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Fairlawn Christian Reformed Church The First Sunday of Advent December 3, 2006 10:15 A.M. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preparation And Praise Upon entering the sanctuary please maintain silence for the sake of the congregation’s preparation for worship. Prelude: “A Lovely Rose Is Blooming” Brahms Welcome and Announcements Silent Prayer and Preparation * Call to Worship: Isaiah 60 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. The Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine upon you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. * Hymn: PH 328, stanzas 1-6 “O Come, O Come, Immanuel” Veni Immanuel * God’s Greeting: Grace and peace to you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Lord be with you. And also with you. Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Blessed be God, And blessed is his kingdom, now and forever. Amen. * Prayer of the Day: Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation, give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Lighting of the Advent Candle: The Prophets’ Candle
* Response: PH 328, stanza 7 “O Come, O Come, Immanuel” Veni Immanuel O Come, O King of nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind. Bid all our sad divisions cease and be yourself our King of Peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel. Confession And Prayer Prayer of Confession: O great and everlasting God, who searches and knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, we confess that we have not loved you with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. And we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have loved what we ought not to have loved, and we have coveted what is not ours. We have not been content with your providence over our lives, or with the provisions you have made for us. We have complained in our hearts about our families, our friends, our health, our vocations, our trials, and about your church. We have sought security in those things which perish, rather than in you, the everlasting God. Cleanse and forgive us, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives to make intercession for us according to your will. Silent Prayer and Confession Minister: Amen. Assurance of Pardon: Isaiah 43 Response: Insert “We Believe in God Almighty” Divinum Mysterium [Children age 3 ½ - grade Pre-K may leave during the response.] Congregational Prayer The Service Of The Word * Hymn: PH 327 “On Jordan’s Bank the Baptists’ Cry” Puer Nobis Reading from the Old Testament: Isaiah 40:1-11 This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Reading from the Gospel: Luke 3:1-9, 15-18 Sermon: The Promise of a New Exodus * Hymn: PH 336, stanzas 1-6 “Savior of the Nations, Come” Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland The Offering of Tribute Offertory Prayer Offering: Fairlawn General Fund Offertory: “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent” arr. Whitworth * Doxology: PH 638 “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” Genevan 134 (Old Hundredth) Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. The Service Of The Sacrament Of Communion THE LORD’S SUPPER * SURSUM CORDA—THE GREAT THANKSGIVING Lift up your hearts. We lift them up unto the Lord. Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God. It is proper and right to do so. Truly it is proper and right and our duty that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, O Lord, holy Father, Almighty and Everlasting God. Therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, we praise and magnify your glorious Name, evermore praising you and saying, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty; heaven and earth are full of your glory. Glory be to you, O Lord Most High. THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION PRAYER OF CONSECRATION Heavenly Father, show forth among us the presence of your life-giving Word and Holy Spirit, to sanctify us and your whole church through this sacrament. Grant that all who share the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ may be one in him, and remain faithful in love and hope. And as this grain has been gathered from many fields into one loaf, and these grapes from many hills into one cup, grant, O Lord, that your whole church may soon be gathered from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. Now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. THE DEDICATORY PRAYER We do not presume to come to this your table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your great and manifold mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table. But you are the same Lord, whose nature it is to always have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your Son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us. Amen. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE BREAD AND WINE Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast. The gifts of God for the people of God. (Please hold elements until all have been served. The outer ring holds wine; the inner ring, grape juice.) THE THANKSGIVING Congregation in Christ, since the Lord has fed us at his table, let us praise his holy name with thanksgiving. Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. * Blessing: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen. * Response: PH 336, stanza 7 “Savior of the Nations, Come” Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland
Postlude: “From Heaven Above” Held *Indicates congregation stands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |