trip back to Arkansas to see our parents, but when we do, we usually travel either the week before or the week after Christmas, so that we can be in our own community and home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Pastors and their families spend a lifetime building relationships with their church members, but trying not to get too attached because we could be moved. Every year, when appointment season rolls around, we contemplate the possibility of uprooting our lives once more, saying goodbye to the relationships we’ve established, the people we have grown to love, and the plans we have put in motion, and moving on to the next place God is calling us to serve. Sometimes the news that we are staying on comes as relief. Other times, it comes as difficult news. But the fact is, as people committed to itinerancy, we are never full members of the communities we serve. We are always outsiders, even if we serve in an appointment for a long time. So, in some ways, I think it is difficult for us, as people committed to itinerancy, to fully appreciate the holiday traditions of the people we serve. Our colleague, Amy, shares her husband’s family tradition in the sidebar. This may ring truer to many people’s experience than our own. SIDEBAR: HOME IS WHERE WE MEET by Amy Sigmon The heart of my husband’s family is a quiet, unassuming brick home on an inlet of Lake Norman in North Carolina. Trimmed azaleas and rhododendrons surround a small patch of lawn out front. This is where they take their yearly Easter pictures before changing out of their church clothes. There’s a small fenced garden separating the driveway from the back lawn that slopes down to the boat dock and the lake. The garden grows green beans, to be canned by my mother-­in-­law and her sisters come mid-­summer. Family

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enters through the slamming screen door to the garage, which has a blackboard with the brain teaser, “What’s the fastest thing on Earth? Answer: Lightning.” It’s written in Papa’s handwriting. That’s my husband’s maternal grandfather. My husband tells me it’s been up there for at least two decades. This is a house that seems frozen in time, the only changes made as concessions to his aging grandparents: the chair lift up from the basement to the first floor being the most visible. The most recent? The alarm system installed in late 2015. Papa and Mimi both died in 2015, eight months apart. The yard is kept up by my uncles-­in-­law. The garden was planted by my brother-­in-­law. Even after their deaths, Mimi and Papa’s house is where the family gathers for most holidays and family events: Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, birthdays, graduation parties. Summer holidays like Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day aren’t complete without a dip in the lake. For holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, my mother-­in-­law and her two sisters haul bags and bags of groceries to the house to make holiday meals. We bring all the presents wrapped. I bring a Pack n Play and the video monitor so that my small children can nap. Then after our day is over, we wrap up all the extra food and put it in the cars. We bag up all the presents. The Pack n Play is put back up. The trash gets taken to someone else’s house to be put out. The alarm on the house is reset. We drive back to my in-­laws’ in the dark. As an outsider to their family, I don’t have years of memories in this house embedded in my soul. I confess that I see our treks to and from Mimi and Papa’s house, through expanding Charlotte traffic, with small children in tow, as somewhat of an inconvenience. Stressful and busy holidays are not my best moments in my Christian witness, and I often find myself detouring through the nearby Starbucks as a moment of respite. But in my best moments, I am grateful that Mimi and Papa managed to create this gathering place that represents family. I am grateful that they provided enough to keep the house for a while longer, as the family continues to grieve and miss them. I am grateful that my children, too, may have memories of their great-­grandparents’ house that spills over with love. END SIDEBAR No matter what the circumstances of our holidays, no matter how shallow and flexible, or deeply entrenched are our particular rituals and traditions, the holidays force us to confront ourselves, our relationships, and our lives in ways that the rest of the year does not insist upon. It is around the tree, around the fireplace, and around the table, that we find ourselves hurled back in time, immersed in emotions and behaviors that no longer define us. We become the child, the sister, the brother, the aunt, the uncle, the grandparent, the in-­law, not only of the present, but of all our memories, both individual and collective.

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In some families, when we “come down home” to visit, our whole selves are not welcome. We come home harboring bad feelings, unresolved conflicts, disagreements about identity, politics, religious beliefs, lifestyle choices, or other practices that must be hidden from family members. For many, the pressure to conform to the accepted family storyline is so great that the annual return becomes a thing to dread. Some refuse to participate. Others make family in different ways, as they create community with people with whom they have no blood ties, but who are, nevertheless, family. SIDEBAR: “Come Down Home” by Jackson Henry Having grown up in Appalachia, I was always familiar with the phrase “down-­home,” but my understanding of it was more experiential than one informed by a specific knowledge of how to articulate it. I would wager there are many people living in rural culture who understand that this is more a feeling and state of mind than a concept confined to sociology or anthropology textbooks. There is a wonderful music venue in Johnson City, Tennessee, called The Down Home, which is labeled as an “eclectic music room.” Many people in southern Appalachia know about this place, which everyone understands to be a cultural watering hole by allowing the music of grassroots culture, whether rural or urban, to shine. Another important cultural marker of the area, just over the state line in Virginia is the Carter Family Fold, which is a community and music center named after the famous Carter family, who are largely responsible for the creation of what is known widely as country music. The fact that music and community go hand-­in-­hand is not lost on the people of southern Appalachia, and the concept of the “fold” (either an enclosure for sheep or another name for a church or closely-­knit community) is also not to be divided from “down-­home.” Defined as a quality of life characterized by simplicity and familiarity, “down-­home” is often referred to as a trait of the southern U.S., but “down-­home” can exist anywhere. More important than geography is a commitment to simplicity and the forming of family bonds within the community. When those traits find a home there, “down-­home” can be known anywhere. END SIDEBAR What is it to come home? What is home? It’s different for each of us. Some find home with their blood relatives and long, established traditions. Some find home with the person they love the most. Patients in long-­term care may be in a place and time where home exists only in deep corridors of their memories. In the midst of all the destruction around the globe right now—destruction from hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, droughts, and wars—finding a place to call home may seem more distant, and yet more critical, than ever before.

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In last week’s Scripture lesson from Isaiah, God had turned away from God’s people because of their sinfulness. The people felt alone and filled with regret. They needed a sign, some kind of reassurance that God had not abandoned them forever. They needed to come home to their God. This week, God has turned back toward God’s people. God has restored the fortunes of Jacob. God has been merciful and offered pardon for sin. God has spoken peace to the faithful, to those who turn to the Lord in their hearts. In other words, God has returned to be at home among mortals. What is home? Perhaps home is simply wherever we meet. It is where we attend to the intersections, the various paths where our lives come in contact with the lives of others and with our Lord God. According to the Psalmist, home is the place where steadfast love and faithfulness will meet. It is the place where righteousness and and peace will kiss each other. It is the place where faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. Home is where we meet. Home is anywhere we meet God, face-­to-­face and hand-­in-­hand. Home is the assurance that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, thus proving God’s love for us. Home is knowing that we are saved by the grace of God. Home is anywhere that we meet God’s people and welcome them in with the love of Christ.

PLANNING NOTES ADVENT 2: HOME IS WHERE WE MEET

Reading Notes NRSV texts, artwork and Revised Common Lectionary Prayers for this service are available at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Leccionario en Español, Leccionario Común Revisado: Consulta Sobre Textos Comunes. Lectionnaire en français, Le Lectionnaire Œcuménique Révisé Calendar Notes ADVENT 1: COME DOWN HOME The color for Advent is either blue or purple. Some congregations choose a pink candle and pink paraments for Advent 3, but this is not strictly necessary nor universally followed. The colors for Advent 4 (December 24 in the morning) remain Advent colors. Christmas colors are white and gold, beginning December 24 after sunset.

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December December 21 Longest Night/Blue Christmas December 24 Christmas Eve (evening) December 25 Christmas Day December 26 Kwanzaa December 31 Watch Night/New Year’s Eve

January January 1 New Year’s Day/Holy Name of Jesus January 7 Epiphany Sunday AND Baptism of the Lord Season after Epiphany Series Begins (forthcoming) January 11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day January 14 Human Relations Day (Special Sunday with Offering) January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday January 18-­25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity January 21 Ecumenical Sunday

February All Month Black History Month February 11 Transfiguration of the Lord Scouting Sunday

February 14 Ash Wednesday Lent Series Begins February 19 Presidents Day

March March 2 World Day of Prayer March 11 UMCOR Sunday Daylight Saving Time Change Song (Spring) (USA) March 25 Passion/Palm Sunday Holy Week Series Begins March 29 Maundy/Holy Thursday March 30 Good Friday March 31 Holy Saturday (until Sundown) Easter Eve/Easter Vigil (after Sundown) April April 1 Easter Day Easter Series Begins April 15 Native American Ministries Sunday April 22 Festival of God’s Creation April 25 World Malaria Day

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May All Month Christian Home Month (2018 Theme: Families Called to Peace, forthcoming) Asian Pacific American Heritage Month May 3 National Day of Prayer May 4 May Friendship Day (UMW/CWU) May 7-­13 Christian Family Week (2018 resources forthcoming) May 10 Ascension Day May 13 Ascension Sunday Festival of the Christian Home/Mother’s Day (USA) May 19-­20 Change the World Weekend May 20 Day of Pentecost Heritage Sunday (forthcoming) May 24 Aldersgate Day May 27 Trinity Sunday Peace with Justice Sunday May 28 Memorial Day (USA)

For Your Planning Team: ADVENT 2: HOME IS WHERE WE MEET In the Series Week 2 of any series is about building on the momentum started in week 1. Thematically, we’ve “come down home” last week. Now, we’re there and we’re doing what we do there-­-­ meet our kinfolk again, perhaps after some extended absence from at least some of them, and spend time among them. Scripturally, we focus this week on Psalm 85, and especially verse 10: “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet, righteousness and peace will kiss each other.” The Psalm expresses hope in a reunion of God’s steadfast love with our faithfulness, God’s righteousness with the Shalom (wholeness, peace) of all of God’s people. Last week was about journey. Today is about sojourn, about beginning to settle in to what are intended to be the familiar rhythms of life “down home” with God. This Week’s After Church/Afternoon Activity: “Ugly” Sweater Christmas Party Consider extending the metaphor of reunion time with a Christmas party after church or later in the day or evening to which people are invited to wear their “best” (most outlandish) Christmas sweater or other appropriate seasonal attire (things folks only wear or would wear around Christmastime). Make a contest of it with winners in multiple categories. Encourage creativity to run wild. Bring out your Christmas treats, put on secular Christmas songs, and above all, enjoy one another’s company. Additional Resources for this Service 2014 Planning Helps for these readings Ecumenical Prayer Cycle: Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

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ADVENT 3: Joy is Our True Home December 17, 2017

Music Notes Preaching Notes Planning Notes

FULL SERVICE

Abbreviations Key TFWS=The Faith We Sing W&S=Worship and Song UMH=United Methodist Hymnal AH=Africana Hymnal CCLI=Christian Copyright Licensing International (SongSelect) BOW=United Methodist Book of Worship

ENTRANCE Greeting:

Pastor: Welcome, people! People: Welcome, preacher! All: Welcome home! Joy makes its home in us. Amen.

[Sung]: “Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, give thanks and sing.” (UMH #160, chorus)

Congregational Song: “Cantemos al Señor” UMH 149 OR “Again I Say Rejoice” AH 4001 OR CCLI 4302823 OR “Rejoice” CCLI 4822523 Prayer of Illumination: Speak to us once more your Word of truth, that our lives may be filled with your joy, this day, and forever. Amen. WORD AND RESPONSE Scripture Lesson: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-­24 Deacon or Lay Reader

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Sermon: Joy Is Our True Home Congregational Song: “Many and Great” UMH 148 Lighting the Advent Wreath Hymn: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” stanza 6, The United Methodist Hymnal, 211 All: “O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thy justice here;; disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.” Reader 1: “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are overjoyed. … Let those who plant with tears reap the harvest with joyful shouts.” (Psalm 126:3, 5 CEB) Reader 2: God of Joy, you enter the wilderness of our world and proclaim that there is a way to reach home again. Reader 3: God of Joy, you break through clouds of despair and sorrow to bring good news to your people. Reader 4: God of Joy, you send hope into the world in the form of a tiny baby. All: We, God’s people, sing songs of joy with the prophet, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God” (Isaiah 61:10, NRSV). Reader: On this third Sunday of Advent, we light this candle, knowing that joy is our true home. Light three candles. If you have a pink candle, light it for the first time today. All: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” Prayers of the People Deacon or Lay Intercessor “Prayers of the People” -­ TFWS 2201

“Prayers of the People” -­ CCLI 3414705 http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/3414705/prayers-­of-­the-­people

OR “Prayer of the People” CCLI 7039048

http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/7039048/prayers-­of-­the-­people THANKSGIVING (IF NO COMMUNION) Inviting Deacon or Pastor The Lord requires of us a pure offering, without blemish or spot.

