Hello Union Church Presbyterians,
Worship this Sunday, December 27 will be hosted on Zoom. We will share prayers and reflections.
HOW TO JOIN ZOOM:
For computers:
(Or use zoom.us )
For smartphones and tablets, download and install the Zoom app.
If prompted: Click “JOIN Meeting” and enter:
Meeting ID: 938 7105 7450 Passcode: KINWED
FACEBOOKLIVE: Click on the church Facebook page
The Zoom meeting will open at 10:15 am to allow folks to connect and greet each other. If you have a camera, you will have the option to share your face and smile—be prepared. You can also have a cup of your favorite morning beverage at hand.
The worship will include familiar elements (although recorded rather than live) as well as live leadership of prayers, scripture reading, and the sermon.
ORDER OF WORSHIP
Union Church, Newburgh NY
December 27, 2020 10:30 am
WELCOME
We are glad that you are joining us today and hope you feel God’s blessings. If you do not have a church home, we sincerely invite you to be a part of the Union Church fellowship.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Food Pantry operates every other week. Next: Mon. Jan 4 and Wed. Jan 6 from 9:30-11:30 am. Serving LOTS of people! If you would like to help, contact Kathy or Debby.
Pledge Update: As of Dec. 20, we have received 31 pledges (3 new) for 2021 in the amount of $85,530. Last year at this time, we received 40 pledges in the amount of $87,859.
VIRTUAL Coffee Hour: Begins immediately after worship. If you have joined worship on Zoom you don’t need to do anything more. If you are joining us for fellowship time only use mobile phone or computer video. Check email or website for access instructions.
Choral Music will precede the worship service beginning at 9:45 as people ‘tune in’ to the zoom service.
ORDER OF WORSHIP
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP
One: In our looking into 2021,
All: may the God of hope be with us.
One: In our lamenting the losses of 2020,
All: may the God of peace be with us.
One: In our celebrations of Christmas,
All: may the God of joy be with us.
One: In our caring for the world,
All: may the God of love be with us.
One: In our living of life in all its fullness,
All: may we know that God is with us.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Praise God, sun and moon, praise God, ozone and atmosphere.
Praise God, you seas and ice sheets, praise God, rivers and glaciers.
Let them praise the Creator, who gives and sustains life, shaping the laws of physics,
sparking life in all its fullness.
Praise God from the earth, islands and mountains, fields and caves.
Praise God, you sea monsters and all deeps, cod and haddock, dolphins and plankton.
Praise God, you inns and mangers, sheep and goats, little donkeys, camels and songbirds, creeping things and flying insects.
Praise God, viruses and vaccines, steroids and sanitizers.
Praise God, ventilators and face coverings, volunteer lists and blessing boxes.
Praise God, wise and foolish ones, rich and poor, welcomed and excluded.
Praise God, old and young, faithful and uncertain ones.
Let them praise the God of all, God with us, revealed to us in surprising places and familiar stories.
Let us praise God, with thanks for creation whose praise we join; with thanks for life
whose fullness we live; with thanks for love whose story we hear at Christmas.
Let us praise God with thanks. Praise the Lord! Amen.
CAROL Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
At this time of year, Christmas itself can distract us from its purpose and its source in God. At a time of looking back we will have regrets. In looking forward we may find it hard to see God at work. It can be hard to be faithful as Simeon and Anna were, year after year. God of all, all creation is invited to praise You, giving thanks to our Creator. Yet we struggle to be grateful when we see loss, fear, and destruction in the world. We struggle to praise when we are afraid to look at ourselves before You. We struggle to turn to You when we are distracted by this season.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
We celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, Son of God. The word made flesh who lived and taught to bring forgiveness and acceptance into the Kingdom of God. Because of his birth, in light of our faith, we are forgiven. Amen.
INSTALLATION AND ORDINATION OF OFFICERS
James Phillips, Elder
Dan Olson, Elder
Mary Whidden, Elder/Co-Clerk
Nancy Thomas, Elder
Gayle McKenzie, Deacon
OFFERING
You can support the work of Union Church by mailing donations to 44 Balmville Rd, Newburgh, NY 12550 or visit newburghpresby.org/donate to donate online.
PASTORAL PRAYER
CAROL Joy to the World!
SCRIPTURES Luke 2:8-20
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So, they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
CANTATA What Child is This? Union Church Choir
Joel Raney
Sing Gloria, Sing!
Sing Gloria, Sing in excelsis deo
Ding Dong merrily on high in heaven
The bells are ringing
Verily the sky is riven
With angel singing
Good Christian friends rejoice
With heart and soul and voice
Somebody Build a Manger
Down in Bethlehem
The king is on his way
Somebody build a stable!
Because an angel told me
The king is on his way
Someone fill the lantern
Someone light the way
Someone find a stable
Where Emmanuel can stay
Someone make him welcome
Someone ring a bell
Spread the tidings
Share the joy
Somebody go and tell everybody
What Child is This?
What child is this who laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
This, this is Christ the king
Haste, haste to bring him laud, the baby, the Son of Mary
Good Christians fear for sinners here silent word is pleading
Calypso Carol
See him lying in a bed of straw
A drafty stable with open door
Mary cradling the baby she bore,
The Prince of Glory is his name
O carry me now to Bethlehem
To see the Lord of love again
Just as poor as was the stable
There the Prince of Glory when he came
Star of silver, sweep across the skies
Show where Jesus in the manager lies
Sing Gloria, Sing!
Sing Gloria, Sing in excelsis deo
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the new born king,
Peace on earth, his mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
CAROL Angels We Have Heard on High
Angels we have heard on high,
Singing sweetly through the night,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their brave delight.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why these songs of happy cheer?
What great brightness did you see?
What glad tiding did you hear?
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, the new-born King.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Blessings!
Rev. Cathy Surgenor Rev. Peter Surgenor
(845) 216-4328 (914) 907-9685
Union Church
44 Balmville Rd, Newburgh NY 12550
Phone: (845) 562-0954 Fax: (845) 562-0955