NESHAMINY-WARWICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

First Sunday of Christmas

December 29, 2019

PRELUDE

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

(Please stand if you are able)

HYMN OF ADORATION “Gentle Mary Laid Her Child” No. 27, Blue Hymnal

PRAYER OF THE DAY Liturgist-Dalia Lucas

Exalted God, even as the heavenly host sang of your glory in the night skies over Bethlehem;

even as the star shone in the heavens, and sheep and cattle gathered in that light, so we gather,

young and old together, to recount all that you have done for us in mercy and steadfast love.

No tyrant’s threat or deadly act can destroy the dreams and visions you have placed within us,

for you have drawn us close. With all creation, we praise you and exalt your name forever and

ever. Amen.

RESPONSIVE READING (Liturgist)

Leader: We recount the gracious deeds of God, all the praiseworthy acts the Lord has done

for us.

People: Praise God for coming to dwell among us, Immanuel.

Leader: Praise God for the good news of Jesus, the pioneer of our salvation.

People: Praise God for making us brothers and sisters in Christ.

Leader: Praise God who is present with us still, lifting us up and carrying us.

People: God’s glory shines in heaven and on earth. Praise thee Lord!

(You may be seated)

If you are visiting with us, we welcome you. We hope you would participate with us

in worship, but please do not feel compelled to take part in any aspect of worship which may

make you uncomfortable. Much of our worship is call and response. The bold portions in the

bulletin are where the congregation responds to the call of the speaker.

Loving God;

Building Disciples;

Serving Christ

SONGS OF PRAISE “He Shall Reign”

In the bleak mid-winter, all creation groans

For a world in darkness, frozen like a stone

Light is breaking, in a stable

For a throne

And He shall reign forevermore, forevermore

And He shall reign forevermore, forevermore

Unto us a child is born

The King of kings and Lord of lords

And He shall reign forevermore, forevermore

If I were a wise man, I would travel far

And if I were a shepherd, I would do my part

But poor as I am

I will give to Him my heart

Bridge: Contemporary Worship Team

“God of Justice”

God of justice, Saviour to all

Came to rescue the weak and the poor

Chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, You have called us

Freely we’ve received now, freely we will give

We must go, live to feed the hungry

Stand beside the broken, we must go

Stepping forward, keep us from just singing

Move us into action, we must go

To act justly everyday

Loving mercy in every way

Walking humbly before You, God

You have shown us what You require

Fill us up, and send us out

Fill us up, send us out

Fill us up, and send us out, Lord (4x)

CALL TO CONFESSION

Brothers and sisters, Jesus became like us in every respect so that he might be a merciful and

faithful high priest in the service of God. As we confess our sins, we come before One who

was also tested by what he suffered, confident that he is able to help us.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Merciful God, in great love you have claimed us as your children. We confess that we have

not loved you as we should. We have not participated fully in your purposes

and plans; we grow weary and give up when the way is hard. We have not loved our broth-

ers and sisters as you intend. Complacent in the presence of injustice and violence, we fail

to recognize our own complicity. Forgive us, especially when we fail to

protect children so vulnerable and precious in your sight. Forgive our misuse of power

against people, and against your creation. Help us to praise you by living in harmony and

peace. Do not be ashamed of us, we pray, but strengthen us in our time of testing. Set us

free from fear that we may wholly trust in you. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who

shared our flesh and blood. Amen.

SILENT PRAYER OF CONFESSION (Please take a few moments of prayer)

(Please stand if you are able)

RESPONSE TO ASSURANCE “Gloria Patri”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

(You may be seated)

DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS

Children of God, it is clear that Jesus Christ came to help sinners. He is our Savior in all our

distress, and it is his presence that saves us. Declare with me the good news of the gospel: In

Jesus Christ we are forgiven!

CHILDREN’S SERMON

(We invite all children through 5th grade to come up to the front of the Sanctuary for a special message for

them. They will then be dismissed to their Sunday School teacher, or if you prefer they may return to their

seats with you. Where do I pick up my child after Sunday School? The teachers will bring them up to the Au-

ditorium at 10:15 am and have them sit at the children’s tables. Please look for them to come in and make sure

that your child knows where you are so that they don’t panic when they can’t find you).

