Working Plans so far are....
Hanging of the Greens
Time: Christmas Market to begin at 6pm, Worship at 6:30pm, Tasting Party at 7:30pm
Set-Up: Christmas Market Set up in front circle, yard, covered patio, lower narthex; Christmas Parade leading from Market into sanctuary; Worship in sanctuary; Tasting Party in Upper Narthex, spilling back out into Christmas Market areas.
Christmas Market Elements:
Family Promise Display & Collection Barrel (Harriet & Christian Action)
Nutcracker Collection--the Schell-Layman Family
Hannukah--The Bardgett Family
Antique Treasures--Carol Stegner
Travel Ornaments--Lee Cordray
Congo/Guatemala Display--Holly Specht
Mouse House Craft Table--CWF
Fire Pit (Nancy & Jerry Burns)
Salvation Army Band--Amy Gillingham
Christmas Card --Marilyn Seaman
Hot Cider Bowl ____________________________
Lights-Luminaries____________________________
Manger Scene--Don Sorrell
Face Painting--Stars only--Alex Hardy, Samantha McKinley
Twinkle lights everywhere____________________________
Sugar Cookies--Tara Deegan & Kathy Edinger
Gingerbread--Anna Hope Curwood
Order of Worship
6:00pm Gathering: Outside/Lower Narthex—Christmas Market
6:30pm
Call to Worship Amy
- Someone rings a big bell.
Procession into Sanctuary Amy
- Kids Percussion Parade, People follow
Opening Music Amy & Barry
- Organ Breaks into “African Alleluia and Choir begins to sing
Opening Drama:
- Actors bring in boxes of greens, ribbons, etc. and a ladder. Put everything in position to be used throughout the service. Short Dialogue about gathering around to get set up and ready. Asks the question “Before we go any further, spiritually, where are we? What's this all about for us this year?”
Lighting the Advent Wreath
Preparing for HOPE Lisa CR
As we approach Advent
and focus our hearts and celebrations on HOPE, what do we have in mind?
When we stretch ourselves out to look around, craning our necks for a
peek at what God's up to, are we only hoping against HOPE not to see the
worst our minds can imagine? Or does our HOPE have a richer dimension?
Can we suspect the best? Can we reach for a sight which will delight us?
Maybe it's different this year for some of us than it was last year.
Maybe for some of us, it changes from day to day. Maybe we barely feel
ready to think of HOPE. Maybe HOPE is the air we're breathing. Maybe we
have HOPE to share. Maybe we need to borrow some. However, we find
ourselves tonight, let us turn to God together. Please join me as we
wait with the world, in HOPE of God's loving presence.
Responsive Reading Liturgist
Leader: In HOPE, the world waits.
People: God's heart will be revealed.
Leader: Limited by mortality, yet destined to be free, in HOPE the world waits.
People: God's Spirit will be revealed.
Leader: Groaning at times, as if in labor, sampling the fruits of God's harvest, in HOPE the world waits.
People: God's gifts will be revealed.
Leader: Trusting in what is unseen, believing the best is to come, in HOPE the world waits.
People: God's love will be revealed.
Leader: In the shadows of a barn, where the Maker of All will be born, in HOPE the world waits.
People: And God will be revealed.
Prayer of Preparation Lisa CR
The Greens:
In a few minutes we will decorate this room with garlands and evergreen. We will place garlands around the chancel and branches of pine, and holly in the windows. Remember the manger, and how the blanket made the manger feel like a cradle ready to receive the baby Jesus? Well think of this sanctuary the same way. The greens are sort of like the blanket that makes the room ready. The green of the holly and the pine enrich this room with a warmth and life that opens our hearts to the coming of the Christ child. So let us Hang the Greens!
Carol: Blue Book 46, “Deck the Halls”
The Manger Scene Reader 1
If a glass is empty, it is ready to be filled. If your tummy is empty, you are ready for food. If something is empty, don’t think of it as lacking or missing something, but think of it as ready to receive something. Over here we place an empty stable. (Place the stable) It seems empty now, but already, it is full of something special. Because we know how to look at it, because we know it is ready....this stable is already full of HOPE. This space is ready, but what or who is it ready to receive? Like that stable, let our hearts become ready, ready to receive the baby Jesus.
Scripture Reading Reader 2
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
The Poinsettia Reader 3
Legend has it that one Christmas Eve long ago, a young girl named Lola was outside the church praying. She was very sad because she did not have any gift to give the baby Jesus in the manger. As Lola watched all the other people from the village carry flowers into the church, tears began to fall from her eyes.
“Please Lord,” Lola prayed, “help me! I don’t have any gift for the baby Jesus, not even a flower to show how much I love him.”
Suddenly a bright light surrounded Lola, and she covered her eyes in fear. But she peeked between her fingers when she heard a kind voice say, “Don’t cry, Lola! The Holy Child Jesus know you have made a place for him in your heart, and that you love him. Go and gather those plants near the road and take them to the manger.”
Lola looked up and said, “But those plants are only weeds.”
“Ah” said the kind voice, “that’s what people think! But weeds are only plants for which people have not yet discovered God’s purpose.”
Lola dried her tears and bent eagerly to pick the plants as the angel had instructed. Then she carried the plants into the church and laid them proudly with all of the beautiful flowers the other villagers had left at the manger.
Suddenly, everyone in the church gasped in surprise. Lola’s weeds had turned a shade of crimson red! Ever since the day Lola brought her gift to the manger, these weeds have been known in Mexico as the Christmas Flower. We call these Christmas flowers Poinsettias.
The Chrismon Tree Reader 4
One cold December night, Martin luther was walking home. He went through the woods where he could see the stars twinkling and shining in the sky. Martin noticed how the stars shone through the snow-covered branches of the fir trees in the forest. The stars twinkled like diamonds in the night! Martin thought it was beautiful and wanted to share the sight with his wife and children.
He had an idea. The next day, Martin Luther went back to the woods. He cut down a fir tree and took it home. That night he put candles on the tree. When the candles were lit, he told his family what he had seen in the woods. Martin Luther helped his family get ready for the coming of the Baby Jesus by celebrating the light that God's son brings into the world. We continue that tradition as we decorate the Chrismon tree with our newly dedicated Chrismons.
You may notice that a Chrismon is next to you in your pew. If there is one within your reach, please bring it forward and place it on the tree as the music plays.
Antiphonal Carol, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” Choir & Amy
The Star Terry Wagner
Carol, Red Book #138 “Go tell It the Mountain”
The Bells Reader 5
After the shepherds visited the baby Jesus in the Bethlehem manger, I can imagine they opened their arms wide and held the baby Jesus next to their own hearts. Immediately, they headed out into the countryside and told everyone about this wonderful child. All who heard it were amazed. What better way to head out into our world than to listen for the good news, ringing with the bells?
Closing Bells The Chalice Chimers
Benediction Liturgist
As we prepare to leave this place,
listen to the good news of God's love that calls us back out
into the world to see HOPE alive all around us, ready and waiting.
Recessional: We go back out into the Tasting Party & Christmas Market.