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We must be right with God and our neighbor to offer ourselves or our gifts to God. Therefore, let us confess our sins against God, and reconcile with our neighbors. Let us pray. Confessing Deacon or Pastor We have grieved your Spirit by our sin. (Based on I Thessalonians 5:16-­23, NRSV) We have not been steadfast in prayer. We have failed to give thanks. We have quenched the Spirit. Silence We have ignored or despised the words of the prophets. We have not abstained from every form of evil. Forgive us, O God. Realign our wills with yours. And fill us with your joy. Silence Pardoning and Peace Pastor: May the God of peace sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound now and to the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Your sins are forgiven. Your sins are forgiven. All: Glory to God! Amen. At peace with God, let us now offer the peace of Christ to one another. People exchange the peace of Christ. The offering is collected. Offertory Music Choir/Ensemble/Congregational Music during Collection:

“If You Believe and I Believe” W&S 3121

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Congregational Thanks at Presentation of Gifts BOW 552 (All things come…) (May be introduced and concluded by singing UMH 588) OR THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION Invitation, Confession, Pardon and Peace UMH 7-­8 People exchange the peace of Christ. The offering is collected. Offertory Music Choir/Ensemble/Congregational Music during Collection:

“If You Believe and I Believe” W&S 3121

Great Thanksgiving for Advent BOW 54-­55 https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/a-­great-­thanksgiving-­for-­advent

Congregational Song: “Peace of Our Praying” W&S 3022 OR “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” UMH 57 OR W&S 3001 Thanksgiving after Communion Deacon or Pastor and Congregation Thank you, God, for filling us with the joy of your presence in this holy mystery, flesh and blood in our flesh and blood. Send us by your Spirit to rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and always give thanks, holding fast to what is good;; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. SENDING Song of Sending “You Shall Go Out with Joy” TFWS 2279 People of God, go out in peace. Go out in hope. Go out in joy. All [sung]: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” (UMH 211)

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MUSIC NOTES

Cantemos al Señor (UMH 149) On this day of rejoicing, this rousing hymn by Carlos Rosas offers a chance for the congregation to sing with joy! If the hymn is new to your congregation, the best way to teach it for the first time is to welcome all to sing on the estribillo, or refrain, in either Spanish or English. If they will sing in Spanish as a primary English-­speaking congregation, it is best to teach them the Spanish words by rote. Looking at both languages on the page at the same time can be somewhat confusing when singing through initially. Here is a phonetic rendering of the Spanish text (note that “Aleluya” is pronounced the same way as “Alleluia”): Ah-­leh-­loo-­yah! Cahn-­teh-­mohs ahl Sehn-­yohr. Ah-­leh-­loo-­yah! The tempo should be about 90-­96 per dotted quarter note. Accompanying with organ might be difficult unless your instrument has defined clarity to help the tempo stay consistent. I recommend a strummed guitar or piano, with shakers and tambourines. Have a soloist sing the stanzas and invite the congregation to join on the refrain. When it becomes familiar, have the congregation sing the stanzas in English, and when it becomes a heart-­song, challenge them to sing in Spanish! History of Hymns Again I Say Rejoice (Africana Hymnal 4001 OR CCLI 4302823) If you are looking for a lively song for this service, look no further than this energetic work, which can either be found in The Africana Hymnal or directly from CCLI. There are benefits to either setting, but in using The Africana Hymnal, you will also notice the suggestion to substitute “all” or “we” in place of the word “men.” I personally recommend using “we” in this instance, but make note that if you are projecting or reprinting text in any way, you need permission from the publisher to change any lyrics. The other way to proceed is simply inform the congregation that whenever “men” is used, “we” will be substituted. Both settings (Africana Hymnal and CCLI) provide vocal options that work in multiple keys. There is a great need for more accompaniment than piano or guitar, especially in percussion. Therefore, accompany with a rhythm section or full band if possible, but at the very least, use a cajon, congas, or bongos, along with shakers and/or tambourine. Rejoice (CCLI 4822523) Another modern worship song option is this lilting call to rejoice, which is both rhythmic and fairly singable. As is usually the case, Chris Tomlin’s original keys are too high for congregational singing, so recommend singing in the key of F. Sing the bridge softly as a way to provide some variance in the dynamics, repeating and gradually building into a strong forte when the chorus resumes. Accompany with piano, solo guitar, or full band.

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Many and Great (UMH 148) This hymn, which is one of the most sung Native American melodies, should be known as a standard in all United Methodist churches as a hymn of praise from first nation peoples. It is our responsibility to make sure our congregations sing it as an affirmation of the presence of first nations in this land and the pursuits of justice and peace. In addition, the singing of this hymn is important as a way of embodying a spirit of praise and rejoicing in another character. Most congregations do not associate the key of C minor with praise, but this is a solemn statement of awe and wonder with a form similar to that of a traditional collect, embodying a certain stillness and reverence with its praise and petition. Accompanying with the written score in The United Methodist Hymnal is one option, but I recommend singing a unison melody with voice alone leading and one or two simple drums (hand drum, djembe, etc.). It is also possible to add a Native American flute or recorder to introduce the melody. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (UMH 211)

One of the most well-­known ancient hymns of the church, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is based upon the “O Antiphons” contained on the second page of the hymn in The United Methodist Hymnal. These antiphons were chanted refrains used in worship, one per day, during the last eight days of Advent leading up to Christmas Eve. Like the original antiphons, this hymn sings of the longing and somber nature of the Advent season. We have recommended its use within the liturgy for the lighting of the Advent candles. All are welcome to sing the opening phrase in the liturgy, but it is also possible to have a soloist sing it in a very legato (smooth and connected) manner with a brief pause on the last note of each phrase;; all should sing the concluding phrase: “Rejoice! Rejoice!...” Remove the plodding nature of the accompaniment and allow the melody to stand on its own as the stanzas originally did — as a haunting, unaccompanied chant. Or for a different approach, play a low E pedal point on an instrument such as organ, piano, cello, or bass, and bring in harmonies (with voices or instrumental accompaniment) on the refrain. History of Hymns Prayers of the People (TFWS 2201) Bonnie Johansen-­Werner’s simple setting of this intercessory prayer can be very powerful in its direct prayer to usher in the reign of God and the connection of that prayer to the needs of the local community and the world. Even though there is a caesura (complete cutoff) written in the accompaniment score, it would also be possible to hold a soft Eb pedal point underneath the spoken intercessions and prayer requests. The recommended form in The Faith We Sing is as follows: Refrain, Petition 1, Response;; Refrain, Petition 2, Response;; and so on. Ideally, the leader of the prayer should also serve as the cantor. The accompaniment can range from organ to piano, to an arpeggiated guitar or other plucked instrument. Prayers of the People (The Brilliance)

A wonderful addition to the modern worship music catalogue, this service music represents what is possible when combining modern music and liturgy. Short, cyclic choruses become responses as a part of congregational prayer. The A and B sections (“You hear us calling” and “Lord, have mercy”) are both equally usable as prayer

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responses. If you listen to the YouTube link in the worship order, you will notice a rolling accompaniment with many different instrumentalists. This kind of accompaniment gives a pulse to the prayers and is encouraged. However, keep in mind that whatever kind of accompaniment is possible with the musicians in your church is OK! Again, simpler accompaniments are oftentimes the best. For a keyboard, play simple chords on each beat. For a strummed instrument, something light, slightly syncopated, but steady is the best option. This song is a great example of modern music created to serve a liturgical purpose, and it is very accessible to churches with any instrumental accompaniment. The song is not meant to stand alone as a song;; it will require some intercessions to be created from the context of your community. Respond to each intercession with either the A theme (“You hear us calling”) or the B theme (“Lord, have mercy”). This poignant piece works with organ, piano, guitar, or any other simple accompaniment. If You Believe and I Believe (W&S 3121) One of the shortest phrases in the Scripture reading this week is 1 Thessalonians 5:19, which states, “Do not quench the Spirit” (NRSV). This freedom song is a testament to the work of the Spirit, originally among the people of Zimbabwe. As John Bell of the Iona Community comments in the collection, Sent By the Lord: Songs of the World Church, Volume 2, the original words were “the Holy Spirit must come down and set Zimbabwe free,” which is a testament to the song’s origin as a statement of defiance by the Zimbabwean people (Bell, 1990, 52). Now the song reads “God’s people” instead of “Zimbabwe,” and this chorus is a testament to the liberating work of the spirit in communities everywhere. If you have a choir that is able to sing four-­part, SATB harmony, sing a cappella with drums and shakers as accompaniment. If a choir is not among the resources in your context, it is also easily accompanied by a keyboard instrument or guitar. The drums, however, will give it life, so add what you are able! Peace of Our Praying (W&S 3022) The opening statement, “Peace of our praying,” and the closing statement, “Hope of our hoping, Life of all life,” make this hymn an ideal addition to the Advent season. Beginning with a prayer for peace and ending with hope is an ideal way to move forward and inspire a spirit of anticipation in your congregation. Accompany simply with an organ or piano. The tune, PAHOA, is delightfully singable, even if it is new to your worshiping community. O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing (UMH 57 or W&S 3001) One of Charles Wesley’s most well-­known hymns, this classic hymn is so ubiquitous in United Methodist worship that it is also very easy to sing without nuance. Many times, I have witnessed churches singing this hymn so strongly that all musicianship goes out the window. There is something to be said about fervor (singing “lustily” and all), but it is important to keep the text before us in a way that reflects the place of grace in the hymn. Whereas singing the hymn with the organ supporting on the AZMON tune can be seen as an ecstatic musical and spiritual experience, I also recommend challenging the congregation by singing the AZMON’S GHOST tune by

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Mark A. Miller in Worship & Song. This tune can be accompanied effectively with piano, or even a complete rhythm section of piano, bass, guitar, and drums. Because of its prominence in Methodist churches and hymnals, I encourage you to do a search on umcdiscipleship.org with this title and see what all is offered on the website. Included among them is a History of Hymns article and the eighteen original stanzas of the hymn. You Shall Go out with Joy (TFWS 2279) A song whose birthplace is within Messianic Judaism in the United States in the mid-­1970s, “You Shall Go out with Joy” (or “The Trees of the Field,”) a paraphrase of Isaiah 55:12, became a staple within Pentecostalism soon thereafter, and then spread into mainline denominations largely through charismatic renewal movements in the 1980s and 1990s. The tune and performance practices, which include notation for clapping, reflect its Jewish heritage. On this Sunday where we are especially focused on Advent joy, it makes a marvelous hymn of sending. You may even consider using it as a reprise or in other arrangements as a postlude after the singing of the chorus of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” which concludes this service.

