Order of Service – 11th December 2022

The Order of Service follows below.

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Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A light on the hill

Advent 3
December11^th, 2022

We acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional carers of the land on which our church is built.

Welcome

Introit

Beauty for Brokenness – Graham Kendrick

Call to Worship

One: When the sun rises what shall we sing?
All: “My soul magnifies the Lord.”
One: And when chaos and violence echo on the screen?
All: “My soul magnifies the Lord.”
One: For our God is a God of justice and peace.
All:”My soul magnifies the Lord.”
One: So when all is wrong, or all is right,
All: “My soul magnifies the Lord.”
One: Yes, when all is wrong, or all is right,
All: We will sing with joy and delight, Of the God of justice and love and peace.
One:”My soul magnifies the Lord.”

Opening Prayer

We Sing: Joy to the World

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
let earth receive its king;
let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! The Saviour reigns;
let us our songs employ;
while fields and streams, rocks, hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.

Together in Song 268. Isaac Watts, 1674 – 1748 alt. based on Psalm 98. Public Domain.

Lighting of the Advent Wreath

As we prepare to light the third candle of the Advent Wreath, let us remain seated as we sing: Christ Be Our Light.

♪ Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.

♪ Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.
Christ be our light!
Shine in your Church gathered today.

A baby smiles. Life appears in the crack of the pavement. A flower blooms. Rain falls on a tin roof.
Joy to the world! Let heaven and nature sing!

Bubbling from deep within. Surprising and delighting. Multiplying and rippling outwards.
Joy to the world! Let heaven and nature sing!

Simple and free. Inviting and transforming. Wondrous and inexplicable.
Joy to the world! Let heaven and nature sing!

Let us pray:
God of laughter that brings life, let the unexpected gift of joy turn us towards light and possibility.
May joy sustain us in the challenges of living,
and emanate from the depth of our being to be shared with all the world.
Amen.

♪ Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness.
Christ be our light!
Shine in your Church gathered today.
Christ be our light!

Passing of the Peace

The peace of our God be with you.
And also with you.

Community News and Notices

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Children’s Time

Children may go downstairs for Sunday School. Parents, you are welcome to join your child in Sunday School if you feel your child may need your assistance. Alternatively, you may wish for your child to remain with you for the duration of worship. A small collection of toys is available at the back of the church for your use.

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 35: 1-10

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

From this shines forth the Word of God.
Thanks be to God.

Advent Monologue

Choral Anthem

Jesus Christ is Waiting – John L Bell

Sermon

Christmas Bowl Video

Offering

To give electronically please go to bpuc.org/give

Prayers of the People

The Lord’s Prayer

And now with the confidence of the children of God, let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us saying…

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours

now and forever. Amen.

We Sing: You Shall Go Out with Joy

You shall go out with joy
and be led forth in peace,
and the mountains and the hills
shall break forth in singing.
There’ll be shouts of joy,
and the trees of the fields
shall clap, shall clap their hands,
and the trees of the field shall clap their hands,
and the trees of the field shall clap their hands,
and the trees of the fields shall clap their hands,
and you’ll go out with joy.

Together in Song, 755. Stuart Dauermann 1944 and Steffi Geiser Rubin 1950 Words, music and arrangements by permission Lillenas Publishing Company, Nashville. Used under copyright CCLI Licence No 137219. Copyright cleared music for churches.

Sending Forth and Benediction

Choral Blessing

A Blessing for Christmas – Rosemary Nairn

Postlude: Chimes

Please come and share morning tea in the basement.
There are stairs behind the organ and a ramp between the church
and the car park leading to the basement.

Compiled with the assistance of A Sanctified Art, Spill the Beans and Words for Worship.