Order, Words, & Voices
12.10.23, Advent 3 – Awe, Luke 1:56-66
Order
Pre Worship Music – Spotify – Advent 2023 Playlist
Call to Worship – Songs Lynn & Team
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy)
Passage Reading & Candle Lighting (Joy candle) Beth
Songs Lynn & Team
What a Beautiful Name
Silent Night
Prayers for a Weary World & Jesus’ Prayer Martha
Video
A Weary World Rejoices Video
Message Find Joy in Awe Rick
Music Noel Lynn and Team
Community/Benediction/Closing Peace Rick
Post Worship Music – Spotify – Advent 2023 Playlist
Music (slides) Lynn and Team
Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Mendelssohn)
Verse 1
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With th’angelic hosts proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Verse 2
Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail th’incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus our Emmanuel
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Verse 3
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace
Hail the Sun of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Joy To The World (Unspeakable Joy)
Verse 1
Joy to the world the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and heaven and nature sing
Verse 2
Joy to the world the Savior reigns
Let all their songs employ
While fields and floods rocks hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat repeat the sounding joy
Chorus
Joy unspeakable joy
An overflowing well
No tongue can tell
Joy unspeakable joy
It rises in my soul
Never lets me go
Verse 3
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
Chorus
Joy unspeakable joy
An overflowing well
No tongue can tell
Joy unspeakable joy
It rises in my soul
Never lets me go
Chorus
Joy unspeakable joy
An overflowing well
No tongue can tell
Joy unspeakable joy
It rises in my soul
Never lets me go
Passage/Candle Lighting (Slides) Beth
[Slide] Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.
[Slide] The time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she birthed a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
[Slide] On the eighth day after the birth, they came to witness the circumcision of the child, they expected the child to be named after his father Zechariah. But Elizabeth said, “No, he is to be named John.”
[Slide] The friends and relatives of Elizabeth and Zechariah were shocked and corrected Elizabeth saying, “None of your relatives are named John.”
[Slide] Elizabeth was resolute about the name so they turned to Zechariah thinking that he would intervene and stick with tradition.
[Slide] Zachariah, who had been silent ever since the Angel Gabriel told him about Ellizabeth’s pregnancy, asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed, they were in awe.
[Slide] Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God.
[Slide] Fear came over all their neighbors and relatives and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea.
[Slide] Everyone who heard about Elizabeth, Zechariah, as well as the birth and naming of John were in awe as they pondered the news asking, “What then will this child become?” For indeed the hand of the Lord is with this child
Luke 1:56-66
[Slide] Today, on this Third Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of JOY.
Light 3rd candle
Music (Slides) Lynn and Team
What A Beautiful Name
Verse 1
You were the Word at the beginning
One with God the Lord Most High
Your hidden glory in creation
Now revealed in You our Christ
Chorus 1
What a beautiful Name it is
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
Verse 2
You didn’t want heaven without us
So Jesus You brought heaven down
My sin was great Your love was greater
What could separate us now
Chorus 2
What a wonderful Name it is
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a wonderful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
Bridge
Death could not hold You
The veil tore before You
You silence the boast of sin and grave
The heavens are roaring
The praise of Your glory
For You are raised to life again
Bridge
You have no rival
You have no equal
Now and forever God You reign
Yours is the kingdom
Yours is the glory
Yours is the Name above all names
Chorus 3
What a powerful Name it is
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a powerful Name it is
Nothing can stand against
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
Ending
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
Silent Night (Stille Nacht)
Verse 1
Silent night holy night
All is calm all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Verse 2
Silent night holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heav’nly hosts sing alleluia
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born
Verse 4
Silent night holy night
Wondrous star lend thy light
With the angels let us sing
Alleluia to our King
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born
Prayer (Slides) Martha
[Slide – Prayer Title slide through prayer until the Lord’s prayer]
You, O God, can part the sea, you can bring water from a rock, and you provide bread in the desert.
You, O God, can walk on water, you can heal the sick, and you can turn water into wine.
You, O God, set the stars in the sky, and still, you hear our voice when we cry for you are closer than our own breath.
There is nothing that You, O God, cannot do. May we stand in awe, may we worship You with wonder.
You, O God, are the God that loves this world and all who inhabit your creation. May this weary world experience your presence and your love.
We pray, O God, that your hope, peace, joy, and love will be experienced throughout this world and in the midst of all humanity.
God, with those in this room, and those online, we unite our voices in joy, praying the words that your son taught us to pray:
[Slides] 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. Forgive us our trespasses, while 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.
Video Journey Collective
Message Rick
Pat Barrett and Tony Brown describe the Joy with these words,
“God, You give me joy down deep in my soul, I’ve never been so free, I’m caught in Your love for me, I’ve never been more secure knowing Your heart O Lord. Oh you haven’t seen me till you see me filled with joy. You haven’t known me till you know me filled with joy”
CCLI Song # 7036678 Pat Barrett & Tony Brown
How does a weary world rejoice?