PREACHING NOTES

The year was 2007. I had just completed my coursework in my PhD program, and I was exhausted. I had a few months before I needed to begin the next stage of my doctoral journey: preparing for my comprehensive exams. As a single mother with a full-­time job in a growing church, I needed a break. My church was very gracious to give me a month off. But unfortunately, my finances were not quite as gracious. There was no way I could afford to take my two teenage sons on a month-­long luxury vacation. So we had three choices: we could take a month of staycation;; we could go to Arkansas and hole up with my parents;; or we could travel, if we kept our expenses to a minimum. We chose option three. And so we began to beg, borrow, and in a very few cases, buy, a basic set of camping equipment. We borrowed an old tent. I practiced setting it up and sprayed the seams with waterproofing gunk. We washed our sleeping bags. We put together a cooking box. We borrowed an old Coleman Stove. We borrowed a rooftop bag, filled it up with pillows, sleeping bags, and backpacks, and strapped it to the roof of my Honda Accord. We loaded up the trunk. Finally, on a hot July Sunday afternoon after worship, we set out on our journey west. We didn’t have much of a plan, other than to –at some point –see the Grand Canyon. By the end of our first day, we had made it to a state park in Missouri. My sons had never really camped before, but we managed to set up our tent and unload all of our belongings—and I mean, ALL of them—into our tent. We’d made a rookie mistake our first day out: we arrived at the park just as the sun was setting, leaving us to try to put together our first dinner in the dark. Our campground was situated next to a river, and the bugs were out in full force. My fourteen-­year-­old son hates bugs, and we managed to capture some footage on film of him frantically slapping them away as he tried to eat a lukewarm hot dog and some lukewarm canned beans. But we managed to eat and get

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things cleaned up and put back in our storage boxes, even with all the bugs and even in the dark. After such a long day of traveling, I thought a hot shower might be just the ticket to a good night’s rest, so we headed for the campground showers. As we emerged afterward, clean and wearing pajamas, I felt a wonderful cool breeze blow across my face. I though, “Ah. Yes. This is the life. It is going to be a wonderful first night.” It was right about then that I noticed that other campers were running, literally running, from all directions, toward their campsites. The lovely breeze suddenly became a hard wind. I saw a crack of lightning, too close for comfort, and heard a crash of thunder. My sons and I made a beeline for our tent, managing to throw ourselves inside and zip the door closed just as the heavens opened up and the rain began pouring down. Well, it stormed all night long. At some point in the wee hours of the morning, after not sleeping at all, I started to feel water dripping down along the newly waterproofed seams. Soon, water was soaking through from underneath the tent. I tried to position myself in the center of my sleeping pad, but it was a losing battle. I began to hear the boys stir as the water reached their skin. Since we had unpacked everything we owned into the tent, it wasn’t long before our pillows, our sleeping bags, and our backpacks full of clothes were soaking up water like giant sponges. About daybreak, with no sign that the thunder, lightning, and pouring rain were going to let up, I began to formulate an exit strategy. I would don my rain cloak and run the boxes of hard camping gear we had left outside to the trunk of the car. The boys could pack things up in the rooftop bag inside the tent. Then, the three of us would carry the bag over to car, hoist it on top, and strap it down. We could then quickly dismantle our tent, throw it in a garbage bag, and be on our way. As the sun rose over our drenched campground, together we carried out the plan. Soaking wet and covered with mud, I barked orders and the boys scrambled around until we somehow managed to get everything in the car to leave our God-­forsaken campground by mid-­morning. Later in the day—day two of our month-­long journey—we made our first of many trips to a laundromat, where we washed and dried everything we owned. Only this time, we packed all our pillows, clothing, and sleeping bags in heavy-­duty garbage bags before stuffing them into the rooftop carrier, just in case we had to drive all day in the rain. It was a rough start to what ended up being– for all three of us –a life-­changing journey. The season of Advent is a journey that begins with a rough start. Our journey toward the cradle started this year with the people of Isaiah’s time feeling lost and distant from their God. As we listened to the dire reading from the prophet two weeks ago, we contemplated our own sinfulness and acknowledged our desperate need to realign ourselves with the One who not only created us, but who alone is able to save us.

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Last week, we heard the assurances of the Psalmist that in spite of our sins, the LORD was favorable to the land and forgave the iniquity of the people. We talked about the meaning of home for each of us, concluding that home was the place where we meet. Home is where we meet our God. Home is where we meet and welcome one another. Home is where we meet to hear peace spoken and where we know that salvation is near. Home is the place where steadfast love and faithfulness line up, and where righteousness and peace kiss each other. This week, we have heard from the Apostle Paul, writing in his very first letter to the Thessalonians—the earliest piece of writing in the New Testament. What is the subject of Paul’s letter to the earliest Christian community? Joy. Specifically, joy in the midst of difficult nights. The Psalmist writes,

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment;; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:4-­5, NRSV)

Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning! As I think about the season of Advent, and read from Thessalonians on this third week into our journey, I can’t help but hear traces of the Psalmist in Paul’s words:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything. Hold fast to what is good;; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely;; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-­24, NRSV)

My friends, nobody said the journey was going to be easy. Maybe it is for the best that Advent always starts off with a hard dose of reality. But as we enter into the homestretch of the season and begin final preparations not only to celebrate the birth of Christ into the world and his coming again in final glory, but also to welcome friends and family members who are coming down home, some of whom might not be gathering

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with good intentions, let us not quench the Spirit. Let it be in a spirit of grace that we acknowledge that for many of us, welcoming guests or going home will never resemble in any way the pictures of perfect familial bliss that we see in the constant holiday barrage of Photoshopped advertisements, holiday television specials, and Christmas movies. Nevertheless, let us enter into this time with rejoicing, prayer, and giving thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us. For no matter how hard the journey may be some days, we know that joy is our true home. And finally, let us not just hear the blessing of Paul for the Thessalonians as a nice closing remark, but as a blessing for each one of us. May the God of peace sanctify us entirely. May our spirits and our souls and our bodies be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

PLANNING NOTES

ADVENT 3: JOY IS OUR TRUE HOME Reading Notes NRSV texts, artwork and Revised Common Lectionary Prayers for this service are available at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Leccionario en Español, Leccionario Común Revisado: Consulta Sobre Textos Comunes. Lectionnaire en français, Le Lectionnaire Œcuménique Révisé Calendar Notes ADVENT 3: JOY IS OUR TRUE HOME The color for Advent is either blue or purple. Some congregations choose a pink candle and pink paraments for Advent 3, but this is not strictly necessary nor universally followed. The colors for Advent 4 (December 24 in the morning) remain Advent colors. Christmas colors are white and gold, beginning December 24 after sunset. December December 21 Longest Night/Blue Christmas December 24 Christmas Eve (evening) December 25 Christmas Day December 26 Kwanzaa December 31 Watch Night/New Year’s Eve

January January 1 New Year’s Day/Holy Name of Jesus January 7 Epiphany Sunday AND Baptism of the Lord Season after Epiphany Series Begins (forthcoming) January 11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day January 14 Human Relations Day (Special Sunday with Offering) January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday

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January 18-­25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity January 21 Ecumenical Sunday

February All Month Black History Month February 11 Transfiguration of the Lord Scouting Sunday

February 14 Ash Wednesday Lent Series Begins February 19 Presidents Day

March March 2 World Day of Prayer March 11 UMCOR Sunday Daylight Saving Time Change Song (Spring) (USA) March 25 Passion/Palm Sunday Holy Week Series Begins March 29 Maundy/Holy Thursday March 30 Good Friday March 31 Holy Saturday (until Sundown) Easter Eve/Easter Vigil (after Sundown) April April 1 Easter Day Easter Series Begins April 15 Native American Ministries Sunday April 22 Festival of God’s Creation April 25 World Malaria Day

May All Month Christian Home Month (2018 Theme: Families Called to Peace, forthcoming) Asian Pacific American Heritage Month May 3 National Day of Prayer May 4 May Friendship Day (UMW/CWU) May 7-­13 Christian Family Week (2018 resources forthcoming) May 10 Ascension Day May 13 Ascension Sunday Festival of the Christian Home/Mother’s Day (USA) May 19-­20 Change the World Weekend May 20 Day of Pentecost Heritage Sunday (forthcoming) May 24 Aldersgate Day May 27 Trinity Sunday

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Peace with Justice Sunday May 28 Memorial Day (USA)

For Your Planning Team: ADVENT 3: JOY IS OUR TRUE HOME In the Series If last week was about settling in, this week is about rejoicing together and going out with joy. Joy is not happiness. Happiness is fleeting. Joy abides. Neither is joy in any way a denial of reality, grief, or pain. Rather, it is the “blessed assurance” than enables us to face and endure every form of evil, injustice, and oppression we may encounter in this age as we anticipate and live from the age to come where Christ makes all things new. So today we rejoice continually;; we pray fervently;; and we give thanks. And we do so recognizing, with gratitude, that in Christ, God makes it possible for joy to be our true home. This Week’s After Church/Afternoon Activity: Christmas Caroling Get out your wassail bowls and figgy pudding to send folks off to an afternoon of caroling in your church’s neighborhood(s), healthcare facilities, homeless shelters, group homes, or, if you can arrange it, jails or prisons. Then come back for an evening of Advent Lessons and Carols at your church, mall, or town square. Additional Resources for this Service 2014 Planning Helps for these readings Ecumenical Prayer Cycle: China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan

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ADVENT IV: God Makes This World Our Home December 24, 2017

Morning Worship Service

Music Notes

Preaching Notes Planning Notes

FULL SERVICE

Abbreviations Key UMH=United Methodist Hymnal AH=Africana Hymnal CCLI=Christian Copyright Licensing International (SongSelect) TFWS=The Faith We Sing URW=Upper Room Worshipbook BOW=United Methodist Book of Worship ENTRANCE Greeting: Leader: Greetings, favored ones! Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you. People: Holy Spirit, come upon us. Power of the Most High, overshadow us. Congregational Song “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” UMH 216 OR “Wait Right Here Until He Comes” AH 4032 OR “Holy Spirit” CCLI 6087919

http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/6087919/holy-­spirit Prayer for Illumination Our souls rejoice in your presence, O God. Speak now your word in our singing that our lives may rejoice in your way. Amen. WORD AND RESPONSE Gospel Lesson: Luke 1:46-­55 [All Sing Canticle of the Turning]

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“Canticle of the Turning URW 18 Sermon: God Makes This World Our Home Lighting the Advent Wreath Hymn: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” stanza 7, The United Methodist Hymnal, 211 All: “O come, Desire of nations bind all peoples in one heart and mind. From dust thou brought us forth to life;; deliver us from earthly strife.” Reader 1: “Our souls magnify the Lord and our spirits rejoice in God for God has looked with favor on us, God’s servants.” Reader 2: “God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly. God has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.” Reader 3: God of Justice, God of Peace, we open our hearts to you. Give us grace to be instruments of your righteousness. Reader 4: Give us courage to turn away from distractions and distortions and turn toward the home you have made, are making, and will complete through Christ. All: We, God’s people, sing songs of joy with the prophet, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God.” (Isaiah 61:10, NRSV) Reader: On this fourth Sunday of Advent, the morning of Christmas Eve, we light this candle, turning with courage toward the One who makes a home among us. Light all four Advent candles. All: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” Prayers of the People Deacon or Lay Intercessor “Prayers of the People” -­ TFWS 2201

“Prayers of the People” -­ CCLI 3414705 http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/3414705/prayers-­of-­the-­people

OR “Prayer of the People” CCLI 7039048

http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/7039048/prayers-­of-­the-­people

THANKSGIVING (IF NO COMMUNION) Inviting Deacon or Pastor

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The Lord requires of us a pure offering, without blemish or spot. We must be right with God and our neighbor to offer ourselves or our gifts to God. Therefore, let us confess our sins against God, and reconcile with our neighbors. Let us pray. Confessing Deacon or Pastor We have refused your will, God Most High. (Based on Luke 1:38, 51-­55, NRSV) We have relied on our own strength. We have made the powerful more powerful. We have ignored or suppressed the lowly. Silence We have blessed the people who can support themselves, and left hungry people to starve. We have celebrated wealthy people, and sent poor, sick, and outcast people to early graves. Silence Give us Gabriel’s words, “Fear not,” and Mary’s courage to sing and live them. Have mercy upon us. Overthrow our sin with your strong arm. Cast out our fear. Silence Pardoning and Peace Pastor: According to the promise made to us in Christ Jesus, the Mighty One remembers mercy when we confess our sin. You are forgiven. Take courage! You are forgiven. Take courage! All: Glory to God! Amen. At peace with God, let us now offer the peace of Christ to one another. People exchange the peace of Christ.

