Bulletin – Sunday, December 29, 2024 – First Sunday after Christmas
Sunday, December 29, 2024
First Sunday after Christmas
We Gather as People of Faith
Welcome
Announcements
Lighting the Christ Candle
Call to Worship
One: The peace of Christ be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Having again celebrated the birth of Jesus, may the songs of angels continue to bring joy to our world.
All: May we share God’s love with all the world.
One: Let us worship as companions of Jesus the Christ.
All: We worship with praise and thanksgiving.
Hymn – “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice” (VU #35)
Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and soul and voice!
Give ye heed to what we say: News! News! Jesus Christ is born today.
Ox and ass before him bow, and he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today! Christ is born today!
Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and soul and voice!
Now ye hear of endless bliss: Joy! Joy! Jesus Christ was born for this!
He hath opened heaven’s door, and we are blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this! Christ was born for this!
Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and soul and voice!
Now ye need not fear the grace: Peace! Peace! Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all to gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save! Christ was born to save!
Prayer of Approach and Confession
God, as a new year draws near, we gather to worship. We gather with both hopes and concerns for the future. We gather, aware that this world continues to suffer from the actions and practices of human beings. We gather, aware that humans continue to commit acts of violence and oppression and exploitation against each other and against all Your creation. God, in this new year, may we turn from the ways of death to the ways of life. Continue to renew our faith, to redeem our living, to transform us into people of hope and healing and agents of Your amazing grace and love. In Christ’s name we pray, amen.
Words of Assurance
Sung Response – “Gloria” (VU #37)
Gloria, gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, gloria, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory in the highest!
Glory to God, glory to God, hallelujah, hallelujah!
A Story for All
We Hear God’s Word
Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:12-17
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:41-52
41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents were unaware of this. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them, and his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favor.
May God speak to us through these readings of scripture.
Thanks be to God!
Hymn – “like a child” (VU #366)
like a child love would send to reveal and to mend
like a child and a friend Jesus comes
like a child we may find claiming heart soul and mind
like a child strong and kind Jesus comes
like a child we will meet ragged clothes dirty feet
like a child on the street Jesus comes
like a child we once knew coming back into view
like a child born anew Jesus comes
like a child born to pray and to show us the way
like a child here to stay Jesus comes
like a child we receive all that love can conceive
like a child we believe Jesus comes
Meditation
Hymn – “I am the Light of the World” (VU #87)
I am the light of the world! You people come and follow me!
If you follow and love you’ll learn the mystery of what you were meant to do and be.
When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the shepherds have found their way home, the work of Christmas is begun!
I am the light of the world! You people come and follow me!
If you follow and love you’ll learn the mystery of what you were meant to do and be.
To find the lost and lonely one, to heal the broken soul with love,
To feed the hungry children with warmth and good food, to feel the earth below, the sky above!
I am the light of the world! You people come and follow me!
If you follow and love you’ll learn the mystery of what you were meant to do and be.
To free the prisoner from all chains, to make the powerful care,
To rebuild the nations with strength of good will, to see God’s children everywhere!
I am the light of the world! You people come and follow me!
If you follow and love you’ll learn the mystery of what you were meant to do and be.
To bring hope to every task you do, to dance at a baby’s new birth,
To make music in an old person’s heart, and sing to the colours of the earth!
I am the light of the world! You people come and follow me!
If you follow and love you’ll learn the mystery of what you were meant to do and be.
We Respond to God’s Word
Invitation to Share
Offering Response – “In the Bleak Midwinter” (VU #55 verse 4)
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man, I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give him—give my heart.
Offering Prayer
Prayers for the People
The Prayer that Jesus Taught
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 them that 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 and ever. Amen.
We Go Into God’s World
Hymn – “Joy is Now in Every Place” (VU #45)
Joy is now in every place,
Christmas lightens every face;
Now be with us, in your grace,
O hear us, bless us, holy Jesus.
May the star that shone that night,
Making your poor stable bright,
Fill our hearts with love and light,
O hear us, bless us, holy Jesus.
Through the New Year let it stay,
Leading us upon your way,
Making Christmas every day,
O hear us, bless us, holy Jesus.
Now and every may we find
Your good news to fill our mind:
Peace and love to human kind,
O hear us, bless us, holy Jesus.
Commissioning / Benediction
Response – “May the God of Hope” (VU #424)
May the God of hope go with us every day,
Filling all our lives with love and joy and peace.
May the God of justice speed us on our way,
Bringing light and hope to every land and race.
Praying, let us work for peace, singing, share our joy with all,
Working for a world that’s new, faithful when we hear Christ’s call.
G O D Q M J P A W
E F V M E A U O I
L E P S O G R O Y
B V U H R D E Y F
M S P I R I T N E
J O S E P H B V S
S E E W A E R H T
C G S T E C I W I
E S I W H C E T V
Y N R E G N A M A
E S H Q V K O O L
T R A E H C A E T
Find these words amongst the above letters
God festival heart Jesus Joseph look manger Mary peace see spirit wise word
