Hello Union Church Presbyterians,
Worship this Sunday, December 5 will be in-person and streamed on YouTube to view at home. We will share prayers, songs, and reflections. We will be celebrating Communion this Sunday.
HOW TO VIEW ON YOUTUBE: YouTube broadcast will begin at 10:25 am.
For ALL devices: https://www.youtube.com/user/NewburghPresby
Please note: we are still trying to resolve technical issues with live streaming service.
ORDER OF WORSHIP
Union Church, Newburgh NY
December 5, 2021 10:30 am
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
FLOWERS today are given by Marylin Mazza to the glory of God and in loving memory of her daughter, Donna, and her sister, Johanna.
USHERS today are Libby Szymanowicz and Jeff Bousche
Thank you to all the volunteer ushers who signed up for November and December. Ushers still needed for Christmas Eve service. If you would like to usher, contact Dan Olson.
FELLOWSHIP TIME HOST today is Jeff Bousche
Hosting can be simple. Host with a friend! Signup chart in the Fellowship Hall.
ADVENT donation envelopes available in the back of the sanctuary. Proceeds will support the Deacons.
THE JOSHUA TREE this year will once again provide Food Pantry recipients with personal items that will free up cash for them to buy gifts for their families. There will be 88 ornaments. Gifts will include, dish soap, liquid hand soap, toothpaste, laundry detergent, bags of candy and boxes of cookies. Please return the ornament with the donation so the Deacons can keep track of ornaments left to be returned.
CHRISTIAN ED needs volunteers for the Living Nativity Scene with live animals. There are 8 roles to be filled: Mary, Joseph, (1) Angel, (3) wise men, and (2) shepherds. All ages are welcome. The Living Nativity is Sunday, Dec 19 from 5-6:30PM in front of the church.
NO Sunday School today; will resume December 12 and 19.
CHRISTMAS MUSICALE Sunday, Dec 12 at 2 pm, Union Church presents the Tower Trio of Goshen. Featuring Jonathan Hall on organ, piano, harpsichord, and recorder, Bill Powers on multiple woodwinds, and Soprano Mary Lee Farris. followed by a Carol sing in the garden (weather permitting).
CHRISTMAS EVE service with Communion Friday, Dec 24 at 5PM. This is a brief service.
FOOD PANTRY: NEXT OPEN Monday, Dec 6 and Wednesday, Dec 8 from 9:30-11:30 am.
Serving LOTS of people! If you would like to help, contact Kathy or Debby.
CLOTHES CLOSET needs winter clothes including warm gloves and children’s hats and mittens.
John Redman is taking a vacation day Sunday, and CRE Lynn Costa of Monroe will be in the pulpit. Lynn is a Commissioned Ruling Elder and member of FPC-Monroe for over 20 years. She is Co-Superintendent of the Sunday School, Member of the Personnel Committee, Task Force member for Return to Church efforts and Project Lead for Heaven Scent Community Garden, a ministry project of FPC-Monroe. In her professional life, she is a Human Resources Executive for NBC/Universal.
ORDER OF WORSHIP
**Kindly stand if you are able
PRELUDE Lo, how a Rose is Blooming Arr. by Michael Burkhardt
LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLE James Phillips, Mary Whidden, and Langley Phillips
CALL TO WORSHIP (Adapted from Malachi 3:1)
Leader: See, I am sending my messenger
PEOPLE: to prepare the way before me,
Leader: And the Lord who you seek
PEOPLE: will suddenly come to his temple.
Leader: The messenger of the covenant, in who you delight—
ALL: Indeed, he is coming says the Lord of hosts.
INVOCATION (Unison)
Advent God, be the love that dwells between us.
Be the peace and hope that brings joy and lives within us.
God of hope, the rock we stand on,
Be the center and the focus of our lives, during Advent and always. Amen.
MESSAGE FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES
**OPENING HYMN Prepare the Way, O Zion BLUE #13
CALL TO CONFESSION
Advent reminds us of all that is joyful, but we need to remember that we are still cloaked
in unavoidable sins and transgressions that we may not even be aware of. Let us confess our sins together.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (Unison)
We are captive, exiled, O God because we have chosen our own path, and have wandered away from you into the wilderness. We are hungry and wanting for your wisdom and knowledge, because we have too often, substituted our judgment for yours.
We are lost and in need of your guidance:
Come, Lord Jesus; forgive us and restore us.
Come, Lord Jesus; guide us and deliver us.
Come, Lord Jesus; teach us and renew us.
Come, Lord Jesus. Amen. (a moment for silent personal confession)
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
God loved the world so much that he gave us Jesus, and through Jesus we are saved.
Hallelujah and Amen.
**GLORIA PATRI
**PASSING OF THE PEACE
**APOSTLES CREED (Traditional)
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, and the Life everlasting. Amen.
**HYMN OF PRAISE Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus RED #135
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Gracious God, keep us open to your word and what it says to us today. Keep our minds free to your will and our spirits ready to do and to live as you would have us live. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
OLD TESTAMENT Baruch 5:1-9 Robert Ferguson
EPISTLE Philippians 1:3-11
GOSPEL Luke 3:1-6
SERMON Shouting Lynn Costa, CRE
PRAYER FOR THE PEOPLE
COMMUNION
Leader: Lift up your hearts.
PEOPLE: We lift them to the Lord.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
PEOPLE: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Leader: It is right to praise you, Father, Lord of all creation; in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away you did not reject us but came to meet us in your Son.
PEOPLE: You embraced us as your children and welcomed us to sit and eat with
you.
Leader: In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us. He opened his arms of love upon the cross and made for all the perfect sacrifice for sin. On the night he was betrayed, at supper with his friends he took bread, and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to them, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
PEOPLE: Father, we do this in remembrance of him: his body is the bread of life.
Leader: At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine, he gave you thanks, and said:
Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins; do this in remembrance of me.
PEOPLE: Father, we do this in remembrance of him: his blood is shed for all.
Leader: As we proclaim his death and celebrate his rising in glory, send your Holy Spirit that this bread and this wine may be to us the body and blood of your dear Son. As we eat and drink these holy gifts. With your whole Church throughout the world we offer you this sacrifice of praise and lift our voice to join the eternal song of heaven:
PEOPLE: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER AFTER THANKSGIVING
Leader: Generous and faithful God, you have fed us at your table. May the nourishment we have received enable us to enrich the lives of others wherever we may go from here. Whether the future be dark or bright, the road be smooth or rough, whether our cares be light or heavy, our song be strong or weak, keep our hearts warm and our hands open, our lives ever embracing and ever embraced by your love. Amen.
OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Let us all consider what we have been blessed with and how we can best share it with those in greater need, even as we gift our church for its greater work to the Glory of God and the undying love of Jesus.
OFFERTORY Pastorale on Forest Green by Richard Purvis
**DOXOLOGY
PRAYER OF THANKS
Lord God, we thank you for these gifts. During this season of Advent may we find ways to honor you by giving of our treasure, our time and our talents to glorify you and your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
**HYMN OF PARTING Lift Up Your Heads Ye Mighty Gates BLUE #8
BENEDICTION
Go in peace, remembering to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, your mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.
CLOSING VOLUNTARY Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus Setting by Gordon Young
INVITATION TO FELLOWSHIP TIME
Blessings!
John Redman, CRE
Mobile: (914) 474-0722
Union Church
44 Balmville Rd, Newburgh NY 12550
Phone: (845) 562-0954 Fax: (845) 562-0955
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