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The offering is collected. Offertory Music Choir/Ensemble/Congregational Music during Collection:

“Like a Child” TFWS 2092 OR “Star-­Child” TFWS 2095

Congregational Thanks at Presentation of Gifts BOW 552 (All things come…) (May be introduced and concluded by singing UMH 588) OR THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION Invitation, Confession, Pardon and Peace UMH 7-­8 People exchange the peace of Christ. The offering is collected. Offertory Music Choir/Ensemble/Congregational Music during Collection:

“Like a Child” TFWS 2092 OR “Star-­Child” TFWS 2095

Great Thanksgiving for Advent BOW 54-­55 https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/the-­great-­thanksgiving-­for-­advent

Congregational Song: “The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy” TFWS 2098 OR Africana 4037 OR “Toda la Tierra” UMH 210 Thanksgiving after Communion Thank you, God, for making our wearied souls join Mary’s song, rejoicing in this holy mystery, flesh and blood in our flesh and blood. Send us by your Spirit as heralds, harbingers, and troubadours of your kingdom come and coming;; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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SENDING Song of Sending “Canticle of the Turning,” St 4 and Refrain (2x) URW 18 Dismissal with Blessing Look at the home God is making. Emperors and monopolists fail, and everyone can prosper. All who are hungry are abundantly fed, and those whose action or neglect starved them are stopped. Whatever has been made lacking for some is made available everywhere for all. Go forth in the joy of Mary and the strength of the Spirit to join what Jesus announced and God is still doing to make this world a home! Amen. All [sung]: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” (UMH 211)

MUSIC NOTES Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (UMH 216) Many tune arrangements paired with this fifteenth-­century text have been composed, but this harmonization by Michael Praetorius of the original tune remains the most prominent. This piece can serve as congregational singing and is also a wonderful way to introduce four-­part, SATB singing with your choir. Somewhat of a musical image of the theotokos (Mary, mother of God), this hymn is replete with metaphors that can present many teaching moments within the birth narrative and the passages that precede it. The ideal accompaniment is organ, but I also recommend listening to a recording of this hymn as arranged by Sufjan Stevens to get some other creative ideas with rhythm and instrumentation. It is possible to accompany with instruments you may not be used to using! History of Hymns. Wait Right Here (Africana Hymnal 4032) This interesting short song from The Africana Hymnal creates a sense of holy stubbornness in its presentation of this text. One can easily get the feeling that the singer is indeed going to “wait right here until he comes” because of the prominent quarter note rhythm (and successive eighth note rest) every time the words “wait right here” are sung. The second stanza emphasizes the need for Christ’s presence, through the Spirit, to do the work of God. Approaches to singing this simple song are either to sing it through, or better yet, allow it to be a continuing thread throughout the liturgy, interwoven at specific times as a short song that works to tie everything together. Either way, sing it a cappella, being led by a confident voice.

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Holy Spirit (CCLI 6087919) This song from Jesus Culture (Bethel Church) has a strong connection to Pentecostal worship. Its imagery draws on the idea of Mary being overshadowed by the Presence of the Most High in Luke 1:35, and it invites us all to join her soul’s delight at that moment, also expressed later in her song, which we sing today as the gospel reading. Canticle of the Turning (URW 18) This paraphrase of the song of Mary (the Magnificat) served as the primary centerpiece for our planning in this service. It can be found in the Upper Room Worshipbook, and it is also available for purchase for choirs here. The text embraces the boldness of the Magnificat in modern language that communicates the paradox and deliverance found in this Scripture text. The tune itself is a reworking of the tune KINGSFOLD, which is found paired with many texts throughout our United Methodist collections. Accompaniment works best with a piano, guitar, and percussion. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (UMH 211) One of the most well-­known ancient hymns of the church, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is based upon the “O Antiphons” contained on the second page of the hymn in The United Methodist Hymnal. These antiphons were chanted refrains used in worship, one per day, during the last eight days of Advent leading up to Christmas Eve. Like the original antiphons, this hymn sings of the longing and somber nature of the Advent season. We have recommended its use within the liturgy for the lighting of the Advent candles. All are welcome to sing the opening phrase in the liturgy, but it is also possible to have a soloist sing it in a very legato (smooth and connected) manner with a brief pause on the last note of each phrase;; all should sing the concluding phrase: “Rejoice! Rejoice!...” Remove the plodding nature of the accompaniment and allow the melody to stand on its own as the stanzas originally did — as a haunting, unaccompanied chant. Or for a different approach, play a low E pedal point on an instrument such as organ, piano, cello, or bass, and bring in harmonies (with voices or instrumental accompaniment) on the refrain. History of Hymns Prayers of the People (TFWS 2201) Bonnie Johansen-­Werner’s simple setting of this intercessory prayer can be very powerful in its direct prayer to usher in the reign of God and the connection of that prayer to the needs of the local community and the world. Even though there is a caesura (complete cutoff) written in the accompaniment score, it would also be possible to hold a soft Eb pedal point underneath the spoken intercessions and prayer requests. The recommended form in The Faith We Sing is as follows: Refrain, Petition 1, Response;; Refrain, Petition 2, Response;; and so on. Ideally, the leader of the prayer should also serve as the cantor. The accompaniment can range from organ to piano, to an arpeggiated guitar or other plucked instrument. Prayers of the People (The Brilliance)

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A wonderful addition to the modern worship music catalogue, this service music represents what is possible when combining modern music and liturgy. Short, cyclic choruses become responses as a part of congregational prayer. The A and B sections (“You hear us calling” and “Lord, have mercy”) are both equally usable as prayer responses. If you listen to the YouTube link in the worship order, you will notice a rolling accompaniment with many different instrumentalists. This kind of accompaniment gives a pulse to the prayers and is encouraged. However, keep in mind that whatever kind of accompaniment is possible with the musicians in your church is OK! Again, simpler accompaniments are oftentimes the best. For a keyboard, play simple chords on each beat. For a strummed instrument, something light, slightly syncopated, but steady is the best option. This song is a great example of modern music created to serve a liturgical purpose, and it is very accessible to churches with any instrumental accompaniment. The song is not meant to stand alone as a song;; it will require some intercessions to be created from the context of your community. Respond to each intercession with either the A theme (“You hear us calling”) or the B theme (“Lord, have mercy”). This poignant piece works with organ, piano, guitar, or any other simple accompaniment. Like a Child (TFWS 2092) Originally written with no capital letters and no punctuation, this hymn is one of Dan Damon’s most well-­known texts and tunes. As surprised as Joseph may have been from the dream and the fulfillment of it, we may also be surprised in whom we see Jesus, and who we have to become in order to welcome in the reign of God. Whatever the accompaniment, keep it simple to allow the childlike nature of the tune to support the text. History of Hymns Star-­Child (TFWS 2095)

Shirley Erena Murray and Carlton R. Young have teamed up to create a most poignant hymn of the Christmas season. This hymn is a proclamation of justice and reminds us that we are all children of God, no matter how old we are or in what situation we find ourselves. A wonderful setting of this hymn is available through its publisher, Hope Publishing Company, and features multiple instruments for accompaniment, including handbells, winds, and piano. History of Hymns The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy (TFWS 2098 or AH 4037) This West Indian carol creates a stanza-­by-­stanza view of the nativity story, with different characters (Mary, angels, shepherds, wise men) in each repetition. This feature makes the song especially effective in engaging young children. If your congregation is unfamiliar with the song, teach it to the children first, and then allow the children themselves to lead! The accompaniment is intermediate in difficulty, so be sure to practice well beforehand and be ready for the intensity, range, and fullness of the piano score. Several handbell settings of this hymn are also available here, many of which also feature percussion instruments.

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Toda la Tierra (UMH 210) The continuation of language centered on justice that echoes the Magnificat can be found in this Spanish text. As with other hymns that might be unfamiliar to your congregation, it is often effective within a primary English-­speaking congregation to have a soloist sing the hymn through once in Spanish before inviting the congregation to sing in English. If, however, your context is blessed with the diversity of a non-­English-­speaking community, allow the people to sing in whatever is their heart language, even if that is not the same for everyone. The ideal accompaniment is piano and/or guitar, but a variety of instruments can support the singing of this hymn. History of Hymns

PREACHING NOTES In the midst of Hurricane Irma, babies were born.

A woman in Coral Springs gave birth to her daughter on her bathroom floor. Her mother assisted in the birth until emergency workers arrived.

A Miami woman gave birth just hours before 125-­mile-­per-­hour winds hit the city. She named her daughter Nayiri Storm.

A Delray Beach couple evacuated to Atlanta, where their son, Nathan, was born not in his parent’s home state of Florida, but in Georgia. The couple noted that the name “Nathan” means “a gift from God.”

A woman in the Little Haiti neighborhood in Miami delivered her baby girl herself, with coaching assistance from emergency workers over the telephone.

Babies are born. Babies are born to rich people and poor people. Babies are born during hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes. Babies are born in cities under siege, in refugee camps, in countries led by dictators, and in democracies. Babies are born to people with black skin, brown skin, white skin, and many variations of those hues. Babies are born to single women, to married gay men;; to people who are prepared, and to women who didn’t even know they were pregnant until they went into labor. Babies are born healthy, and babies are born with medical challenges, diseases, deformities, and disabilities. Babies are born into every conceivable condition in our complex world. UNICEF estimates that an average of 4.3 babies are born every second of every single day somewhere on this planet that we share. (See http://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/How-­Many-­Babies-­Are-­Born-­Each-­Day.) Every time a baby is born, lives are changed. Individuals are changed. Families are changed. Worlds are turned upside down.

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BEGIN SIDEBAR: Anticipation by Amy Sigmon Christmas 2013. I was pregnant with our first child, a baby boy, who was due about two weeks after Christmas (actually on January 6, Epiphany). It felt like I was approximately one thousand weeks pregnant, though by the calendar's reckoning it was thirty-­eight. We lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the time, and that winter was colder than most, as a polar vortex caused record low temperatures in many northern states, including Wisconsin. I spent a lot of time on those cold days hunkered down in our 1930s-­era apartment, organizing the baby’s room. When there was nothing left to organize, I baked. I had spent the season of Advent feeling almost mystically connected to Mary, the young mother of God incarnate. I had given thanks more than once that I hadn’t had experiences like hers, traveling at the end of her pregnancy and having no safe place to give birth. (I was registered at a brand new hospital in the suburbs that my husband and I joked was like a castle.) But I no doubt shared some aspects of the experience of pregnancy with Mary. Certainly, we had both been captured by the same wonder of feeling our babies kick as we tried to go to sleep. We had been awakened for the third time in the night as the babies shifted against our bladders. We had been excited and nervous at the same time. I wrote in my journal that season, “Baby Caleb will be here any day to turn our world upside down.” There’s nothing like spending the season of Advent, which is focused on anticipation, like experiencing it physically in the last weeks of pregnancy. I was nearly beside myself with the anticipation of bringing our baby boy into the world. Unlike the coming of Christmas, which arrives on December 25 no matter what, I had no idea when Caleb would make his arrival. In this season of Advent, as you make your heart ready for the birth of the Christ child whom we know comes to us, what else are you anticipating? What waits inside your heart or soul, set on its own timeline, ready to turn your world upside down? END SIDEBAR I can’t help but think of Lin-­Manuel Miranda’s lyrics to “The World Turned Upside Down” from the Broadway hit musical Hamilton. As Alexander Hamilton prepares to lead his men in the battle of Yorktown, he recalls that his wife Eliza is not only expecting him to return home alive, but she is expecting a baby. All this, while Alexander Hamilton goes to fight a war that will eventually birth a new nation: the world turned upside down. We were inspired by another song, “The Canticle of the Turning,” the lyrics of which capture Mary’s song of strength and hope in the most contemporary and compelling way possible. And just like in the song from Hamilton, this song is about birth on several levels. At a micro-­level, it is about a particular family. It is about the birth of a baby and the turning upside down of a family’s life. It is about how Mary’s whole world is turning. The life she thought she was going to have is gone. She’s not married. She’s in shock. She’s a teenager. She didn’t get pregnant the normal way.