We have seen that it begins with acknowledging our weariness and then connecting with others in a healthy way. Others who can help us carry our weariness when needed. This is what Jesus came to do for, and with, each of us – to help us, and others, carry our burden, carry their burden. That is what makes the crucifixion narrative so tragic, it was the moment connection was disconnected. Jesus had so diligently and faithfully helped with the weary burdens of his followers, but in the moment he needed them to do the same for him, even his inner circle abandoned Jesus, it was also in that moment that even God disconnected from Jesus. No one was able to carry or even assist Jesus with that burden, but herein lines the evidence of God’s grace – regardless of the fact that they abandoned Jesus, after the empty grave, Jesus resumed helping them carry the burdens, their weariness. His connectedness was not determined by their action or inaction. Jesus did not turn on humans and he did not turn on God.
Admitting weariness is not always simple. Weariness is not always recognizable, whether the weariness is huge or small and subtle. It can be weary students who are worn out from studying and taking tests, a laborer’s boredom and exhaustion of repeating the monotonous neverending tasks everyday. It can be an annoying friend, the death or terminal illness of a loved one.
It is easy to not acknowledge weariness because our human nature is to settle in and accept the state of weariness. We pride ourselves on being resilient, getting back up when we are knocked down. However, weariness can be an undiagnosed and neverending chronic state which, when unaddressed, can become a state that steals our joy.
The usual self-treatment of weariness is to ignore or deny it – we recklessly continue to push ourselves regardless of the mental and/or physical toll it takes.
However, sometimes we cannot just push through. Sometimes it is loss or grief, sometimes it is related to trauma, sometimes it is just the continual weight of our tasks and responsibilities which are seldom unnoticed or appreciated by others. Sometimes it is an overload of watching the pain and misery of our fellow human beings on the other side of the world.
Today’s candle is joy. Joy is not a remedy for weariness but it is a state of living, of being, that allows us to live in the midst of weariness.
Joy is an enigma, it is seemingly impossible to understand. Is it an emotion, is it an unrealistic state of being, is it genuinely possible in our weary reality?.
In scripture we are told to ‘REJOICE’, the birth narrative introduces us to the statement “JOY to the World.” We are encouraged to consider everything as JOY, we are told JOY is an outflow, a fruit, and evidence of the Spirit’s presence in our lives. We are told that JOY provides us refreshment and nourishment, it revives our soul. Scripture tells us that knowing God makes us JOYFULL.
There seems to be a constant call on us to Know and Grasp JOY. JOY is evidently the key to answering the question, ‘How do we rejoice in the midst of weariness?’
[Screen Share]
[Slide] Last Sunday I shared the definition of joy as voiced by Brene Brown – “Joy is the happiness of seeing a loved one standing in front of a beautiful waterfall.”
[SlideI I altered this definition a bit by changing the backdrop from a beautiful waterfall to a landfill or battlefield.
[Slide] This week I revisited this definition and made one more alteration. “Joy is the state of being when we can settle into a reality where there is happiness and contentment while, at the same time, there is also a backdrop of misery, dread, pain, and anxiety. Joy allows the two to coexist, it is a state where we can hold space for both, neither controls us.”
[Slide] Caution – Wonderful and beautiful backdrops are also dangerous if we settle in on an expectation that all of life’s backdrops have to be encouraging and unthreatening for us to be happy or content.
[End Screen Share]
The problem is that our human fleshly nature is not designed to live with happiness and weariness. We were designed to live in peace and love. Sin changed all of that so we now must choose to look for the beauty, looking for the small moments of amazement and awe.
We are exhausted, but we continue to choose to take care of a loved one in their final stages of life while cherishing the holy moments. We are worn out, but we choose to continue in our grief of the loss of a loved one while remembering the happy memories. We are defeated but we choose to go to work under a boss that is unbearable while we also choose to notice the beautiful flower that a coworker has just set on their desk. Joy is living with the backdrop while refusing to quit looking and seeing the gifts of contentment and happiness. Joy is pervasive, joy is sustaining. The fuel in Joy is choosing to look for moments of Awe – looking for the ‘amazing’ all around us that is easily missed when we are consumed by the backdrop.
After Elizabeth gives birth, her neighbors and family celebrate with her. They are then shocked when she ignores tradition and names the child John instead of after his father. When those rejoicing object to the name, Zechariah agrees with Mary. In that moment Zechariah affirms the promise given to their ancestors beginning with Abraham. Zechariah’s speech is restored. Everyone is filled with awe. Then, instead of focusing on the backdrop of the shocking name, they allow themself to be amazed at the unknown yet intentional and purposeful destiny of this young child. Wonder is all around — we choose to recognize wonder, it or we choose to allow the backdrop to hide it. Rejoicing in a weary world requires us to leave space for amazement and wonder.
Amazement is a balm for the weary. Awe comes when we ‘allow ourselves’ to be amazed, it is a precursor for joy. Joy can’t be faked or forced. When joy feels out of reach we must allow ourselves to look for and notice the wonders in each mundane day, wonders that we miss like the carefully-crafted bird’s nest, the deliberate steps of a toddler, the beams of sunlight refracting through your window. I’ve been finding daily awe recently in my backyard as red, yellow and brown leaves scatter themselves against the backdrop of our freshly cut fescue.
