Madison Street United Methodist Church

Service for the Lord’s Day

The Fourth Sunday of Advent December 20, 2020 ~ 10:15 A.M.

——————————————————————————————————— ENTRANCE

The Prelude Dr. Abigail D. Haake, organ “Cantabile” from Partita On “I Want To Walk As a Child Of the Light

John Behnke (b. 1953)

The Welcome The Rev. Harriet J. Bryan

+The Call to Worship Rev. Bryan In the beginning, when all was darkness, God spoke the word of Light and brilliant light shown forth. It was the glorious light of creation. In due time, when darkness began to invade the land again, God sent the prophets to reclaim God’s people. In the fullness of time, God sent God’s son, that the world would know forever that God is with us. Praise God for the wondrous ways in which God enters our lives.

+The Opening Prayer The Rev. Jared D. Wilson The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Let us pray:

Lord of Light and Life, shine through our darkness, bringing us hope. Open our hearts for the journey, our eyes for the light, our spirits for the peace which you bring. We offer this prayer in the name of the One who is coming into the world bringing your hope, love, peace and joy. Amen.

+The Opening Hymn HOUSTON I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light

The Lighting of the Advent Wreath Rev. Wilson A Reading from I Peter 2:9-11

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Let in the Light.

The first, second, third, and fourth candles on the Advent wreath are lit.

Let us pray: Come, my Light, and illumine my darkness. Come, my Life, and revive me from death. Come, my Physician, and heal my wounds. Come, Flame of divine love, and burn up the thorns of my sins, kindling my heart with the flame of your love. Come, my King, sit upon the throne of my heart and reign there, for you alone are my King and my Lord. Amen. - Prayer by Dimitri of Rostov

The Response (to be sung by all) VENI EMMANUEL O come, thou Root of Jesse’s tree, an ensign of thy people be; before thee rulers silent fall; all peoples on thy mercy call. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. The Call to Confession Rev. Wilson In this season of Advent, we prepare for the coming of Christ, full of grace and truth. Trusting in God’s unfailing grace, let us tell the truth about ourselves, joining in the prayer of confession.

The Prayer of Confession Rev. Wilson God of eternal hope, you place a light in every darkness and a star in every sky, and yet we sometimes choose to walk in the darkness of despair and worry. Sometimes we forget that there is never a moment that you are not with us, that your Son was called Emmanuel, “God with us.” Shine your light upon our path and walk with us through all the valleys of our lives. Hear our confession of those times when we try to forge ahead and handle life on our own. Amen.

+The Assurance of Pardon Rev. Wilson

Every person entering life he brings into Light. He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn’t even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn’t want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves. Glory to God. Amen!

+The Gloria (to be sung by all)

Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE The Hebrew Bible Lesson Rev. Wilson Isaiah 9:2-7

This is the Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

The Anthem Blake McDole, tenor The Coventry Carol

arr. Lloyd Larson (b. 1954)

+The Gospel Lesson Rev. Bryan John 1:1-18

This is the Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

The Sermon Rev. Bryan I Believe in the Light: Illuminating Peace

Points to Ponder (regarding incarnation): • We matter to God. We matter that much. That’s the point of it all…that God cared enough to be born.

~Madeleine L’Engle • The Son of God did not want to be seen and found in heaven. Therefore he descended from heaven into this humility

and came to us in our flesh, laid himself into the womb of his mother and into the manger, and went on to the cross. This was the ladder that he placed on our hearts so that we might ascend to God on it. ~Martin Luther

• What [incarnation] means is that there is no corner of experience so hidden that grace cannot find it. There is no soil so sterile that the seed of holy wonder cannot grow in it. There is no moment so dark that it can extinguish the light of God which even now shines in it. ~Thomas Long

Questions to Consider: • What is the last leap of faith I took? • Who has been my Emmanuel? • Whose Emmanuel will I be?

The Prayers of the People Rev. Wilson

After each petition, the liturgist will conclude saying: Lord, in your mercy. and all may respond: Hear our prayer.

Together, let us pray for

the people of this congregation…

those who suffer and those in trouble…

the concerns of this local community…

the world, its people, and its leaders…

the church universal—its leaders, its members, and its mission…

the communion of saints…

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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. 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 Hymn MENDELSSOHN Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

SENDING FORTH

The Charge and Benediction Rev. Wilson & Rev. Bryan Your generosity enables us to make a difference in our community and world. For your safety and convenience, you will find giving stations in the narthex and at the front of the sanctuary. To give online, go to madisonstreetumc.org/giving. Text to give from your phone. Text REGISTER to 931.263.7485. Once registered, use the same number to text your desired dollar amount.

The Postlude Dr. Haake, organ Vom Himmel hoch da komm’ ich her

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706) ——————————————————————————————————

2020 End of Year Gifts & Offerings   As you prepare to make your final financial offerings for this year, please note that checks written for 2020 gifts should be dated no later than December 31, 2020, and can be received in the Business Office through Wednesday, January 6, 2021.  2020 electronic & text gift transactions should be initiated by midnight, December 31, 2020.

Electronic giving/information ~ www.madisonstreetumc.org/giving TEXT2GIVE ~ 931.263.7485

STAY CONNECTED Stay informed about all of our events through our Friday email “This Week at Madison Street.” To subscribe to the Friday email go to www.madisonstreetumc.org, scroll to the bottom of the page and fill out the form.

Restrooms are located through the double doors on the west side (front left) of the sanctuary.

Want to contact a staff member? Email us at the staff member’s firstname@madisonstreetumc.org.  E.g., name@madisonstreetumc.org

Worship Leaders The Rev. Harriet J. Bryan ~ Senior Pastor The Rev. Jared D. Wilson ~ Senior Associate Pastor

Musicians Dr. Abigail D. Haake ~ Associate Director of Music & Organist

The Liturgy was taken from the following resource: Ministry Matters © 2017 by Nancy Townley, alt. by The Rev. Jared D. Wilson The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church; 2020 Advent Wreath and Readings by Rev. Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia; Trinity UMC, Sarasota, FL. alt. by Rev. Jared Wilson Observed Glory - Second Sunday of Epiphany - John 1; The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. “I Believe Even When” by Marcia McFee © 2020. The Hymns I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light Words: Kathleen Thomerson, 1966 Music: Kathleen Thomerson, 1966 © 1970, 1975 Celebration

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Words: Charles Wesley, 1739; alt. by George Whitefield, 1753, and others Music: Felix Mendelssohn, 1840. CCLI License Number: 1364598

Kids Core Dismissal In an effort to reduce touch points and maximize traffic flow, Kids Core leaders will return students back to their parents at the conclusion of today's worship service.