First Presbyterian Church
December 13, 2020
10:00 AM
Worship Service Unified
Order of Worship
CALL TO WORSHIP (based on Psalm 126)
When the Lord restored
the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled
with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;
Then it was said among
the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great
things for us, and we rejoiced.
Restore our fortunes, O
Lord. May those who sow in tears reap
with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
come home with shouts of joy.
Let us worship the Living
God.
Hymn
of Praise: “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
1.
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie; above thy deep and
dreamless sleep the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the
everlasting light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee
tonight.
2.
For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above, while mortals sleep, the
angels keep their watch of wondering love. O morning stars together, proclaim
the holy birth, and praises sing to God the king, and peace to all on earth!
3.
How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given; so God imparts to human
hearts the blessings of his heaven. No ear may hear his coming, but in this
world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters
in.
4.
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin, and enter
in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings
tell; o come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (In Unison)
O God, you have called us to participate in your salvific work of
rebuilding and repairing your creation. Yet we know we have fallen short of
that calling. Indeed, we have contributed to the devastation of our world. We
confess our sin, O God. Renew us and help us be discerning and ready partners
in your cosmic restoration project. Amen.
*SILENT PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
*THE 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.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
God’s mercy abounds. God’s
Advent grace goes before us, after us, through us — sometimes unbeknownst to
us, restoring us and empowering us for participation in God’s own work in the
world. Friends, hear the good news of the gospel: we are forgiven and restored,
set on right paths of justice and peace.
INVITATION: “Dear Lord, I
need You, please come into my life today.
Amen”
LESSON: Isaiah
7: 1-16
7In the days of Ahaz
son of Jotham son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah
son of Remaliah of Israel went up to attack Jerusalem, but could not mount an
attack against it. 2When the house of David heard that Aram had
allied itself with Ephraim, the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook
as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3Then
the Lord said to Isaiah, Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son
Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the
Fuller’s Field, 4and say to him, Take heed, be quiet, do not
fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps
of firebrands, because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of
Remaliah. 5Because Aram—with Ephraim and the son of
Remaliah—has plotted evil against you, saying, 6Let us go up
against Judah and cut off Jerusalem and conquer it for ourselves and make the
son of Tabeel king in it; 7therefore thus says the
Lord God: It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. 8For
the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. (Within
sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered, no longer a people.) 9The
head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If
you do not stand firm in faith, you shall not stand at all.
10Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz,
saying, 11Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be
deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12But Ahaz said, I will not
ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. 13Then
Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary
mortals, that you weary my God also? 14Therefore the Lord
himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall
bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. 15He shall eat
curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the
good. 16For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and
choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be
deserted
SERMON: “The Coming
of the Son” Rev. Peter Hofstra
AFFIRMATION OF
FAITH (from A Brief Statement of Faith)
We trust in
Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God:
preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word
and deed and blessing children, healing the sick and binding up the
brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to
repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition,
Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for
the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his
sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to
life eternal.
PASSING OF THE
PEACE
THE OFFERING OF
OUR TITHES & GIFTS
If
unable to drop the tithe and offering at church for Sunday morning worship, it
can be mailed to First Presbyterian Church, 45 Market St., Perth Amboy, NJ 08861 or sent via Venmo, search email address
office@fpcperthamboy.org
*DOXOLOGY
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.
*OFFERTORY
PRAYER
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND
THE LORD’S PRAYER
O God, you have called us to follow in
the way of the One who was anointed to bring good news to the poor, release to
the captives, recovery of sight to the blind and to let the oppressed go free.
Empower us to be faithful disciples of Jesus. In this season of Advent, help us
discern where you are already at work to renew and repair your good but broken
creation. Help us to trust that your future, even now, is coming to realization
in our midst. Enable us to stand in solidarity with those who have been marginalized
in our world. Help us to lift up and listen to voices long silenced. And as we
give ear to their hopes and fears, help us to join together to rebuild and
restore your world on the foundation of the justice you envision for us in
Christ. Indeed, during these tumultuous days of racial, political and social
reckoning, help us to overcome paralyzing fear in our personal lives, in our
communities and in our world. Calm the fear in us and animate courage. Make us
brave in confronting realities that deform and deface your world, so that we
may participate in your reconciling work in our midst. We pray also for the
world of nations, especially for those places where violence is wreaking havoc
upon human lives and your good creation. We pray for global solidarity as we
continue to grapple with a raging pandemic. We pray for healthcare workers
around the world as they tend to the sick, and for all who are desperately ill
and their families. We pray for those in our own communities who have lost
jobs, revenue, healthcare and loved ones during this relentless public health
challenge. Help us to be agents of your love and care to those who are
suffering. We pray especially for wise discernment by our nation’s elected
leadership, that they might work together constructively to find ways to aid
those most afflicted. We prayer all these things in the name of Jesus Christ,
who taught us to pray saying,
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 forever. Amen.
SONG OF RESPONSE: “Infant
Holy, Infant Lowly”
1. Infant holy, infant lowly, for his bed a cattle stall; oxen
lowing, little knowing, Christ the babe is Lord of all. Swift are winging
angels singing, noels ringing, tidings bringing: Christ the babe is Lord of
all.
2. Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping vigil till the
morning new saw the glory, heard the story, tidings of a gospel true. Thus
rejoicing, free from sorrow, praises voicing, greet the morrow: Christ the babe
was born for you.
*BENEDICTION
*THREE FOLD AMEN
Elements of Order of Worship drawn from The Presbyterian Outlook,
written by Roger Gench.
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