Mifflin Avenue United Methodist Church

11:00 AM Worship                   First Sunday of Advent                           27 November 2011

 

GATHERING

   O Come, O Come, Emmanuel                                                                        arr. M. Thomas

 

GREETING AND WELCOME                                                                                                

 

*INTROIT

   Come, Bless the Lord                                                                                                  J. Carter     

 

*CALL TO WORSHIP

   Show us your mercy, O Lord,

   And grant us your salvation.

   Truth shall spring up from the earth,

   And righteousness shall look down from heaven.

 

*HYMN  UMH 706

   Soon and Very Soon                                                                                                 Very Soon

 

PRAYER  in unison

   Send your Word, O Lord,

   like the rain, falling down upon the earth.

   Send your Word.

   We seek your endless grace,

   with souls that hunger and thirst, sorrow and agonize.

   We would all be lost in dark without your guiding light.

 

   Send your Word, O Lord,

   like the wind, blowing down upon the earth.

   Send your Word.

   We seek your wondrous power,

   pureness that rejects all sins, though they persist and cling.

   Bring us to complete victory; set us all free indeed.

 

   Send your Word, O Lord,

   like the dew, coming gently upon the hills.

   Send your Word.

   We seek your endless love.

   For life that suffers in strife with adversaries and hurts,

   send your healing power of love; we long for your new world.

    

ANTHEM

   Show Me Your Ways                                                                                                      J. Cox

 

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

 

FIRST READING

   Isaiah 64:1-9

  

SECOND READING

   Mark 13:24-37

 

   The Word of the Lord.

   Thanks be to God.

 

LIGHTING OF ADVENT CANDLE

   We light this candle as a symbol of expectation.

   May the light sent from God shine in the darkness

   to show us the way to salvation.

   O come, O come, Emmanuel!

 

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

 

SERMON

   Backwards through Advent

 

HYMN  UMH 196

   Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus                                                                             Hyfrydol

 

SHARING OUR JOYS AND CONCERNS

 

PASTORAL PRAYER

   Response:

   Savior of the nations, hear our prayer.

 

THE LORD’S PRAYER  in unison

    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 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.

 

*THE PEACE

 

OFFERING

   Guiding Star                                                                                                        D. Callender

 

*DOXOLOGY  UMH 95

 

*PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

 

*HYMN  UMH 626

   Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence                                                                                Picardy

 

*BENEDICTION                                                                                                                       

 

*GOING FORTH

   Praise the Lord Ye Heavens Above Him                                                                   R. Blake

 

*Those who are able are invited to stand.