Don't Fear the Dragon

Guest Pastor: Rev. Nathan Kuperus

ORDER OF WORSHIP

Prelude: Miriam Hector
Welcome/Announcements
Advent Theme: Do Not Be Afraid
Advent Candle Lighting: Peace
On the first Sunday of Advent, we lit the candle of hope and were reminded to put our hope in God’s promises of a peaceful kingdom. [Light first candle.] On the second Sunday of Advent, we lit the candle of love to represent God’s love for us through the incarnation of our Savior, Jesus Christ. [Light second candle.] This morning we light the candle of peace. We wait for God’s promises of peace on earth and good will to all. We pray that God’s peace would break through our restless hearts and lead us to Bethlehem, where we can celebrate our Savior’s birth. We light this candle of peace. [Light third candle.]
* Song “You Are Holy (Prince of Peace)”
Responsive Call to Praise
We have heard the story of Jesus Christ with joy and anticipation.
We have come to worship.
We open our hearts to prepare room for his coming.
We have come to worship.
We open our ears to hear the choirs of angels proclaim his holy birth.
We have come to worship.
We open our lives to God’s greater plans for us.
We have come to worship.
Through the grace of God’s Holy Spirit,
we have come to worship Christ, the newborn King.
* Songs “Angels from the Realms of Glory”
“Meekness and Majesty”
Prayer of Confession with Spoken Response
There is mystery in the season of Advent and mystery in the story of Jesus’ birth. God works in mysterious ways, using ordinary people like you and me to accomplish God’s plan of salvation and kingdom work. But we gather for prayer to confess that we aren’t always eager to allow God to work in us. We prefer our own ways over God’s mysterious ways. We prefer darkness over light. So we pray using words from Mary’s song (Luke 1:46–55), and we ask God to make God’s face shine on us and to open our hearts to God’s will for our lives. When I say “Restore us, O God,” please respond with “and make your face shine upon us that we might be saved.” Let us pray. Our souls glorify you, O Lord, and our spirits rejoice in you, our Savior! For you have been mindful of the humble state of your servants. You have heard our cry and saved your people. We shall be called blessed because we are called by you to be a blessing to others. Your mercy extends from generation to generation. Your mercy called Adam and Eve into being. Your mercy kept vengeance from taking Cain’s life. Your mercy saved Noah and his family from the flood. Your mercy caused Sarah’s womb to be fruitful. Your mercy gave Joseph’s dreams the power to save a nation. Your mercy heard the Israelites’ cry and called Moses to action. Your mercy charged Mary with the most special of tasks. Your mercy strengthened Joseph to care for her. Your mercy sent Jesus Christ into the world to save us from the dark of night. We give you thanks for your mercy; may it continue to shine upon us! Restore us, O God,
and make your face shine upon us that we might be saved.
We remember this day those who crave your shining face, who long for the light, who need your power to drive out the darkness: For those who live with depression or other mental illnesses.
For those who cannot bring themselves to forgive others.
For those who cannot forgive themselves. For those who seek refuge, but have been denied shelter. For those who seek shelter, but have been denied a home. For those who have lost loved ones in the past year. For those who have lost physical or mental abilities. For those who care for aging spouses or loved ones. For those who have been living with cancer and other debilitating illnesses. Restore us, O God,
and make your face shine upon us that we might be saved.
We ask that you would strengthen us as a congregation: as we serve one another and those with whom you called us into fellowship, as we seek to bring hospitality and hope to our community, as we discern where you might be leading us, as we hold in tension that which we have been with that which you call us to be, as we seek to be the best stewards of the money and gifts with which we’ve been blessed, as we search for the truth of your word and do our best to live it out in our lives, as we wait, watch, and wonder in preparation for the coming of your Son. Restore us, O God,
and make your face shine upon us that we might be saved.
Gracious God, on this Advent journey, may we wait with Mary’s joyful anticipation as we prepare to welcome your Son, our Savior, into this broken world in need of his redeeming. Gather us, guide us, and keep us as your people. Send us into the world so that our hands might be
Christ’s own, and his mind one with ours in all that you would have us do. Restore us, O God,
and make your face shine upon us that we might be saved. Amen.
Congregational Prayer
followed by The Lord’s Prayer
* Song of Preparation “Celebrate the Child”
Scripture Reading Revelation 12
Message: Pastor Nathan Kuperus
“Don’t Fear the Dragon”
* Song of Responsive “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus”
* Benediction
* Closing Song “My Soul Cries Out with a Joyful Shout”
Postlude