5th Sunday Combined Worship at St.
Mark's United Church, Port Hawkesbury on Sunday, December 29th
at 11:00 a.m. Service of Scripture, Prayer and Song. St. David's
and Holy Trinity Anglican Church invited to join with St. Mark's for
this service. Light lunch to follow. St. Mark's to provide beverages
and desserts, Holy Trinity sandwiches, St. David's salads or
vegetable and pickle plates.
The Congregations of St. Mark’s and St. David’s
United Church of Canada
Port Hawkesbury/Port
Hastings, NS
Office: 625-2229, Fax
625-3597, e-mail: stmarks1@eastlink.ca
Blog: http://ourcontactonline.blogspot.com/
December 29th, 2013
Ministers: Nan Corrigan
D. M., Reverend Evelyn Knorr
Music Director: Al Fougere
1st
Sunday of Christmas-Let All Creation Praise
Service of Scripture,
Prayer and Song
Announcements The Work of
Church and Community
WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD
Greeting
One: The peace of Christ be with
you. All: And with your spirit.
* Introit Il est
né (chorus only) VU 50
Il est né, le divin Enfant,
jouez, hautbois, résonnez,
musettes;
il est né, le divin Enfant;
chantons tous son avènement.
He is born, little Child divine;
play on the reeds while the lutes
are strumming.
He is born, little Child divine;
join the song to announce the
day.
*Call to Worship (based
on Isaiah 63:7–9)
One: Let us tell of God’s
unfailing love for us.
All: We will sing praises for all
that God has done.
One: With mercy and constant love.
All: God has richly blessed all
people.
One: Let us worship God together
All:
and sing praises for all that God has done.
Hymn What
Child Is This VU
74
Opening Prayer
God of wonder,
we gather in joy and thanksgiving to praise you for the gracious gift
of Jesus, the Light of the World.
Yet, in our
joy, help us to remember that the world into which Jesus was born was
a world not unlike our own,
a world of
danger and pain for many people.
Help us, in
this season and throughout our lives,
to
illumine our community with the presence of your love. Amen.
Hymn Angels We Have Heard on High VU 38
Prayer for Wholeness
All: Loving God, we thank you for
the joy of Christmas
and the birth of your son, our
Saviour, Jesus.
We thank you for the peace and hope
he brings to the world,
to our community, to our church, and
to our own lives.
We confess how easily we leave Jesus
in his cradle,
forgetting that he and Mary and
Joseph soon became refugees,
fleeing for their lives to Egypt.
We confess that we live our own
comfortable lives,
forgetting the refugees of our time,
forgetting those who live with violence everyday, and all those who
suffer hunger, pain, and oppression.
Forgive us, God, and help us
remember what we are celebrating:
your presence among us, your
gifts of love to us, and your call to service. We pray in Jesus’
name. Amen.
Words of Assurance
Hymn O Little Town of
Bethlehem VU64
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
Isaiah 63:7–9 God’s
presence has saved us.
This is the witness of the Hebrew people.
All: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 148 Let all creation
praise God VU 871
*Hymn The Virgin Mary Had a
Baby Boy VU 73
Opening the Word and The Lord's
Prayer
Gospel Acclamation
Matthew 2:13–23 The escape to
Egypt.
This is the gospel of Jesus
Christ. All: Praise to
you, Lord Jesus Christ.WE RESPOND IN FAITH
* Hymn Infant Holy, Infant Lowly VU58
Minute for Mission & Offering Our Gifts to God
*
Offering Prayer
All: God
of hope and new life, receive what we place before you now: the
treasures of our household, and the deepest hopes of our hearts. In
giving to you, may we draw ever closer to you, and to an
understanding of the amazing miracle of Emmanuel: You with us. We
pray in the name of the Christmas Child. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
God of the universe and the earth,
God of all times and places, God of all people,
We pray for your vision.
God of quiet hearts and tender moments
and babies held in loving arms,
We pray for your love.
God of our homeless, of our hungry, of
our poor, of our war-torn, of our children serving in armed
conflicts, of our world’s 43 million refugees, and forcibly
displaced people,
We pray for your compassion.
God of those with restless hearts, and
aimless lives, and pains deep inside,
We pray for your comfort.
God of those who strive for justice,
those who risk their very lives for the sake of democracy, those who
work to end abuses of children and child poverty,
We pray for your courage.
O God, whose love is neverending, whose
dreams for us are greater than we can ever imagine,
We pray for your hope.
O God, whose Spirit is in all things,
and who inspires us to be instruments of your love,
We pray for your peace. Amen.
WE GO TO SERVE GOD
*
Hymn Joy
to the World VU59
* Commissioning and Blessing
One: As Mary gave birth to Jesus, the
Prince of Peace,
All: so let us give birth to peace
in our lives.
One: As Mary and Joseph cared
for the baby Jesus,
All: so let us care for each other.
One: As God strengthened Jesus and Mary
and Joseph on their journey,
All: so let us strengthen each other
and all those in need.
One: And may the blessings of
this joyous season be with us all.
* Choral Amen
