Worship Roadmap - December 10, 2023
Updated: Sunday, December 03, 2023 5:27:34pm
(Roadmap version: Draft
Pastor: Rev. Shirley Macemon
Lay Reader: Flo Galvez, Song Leader: TBD
Lectionary Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15a ; Mark 1:1-8)
PTZ2 - select Closeup Ruth/Janet view
Start Zoom Recording at 9:59:30
Prelude
"TBD"
(Public Domain)
PTZ2 - select Song Leader view
Lay Reader: Announcements
- These are abbreviated announcements. Please remember that the full announcements are in the reminder emails sent weekly.
- Masks are recommended if you have respiratory virus concerns -- singer masks are available in the back.
- The service is being recorded and streamed on Zoom.
- For pastoral care, contact Mark Fanucchi and he'll contact the First Congregational Church of San Jose pastors for you.
- We are happy to have Rev. Shirley Macemon as our guest pastor today. Welcome, Pastor Shirley!
- Flo's Office Hours: Monday-Fridays: 4pm-7pm and Saturday: 9am-2pm.
- The Pantry is always in need of plastic and paper handle bags.
-
The third Sunday of the month the pantry will be celebrating thankful Sunday.
Please bring food items to show your thanks of family, friends, work, birthday, anniversaries etc.
We are so blessed -- let us share that joy with others. - Remember to consider privacy regarding prayers and personal information. Email prayers to prayerchain@campbellucc.org.
- The full worship roadmap is available on ccc-ucc.org
Lay Reader: Other Announcements
Lay Reader: Are there any other announcements?
Oikos Update
Oikos Leader: Please be seated for a short update on our Oikos project.
Oikos Update
(The music to “What Can I Give Him” begins and continues under the Pastor's words)
Pastor: Advent Introduction
Pastor: In our Advent series, we are celebrating the gift of being truly present -
to each other and to the call of God to make this world a better place.
We can be the gift of presence with those who are experiencing life as less-than-peaceful.
But this might also be true of how we are personally feeling in this moment.
Our lives can feel a bit chaotic or in need of a makeover.
The Good News is that God is continually making a way for do-overs.
In this we can find peace, even when life doesn't feel so peaceful.
This week we focus on what it means to be a gift of non-anxious presence for those who need it most.
(Lay Reader and other Readers come forward to the front where there is a big “featured” gift box wrapped with paper and bow next to an Advent wreath ready to receive candles.
Pastor remains at lectern.)
Choir: What Can I Give Him
Choir: What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise One, I would do my part;
Yet what can I give Him: I will give my heart.
(pause while the featured gift box is unwrapped…
the word “Peace” appears on the box under the wrapping )
Advent Candle Lighting
Pastor: Advent Candle Lighting
One: We unwrap a present on this second Sunday of Advent with great anticipation for the gift that God will reveal.
ALL: We open our hearts as we open the gift!
(pause as the box is opened and a candle is taken out…
then the candle is placed in the Advent wreath and lit while the next words are spoken)
Pastor: Advent Candle Lighting
One: The promise of Peace is the Divine Gift we receive.
ALL: And what will we do with it?
One: The gift of Christ's peace reminds us that we can have serenity
even in the midst of non-peaceful situations.
One: Peace is not simply the absence of conflict.
One: Peace is an ever-present gift that we can open at any time
when we stop, breathe, and trust that we are never alone.
One: And the gift of peace we can give is to be present for those who feel alone.
ALL: We light this Candle of Peace as a sign that we will be
Present with Peace in the world.
(congregation joins singers in this repeat of the song)
Song: "What Can I Give Him"
ALL:What can I give Him
poor as I am
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb
ALL:If I were a Wise One,
I would do my part
This I can I give Him
give Him my heart
ALL:I will give my heart.
Christina Georgina Rossetti, Mark Hayes; Music: © 2006 Julibate Music Group. Used with permission of Mark Hayes and Jubilate Music Group. CCLI Song #6637307 used under CCLI license #2541334
Pastor: Advent Prayer of Presence
Pastor: Let us pray:
Pastor: Unison prayer
ALL: Holy Living Light of God, you are our Peaceful Presence.
