Welcome – Pastor Gayle
Bringing in the Light – Acolyte
Call to Worship – Choir
Hymn – Hail to the Lord’s Anointed – UMH 203
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, great David’s greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed, his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free;
to take away transgression and rule in equity.
He comes with succor speedy to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying, are precious in his sight.
He shall come down like showers upon the fruitful earth;
love, joy and hope, like flowers, spring in his path to birth.
Before him, on the mountains, shall peace, the herald, go,
and righteousness, in fountains, from hill to valley flow.
To him shall prayer unceasing and daily vows ascend;
his kingdom still increasing, a kingdom without end.
The tide of time shall never his covenant remove;
his name shall stand forever; that name to us is love.
Lighting Advent Candle – Peace
Let us pray: God of Advent, walk ahead of us, helping us to keep sight of your vision of peace. May we hold peace in our hearts and pray for peace in our broken world. Amen.
Hymn – Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (verse 3) – UMH 240
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”
Jesse Tree Symbol
Praises and Prayer Concerns
Pastoral Prayer – Pastor
Hymn – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verse 2 ) – UMH 211
O come, thou Wisdom from on high, and order all things far and nigh;
to us the path of knowledge show and cause us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Scripture Reading – Isaiah 11:1-2, 6-9
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the lion will feed[b] together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
L: The Word of God in scripture; for the Word of God within us and for the Word of God among us we say:
All: Thanks be to God.
Message – “Reconciliation” – Pastor Gayle
Hymn – Let There Be Peace on Earth – UMH 431
Prayer of Confession – O God of Shalom, we have built up walls to protect ourselves from our enemies, but these walls also shut us off from receiving your love. Break down those walls. Help us to see that the way to your heart is through reconciliation of our own hearts with our enemies. Bless them and us, that we may come to grow in love for each other and for you; through Jesus Christ. Amen. (Michael J. O’Donnell)
Passing the Peace – May the peace of Christ be with you.
Offering – Joyfully offering our time, talent, energy, and resources
Doxology – UMH 95
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
praise God all creatures here below,
praise God above you heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Announcements
Song – I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light (verse 2) – UMH 206
Benediction
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Please pray for: Donna and Fred, Kyle, Jackson-Hester family, Gordon and Joan, Judy S., Jaxson F., Brenda, Israel, Palestinans, Barbara H., Marc T., Blanche, Bob and Kathy, Nalo, Wenona, Mark Y., Louise Y. Requests will be kept on the list for 4 weeks and then may be re-submitted. Send prayer requests to Pastor Gayle- prayer cards or email cokesburyumc@gmail.com
This Week at Cokesbury
Advent Study – 4 weeks The Uncluttered Heart by Beth A. Anderson. Sunday mornings following worship through December 24th.
Welcome Table Potluck today at 11:30 am.
Friday with Friends every Third Friday at 11 am. Bring a bag lunch. Food and conversation. Next gathering: Dec. 15th
Prayer Wednesdays 5:30pm in Narthex
Weekend food packing after worship in fellowship hall.
Choir practice Saturdays at 12 noon adults. 2pm children.
Later this month
Christmas Family Fun Night: cookie decorating, crafts, carols, chocolate, cider, cinema. Saturday December 23rd. 4:00pm.
Christmas Eve Candlelight service at 5:00pm
Loving Our Neighbors
Featherstone and Rippon Schools:
– Weekend food bags. See shopping list for needed items. Also, gallon size zip lock bags.
– Winter clothing, socks and underwear. See list.
Community Garden: See the new garden plots.
English Language class next semester begins in March
Connect with Cokesbury:
703.494.5400
Gmail : CokesburyUMC@gmail.com
Website : CokesburyUMC.church
Facebook : facebook.com/cokesburywoodbridge
YouTube : youtube.com/@cokesburyumcwoodbridge5242
Instagram : instagram.com/cokesburyumc_woodbridge/
Contact Pastor Gayle: 703.980.1029. Mondays are her sabbath.