PROVIDENCE CHURCH
November 29, 2020
First Sunday of Advent

Welcome

Passing of the Peace: Though we are separated by distance our hearts are one in Christ. The peace of Christ be with you!

Lighting of the Advent Candle

Call to worship: Micah 5 selected verses

Pastor: But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
People: from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
Pastor: Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth;
People: then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
Pastor: And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
People: And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
ALL: And he shall be their peace.

Songs of Praise
O Come, All Ye Faithful (Latin hymn, attr. to John Francis Wade, 1751)
O Come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above;
Glory to God, glory in the highest,
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning:
Jesus, to thee be all glory giv’n;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

Good Christian Men, Rejoice (Medieval Latin carol, tr. by John Mason Neale, 1853; German melody, 14th century)
Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say: Jesus Christ is born today;
Earth and heav’n before him bow, and he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today! Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;
Now ye hear of endless bliss: Jesus Christ was born for this!
He hath opened heaven’s door, and man is blessed forevermore.
Christ was born for this! Christ was born for this!

Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave: 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!

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus                                                                                                                                        (Charles Wesley, 1744 [st. 1.4]; Mark Hunt, 1978 [st.2,3]; tune Rowland Pritchard, 1855)
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 earth thou art,
Dear Desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

Joy to those who long to see thee, Dayspring from on high, appear;
Come, thou promised Rod of Jesse, of thy birth we long to hear!
O’er the hills the angels singing news, glad tidings of a birth:
“Go to him, your praises bringing; Christ the Lord has come to earth.”

Come to earth to taste our sadness, he whose glories knew no end;
By his life he brings us gladness, our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend.
Leaving riches without number, born within a cattle stall;
This the everlasting wonder, Christ was born the Lord of all.

Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a king,
Born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal Spirit, rule in all our hearts alone;
By thine all-sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.
Confession/Assurance

Respond in Praise:
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel                                                                                                                                                           (Latin antiphons, 12th cent.; Latin hymn 1710, tr. By John Neale, 1851; tune Plainsong, 13th cent.)
O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell thy people save, and give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Dayspring from on high, and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Key of David, come and open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:1-6
To the Church in Sardis                                                                                                                                                                          3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
This is the Word of the Lord.         Thanks be to God

Sermon: “Living Beyond Mediocrity”

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.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil:
for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Amen

Hymn of Thanksgiving:

Joy to the World (Isaac Watts, 1719; tune George Frederick Handel, 1742)
Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing, and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns: let me their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse Is found,
Far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love, and wonders, wonders of his love.

Benediction

KNOW
Tithes and Gifts: If you are joining us via Zoom, your tithes and gifts can be mailed to P.O. Box 65, Clyde. We thank you for your prayerful financial support for our church.

Wednesday Advent Services Zoom: On Wednesday evenings we will gather online at 7 p.m. to worship through music and lighting of the candles of the Advent wreath. Luke and Renee Allsbrook will be our hosts and a Zoom link will be sent each week.

Nominations: We have come to that time of year when the Nominating Committee is in prayerful consideration to bring forward names for the position of Elder. Members of the Congregation may also put forth a name for leadership but must ask the individual first before submitting the suggestion to the nominating committee. You may contact Sam Mitchell, Jeffery Alt, LuAnn Davis or Linda Roberts with suggestions. We have two positions open for next year and voting will occur during our Congregational Meeting in January 2021.

GROW
The Well & Thursday Night Bible Study: both of these gatherings have wrapped up for the year.

GO
Salvation Army Bell Ringing: There are still some slots open to ring the bell at Wal-Mart on Tuesday December 8th. Please contact Toni Cook if you would be willing to help out.

Open Door Soup Kitchen: First Friday of every month. DECEMBER 4th. This is an ongoing commitment of Providence Church to the least, the last, the lost and the lonely of our community. We prepare a meal, then the Salvation Army food truck picks it up and serving is done at another location. Thanks for your faithfulness. Please join us to bless and be blessed.

Prayer Requests:
Deaths: Bob Mitchell (Sam & Renee), Jane Roes (Courtney & Krista Roes); Wally Cook; Eleonore Shelton – surgery Dec. 4; Barb – surgery Dec. 10th; Sherry Alvarez – healing; Sam Mitchell and his brother Bob; Bill & Glenda White; Robbie Hargrove; Chuck & Carole Torpy; Glenn & Laura Glad; Thom Morgan’s mother; Caroline (Bev’s Mom); Sarah’s brother in law Dan – cancer; Lisa Rhodarmer’s brother Michael – cancer.