1st Sunday of Advent 11/29/20

Advent is a time of preparation and waiting, a time for adorning our homes and hearts in expectation and celebration of Jesus' birth.

Christians throughout the world decorate their homes and churches in preparations for the festive family gatherings and church pageants and services that characterize the Christmas season.

This hanging of the greens service for the first Sunday in Advent focuses on the symbols of Christmas.

These holiday decorations renew the customs of Christians in centuries past.

By shedding light on our Advent traditions, we also shed light on God's gracious gift to His children, the birth of the babe so many years ago in Bethlehem.

Now,,, we will begin the service of hanging of the greens,,, with cedar for royalty, pine boughs for everlasting life, and holly symbolizing Jesus' death and resurrection.

If you will take your handouts,,, I will begin reading under the Hanging of the Greens and then you will respond with the bold print.

How shall we prepare this house for the coming of the King?

With branches of cedar, the tree of royalty.

How shall we prepare this house for the coming of the eternal Christ?

With garlands of pine and fir, whose leaves are ever living, ever green.

How shall we prepare this house for the coming of our Savior?

With wreaths of holly and ivy, telling of his passion, death and resurrection.

How shall we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Son of God?

By hearing again the words of the prophets, who foretold the saving work of God.

For God did not send the son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

Glory to God in the highest.

God will send a righteous King -

Jeremiah 23:5-6

The Righteous Branch of David

5 “The days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—

“when I will raise up a Righteous Branch of David.

He will reign wisely as king

and administer justice and righteousness in the land.

6 In His days Judah will be saved,

and Israel will dwell securely.

This is what He will be named:

Yahweh Our Righteousness.

The poinsettia, or “Flower of the Holy Night” as the plant is referred to in Mexico, is the most popular Advent flower. It was discovered growing wild in Mexico and was taken to North America where it was developed into the type of flower seen here today. The star-shaped center of the bloom reminds us of the star that shone on that first Christmas.

(Placement of the poinsettia)

Hymn - "We Three Kings"

Chorus only Hymn # 254

In ancient times the cedar was revered as the tree of royalty. It also signified immortality and was used for purification. We place this Cedar branch as a sign of Christ, who reigns as King forever, and whose coming, in justice and righteousness, will purify our hearts.

(Placement of the cedar/pine branch during 1st verse.)

Hymn - "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"

Verse 1 Hymn # 218

The Prophet Declares A Child Will Be Born.

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

2 The people walking in darkness

have seen a great light;

a light has dawned

on those living in the land of darkness.

6 For a child will be born for us,

a son will be given to us,

and the government will be on His shoulders.

He will be named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

7 The dominion will be vast,

and its prosperity will never end.

He will reign on the throne of David

and over his kingdom,

to establish and sustain it

with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.

Because the needles of pine and fir trees appear not to die each season, the ancients saw them as signs of things that last forever. Isaiah tells us that there will be no end to the reign of the Messiah. Therefore we place these evergreen branches to signify the eternal reign of Jesus, the Christ.

(Placement of the cedar/pine branches during 2nd verse)

Hymn - "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear"

Verse 2 Hymn # 218

The Fourth Servant Song Isaiah 53:1-6

1 Who has believed what we have heard?

And who has the arm of the Lord been revealed to?

2 He grew up before Him like a young plant

and like a root out of dry ground.

He didn’t have an impressive form

or majesty that we should look at Him,

no appearance that we should desire Him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.

He was like someone people turned away from;

He was despised, and we didn’t value Him.

4 Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses,

and He carried our pains;

but we in turn regarded Him stricken,

struck down by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was pierced because of our transgressions,

crushed because of our iniquities;

punishment for our peace was on Him,

and we are healed by His wounds.

6 We all went astray like sheep;

we all have turned to our own way;

and the Lord has punished Him

for the iniquity of us all.

For Christians, this passage from Isaiah reflects the suffering of Jesus, who saves us from our sins by his death on the cross, and by his resurrection from the dead. In ancient times, holly and ivy were considered signs of Christ's passion. Their prickly leaves suggested the crown of thorns, the red berries the blood of the Savior, and the bitter bark the drink offered to Jesus on the cross. As we place the holly and ivy wreaths, let us rejoice in the coming of Jesus our Savior.

(Placement of the Holly and Ivy wreaths during the 3rd verse)

Hymn - "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear"

Verse 3 Hymn # 218

The Mystery of The Incarnation -

John 1:1-5, 9-14

1 In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 All things were created through Him,

and apart from Him not one thing was created

that has been created.

4 Life was in Him,

and that life was the light of men.

5 That light shines in the darkness,

yet the darkness did not overcome it.

9 The true light, who gives light to everyone,

was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world,

and the world was created through Him,

yet the world did not recognize Him.

11 He came to His own,

and His own people did not receive Him.

12 But to all who did receive Him,

He gave them the right to be children of God,

to those who believe in His name,

13 who were born,

not of blood,

or of the will of the flesh,

or of the will of man,

but of God.

14 The Word became flesh

and took up residence among us.

We observed His glory,

the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

As preparation for the coming of Jesus, the Light of the World, we have bright lights and Chrismon's placed on the tree. These Chrismon's were made and placed with love by those that decorated this tree! During this advent, whenever you see a lighted Christmas tree, let it call to mind the one who brings light to our darkness, healing to our brokenness, and peace to all who receive him.

(The tree is now lighted and the blessing of the Chrismon tree may be prayed.)

The Blessing of The Chrismon Tree Prayer

Let us pray:

Holy Lord, we come with joy to celebrate the birth of your Son, who rescued us from the darkness of sin by making the cross a tree of life and light. May this tree, arrayed in splendor, remind us of the lifegiving cross of Christ, that we may always rejoice in the new life that shines in our hearts. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pastor says a few words:

Hymn - "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear"

Verse 4 Hymn # 218