Allowing ourselves to be amazed requires a posture of paying attention—and then saying yes to wonder when it washes over us. Amazement awakens those who feel numb. It renews our senses when our senses have been dulled.
Like joy, amazement is a frequent motif throughout the beginning of Luke’s Gospel. The amazement of John’s birth, the shepherds’ good news, Mary and Joseph holding their newborn, Simeon’s blessing and Anna’s excitement in the temple. Each moment holds the option to be overwhelmed by a horrible background seeking to blind those who are taking notice.
[leave screen share up for this slide and the following 11 slides]
[Slide]“When Zechariah’s skepticism succumbs to the reality of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, he is swept up into awe, giving thanks.”
Sharon Salzberg, Author
[Slide] “Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends our understanding of the world. Awe is accessible to everyone and critical to our well-being. Awe can calm down our nervous system.”
Dr. Dacher Keltner, Psychologist, Author, ’Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder’
[Slide] In 1972 , Psychologists determined that there are six basic emotions — anger, surprise, disgust, enjoyment, fear and sadness.
[Slide] Later research added the emotion of awe but placed it in its own category. Our bodies respond differently when we are experiencing awe than when we are feeling happiness, contentment, or fear. We make a different sound, we show a different facial expression. Awe activates the vagal nerves, clusters of neurons in the spinal cord that regulate various bodily functions, and slows our heart rate, relieves digestion and deepens breathing.
Awe quiets negative self-talk by turning off our internal critical voice, the part of the cortex involved in how we perceive ourselves. One of the most reliable ways to experience awe is found in the simple act of witnessing the goodness of others.
[Slide] There is a dialogue in the book/movie/play ‘The Color Purple’ which provides a simple yet deep truth about living in Awe – “I think it makes God mad if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it…
[Slide] People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see God is always trying to please us back…
[Slide] God is always making little surprises and springing them on us when we least expect…
[Slide] God wants to be loved just like the Bible say. Everything want to be loved”
[Slide] Rabbi Abraham Heschel, writes, “Our goal in life should be to live in radical amazement, to get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal, everything is incredible, never treat life casually.”
[Slide] Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote: “The Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God. But only he who sees takes off his shoes. The rest sit around and pluck blackberries.”
[Slide] The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, anything worthy of praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8-9
[End Screen Share]
Think on these things, Look for these things.
Prayer
O God, as we are swept up in the wonder of your grace, we bow our knees before you O God, the one from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. We pray according to the riches of your glory that you may grant each of us to be strengthened in our inner being with power through the Spirit and that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; that we being rooted and grounded in love we may have the power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled with the fullness of You.
Amen.
Music (Slides) Lynn and Team
Noel
Verse 1
Love incarnate love divine
Star and angels gave the sign
Bow to babe on bended knee
The Savior of humanity
Unto us a Child is born
He shall reign forevermore
Chorus
Noel Noel
Come and see what God has done
Noel Noel
The story of amazing love
The light of the world given for us
Noel
Verse 2
Son of God and Son of man
There before the world began
Born to suffer born to save
Born to raise us from the grave
Christ the everlasting Lord
He shall reign forevermore
Chorus
Noel Noel
Come and see what God has done
Noel Noel
The story of amazing love
The light of the world given for us
Noel
Chorus
Noel Noel
Come and see what God has done
Noel Noel
The story of amazing love
The light of the world given for us
Noel
Community (Slides) Rick
- Next Sunday, 4th day of Advent 12.17.23 @ 10:30am, How does a weary world rejoice? We sing stories of hope, Luke1:46-55 (Magnificat) & Luke1:67-80 (Zechariah’s song) , candle – Love …Devo books still available today, Insert with Calendar for devotionals and other resources. If you worship with us online and would like a digital copy of our devotional book send Rick an email or request.
- 2024 Budgets available today. Budget discussion and affirmation next Sunday, December 17 following morning worship
- Christmas Eve, December 24, 4:40pm/5:00pm, No morning worship that day
- Weariness and Joy tree
Benediction (Slides) Rick
We leave this place as a people who believe in the God who knows our names, who counts the hairs on our heads, and who carries the dreams in our hearts.
We go out into the world as a people who believe that God’s fingerprints are all over creation, and that God is forever speaking to us in a million different ways.
We walk among a people loved by God, believing that awe and wonder,
goosebumps and laughter, telling stories and paying attention, are all ways that we can express our gratitude to the creating, sustaining, and loving God.
Therefore we leave this place committing ourselves to moving through this world with eyes wide open, with porous hearts, and with grateful spirits.
We commit ourselves to living lives of awe, wonder, and gratitude, trusting that these things will forever draw us deeper into God’s loving arms.
We believe. We stand in awe. We walk in amazement.
Closing Peace (Slides) Rick
Leader: May the Hope, Peace, & Joy of the Lord go with you into our weary world.
Response: And also with you.
Leader: Go in the Hope, Peace, Joy and Love of the Lord as you go into your world.
Order, Words, & Voices 