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And yet, she responds with a joyful shout. She is not letting anyone steal her joy. She has courage. She has strength. The joy of the Lord is her strength. But this birth is about more than this family. At a macro-­level, it is about the turning of the whole world. For through the birth of Jesus, God is turning the world around to make it livable for everybody. Through Jesus, God is making the world a place of welcome and nurture not just for some—the privileged—but for all. In Christ, God makes this world our home. The entire hope of God’s salvation is contained in this story. Because in this birth, a new order is called forth. Through the birth of Jesus, the whole world is turned around. Emmanuel, God with us–Jesus, whose birth will change the course of history. We live in a time when everything in our world is telling us to be afraid: afraid of one another, afraid of disagreement, afraid of knowledge, afraid of nature, afraid for the future of all people on earth. My twenty-­six-­year-­old son says he isn’t sure he wants to bring a child into this world, because he is worried about the environment, the sustainability of the planet, and contributing to overpopulation. He’s also worried about his ability to buy a home, settle down, and provide for a family over a long period of time. Author Libby Anne, writing in a recent article from Patheos titled “Why Aren’t Millennials Having Babies,” echoes these concerns. Libby Anne notes that the high cost of childcare, combined with job inflexibility, causes many young adults to delay marriage and starting a family. In addition, she writes,

Oh and also? Health insurance. That plays a role in these decisions as well. Government-­funded childcare, universal health insurance, paid maternity leave, a higher minimum wage—all of these things would help ensure that Millennials who want to have children feel they are able to do so. And yet, those who complain most about Millennials’ low rate of childbearing tend to be those most against the above (see http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2017/03/32576.html).

She goes on to write about the what she calls the “gig” economy that many workers must navigate today, and which, for many, leads to long work hours, holding down multiple jobs, and unpredictable or constantly changing work hours. This lifestyle may make it difficult to imagine how one might work and have a family at the same time. She also points out that some older generations have judged the millennials for delaying or not having children to be a “selfish” generation who can’t imagine not giving their offspring all the privileges and opportunities they grew up with and feel entitled to have. The truth is, says Libby Anne, many young adults would love to start families. But the struggle with few employee benefits, such as paid maternity leave, when combined with

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student loan debt, the high cost of childcare, and unstable housing options make it impossible for the millennials to feel they can responsibly bring children into the world. This is the reality for young adults today, and I do not wish to dismiss these very legitimate concerns. But I do wonder if it has ever been different for the vast majority of people on this earth. As noted above, babies are born into all different kinds of conditions in this world, many of them suboptimal. Certainly, Mary was not in an optimal situation for having a child. And yet, when confronted with this shocking news, she did what all of us must do: she reached deep into her soul and found courage that came from a place beyond her own self, beyond her own limitations and fears. She found courage that came from her absolute trust in God. Can we be as courageous as Mary? In the midst of dire circumstances, Mary was willing to receive Christ, physically, into her womb. Are we willing to receive Christ into our hearts? And are we willing to live with Mary’s courage? Can her song be our song too? Can we refuse to give into the fear that the world screams constantly into our lives? Can we reject the notion that everything is spinning out of control, and embrace that the world is simply about to turn, just as God intends it? Can we admit that there are things about our world that need to be turned upside down for the sake of others? DO NOT BE AFRAID. Refuse to demonize the other, no matter which side you are on. DO NOT BE AFRAID. God makes this world everyone’s home. DO NOT BE AFRAID. Receive the peace of Christ into your hearts. DO NOT BE AFRAID. Respond with courage and joy. DO NOT BE AFRAID. It is God who is doing all of this. DO NOT BE AFRAID. God is leading us to respond with joy. DO NOT BE AFRAID. For the God of my heart is great!

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PLANNING NOTES ADVENT 4: GOD MAKES THIS WORLD OUR HOME

Reading Notes NRSV texts, artwork and Revised Common Lectionary Prayers for this service are available at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Leccionario en Español, Leccionario Común Revisado: Consulta Sobre Textos Comunes. Lectionnaire en français, Le Lectionnaire Œcuménique Révisé Calendar Notes ADVENT 4: GOD MAKES THIS WORLD OUR HOME The colors for this service (Advent 4, December 24 in the morning) remain blue or purple. Change the colors after this morning’s service(s) to the Christmas colors of white and gold. Christmas season begins with sunset tonight. December December 24 Christmas Eve (evening) December 25 Christmas Day December 26 Kwanzaa December 31 Watch Night/New Year’s Eve

January January 1 New Year’s Day/Holy Name of Jesus January 7 Epiphany Sunday AND Baptism of the Lord Season after Epiphany Series Begins (forthcoming) January 11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day January 14 Human Relations Day (Special Sunday with Offering) January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday January 18-­25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity January 21 Ecumenical Sunday

February All Month Black History Month February 11 Transfiguration of the Lord Scouting Sunday

February 14 Ash Wednesday Lent Series Begins February 19 Presidents Day

March March 2 World Day of Prayer

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March 11 UMCOR Sunday Daylight Saving Time Change Song (Spring) (USA) March 25 Passion/Palm Sunday Holy Week Series Begins March 29 Maundy/Holy Thursday March 30 Good Friday March 31 Holy Saturday (until Sundown) Easter Eve/Easter Vigil (after Sundown) April April 1 Easter Day Easter Series Begins April 15 Native American Ministries Sunday April 22 Festival of God’s Creation April 25 World Malaria Day

May All Month Christian Home Month (2018 Theme: Families Called to Peace, forthcoming) Asian Pacific American Heritage Month May 3 National Day of Prayer May 4 May Friendship Day (UMW/CWU) May 7-­13 Christian Family Week (2018 resources forthcoming) May 10 Ascension Day May 13 Ascension Sunday Festival of the Christian Home/Mother’s Day (USA) May 19-­20 Change the World Weekend May 20 Day of Pentecost Heritage Sunday (forthcoming) May 24 Aldersgate Day May 27 Trinity Sunday Peace with Justice Sunday May 28 Memorial Day (USA)

For Your Planning Team: ADVENT 4: GOD MAKES THIS WORLD OUR HOME In the Series This service marks the conclusion of Advent. It is not yet Christmas. That is still to come, beginning with Christmas Eve services later in the evening or night. Though the season changes at sunset, this series creates a strong continuity between Advent and Christmas. This morning is part one of a what is intended to be a two-­part service, concluded with this evening’s Christmas Eve Communion service(s), and joined by the Las Posadas journeys we invite you to help your congregation take this afternoon. This morning marks the bold, courageous hope of Mary, and so our hope, in anticipation of the birth of her child. Tonight marks the simplicity and wonder of that birth. This morning, we join with Mary in singing of the revolution that birth will unleash. Tonight,

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we join with Mary in pondering everything that has happened in our hearts around the Lord’s Table. This morning takes joy and directs it toward the transformation of the world through God’s incarnation in Christ. Tonight begins to take in all Incarnation may mean. This Week’s After Church/Afternoon Activity: Las Posadas Las Posadas (“The Inns”) is an Advent/Christmas tradition that captures the pathos and eventual joy of the journey of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem as Mary is about to deliver her child. Normally, it would be observed for the eight nights leading to Christmas Eve, with different processions going to different homes each night. (Read more about it from the Book of Worship here). The purpose of the service is both celebrative and evangelistic. It is customary to invite friends and neighbors to participate in the Las Posadas processions and celebrations in one another’s homes. For today’s use, we suggest an adaptation. Select 8 (or some other number) of homes to be “hosts” at different times in the afternoon. Create the same number of procession groups, including friends and neighbors whom you invite to Las Posadas AND Communion at the church afterward, and have them meet at a walking distance from the host’s home, then begin their procession. Use the Christmas Eve Service of Las Posadas (BOW 281-­2-­3), concluding with the reading or singing of the Canticle of Mary, as the beginning of the fiesta. Continue the fiesta in the home, concluding with the breaking of the piñata. Then walk or caravan to church for the Christmas Eve candlelight Communion service. If your church has scheduled multiple shorter services (as we have provided for in this series), select the time that works best for your group. Additional Resources for this Service 2014 Planning Helps for these readings Ecumenical Prayer Cycle: Japan, North Korea, South Korea

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CHRISTMAS EVE: A Manger for the World December 24, 2017

Candlelight Communion Service

Music Notes Preaching Notes Planning Notes

FULL SERVICE

Abbreviations Key W&S=Worship and Song Africana=The Africana Hymnal UMH=United Methodist Hymnal CCLI=Christian Copyright Licensing International (SongSelect) TFWS=The Faith We Sing BOW=United Methodist Book of Worship ENTRANCE Congregational Song: “Welcome to Our World” W&S 3067 OR “Jesus, the Light of the World” Africana 4038 WORD AND RESPONSE Gospel Reading: Luke 2:1-­20 Deacon or Lay Reader Congregational Song “‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime” UMH 244 Homily A Manger for the World Prayers of the People Deacon or Lay Intercessor “Prayers of the People” -­ TFWS 2201

“Prayers of the People” -­ CCLI 3414705 http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/3414705/prayers-­of-­the-­people

OR “Prayer of the People” CCLI 7039048

http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/7039048/prayers-­of-­the-­people THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION Invitation, Confession, Pardon and Peace UMH 7-­8 People exchange the peace of Christ. [The offering may be collected.

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Offertory Music Choir/Ensemble/Congregational Music during Collection: O Holy Night] Great Thanksgiving Adapted from A Service of Word and Table I by Beth Richardson The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is a right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth. You created the world from the waters of creation and called it good. You lovingly fashioned the creatures of land, of wind, of water, and called them good. You blew into us the breath of life and gave us the gift of community. In a world of chaos and war, you sent your love to us in the form of a tiny baby. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. He was born in lowly circumstances. Yet his birth was heralded by angels who proclaimed, “Glory to God in the heaven, and on earth peace among those whom the Almighty favors.”

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He grew in wisdom and love and his ministry proclaimed good news of God’s justice to the captives, the poor, the oppressed. By the baptism of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Take, eat;; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Drink from this, all of you;; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died;; Christ is risen;; Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

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Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty God, now and forever. Amen. Music During Communion “Love Has Come” W&S 3059 OR “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” UMH 229 Thanksgiving after Communion with Candle Lighting “Silent Night” UMH 239 SENDING Christ the Savior is born. Go forth in the strength of the Spirit to ponder and proclaim the good news. Amen. Song of Sending “Joy to the World” UMH 246

MUSIC NOTES

Welcome to Our World (W&S 3067) Chris Rice has written a touching song of welcome that calls us to address the pain we witness and feel in our community. Jesus comes as the bringer of peace and salvation, and we make room for him in our hearts, in our churches, in our communities, and in our world. Don’t make the accompaniment of this contemporary hymn overly complicated. Simple is better;; a guitar or piano best brings out the character of the text and tune. One suggestion-­-­the prevailing rhythmic pattern of the melody is based on the following simple rhythm:

When leading the singing of this hymn, it is most accessible for the congregation to sing this rhythm in place of the written rhythm in measure six (“we’ve been waiting”). Another option would be to use the rhythm found in the second measure, which incorporates the same notes down one octave.

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Jesus, the Light of the World (W&S, 3056, or The Africana Hymnal, 4038) There are two versions of this song you can choose from in your preparation: Worship & Song, 3056, or The Africana Hymnal, 4038. The W&S setting incorporates a text by Ken Bible (who wrote “Love Has Come”) and focuses upon the imagery of the star. This week, we recommend the version from The Africana Hymnal, which uses the text of “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” along with the familiar refrain. Don’t sing this song too quickly. It must have a slow, rocking character, which can be accomplished at a metronome marking of about 100-­104. An organ (especially a Hammond!), piano, or gospel band can accompany this song with style. Should your choir want to sing this as an anthem or use the piece itself as the congregational song, see this arrangement by André Thomas, published by Choristers Guild (CGA1063). It has a fairly advanced piano accompaniment, but you won’t regret using it if your pianist can play advanced repertoire. View our "Jesus, the Light of the World" hymn study, or the History of Hymns article. ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime (UMH 244) This Christmas carol has risen in prominence because of its importance as an early Native North American nativity carol. The hymn is replete with imagery that originates from the Huron people of North America. It is very singable and can be accompanied in a number of ways. Yes, it may be played on organ or piano, but it is also frequently sung with a hand drum and unaccompanied flute. Care needs to be taken at the transition into the refrain with a long enough pause for breath before the refrain begins. This can be accomplished by slowing slightly in the measure before the refrain and inserting a cutoff at the break in the measure with enough time for a quick breath. History of Hymns Prayers of the People (The Brilliance)

A wonderful addition to the modern worship music catalogue, this service music represents what is possible when combining modern music and liturgy. Short, cyclic choruses become responses as a part of congregational prayer. The A and B sections (“You hear us calling” and “Lord, have mercy”) are both equally usable as prayer responses. If you listen to the YouTube link in the worship order, you will notice a rolling accompaniment with many different instrumentalists. This kind of accompaniment gives a pulse to the prayers and is encouraged. However, keep in mind that whatever kind of accompaniment is possible with the musicians in your church is OK! Again, simpler accompaniments are oftentimes the best. For a keyboard, play simple chords on each beat. For a strummed instrument, something light, slightly syncopated, but steady is the best option. This song is a great example of modern music created to serve a liturgical purpose, and it is very accessible to churches with any instrumental accompaniment. The song is not meant to stand alone as a song;; it will require some intercessions to be created from the context of your community. Respond to each intercession with either the A theme (“You hear us calling”) or the B theme (“Lord, have mercy”). This poignant piece works with organ, piano, guitar, or any other simple accompaniment.