INVITATION TO THE OFFERING (Pastor Sameh Shaker)

All creation teems with the abundance of God’s provision: mountains and hills, fruit trees

and cedars, creeping things and flying birds! Our own lives bear witness to the abundance of

God’s love and mercy, for God has lifted us up and carried us in our need. In joyful praise,

we offer to God a portion of all we have received.

(Please take a moment to sign the Friendship Pad in the pew racks.

If you are our guest, please don’t feel obligated to participate.

We would be honored if today's service could be our gift to you.)

OFFERTORY Suzanne Zak Carver

SPECIAL MUSIC Randy Richter

PASTORAL PRAYER: Pastor Sameh Shaker

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.

(Please stand if you are able)

DOXOLOGY “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”

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.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION (Liturgist)

In this gifting season, O God, we are grateful for the gift of your dear Son, our Savior, Jesus

Christ. Receive, we pray, these offerings we bring. May they be used in the service of your

grace and truth dwelling among us. In Christ’s holy name we pray. Amen.

PASS THE PEACE OF CHRIST (Liturgist)

Leader: The peace of Christ be with you.

People: And also with you.

(Please stand if you are able and take a moment to greet those around you)

(You may be seated)

SCRIPTURE READING Matthew 2:13-23 13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get

up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Her-

od is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and

his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This

was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have

called my son.” 6 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriat-

ed, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old

or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled

what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing

and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because

they are no more.” 19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream

to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20 “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of

Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 21 Then Joseph got up, took the

child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was

ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being

warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23 There he made his home in a

town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled,

“He will be called a Nazorean.”

Leader: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

SERMON “The Asylum Seeker”

Pastor Sameh Shaker

(Please stand if you are able)

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (in unison): Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus

Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin

Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to

the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right

hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the

Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

CHARGE

Go out into the world in peace. Be of good courage. Hold onto what is good. Render no one

evil for evil. Uplift the fainthearted. Support the weak. Laugh with those who laugh and

mourn with those who mourn. Do this in a spirit of joy and appreciation for you are God's

child. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, go in peace.

BLESSING

May God the Creator, Christ the Savior, and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, guard your going

out and your coming in; and be your strength and help in every time of need.

WORSHIP SONG “Everlasting God”

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord,

We will wait upon the Lord

We will wait upon the Lord (repeat)

Our God You reign forever

Our hope Our strong deliverer

You are the everlasting God the everlasting God

You do not faint You won't grow weary

And You're the defender of the weak

You comfort those in need

You lift us up on wings like eagles

HYMN “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice” No. 28, Blue Hymnal

POSTLUDE

Thank you for worshipping with us today.

Please join us for brunch in the Auditorium.

All are welcome!

NESHAMINY-WARWICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

PRAYER LETTER

December 29, 2019

Please include the following members of our family of faith in your prayers this week:

Prayers: Lynda Comstock

Dan Wolfgang

Pete Obst

John Zachary

Naomi Flick

Marty Christenson (friend of Nina Resavage)

Demelza Breith (friend of Elsie Wanthouse)

Daniel Palzer (friend of Debbie Watson)

Lois William (friend of Nina Resavage)

Family of Joan Cook (grandmother of Jackie Garcia)

Ongoing Concerns: Kerry Zimmerman

Sandi Flynn

Audrey (Read) Lammers

Debbie Watson

Alice Bray

Joan George

Marilyn Achenbach

Mary Lishman

Todd Woollam

Carol Herwig

Cathy Shaheen

Janice Perkins

Muriel Wagner

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE

The Red Cross will host a blood drive on January 3rd from

2 till 7 p.m.. You can sign up online at

www.redcrossblood.org or during brunch. If you’ve do-

nated in the past - THANK YOU, and we look forward to

seeing you again on January 3rd . If you haven’t ever giv-

en blood, PLEASE consider making this your first time.

The need is continuous and the satisfaction of helping oth-

ers with what truly is “the gift of life” is rewarding. Please check out and share the

blood drive post on our Facebook page with your friends and followers! If you have

any questions, please contact Don Millin @ PSU2242@gmail.com. Thank you!

THE PULPIT FLOWERS

Are given with thanks and gratitude for all our blessings; and given with gratitude

for all that the new year may hold, both from Dorothy Moritz. Deacon Isabel

McLauchlan & Linda Mesh will be delivering the flowers. Each week the flowers

can be a bright moment for someone needing prayers or praise. If you know of

someone please let the assigned deacons delivering flowers know after the service.

