Mifflin Avenue United Methodist Church

Third Sunday of Advent

December 15, 2013

*Those that are able are invited to stand

Gathering

Welcome and Announcements

Entering into worship

Christmas Spirit

*Call to Worship

One: Make ready a pathway for our God.

All: Clean out the debris in our hearts and our closets.

One: Clear out a space in our calendars.

All: Put aside any sense of unworthiness.

One: And focus on the One who comes to love us.

All: Prepare a place in our homes and hearts.

One: Set the table and light the candles,

All: For Christ is coming.

*Hymn “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” #203

in The United Methodist Hymnal

*Opening Prayer

*Hymn “Emmanuel, Emmanuel” #204

in The United Methodist Hymnal

Anthem “See the Grand Procession’” Choir

Candle Lighting Joy Kim and Larry Viehland

Joy Candle

*Hymn “Joy to the World” #246

in The United Methodist Hymnal

Moving into God’s word

Scripture Matthew 11:2-11

Children’s Sermon

Scripture Isaiah 35:1-10

Message

A time of prayer

(You are invited to share your prayer concerns with the congregation by writing them on the

Prayer Request cards in the pews and placing them in the offering plate.)

Silent Prayer / Pastoral Prayer / 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 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.

Sharing our blessings

Offering our Gifts and Tithes

Offering Prayer

Generous God, as we move through this Advent season we are reminded of those days

when your people lived in hope of your promised coming. As then, there have been

other voices in our ears that claimed to have the means to save us: money, possessions,

power, and status. As we share in this offering to you, may we hear in our hearts the

only voice that can truly save, that can reach into the despair and the alienation of

our world to offer the words of hope. We look again for the coming of Christ, our Savior,

in whose name we pray. Amen.

Offertory

To give electronically from your mobile device visit donate.mifflinave.org

Taking the Word to the World

*Hymn “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light” #206

in the United Methodist Hymnal

*Benediction

*Hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” (refrain only) #211

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Postlude

PRAYER CONCERNS

Prayers for George who is having surgery for stomach cancer

For the life and inspiration of Nelson Mandela

Ruth looking for job

Prayers to the family for Marty’s (friend of Ginnie’s colleagues) passing

ONGOING PRAYER REQUESTS

Pat Spencer-continued healing in rehab; Ed White- continued strength and healing;

Steve (friend of Gail)- continued healing in rehab; and his wife Cindy; Buck Cunningham-recovering in rehab;

Baby Gavin-brain tumor and mom Ashley-cysts; Sister and father of Jill Franke (Jen Alfieri);

Aimee (Jen Alfieri’s cousin); Ngozi Osuaguiv (Akudo’s mom) continued healing;

Mary Ellen (Sharon’s sister) - recovering from thyroid surgery; Lily -chemo; Anna Bell - recovering from stroke;

Flo (cousin of Jean McQuade) - lung cancer; Steve (John McQuade co-worker) -prostate cancer;

Julie(friend of Ruth)-heart disorder; Mike(Tammy’s friend)-non Hodgkin’s lymphoma; Mary Ellen(Sharon’s sister)- cancer;

Sydney-diagnosed with Leukemia; Tina Whitehead and her work for human dignity; Our military and their families;

People of the Philippines

Home Bound/Assisted Living

Alice Wetzel, Marge Schillinger, Betty Willey, Stephen Koesel, Vivian Behm, Richard James, Ken Thompson, Harriet Fuller,

Nancy Radovic, Norma Wood, Bea Crawford