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O Holy Night (https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/o-­holy-­night) Originally written as a solo piece, and rarely appearing in hymnals because of the large vocal range needed to sing the melody, O Holy Night, along with Silent Night and Joy to the World, ranks as one of the “most expected” songs in any Christmas Eve service. We’ve included it here as either a congregational or choral/ensemble piece during the offering, if your local version of this service will include an offering. Love Has Come (W&S 3059) Another notable hymn identifying Jesus as “Love,” this text and tune combination is a beautiful expression of Jesus as the Son of God and the Light of the World. The last stanza addresses our modern context and the promise of Love as “the peace our hearts are seeking.” Pairing this with BRING A TORCH is a wonderful way to integrate a well-­known tune into the worship life of the congregation. The range is well placed for the voice, and using a flute, violin, or oboe (or other treble clef instrument) to double the voices will give musical interest and vocal support. The accompaniment can easily be provided on organ, piano, or guitar. Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (UMH 229) Many Christmas hymn tunes written in 3/4 can often be seen as lullabies because of the rocking nature of the meter. This Polish carol definitely fits within the same category as “Away in a Manger” or even the slow 6/8 meter of “Silent Night.” Don’t be fooled, however, into singing this carol too slowly. It is also filled with great joy! The form of the hymn is AABC, in which C is the last two measures of A. In other words, there is great repetition that can help the congregation sing this hymn with confidence. The B section (“Swift are winging… tidings bringing”) begs to build in intensity as the short, four-­syllable lines are sung. The melody also rises with each statement, so the last line should be the climax of each stanza. Keep the tempo quick enough to allow an entire phrase to be sung (“Infant holy… cattle stall”). Accompany with an organ, piano, or guitar, and allow a flute to play and accompany the melody up one octave. History of Hymns Silent Night (UMH 239) For many it wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without singing without singing this beloved nineteenth century Austrian carol while lighting candles. Tonight, we sing it not only as a Christmas song, but also as our prayer of Thanksgiving after Holy Communion. We give thanks for Christ born as Savior long ago, and for Christ received into our bodies, here and now, that the radiant beams from his holy face may shine through ours to give light and hope and redeeming grace to all the world. Joy to the World (UMH 246) This well-­known hymn is often set within the liturgy on Christmas Eve and truly harkens to the reign of God in its fullness. Therefore, “Joy to the World” is indeed a wonderful Advent hymn, in addition to its use on Christmas Eve. This hymn is usually set in the key of D for a reason — tone color presents D as one of the brightest keys in western music. Let the brightness of the tune, ANTIOCH, shine as you sing it in

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worship. There are plenty of arrangements and hymn accompaniments of this for brass. Put those band students and local musicians to work! History of Hymns

PREACHING NOTES “I’ll be home for Christmas,” so goes the song, recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943. Written by Kim Gannon, the song takes the form of a letter from a World War II soldier stationed overseas. The soldier sings to his family, far away in a home he can visit only in his dreams. According to an article from Wikipedia, Gannon meant for the song to encompass more than the longing for home from soldiers serving abroad. He hoped to capture the sense of any person who was unable to make it “home” for Christmas, whatever their circumstances. We started out this season talking about what is home, what makes a place a home, and where our true home is. I wrote about my own family history, and how it made for an unsettled annual question and a constantly evolving sense of what it means to go “home for Christmas.” I wrote about how difficult it is for some of us to go home for Christmas, for a variety of reasons. My colleagues shared stories about their experiences of home and family and community. This morning, we talked about Mary and her courageous response to the news that she would soon have to provide a home for her unexpected baby. We talked about how creating home is hard for so many people in our day and age, but how what is true for us has been true for every generation. Home has never been easy for most of us. Still, our hearts beckon us to “come down” home, not just at the holidays, but throughout our lives. It is interesting to me that “I’ll be home for Christmas” was penned in 1943, because that just happens to be the year my home in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was built. I live in a government construction home in what is now a national park. The valley in which my home is situated was established by the United States government in 1942 for a single purpose: to produce the materials needed to manufacture a nuclear weapon. During the time the Manhattan Project was underway, most of the people who lived and worked in Oak Ridge had no idea what they were making. It wasn’t until the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that people understood the magnitude, and the horror, of their endeavor. The population of my town grew from 3000 people in 1942 to 75,000 by 1945. Most of the homes built to house the people who came to work on the Manhattan Project were temporary: dormitories, hutments, flat tops, and trailers. But there were some early prefabricated, more permanent houses built, and my husband and I own one of them. This is the first home I have ever owned. As such, I’ve become quite attached to it. We’ve spent countless hours working on it: painting, laying floors, renovating rooms,

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landscaping, installing new plumbing, light fixtures, tile. It has been a labor of love, and I’ve imagined myself living here until I die. But of course, as we talked about earlier in the season, those of us who have chosen the life of itinerancy can’t allow ourselves to get too attached, even if we are among the lucky ones who have a housing allowance and can buy a home of our own. We can’t get too attached because God is always calling us to be on the move. We are not called to ignore the heavenly host of angels that appear in the night sky to announce the birth of a newborn baby in the City of David, the one who is Christ the Lord. When we hear that announcement, just like the shepherds in the field, we have to get up and hightail it over to the manger where he lay. Because to see God in the world, we must be not only willing to go, but to actively pursue the places where God is appearing. And let us be absolutely clear: God is still appearing. God is appearing just as profoundly today as God appeared in this world on that starry night in the land of Palestine over two millennia ago. Maybe with all that is going on in the world, we might be tempted to imagine that something terrible must be brewing, especially if a person lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where the evil that is nuclear weapons was born. When I look around me at all the challenges we are facing as a world community as we come to the close of the Year of our Lord, 2017, I can’t help but hear Matthew’s voice echoing in my head:

Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name saying, “I am the Messiah!” and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars;; see that you are not alarmed;; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs (Matthew 24:4-­8, NRSV).

We have a choice. We can be terrified so much that we give in to our base fears as human beings and circle the wagons, or crawl into our private caves where we hole up and hide until it is safe to come out. Or we can be like those shepherds in the field, bold enough that even though we are terrified, find the courage and strength to get up and go to the manger to see the promised Messiah that has come, and who is surely coming again. And then, following their example, not just keep the good news for ourselves, but proclaim it to others! After all, the shepherds, after encountering Christ for themselves, “made known what had been told them about this child;; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 1:17-­18).

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The good news is even though the angels have appeared in the night sky and we are terrified by them, they have not come to frighten us. They have come to make an amazing announcement meant to bring great joy to all the people of the world! To us is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord!” And this Messiah was born not just for the people of his day, but for the people of every day and age. This Messiah was born to save YOU. One final thought. Before we hop in the car to follow those shepherds to the City of David to see the child that has been born, let us be clear about something: This manger is not just for us to see, any more than it was just for the shepherds. It’s not just for you. It is not just for me. It is not just for the privileged, or the Christians, or the ones who live in a land of the free. It’s not just for the family members we like, or approve of, or agree with. It’s not just for the folks who live like us and think like us. It’s not just for some. This manger is for the entire world. And those angels have invited all the world to come and see—not just come and see—but to come down home and sit a spell, as we say in the South. Christ is our true home. This manger is the place where all the world comes to kneel on this holy night. This is our true home, our permanent home, the place where we are welcome, and secure, and able to bask in Christ’s peace, Christ’s love, Christ’s good will and hope for all people and for all time. No matter who we are or where we live, no matter whether we have come down home for Christmas or we are celebrating with a family we have made for ourselves. No matter what our state of sinfulness or station in life. No matter what our status or identity or background or culture or beliefs. No matter whether we live in a mansion that has been in our family for generations or in an apartment or a car or a tent or a shelter, the fact is, all of our earthly homes are temporary. There is only one home that is permanent, and that is the home we make with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate tonight, and whose coming again we will not fear, but rather, will look for with the hope of Joseph, and the joy of Mary, and the curiosity and conviction of the Magi, and the boldness of the shepherds in the field. Let us gather around the manger. Let us gather around the Table of our Lord.

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PLANNING NOTES CHRISTMAS EVE: A MANGER FOR THE WORLD

Reading Notes NRSV texts, artwork and Revised Common Lectionary Prayers for this service are available at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Leccionario en Español, Leccionario Común Revisado: Consulta Sobre Textos Comunes. Lectionnaire en français, Le Lectionnaire Œcuménique Révisé Calendar Notes CHRISTMAS EVE: A MANGER FOR THE WORLD Christmas colors are white and gold, beginning with this service and continuing through the celebration of Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord (January 7). December December 24 Christmas Eve (evening) December 25 Christmas Day December 26 Kwanzaa December 31 Watch Night/New Year’s Eve

January January 1 New Year’s Day/Holy Name of Jesus January 7 Epiphany Sunday AND Baptism of the Lord Season after Epiphany Series Begins (forthcoming) January 11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day January 14 Human Relations Day (Special Sunday with Offering) January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday January 18-­25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity January 21 Ecumenical Sunday

February All Month Black History Month February 11 Transfiguration of the Lord Scouting Sunday

February 14 Ash Wednesday Lent Series Begins February 19 Presidents Day

March March 2 World Day of Prayer March 11 UMCOR Sunday Daylight Saving Time Change Song (Spring) (USA) March 25 Passion/Palm Sunday

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Holy Week Series Begins March 29 Maundy/Holy Thursday March 30 Good Friday March 31 Holy Saturday (until Sundown) Easter Eve/Easter Vigil (after Sundown) April April 1 Easter Day Easter Series Begins April 15 Native American Ministries Sunday April 22 Festival of God’s Creation April 25 World Malaria Day

May All Month Christian Home Month (2018 Theme: Families Called to Peace, forthcoming) Asian Pacific American Heritage Month May 3 National Day of Prayer May 4 May Friendship Day (UMW/CWU) May 7-­13 Christian Family Week (2018 resources forthcoming) May 10 Ascension Day May 13 Ascension Sunday Festival of the Christian Home/Mother’s Day (USA) May 19-­20 Change the World Weekend May 20 Day of Pentecost Heritage Sunday (forthcoming) May 24 Aldersgate Day May 27 Trinity Sunday Peace with Justice Sunday May 28 Memorial Day (USA)

For Your Planning Team: CHRISTMAS EVE: A MANGER FOR THE WORLD In this Service Christmas Eve may generally be one of the best attended services of the year. It is also one where most folks, especially those who attend rarely, may have the most specific expectations of what happens. Among these may be particular songs (especially “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night”), particular Scriptures (Luke 2), and particular ritual actions (especially the lighting of candles after while singing Silent Night after receiving Holy Communion). At the same time, this year you will already have had a Sunday morning service. The vast majority of United Methodist congregations in the United States normally have fewer than 100 worshipers on a typical Sunday. Asking many of these congregations to have a single full-­blown Christmas Eve service after a Sunday morning service on the same day may be too large a request to be reasonable. Christmas Eve should be a celebration, not a chore!