PASTOR’S FUND

Throughout the year people turn to the church in emergencies, especially during

the cold months of winter. We have already begun to have requests for help. Your

contributions could make the difference for a local family in need. Please make your

checks out to NWPC with a memo “Pastor’s Fund” and either put it in the offering

plate or send it to the office. Thank you for making a difference!

Thank you to all who have donated to our shoe box mission! We have packed 75

boxes to take to children and youth in the West Kensington Ministry!

Mark your calendars for January 5th! On that day we will take the boxes down and

celebrate “Three Kings Day” with the WKM Community through worship and

sharing a meal. We will then pack some meals to be delivered to the homeless com-

munity in Kensington. Please let Donna Mazeika know if you plan to attend and if

you are able to drive. donna.mazeika@nwpc.net

We Want YOU!

Do you enjoy talking to people? Would you like to share the Word of God? NWPC wel-

comes all members to participate on Sundays by signing up as Greeters or Liturgists.

Greeters arrive 15 minutes before the service and welcome everyone as they enter the

Sanctuary.

Liturgists lead the congregation in responses and read the scripture reading.

If you are interested, please fill out the form below and place in the collection plate or con-

tact Dorothy Smith by phone (215-343-1142) or email (drsmith524@verizon.net).

Thank you for your service!

Name______________________________

Phone _____________________________

Email______________________________

I am interested in serving as (check all that apply)

Greeter ___ Liturgist ___

END OF YEAR DONATIONS 2019

STOCK DONATIONS - Donations of stock to the church can be made anytime during the

course of the year. Please allow at least a week from the time you have notified your broker

of a donation until the time it is received at the church. It is important to notify the Finance

Manager, Jill Lamparella of the specific church account destination for the stock check.

REGULAR CHURCH CONTRIBUTIONS - By law contributions sent through the mail

must be postmarked by December 31, 2019 in order to be posted to your 2019 statement.

Contributions that are dated 2019 but received after the December 31, 2018 deadline will be

considered a contribution to the 2020 year as stated in the IRS Rules and Regulations. Year-

end Contribution Statements for 2019 will be mailed prior to the January 31, 2020 deadline.

Thank you for your faithful stewardship to Neshaminy-Warwick Presbyterian Church in

2019.

BOXED ENVELOPES – Boxed church envelopes are always provided by request, on a first

come first served basis, as the number of boxes are limited. There will be a sign-up sheet in

the Narthex.

At present, Dexter Envelopes is having company and labor issues and although the order

was called into the company in October, they do not have a delivery time that can be given

to the Church. Should their issues be unsolvable and the company does go out of business,

there will not be boxed envelopes to use this year.

You may put your contribution in a regular envelope with your name and the designated

account that you would like your contribution to be directed. You may also use a regular

pew envelope or you can simply put a check in the contribution plate or mail your contri-

bution to the church. Other alternatives to the boxes are regular donations through your

bank that is automatically mailed to the church. Also on the Church Website you can con-

tribute through Vanco. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29

8:30 AM Prayer Group-Library

9:00 AM Service for the Lord’s Day

9:00 AM Sunday School

10:15 AM Brunch-Rickner Hall

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30

~Office Closed~

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31

~New Year’sEve~

~Office Closed~

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1

~Happy New Year~

~Office Closed~

THURSDAY, JANUARY 2

7:00 PM `Choir Rehearsal

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3

2:00 PM `Red Cross Blood Drive

`-Rickner Hall

SATURDAY JANUARY 4

~No Scheduled Activities~

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5

8:30 AM Prayer Group-Library

9:00 AM Service for the Lord’s Day

9:00 AM Sunday School

10:15 AM Brunch-Rickner Hall

10:15 AM `TBS Brunch-Library

THIS WEEK AT NESHAMINY

Church Staff

Rev. Mark Lyndaker-Studer, Pastor

Donna Mazeika, Director of Children & Youth

Rev. Sameh Shaker, Pastor of Visitation

Dr. Suzanne Zak Carver, Director of Music

Keith Rounds, Contemporary Music

Cheryl Overton, Church Administrator

Jill Lamparella, Property & Finance Manager

Tanya Kauriga, Sexton

Remembering that the members of Neshaminy-Warwick Presbyterian Church are the

ministers and missionaries of our faith community, our Pastoral Staff and Support

Team provide leadership and specialized ministries.