WORSHIP SERVICES

Christmas Sunday: Christ
On the road to rejoicing, offer blessing

ORDER OF SERVICE

Centering chimes  

Lighting of the solidarity lamp
–Symbolic of our Sister Church relationship with El Divino Redentor

Prelude

Call to worship (Based on Romans 16: 25-27)

Leader: God can strengthen you with the good news about Jesus Christ.

People: May the glory be to God, who alone is wise!

Leader: This good news has been kept a secret for a long time, but now is revealed through what the prophets wrote.

People: May the glory be to God, who alone is wise!

Leader: And now this secret is made know to all people, that they may be obedient to the commands of God.

All: May the glory be to God, who alone is wise!

Hymn #212 – O come all ye faithful

Lighting the Advent Candles – Horst Lehman family

Welcome & prayer

Virtual Passing the Peace (break-out groups)

Hymn #197 – Angels we have heard on high

Advent Poetry & Art (links to words and visual included)
– Poem: The Real Scandal of the Birth of God by Kaitlin Hardy Shetler; read by Mary Biddle
– Art: Courage 3.0 by Tim Okamura

Children’s story
– Song “Let the children come to me”
– The Children’s Fall/Winter offering benefits Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) as it celebrates its centennial year in 2020. All households are invited to set out a basket and gather an offering weekly. Donations may be sent to the FMC office at any time or can be made online (select children’s offering in “To” box)

Scripture – Psalm 148 & Luke 2:22-40

Sermon

Hymnal #215 & Purple songbook #26 (What Child is This/Helpless and Hungry)

Congregational sharing & prayer

Meditative music – Burn this as a light
– In the absence of a weekly offering collection, reflect on how you are practicing and receiving generosity. Consider giving to First Mennonite Church by mailing a check, giving through your bank, or giving online.

Work of the church

Hymn #318 – Joy to the world

Benediction

Prelude – Lesley Deem
Call to worship – Liesl & Soren Schrag
Hymns – Pastor Deb & Matt Yoder
Advent Candle Lighting – Horst Lehman family
Worship Leader – Pastor Deb
Children’s Storyteller – Mary Biddle
Scripture – Earl Kellogg
Advent Poetry & Art Movie – Shawn Rodriguez
Sermon & sharing – Pastor Michael
Meditation – Lincoln Morris & Allyson Polman

FMC Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

ORDER OF SERVICE

Prelude – Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella

Welcome & prayer – Pastor Deb

Lighting the Advent Candles

Hymnal #199 – The First Noel (verses 1 & 2)

Scripture story – Luke 2:1-20

Hymnal #206 – Infant Holy, Infant Lowly

Special music – What child is this?

Story – Angels Have Been Heard to Sigh

Hymnal #197 – Angels we have heard on high

Story – The Little Drummer Boy

Song – The little drummer boy
You are invited to play along on something that can serve as a drum.

Special music – I saw three ships

Story – The Shoemaker’s Dream

Hymn – The friendly beasts

Closing prayer – Pastor Michael

Hymn & candle lighting – Silent night (Hymnal #193)
Please light your candle and have your video on so that we can see each other while singing.

Postlude – O little town of Bethlehem

Prelude – Kathy Springer
Welcome & prayer – Pastor Deb
Advent Candle lighters – Horst Lehman family
Hymns – Matt Yoder (vocals) & Pastor Deb (piano)
Scripture – Crosby family
Story tellers – Cindy Breeze, Huang/Schrag family, Lynne Sancken
Special music – Cindy Breeze, Sarah & Aaron Sutter Kaufman, Andrea & Ally Welty Peachey
Closing prayer – Pastor Michael
Postlude – Pastor Deb
Graphic Design – Rhonda Gibson
AV Technician – Phil Martens

Advent 4: Peace
On the road to revelation – encounter mystery

ORDER OF SERVICE

Centering chimes  

Lighting of the solidarity lamp
–Symbolic of our Sister Church relationship with El Divino Redentor

Prelude – Fling wide the door, unbar the gate

Call to worship (Based on Romans 16: 25-27)

Leader: God can strengthen you with the good news about Jesus Christ.

People: May the glory be to God, who alone is wise!

Leader: This good news has been kept a secret for a long time, but now is revealed through what the prophets wrote.

People: May the glory be to God, who alone is wise!

Leader: And now this secret is made know to all people, that they may be obedient to the commands of God.

All: May the glory be to God, who alone is wise!

Black songbook #15 – Upon this path

Lighting the Advent Candles – Horst Lehman family

Welcome & prayer

Virtual Passing the Peace (break-out groups)

Hymn from new hymnal sampler – Come, thou long expected Jesus

Advent Poetry & Art (links to words and visual included)
– Poem: Annunciation by Denise Levertov; read by Rachel Horst Lehman
– Art: Annunciation by He Qi and The Annunciation by Angel Zarraga

Children’s story
– Song “Let the children come to me”
– The Children’s Fall/Winter offering benefits Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) as it celebrates its centennial year in 2020. All households are invited to set out a basket and gather an offering weekly. Donations may be sent to the FMC office at any time or can be made online (select children’s offering in “To” box)

Scripture – Romans 16:25-27 & Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Hymn from new hymnal sampler – Unexpected and mysterious

Congregational sharing & prayer

Meditative music – Las Posadas
– In the absence of a weekly offering collection, reflect on how you are practicing and receiving generosity. Consider giving to First Mennonite Church by mailing a check, giving through your bank, or giving online.

Work of the church

Sending hymn – The Virgin Mary had a baby boy (Hymnal #202)

Benediction

Worship Leader – Pastor Michael
Sermon & sharing – Pastor Deb
Prelude – Pam Pena Martin & Mary Krick
Meditation – Pam Pena Martin, Liesl Schrag & Pete Shungu
Hymns – Cindy Breeze
Call to worship – Paula Giron Rivera
Advent Candle Lighting – Horst Lehman family
Advent Poetry & Art Movie – Shawn Rodriguez
Children’s Storyteller – Janet Liechty
Scripture – Laura Brenneman-Fullwood