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That is why we have suggested and provided for a somewhat lower key approach to a Christmas Eve candlelight Communion service this year. Rather than one “big” service, we suggest offering two or more abbreviated services, 30-­35 minutes in length, focused on Holy Communion, while retaining the “must have” list many expect (candle lighting, singing “Silent Night” and “O Holy Night”), but with more of a family feel, and a brief homily (5-­8 minutes) rather than a full sermon. These services may be scheduled at times that make it convenient for families, friends, and Las Posadas groups (if you’ve followed our afternoon activity suggestion) to gather for a more intimate service throughout the evening. It may require a bit more of the pastor and musician or soloists in terms of time, but would make less of a demand on choirs and others who may be involved. We would anticipate that attendance across all of these briefer services may be as high or higher than if you were to schedule one “big” service. If you have followed our suggestion about Las Posadas gatherings this afternoon, having multiple briefer services scheduled also makes it more convenient for these groups (which should include invited guests) to find a time for the Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion service that works for their schedules. At the same time, for those congregations that are ready and able to host a big service, this service order could easily be adapted for that use, largely by expanding the homily time to a full sermon and adding more songs at the beginning. Because guests may be present at both Christmas Eve services and Las Posadas gatherings, be sure to take the opportunity to invite these persons back to church next Sunday and especially for the launch of the After Epiphany Series (Rise Up!) beginning January 7, and featuring sermon notes from The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Kevin Smalls of Hope UMC, Southfield, Michigan. The series outline for Rise Up! is: January 7 God Is Speaking! (Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord) Isaiah 60:1-­6;; Mark 1:4-­11 January 14 Listen I Samuel 3:1-­10 January 21 Move Jonah 3:1-­5, 10 January 28 Answer Deuteronomy 18:15-­20 February 4 Focus Isaiah 40:21-­31

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February 11: God is Speaking! (Transfiguration) 2 Kings 2:1-­12;; Mark 9:2-­9 Additional Resources for this Service 2014 Planning Helps for these readings Ecumenical Prayer Cycle: Japan, North Korea, South Korea

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CHRISTMAS I: Going Home Again December 31, 2017

Music Notes

Preaching Notes Planning Notes

FULL SERVICE

Abbreviations Key W&S= Worship and Song Africana=Africana Hymnal UMH=United Methodist Hymnal CCLI=Christian Copyright Licensing International (SongSelect) TFWS=The Faith We Sing BOW=United Methodist Book of Worship ENTRANCE Congregational Song “A Star Shone Bright” W&S 3051 OR “Jesus, the Light of the World” Africana 4038 Prayer for Illumination Shine in our hearts, Lord Jesus. Shine in our lives. Shine in the Word now read and proclaimed, and we, children of your light, shining for all people, will follow. Amen. WORD AND RESPONSE Gospel Reading: Luke 2:22-­40 Deacon or Lay Reader Sermon: Going Home Again Congregational Song: “Once in Royal David’s City” UMH 250

Prayers of the People Deacon or Lay Intercessor “Prayers of the People” -­ TFWS 2201

“Prayers of the People” -­ CCLI 3414705 http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/3414705/prayers-­of-­the-­people OR

“Prayer of the People” CCLI #7039048 http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/7039048/prayers-­of-­the-­people

THANKSGIVING (IF NO COMMUNION) Inviting Deacon or Pastor

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The Lord requires of us a pure offering, without blemish or spot. We must be right with God and our neighbor to offer ourselves or our gifts to God. Therefore, let us confess our sins against God, and reconcile with our neighbors. Let us pray. Confessing Deacon or Pastor We have opposed your ways, O God. (Based on Luke 2:22, 51-­55, NRSV) We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have avoided the hard truths of your prophets. Silence Your Spirit reveals our inmost desires. And we are pierced as with a sword. Silence Show us your mercy, O God. And grant us your salvation. By your light, may we see light. Silence Pardoning and Peace Pastor: The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it. God’s mercy is over all God’s works. You are forgiven. Walk in the light of Christ. You are forgiven. Walk in the light of Christ. All: Glory to God! Amen. At peace with God, let us now offer the peace of Christ to one another. People exchange the peace of Christ. The offering is collected. Offertory Music “My Master, See, the Time Has Come” (Canon) UMH 226

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Congregational Thanks at Presentation of Gifts BOW 551 (Almighty and most

merciful God…)

May be introduced and concluded by singing “O Come, All Ye Faithful” (UMH 234), st. 2 before the prayer, st. 3 after it. OR THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION Invitation, Confession, Pardon and Peace UMH 7-­8 People exchange the peace of Christ. The offering is collected. Offertory Music “My Master, See, the Time Has Come” (Canon) UMH 226 Great Thanksgiving for Christmas Season BOW 56-­57 https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/the-­great-­thanksgiving-­for-­christmas-­eve-­day-­or-­season Thanksgiving after Communion Congregational Song: “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/mine-­eyes-­have-­seen-­the-­glory SENDING Sending Forth You have seen the Savior. Go now in peace. Be his light to enlighten everyone you meet, and let your life reflect the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Amen.

MUSIC NOTES

A Star Shone Bright (W&S 3051) F. Richard Garland has created an expression of Epiphany that links with this service, especially through the plea to “reveal to us your holy way.” Since most Christmas and Epiphany hymns are very Christocentric, this text provides an option, too, to focus upon the role of the Holy Spirit in our observation of this holy season. The setting of this text with O WALY WALY brings a tune not usually associated with Christmas and Epiphany, but the use of this familiar tune will help the congregation focus solely on the text. Accompany with any keyboard instrument or guitar, along with

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a solo or duo instrumental group playing an improvised descant or the soprano and alto parts up one octave. If your church has a choir, it would also be possible on the last stanza to have a two-­part canon by having the second part echo by singing their first three eighth notes on the “and” of the downbeat in the first full measure. This places one part on a sustained half note while the other part sings the moving eighth notes in every phrase. Read our "A Star Shone Bright" hymn study. View and Download the musical score here or find it in Worship & Song. Jesus, the Light of the World (W&S 3056 or The Africana Hymnal, 4038) There are two versions of this song you can choose from in your preparation: Worship & Song, 3056, or The Africana Hymnal, 4038. The W&S setting incorporates a text by Ken Bible (who wrote “Love Has Come”) and focuses upon the imagery of the star. This week we recommend the version from The Africana Hymnal, which uses the text of “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” along with the familiar refrain. Don’t sing this song too quickly. It must have a slow, rocking character, which can be accomplished at a metronome marking of about 100-­104. An organ (especially a Hammond!), piano, or gospel band can accompany this song with style. Should your choir want to sing this as an anthem or use the piece itself as the congregational song, see this arrangement by André Thomas, published by Choristers Guild (CGA1063). It has a fairly advanced piano accompaniment, but you won’t regret using it if your pianist can play advanced repertoire. View our "Jesus, the Light of the World" hymn study, or the History of Hymns article. Once in Royal David’s City (UMH 250) One of my personal Christmas favorites, this hymn focuses on the humanity of Jesus and his ability to understand our human condition in the midst of his divinity. Following the lead of musicians like Sufjan Stevens, one of the best ways to accompany this hymn is with a folk, “grassroots” ensemble of guitar, mandolin, banjo, and brushed snare drum with a unison or harmonized melody. See the linked chord sheet for a setting in this style and read History of Hymns: "Once in Royal David's City." Prayers of the People (TFWS 2201) Bonnie Johansen-­Werner’s simple setting of this intercessory prayer can be very powerful in its direct prayer to usher in the reign of God and the connection of that prayer to the needs of the local community and the world. Even though there is a caesura (complete cutoff) written in the accompaniment score, it would also be possible to hold a soft Eb pedal point underneath the spoken intercessions and prayer requests. The recommended form in The Faith We Sing is as follows: Refrain, Petition 1, Response;; Refrain, Petition 2, Response;; and so on. Ideally, the leader of the prayer should also serve as the cantor. The accompaniment can range from organ to piano, to an arpeggiated guitar or other plucked instrument. Prayers of the People (The Brilliance)

A wonderful addition to the modern worship music catalogue, this service music represents what is possible when combining modern music and liturgy. Short, cyclic

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choruses become responses as a part of congregational prayer. The A and B sections (“You hear us calling” and “Lord, have mercy”) are both equally usable as prayer responses. If you listen to the YouTube link in the worship order, you will notice a rolling accompaniment with many different instrumentalists. This kind of accompaniment gives a pulse to the prayers and is encouraged. However, keep in mind that whatever kind of accompaniment is possible with the musicians in your church is OK! Again, simpler accompaniments are oftentimes the best. For a keyboard, play simple chords on each beat. For a strummed instrument, something light, slightly syncopated, but steady is the best option. This song is a great example of modern music created to serve a liturgical purpose, and it is very accessible to churches with any instrumental accompaniment. The song is not meant to stand alone as a song;; it will require some intercessions to be created from the context of your community. Respond to each intercession with either the A theme (“You hear us calling”) or the B theme (“Lord, have mercy”). This poignant piece works with organ, piano, guitar, or any other simple accompaniment. My Master, See, the Time Has Come (UMH 226) The tune MORNING SONG lends itself to being sung in creative ways because of the quasi-­pentatonic nature of the melody. You will see quickly the presence of more than five notes, but the function remains similar. There are a number of ways to approach the canon as a choir, and different approaches are listed below: Have a soloist sing the first stanza unaccompanied and rubato. Have a soloist sing both stanzas unaccompanied. Have no soloist, and sing all as a choir, either in unison, parts, or in canon. After a soloist sings the first stanza, instruct the choir to sing a canon on the second stanza.

For the canon, see these options: Bring in the parts of the canon every 2 beats (beats 2 and 4) Bring in the parts of the canon every 4 beats (beat 4) If your choir only has enough people to sing in a 2-­part canon, that is ok! If you

need another part to fill out to 3-­ or 4-­part, simply add a treble instrument as a different part.

Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory As we were preparing resources for this series, we encountered the Scripture passage from Simeon, where he exclaimed, “my eyes have seen your salvation” (Lk. 2:30). It seemed a rewrite of this classic hymn was in order. The text is set to the BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC tune, and many in your congregation will be familiar with the tune itself. However, this text is not about battle at all-­-­it is about witnessing the presence of Christ, the hope and prayers of peace to come, and flinging wide the doors to invite all people into the love of God. Download the hymn setting here.

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PREACHING NOTES Our series comes to a conclusion today as we celebrate the Lord’s Day during this Christmas season. We have come a long way. We began the series on December 3 with a reading from Isaiah, in which the people of Israel were feeling estranged from the Lord God. They confessed their sins, took responsibility for their transgressions, and begged the Lord to return to them and redeem them. They prayed, “Yet, O LORD, you are our Father;; we are the clay and you are the potter;; we are the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people” (Isaiah 64:8-­9, NRSV). Now, as we come to the end of the series, as well as the seasons of Advent and Christmas, the gospel writer Luke provides the other bookend, as Simeon, upon seeing Jesus as he is presented for his purification in the Temple, takes the child in his arms and proclaims, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for the revelation of the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-­32, NRSV). Mary and Joseph are amazed by Simeon’s response to their son. Simeon offers a blessing to the family as he prophesies about the destiny of Jesus, saying that it is connected to the rising and the falling of many in Israel. In other words, Simeon connects the redemption of Israel to the person of Jesus the Christ. He sees in this child the hope of Israel and the salvation of all people, including the Gentiles. His birth initiates, as we talked about on Christmas morning, a turning of the whole world toward God’s kingdom. SIDEBAR: FALLING, RISING, AND REDEMPTION by Taylor Burton-­Edwards Through the witness of the prophets Simeon and Anna, Luke tells us more about what the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, meant for the world and for all of us. Three nouns in particular summarize their prophecy. Simeon prophesies Jesus is destined for the “falling and rising of many in Israel” (Luke 2:34). Anna evangelizes about him to “all who were looking for redemption” (Luke 2:38). Falling, rising, and redemption would be the notable “impact crater” of the coming of Messiah. The Greek words used for these three terms carry a significance beyond the immediate context. All three nouns end in “-­sis” in Greek, an ending which signals that what is at stake is not a once-­for-­all event, but an unfolding process. This is important because it means what was happening in the arrival of Jesus was intended simply to be the beginning that would lead to a much larger culmination. It also means that what was happening then can still be expected to be happening now, and we should be ready to look for signs of it around us. Finally, it means we can ally ourselves with these

