for December 7, 2014

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worship as communal exchange | 2nd Sunday of Advent – Peace

called to come in

God comes near and calls his people out of the world, and takes hold of us and brings us into the community of Himself.

Song: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Come Thou long-expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee

Israel’s Strength and Consolation
Hope of all the saints Thou art
Dear Desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart

Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child, and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy precious kingdom bring

By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

we hear | Isaiah 40:1-5, John 14:27

(leader) Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly and cry to her that her warfare has ended and her iniquity is pardoned!

(all) The Lord has promised his peace, and not peace as the world gives.

(leader) What is this peace?

(all) That in Jesus, our broken world will be changed: every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low, the uneven ground shall become level and the rough places plain. In Jesus, we have been changed: having peace with God, peace through a cleansed conscience, peace with one another.

we respond | SONG: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
Chorus
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Israel
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
CHORUS

From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name
CHROUS

Fear not then, said the Angel
Let nothing you affright
This day is born a Savior
Of a pure Virgin bright
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan’s power and might
CHORUS

The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind
And went to Bethlehem straightway
The Son of God to find
CHORUS

And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour lay
They found Him in a manger
Where oxen feed on hay
His Mother Mary kneeling down
Unto the Lord did pray
CHORUS

Now to the Lord sing praises
All you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface
CHORUS

Advent reading from Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 and lighting of the PEACE candle

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, PRINCE OF PEACE.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

confessing our sin

God the Spirit reminds us that God the Father has saved us through the righteous life and sacrificial death of Christ the Son – and in faith we rest on his gracious interest to renew us yet again.

we hear | Psalm 85

Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, LORD, and grant us your salvation.

I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants — but let them not turn to folly.
Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

we confess: from Valley of Vision; book of Puritan Prayers

(all) Lord, we are unworthy, but you welcome us; guilty, but you are merciful; indigent, but your riches are unsearchable. You have shown boundless compassion toward us by not sparing your Son, and by giving us freely all things in him. This is the foundation of our hope, the refuge of our safety, the new and living way to you.

(leader) Happy are we who are Christ’s! In him we have PEACE with you, are justified from all things, delivered from coming wrath, and made heirs of future glory. Grant us that eternal peace today through our repentance of sin and resting on Christ’s work alone. Amen.

we rest | SONG: My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who bore my pain
Who plumbed the depths
of my disgrace
And gave me life again
Who crushed my curse of sinfulness
And clothed me with His light
And wrote His law of righteousness
With pow’r upon my heart

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who walks beside
Who floods my weaknesses
with strength
And causes fears to fly
Whose ev’ry promise is enough
For ev’ry step I take
Sustaining me with arms of love
And crowning me with grace

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To him who reigns above
Whose wisdom is my perfect peace
Whose ev’ry thought is love
For ev’ry day I have on earth
Is given by the King
So I will give my life, my all
To love and follow him

For ev’ry day I have on earth
Is given by the King

So I will give my life, my all
To love and follow him

declaration | 1 Peter 2:24

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

consecrated by the Word

God declares the finished gospel of his Son, and continues his powerful, internal work of change/consecration by his Spirit.

sermon | Two Wisdoms • James 3:12-18 | David Royes

we respond | SONG: At the Name of Jesus

At the name of Jesus
every knee shall bow
Every tongue confess Him
King of glory now

‘Tis the Father’s pleasure
we should call him Lord
Who from the beginning
was the mighty Word

At His voice creation
sprang at once to sight
All the angels faces
all the hosts of light

Thrones and dominations
stars upon their way
All the heavenly orders
in their great array

Humbled for a season
to receive a name
From the lips of sinners
unto whom He came

Faithfully He bore it
spotless to the last
Brought it back victorious
when from death He passed

In your hearts enthrone Him
there let Him subdue
All that is not holy
all that is not true

Crown Him as your Captain
in temptation’s hour
Let His will enfold you
in its light and power

Brothers, this Lord Jesus
shall return again
With His Father’s glory
o’re the Earth to reign

For all earthly powers
meet upon His brow
And our hearts confess Him
King of glory now

SONG: Come to the Feast

Go to the highways and hedges
go to the farthest of fields
Go and compel, the sick and the well
For our Father’s house will be filled

Go to the streets of the city
bring in the crippled and blind
All who would taste this banquet of grace
Must come and waste no more time

Come to the feast, come to the table
The great and the least, the rich and the poor
Come to the feast, come to the table
Come and hunger no more

In the robe of the lamb you’ll be covered
Dressed in his pure righteousness
For all of your guilt, his blood it was spilt
So come by your Father be blessed