PRELUE
“Veni Emmanuel” Calvin Hampton
“Interlude and Procession on Veni Emmanuel” Don Stone
GREETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Rev. Gregg Neel
This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
AN ACT OF PRAISE
INTROIT
“The Glory of the Father” Hovland
*WESTMINSTER CHIMES
*INVITATION TO WORSHIP AND LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES Denise and Leila Hudson, Maya Fazio, and Logan
On this bright morning full of love,
we remember what God’s love looks like:
Like all living in security and peace,
Like the Mighty One doing great things,
Like the lowly being lifted up,
And like the hungry being filled.
On this fourth Sunday in Advent, we light these candles to remind us of God’s love.
(the candles are lit)
Let us worship God.
*HYMN #104
“O Lord, How Shall I Meet You”
VALET WILL ICH DIR GERBEN
O Lord, how shall I meet you, how welcome you aright?
Your people long to greet you, my hope, my heart’s delight!
O kindle, Lord most holy, a lamp within my breast,
to do in spirit lowly all that may please you best.
Love caused your incarnation; love brought you down to me;
your thirst for my salvation procured my liberty,
O love beyond all telling, that led you to embrace
in love, all loves exceling, our lost and fallen race.
You come, O Lord, with gladness, in merry and goodwill
to bring an end to sadness and bid our fears be still.
In patent expectation we live for that great day
when your renewed creation your glory shall display.
*INVITATION TO CONFESSION Rev. Eileen Parfrey
On this bright morning full of love, we remember what God’s restorative justice looks like: returning to God and one another by repenting our sins together. And so we pray, using ancient texts and traditions, connecting us across many cultures and generations, first in silence.
*SILENT PRAYER
*UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Excerpts from Psalm 80
You, O Great Mystery, are enthroned upon the wings of heavenly creatures. Show yourself. Make your face shine upon us! Lord God, how long must we wait? Restore us. Make your face shine so that we can be saved! Return to us. How long must we wait? Attend to this vine, this root that you planted. Make your face shine so that we can grow.
*ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
On this bright morning full of love, we remember what God’s kin(g)dom is like, reminding one another that we are forgiven and free to thrive.
Alleluia. Amen.
*THE PASSING OF THE PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
AN ACT OF PROCLAMATION
MOMENTS WITH CHILDREN Gerald and Piggie
ANTHEM
“Brightest and Best” arr. Shawn Kirchner
Helen Anderson, violin; Mark Niemann-Ross, string bass
Hail the blessed morn, see the great Mediator down from the regions of glory descend!
Shepherds go worship the babe in the manger, lo, for his guard the bright angels attend.
Brightest and best of the stars of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid.
Star in the East, the horizon adorning, guide where our Redeemer is laid.
Cold on his cradle the dewdrops are shining, low lies his bed with the beasts of the stall.
Angels adore him in slumber reclining, Maker, and Monarch, and Savior of all.
(Refrain)
Shall we not yield him, in costly devotion, odors of Edom and offerings divine,
Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean, myrrh from the forest and gold from the mine?
(Refrain)
THE SCRIPTURE READING
Luke 1:26-45 (p. 56)
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
SERMON Rev. Lindsey Hubbard-Groves
“Care Package”
A MOMENT FOR SILENT REFLECTION
AN ACT OF RESPONSE
*HYMN #123
“It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”
CAROL
It came upon the midnight clear that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth, to touch the harps of gold.
“Peace on the earth, good will to all, from heaven’s all gracious King”
the world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come, with peaceful wings unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats o’er all the weary world
Above its sad and lowly plains, they bend on hovering wing,
and every o’er its Babel sounds the blessed angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife the world has suffered long;
beneath the heavenly hymn have rolled two thousand years of wrong;
and we at war on earth hear not the tiding that they bring;
O, hush the noise and cease the strife to hear the angels sing!
And you, beneath life’s crushing load, whose forms are bending low
who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow
look now, for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing
O, rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing.
For lo, the days are hastening on, by prophets seen of old,
when the ever-circling years shall come the time foretold
when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling
and whole world give back the song which now the angels sing.
SHARING JOYS & CONCERNS Rev. Eileen Parfrey.
(At the conclusion of spoken joys, let us pray together, “Thanks be to you, O God.” For concerns, let us make them our own by praying, “Lord, hear our prayer.”)
PASTORAL PRAYER AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
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.
OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS
(Text 73256 the word WESTPRESPDX to give using your mobile device. This number will never send unsolicited texts to you. To cancel further messages, text STOP. If you need assistance with text giving, text HELP. Standard text message and data rates may apply.
If you’re new to Westminster, please let us know by filling out a pink visitor card and dropping it in the offering plate. Thank you.)
OFFERTORY ANTHEM
“This Christmastide (Jessye’s Carol)” Donald Fraser
Terri Banasek, Sue Carrico, Meredith Kostek and Sherry Symington, bells
Green and silver, red and gold, and a story born of old.
Truth and love and hope abide, this Christmastide.
Holly, ivy, mistletoe, and the gently falling snow.
Truth and love and hope abide, this Christmastide.
From a simple ox’s stall came the greatest gift of all.
Truth and love and hope abide, this Christmastide.
Children sing of peace and joy at the birth of one small boy.
Truth and love and hope abide, this Christmastide.
Let the bells ring loud and clear, ring out now for all to hear.
Truth and love and hope abide, this Christmastide.
Trumpets sound and voices raise in an endless stream of praise.
Truth and love and hope abide, this Christmastide.
Green and silver, red and gold, and a story born of old.
Truth and love and hope abide, this Christmastide.
*DOXLOGY – HYMN #606
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.
-OR-
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God above, ye heavenly host;
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
*HYMN #119
“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
MENDELSSOHN
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn king.”
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconcile.
Joyful, all ye nations rise; join the triumph of the skies
with angelic host proclaim “Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn king!”
Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come, offspring of the virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the incarnate deity,
pleased in flesh with us to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn king!”
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he bring, risen with healing in his wing.
Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may daie;
born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn king!”
*BENEDICTION Rev. Lindsey Hubbard-Groves
*POSTLUDE
“Noel Offertoire Op.60 No. 4” Alexander Guilmant
(You may be seated for the postlude or you may depart.)