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processes in our own lives, here and now, and so be part of the ongoing unfolding of God’s reign where we are. “Falling” is “ptwsis” (w substitutes for the Greek letter Omega here). This word in Greek is most highly associated with downward displacement in rank, power, or status. Simeon speaks of “ptwsis” as the first of the processes unleashed by the coming of the Messiah. There is first a dethroning of the powers that be. Messiah’s arrival means all other powers are displaced. He and his way reign. How do we ally ourselves with the Christ’s work of “ptwsis” rather than finding ourselves “victims” of it, as it were? Though John Wesley did not much like the works or the spirituality of the Western mystics, here I think Bernard of Clairvaux’s commentary on the Song of Solomon (of all things!) provides most helpful guidance. Bernard teaches there are two kinds of spiritual paths-­-­ the path of ascent (via ascensus), and the path of abnegation (via negationis). The path of ascent is a way of seeking to pull oneself up by one’s spiritual bootstraps to attain to the knowledge of and unity with the Divine. This, Bernard says, looks like and perhaps even feels like a path of progress and exaltation. It is, instead, he warns, the surest path to destruction. The path of abnegation moves in exactly the opposite direction. Rather than self-­exaltation, it seeks surrender and release to God at every point. It may look and feel like a continuous falling. It is, in fact, the means by which God lifts us and sanctifies us fully. We collaborate with Messiah’s work of the falling of many, then, not by causing the fall of others but by, as the Shaker hymn, “Simple Gifts,” would say, by embracing “the gift to come down where we ought to be.” Rising is “anastasis,” the same word in Greek used for “resurrection” and, in some instances for “uprising” or “insurrection.” So it, like ptwsis with which it is here paired, has strong political implications. Some powers are taken down. Others are raised up, as if from the dead. The prophecy points to not only a dethroning of the powers that be, but the new throning of powers that had been long suppressed by the powers that be. Jesus was already participating and prompting anastasis as he proclaimed “good news to the poor,” healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons among some of the neediest people and in much of the neediest and most culturally diverse (and oppressed) region of his homeland. Wendell Berry’s poem, “Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front,” points to other ways to “practice resurrection.” How are you seeing the process of resurrection, anastasis, in practice and in progress where you are? How are you encouraging others to join it? How will you encourage and point the way for folks where you are to ally themselves with Messiah’s work of anastasis in the coming year? Finally, “redemption” in Greek is “lutrwsis,” the process of buying someone back, typically someone who had been taken into captivity, and so most often for the purpose of setting that captive person free. There is a strong association of this word with prisoners of war, slaves, and literal chains. Anna proclaimed the Messiah had indeed come, in the person of a child she had seen, to all who were seeking the process of the redemption, the release from captivity, of Jerusalem, a city which, in Christian usage, is defined not as much geographically and ethnically but theologically as the city (polis,

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organized dwelling place) of God and all of the people of God throughout the world. To ally ourselves with Messiah’s work of lutrwsis, then, is never limited to seeking the liberation of Christians from earthly persecution (though it certainly includes that!). Rather, it points to all forms of evangelization, such as Anna’s, and all forms of advocacy and care (acts of justice and compassion, in Methodist terms), that bear witness to God’s work of bringing deliverance to all who seek to be the people of God, but who are held captive by sin, death, fear, disease, and all forms of evil, injustice, and oppression. Messiah is come! And Messiah’s work of redemption continues to unfold in the world. END SIDEBAR Also present in the Temple is a woman named Anna. Women are far less represented in the Bible than men, especially women with names. So whenever a woman with a name is part of the story, it is important to pay attention. Although the Gospel of Luke has many women characters, as well as many passages that deal with women, in a lot of examples Luke presents women in parallel with a story about men. For example, in chapter one, there is an annunciation to Zechariah followed by an annunciation to Mary. In chapter seven, Jesus cures the dying son of the Centurion, and then raises the deceased son of the widow of Nain. In chapter eighteen there is a persistent widow paired with a humble tax collector (see Bonnie Thurston, Women in the New Testament: Questions and Commentary. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock, 1998. 100-­101). Sadly, although there are many stories featuring women and women’s concerns in Luke, often these women do not speak, and if they do, we are not privy to their actual words. Such is the case with Anna. There is a sense in which Anna’s interaction with Jesus parallels that of Simeon. She, like Simeon, is a devout follower of Judaism. Luke names her as a prophet, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She is old and is a widow and, as such, has now committed her life to constant worship, fasting, and prayer in the Temple. And so, like Simeon, she is present when Mary and Joseph bring Jesus for his purification. As with Simeon, Anna seems to have an immediate, visceral response to the child. She senses something in him, something that connects with her very soul. She responds by praising God. But she doesn’t just praise God. Luke says she also speaks about her experience to others, although he does not tell us what she said. He only describes her words as being offered to those who were looking for the redemption of Israel. In this way, Anna is the first evangelist in Luke. She is the first to go out and speak to others that the Messiah has been born! It’s hard to know what it was that Simeon and Anna saw, or felt, or experienced, when they came into direct contact with Jesus on that day in the Temple. Whatever it was, it was life-­changing. It caused Simeon to say he would now be able to die in peace. And it propelled Anna to speak about the hope for redemption she now knew as a result of meeting this child.

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It may also be hard to know how to describe what it was that we saw, or felt, or experienced the first time we came face-­to-­face with our Savior. All we know is that it changed our lives. It helped us to be at peace. And hopefully, it has propelled us to speak about the hope for redemption we now know as a result of meeting Jesus. Have we, like Simeon and Anna, seen in Jesus the hope of Israel and the salvation of all people, including the Gentiles? What does that look like? What does it feel like? How has it changed our lives? What have we done, and what will we do, in response to this gift of grace from God? How will we, like Anna, speak about this hope for redemption we have found in Christ to other people? Jesus is going home now, to grow in wisdom and strength. The next time we see him will be at his baptism, which we celebrate next week. Likewise, many of us have now returned to our homes after the holidays. We have moved back into the regular patterns and rhythms of our lives. But we have been changed by our encounter with Jesus over the past month. We are not the same people that we were on December 3. We, too, have grown in wisdom and strength. As we move into the next season and our next series, we will join Anna in the work of evangelism: proclaiming to all the world that God sent Jesus into the world for the salvation of all. Let us give thanks to God for the showing forth of Christ in this world and for his showing forth in our own lives. And let us not leave our light to dwindle, but rather, let us, like Simeon and Anna, go forth to shine anew because the light of Christ has come into the world, and the darkness can never put it out.

PLANNING NOTES FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS DAY: GOING HOME AGAIN

Reading Notes NRSV texts, artwork and Revised Common Lectionary Prayers for this service are available at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Leccionario en Español, Leccionario Común Revisado: Consulta Sobre Textos Comunes. Lectionnaire en français, Le Lectionnaire Œcuménique Révisé Calendar Notes FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS DAY: GOING HOME AGAIN Christmas Season colors are white and gold, now through Epiphany/Baptism of the Lord (January 7). Beginning January 14, the color shifts to green. December December 31 Watch Night/New Year’s Eve

January January 1 New Year’s Day/Holy Name of Jesus

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January 7 Epiphany Sunday AND Baptism of the Lord Season after Epiphany Series Begins (forthcoming) January 11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day January 14 Human Relations Day (Special Sunday with Offering) January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday January 18-­25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity January 21 Ecumenical Sunday

February All Month Black History Month February 11 Transfiguration of the Lord Scouting Sunday

February 14 Ash Wednesday Lent Series Begins February 19 Presidents Day

March March 2 World Day of Prayer March 11 UMCOR Sunday Daylight Saving Time Change Song (Spring) (USA) March 25 Passion/Palm Sunday Holy Week Series Begins March 29 Maundy/Holy Thursday March 30 Good Friday March 31 Holy Saturday (until Sundown) Easter Eve/Easter Vigil (after Sundown) April April 1 Easter Day Easter Series Begins April 15 Native American Ministries Sunday April 22 Festival of God’s Creation April 25 World Malaria Day

May All Month Christian Home Month (2018 Theme: Families Called to Peace, forthcoming) Asian Pacific American Heritage Month May 3 National Day of Prayer May 4 May Friendship Day (UMW/CWU) May 7-­13 Christian Family Week (2018 resources forthcoming) May 10 Ascension Day May 13 Ascension Sunday Festival of the Christian Home/Mother’s Day (USA) May 19-­20 Change the World Weekend

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May 20 Day of Pentecost Heritage Sunday (forthcoming) May 24 Aldersgate Day May 27 Trinity Sunday Peace with Justice Sunday May 28 Memorial Day (USA)

For Your Planning Team: FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS: GOING HOME AGAIN We conclude the series, but not Christmas Season today. Next week, our new series, Rise Up!, begins with a combination of Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord rolled into one. Plan for a strong ending for this series. Strong series endings do the following: 1) Recapitulate where you’ve been and where you’ve come to through the series. Today’s theme of “Going Home Again” will naturally help you do this. The family reunion time is over. It’s time to get back to your “regular” life. The year is ending. A new year dawns this night, and the regular cycles of work and study will likely begin in the next few days. Taking all you’ve experienced through these past five weeks, including today, how will you seek to live re-­aligned and transformed by the one destined for the falling and rising of many and the redemption of the universe? Today’s service rightly leads to that question as a segue into an observance of Watch Night tonight and to the series that follows beginning next Sunday (Rise Up!). 2) Underscore the series promise-­-­ We’ve taken this journey of realignment with God’s purposes for the universe and reunion with one another. Now we’re poised to step out in faith to live this way better in the coming year than we did in the year past. 3) Send the people forth with confidence in where they’ve been and where they’re going. Jackson Henry’s new setting of Simeon’s song to the well-­known tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic is a great way to send folks forth today-­-­ ready for recommitments tonight and faithful, hope-­filled, gospel living in the year to come. And make a point this morning and tonight, if you observe Watch Night together (as suggested) to invite people back for the launch of the next series, Rise Up!, beginning next Sunday. Series Outline for Rise Up! (Epiphany through Transfiguration) January 7 God Is Speaking! (Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord) Isaiah 60:1-­6;; Mark 1:4-­11 January 14 Listen I Samuel 3:1-­10

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January 21 Move Jonah 3:1-­5, 10 January 28 Answer Deuteronomy 18:15-­20 February 4 Focus Isaiah 40:21-­31 February 11: God is Speaking! (Transfiguration) 2 Kings 2:1-­12;; Mark 9:2-­9 This Week’s Evening/Night Activity: Watch Night Watch Night has its modern roots in Methodism. Originally an observance of night prayer (prayer vigil, or prayer watch) held throughout the year in the early Methodist societies in England and the American colonies, Watch Night soon became associated and combined with another Methodist observance, Covenant Renewal, and thus ultimately became an annual time of prayer, exhortation, and recommitment on New Year’s Eve. Later in the nineteenth century, Watch Night observances among black Americans also became associated with the end of slavery, as Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law on December 31, 1862 (155 years before this night). Watch Night remains a significant observance in many black churches of all denominations in the United States, taking into account not only the end of slavery, but ongoing forms of oppression and suppression, such as enhanced Voter ID laws that tend to target black voters in many instances, the ongoing incarceration of disproportional numbers of black males, and drug laws and police and other forms of violence that disproportionately affect black people in this country. Black Christians who gather on this night have a long history of seeking the Jesus destined for the falling and rising up of many, and the redemption of all. Our Book of Worship includes a full Service of Covenant Renewal, with the covenant renewal proper drawn from John Wesley’s 1780 version of this service. We suggest you begin your time together with a gathering for a meal or late evening refreshments and one last round of Christmas songs (secular or sacred) interspersed with Freedom Songs in solidarity with black Americans and all others who remain oppressed and need the deliverance and redemption only Christ can bring about. Consider starting the Covenant Renewal service fifteen to twenty minutes before midnight, so the act of covenant renewal itself is in progress over the midnight hour as the new year dawns. As the italics at the end of the service suggest, provide a full printout of the covenant renewal rite to every person, and encourage each person to sign it and keep it as a sign of his/her commitment this night and into the coming year. If

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you continue with Holy Communion, use The Great Thanksgiving for New Year, Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord, or Covenant Reaffirmation (BOW 58-­59). Additional Resources for this Service 2014 Planning Helps for these readings Ecumenical Prayer Cycle: (Click link to find countries for this week when they are posted)