Elkhorn First United Methodist Church
Third Sunday of Advent
December 15, 2024
PRELUDE
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
SILENT PREPARATION
JOY - video
*Joy to the World 246
*CALL TO WORSHIP
Children of God, our world is full of the fruit of humanity’s greed, apathy, and neglect for the love of God, neighbor, self, and all creation.
What, then, should we do?
Our world is also full of the fruit of God’s love that wells up all around us, sustaining us, saving us, reviving us to live as the people of God.
What, then, should we do?
God encircles us on every side, Love divine present with us in creation, in community, and in the anticipated arrival of the infant Emmanuel. What then, children of God, should you do?
ALL: We will live in joyful presence with God and neighbor, turning away from sin and toward a life with God and one another marked by joy, justice, and mercy. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 15:1-5
Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.’ He answered them, ‘And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, “Honour your father and your mother,” and, “Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.” But you say that whoever tells father or mother, “Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God”, then that person need not honor the father.
CANDLE LITURGY AND LIGHTING
Reader One: No matter what troubles overwhelm us today, Isaiah reminds us that in all of our preparation and passionate pursuit of God’s coming kingdom, we must not forget that God’s salvation has come and is coming. “With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). With joy, you will remember that God’s salvation is already present among us.
Congregation: Faced with the world's troubles and suffering, we choose to live in joyful presence to God and one another. We will not turn away from the pain and the hurt in our world, and we will not stop rejoicing in God, whose salvation fills us to overflowing that God’s love might flow through us and flood our troubled world with hope, peace, and joy.
Reader Two: We light this candle of joy as a sign of our commitment to be present to ourselves, our friends, our families, and our neighbors so that in sharing our vulnerable lives, we might share in the glorious joy of God’s salvation together.
MESSAGE: GREAT JOY Pastor Mike
OFFERING O Come All Ye Faithful 234
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
LORD’S PRAYER
*DOXOLOGY
BENEDICTION
*Angels We Have Heard on High 238
As we depart, please share a sign of peace with one another and join us in the narthex for refreshments. Go in peace!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please pray for these church members, family, and friends: Kathy Fulton, Helen Hall, Betty Rader, Jerome Immega, Wayne Marek, Gayle Ostrander, Rod Paulsen, Dave Steiner, DeMarcos, Duane Wuttke, Jerry Rahn, Debbie Rush, Jeff Debbink, Ken Aldrich, family of Don Green
Your prayer requests can be updated by calling the church office at 262-723-2629 or sending an email to [email protected]
Prayers for all who are in sorrow from family loss/tragedy
Prayers for replacement/repair of wheelchair lift
Prayers for generous tithes and offerings to sustain our work
Pray for our denomination and our congregation:
Pray for Elkhorn and surrounding communities for health, economic stability, and the joy of community.
Pray for pastors and church workers worldwide.
Please remember your friends who are alone; pray for them and call or visit them whenever possible.
Please utilize the church’s prayer lists. Let us know how we can pray for you.
THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF ELKHORN
111 North Broad Street, Elkhorn WI 53121
Church Office 262-723-2629
[email protected]
Pastor Mike Payne
Third Sunday of Advent
December 15, 2024
PRELUDE
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
SILENT PREPARATION
JOY - video
*Joy to the World 246
*CALL TO WORSHIP
Children of God, our world is full of the fruit of humanity’s greed, apathy, and neglect for the love of God, neighbor, self, and all creation.
What, then, should we do?
Our world is also full of the fruit of God’s love that wells up all around us, sustaining us, saving us, reviving us to live as the people of God.
What, then, should we do?
God encircles us on every side, Love divine present with us in creation, in community, and in the anticipated arrival of the infant Emmanuel. What then, children of God, should you do?
ALL: We will live in joyful presence with God and neighbor, turning away from sin and toward a life with God and one another marked by joy, justice, and mercy. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 15:1-5
Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.’ He answered them, ‘And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, “Honour your father and your mother,” and, “Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.” But you say that whoever tells father or mother, “Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God”, then that person need not honor the father.
CANDLE LITURGY AND LIGHTING
Reader One: No matter what troubles overwhelm us today, Isaiah reminds us that in all of our preparation and passionate pursuit of God’s coming kingdom, we must not forget that God’s salvation has come and is coming. “With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). With joy, you will remember that God’s salvation is already present among us.
Congregation: Faced with the world's troubles and suffering, we choose to live in joyful presence to God and one another. We will not turn away from the pain and the hurt in our world, and we will not stop rejoicing in God, whose salvation fills us to overflowing that God’s love might flow through us and flood our troubled world with hope, peace, and joy.
Reader Two: We light this candle of joy as a sign of our commitment to be present to ourselves, our friends, our families, and our neighbors so that in sharing our vulnerable lives, we might share in the glorious joy of God’s salvation together.
MESSAGE: GREAT JOY Pastor Mike
OFFERING O Come All Ye Faithful 234
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
LORD’S PRAYER
*DOXOLOGY
BENEDICTION
*Angels We Have Heard on High 238
As we depart, please share a sign of peace with one another and join us in the narthex for refreshments. Go in peace!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please pray for these church members, family, and friends: Kathy Fulton, Helen Hall, Betty Rader, Jerome Immega, Wayne Marek, Gayle Ostrander, Rod Paulsen, Dave Steiner, DeMarcos, Duane Wuttke, Jerry Rahn, Debbie Rush, Jeff Debbink, Ken Aldrich, family of Don Green
Your prayer requests can be updated by calling the church office at 262-723-2629 or sending an email to [email protected]
Prayers for all who are in sorrow from family loss/tragedy
Prayers for replacement/repair of wheelchair lift
Prayers for generous tithes and offerings to sustain our work
Pray for our denomination and our congregation:
Pray for Elkhorn and surrounding communities for health, economic stability, and the joy of community.
Pray for pastors and church workers worldwide.
Please remember your friends who are alone; pray for them and call or visit them whenever possible.
Please utilize the church’s prayer lists. Let us know how we can pray for you.
THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF ELKHORN
111 North Broad Street, Elkhorn WI 53121
Church Office 262-723-2629
[email protected]
Pastor Mike Payne