Note: This bulletin can be printed by pressing cntrl+P or by clicking here.

Christmas in July

                                  07/27/2025 - 10:30 pm

 

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

CENTERING MUSIC

MOMENT OF HOPE

CALL TO WORSHIP  

    One: Christ is born!
    People: Christ is born!
    One: Because of this birth, life is full of promise for you and for me.  Life is full of promise for our community.
    People: We celebrate today the presence of God’s promise in our midst.
    One: The promise of a small child coming into a crowded, hurting world, and growing to be a liberator.
    People: It’s the promise of you and me, struggling and stumbling together, growing and celebrating, reaching out to make a new presence in our world.

HYMN      #133     O Come, All Ye Faithful        Vs. 1,3,4

O come, all ye faithful

Joyful and triumphant

O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem

Come and behold Him

Born the King of Angels!

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

 

Oh, sing, choirs of angels

Sing in exultation

Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!

Glory to God, all glory in the highest!

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

 

Yea, Lord, we greet thee,

Born this happy morning;

Jesus, to thee be all glory given;

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

PRAYER CONFESSING OUR NEED FOR GOD’S GRACE

Faithful God, we rejoice that you have sent your promised Christ.  And yet, O God, we sometimes are still not ready for Christ’s coming; we are reluctant to live as if the whole earth were your realm.  We know the story – the shepherds, the angels, the magi – but we struggle to fully understand what it means.  Awaken us to your Spirit, let Christ’s birth make a difference in our lives, and grant us your peace, through the grace of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

(Moment of Silence)

SONG OF RENEWAL   #88  Vs. 1  O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

    O come, O come, Emmanuel,

    And ransom captive Israel,

    That mourns in lonely exile here,

    Until the Son of God appear.

    Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE

    One: God loves us enough to come to be one of us.
    People: God loves us enough to be with us in our most vulnerable state as a baby.
    All: God loves us enough!  Thanks be to God!

*PASSING THE PEACE

Pastor:       The peace of Christ be with you.
People:      And with you also.
Pastor:       Let us pass the peace of Christ.
People:      The peace of Christ be with you.   (To one another)

 

SPECIAL MUSIC                                   Be a Gift                                            Allen Pote  
                                                       Kimberly D’Onofrio                                                     

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

BLESSING THE CHILDREN

 

Go Tell it on the Mountain

      Go tell it on the Mountain, over the hills and everywhere!

      Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!  (2Xs)

 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Leader:      God in your grace,
People:      Hear our prayer

PASTORAL PRAYER

THE LORD’S PRAYER

SCRIPTURES  Luke 2:1-20

RESPONSE

Reader:      The word of the Lord
People:      Thanks be to God

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION, from Psalm 19 - responsively

Pastor:       May the words of my mouth
People:      And the meditations of our hearts
All:            Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord,
                  Our rock and our redeemer.  Amen

SERMON        "Version births" play

MOMENT OF QUIET REFLECTION

*HYMN OF RESPONSE    #155   Beautiful Things                                                      Michael Gungor

Raise a song of gladness, peoples of the earth.

Christ has come, bringing peace, joy to every heart.

Alleluia, alleluia, joy to every heart!

Alleluia, alleluia, joy to every heart!

MOMENT OF THANKS

OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS

OFFERTORY                           Keep Christmas with You                       Samuel Pottle  
                                                      (from Sesame Street)                             David Axlerod

*DOXOLOGY                                                                                  Tune: INFANT HOLY

            Glory be to God, Creator; glory be to Christ the Son;

            Glory be to Holy Spirit, glory to the Three-in-One.

            Here we offer to you gladly all the gifts that you impart,

            As we glory in your Presence, giving from a grateful heart.                                                 

*PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

One: Thank you God for giving us everything.

All: Thank you God for giving us You!  Amen.

 

*CLOSING HYMN        #134   Joy to the World

    Joy to the world, the Lord is come!  Let earth receive her king;

    Let every heart prepare him room,

    And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing,

    And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

 

    He rules the world with truth and grace,

    And makes the nations prove

    The glories of his righteous ness

    And wonders of his love, and wonders of his love,

    And wonders, wonders of his love.

POSTLUDE

*CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

Our Center
 
Our Hours
 
Announcements