ALL: Let this peace grow in our lives each day, so we can be a Present of Peace to others.
ALL: Unwrap and open our hearts.
May it be so.
Amen.
Pastor: Passing of the Peace-Invitation
Pastor: Let us pass God’s blessing of peace among one another.
Pastor: Passing of the Peace
One: May the peace and joy of Christ be with you.
ALL: And also with you.
Wait to advance to this slide until speaking is concluded.
Pastor: Passing of the Peace
Share a wave, elbow bump, or hug as you are mutually comfortable
Song: "TBD"
Song Leader: Please remain standing or rise as you are able and sing:
TBD
;
Lay Reader: Scripture
Isaiah 40:1-11
Mark 1:1-8
(NRSV)
........
Lay Reader: Please be seated for our Scripture readings.
The prophet Isaiah lived in a time of exile perpetrated on the Hebrews by the Babylonians.
By the time we get to chapter 40, one of our readings for today, Isaiah's disciples are writing after the exile has ended.
In this part of the book, we hear themes of comfort and peace and the possibility that the paths of our lives can be cleared for new life.
We also hear that we are always held in the peaceful presence of our God.
Hear now the scripture from Isaiah chapter 40, verses 1 to 11:
Lay Reader: Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40:1–11 (NRSV)
Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.
Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”
See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
........
Lay Reader: The second Gospel reading of Advent from the Gospel according to Mark is the very beginning of the book,
setting up the idea that this story of Jesus will be a transformative experience.
Drawing on the prophet Isaiah, Mark tells his readers that God is making a way in the most difficult places, clearing open paths in the desert places.
John the Baptist shows up in Advent, as he typically does, a sign that the time has come when the Messiah, born of the Spirit, will be present among us.
Here begins the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God: as it was written in Isaiah the prophet:
Lay Reader: Scripture Reading: Mark 1:1–8 (NRSV)
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ”
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Lay Reader: Scripture Response
One: This is God’s self-revealing through the stories of our people.
All: Praise be to God.
Pastor: Message
"Being Present with Peace"
Rev. Shirley Macemon
PTZ2 - select Choir view
Choir: Anthem
"TBD"
by whoDunnit
Used under OneLicense.net A-726183
(Pastor: wait for A/V techs to return to A/V booth and Offering slide to appear before proceeding)
PTZ2 - select Song Leader view
Pastor: Offering
Pastor: As recipients of the generous deeds of God, let us share our generosity with each other and the community.
While we do not pass the plates for our Offering,
we do have offering plates at the back rows of chairs as you enter the sanctuary.
Please feel free to place your offerings there.
We also have a secure way to give online by using our webpage at campbellucc.com/donate
Let us pause and reflect as you give your offerings.
(Ruth plays a short interlude)
Now let us dedicate our offerings...
Pastor: Dedication of the Offering
Pastor: For the wondrous ways this offering will breathe hope into community.
For the ways it will help us live out God’s mission,
we dedicate these gifts.
Let these gifts strengthen our call to carry out God’s justice and mercy.
Amen.
Song: "God Comes to Us"
God comes to us
on winter night,
in baby's breath,
by fire light,
God comes to us
on a star.
God comes to us
amidst our fears,
unspoken joys,
unending tears,
God comes to us,
where we are.
Winter brings cold days
and dark nights of
wondering;
We walk the path
with our eyes
to the ground
We question where
is our God
in the wandering?
We need to look up,
look out, look around.
God comes to us
on winter night,
in baby's breath,
by fire light,
God comes to us
on a star.
God comes to us
amidst our fears,
unspoken joys,
unending tears,
God comes to us,
where we are.
Dirk Damonte; Words and Music by Dirk Damonte, ©1994 Excelsis Music. Used with permission of author.
Pastor: Prayers of the People
Pastor: We too often find ourselves multitasking or obsessing about something that isn't quite right or settled or the particular way we like it.
We are very accustomed to a preoccupied mind that often has little peace.
In this season, we will give ourselves a respite from this pace as we slow down in this prayer time, taking on a more peaceful rhythm.
We will begin our prayers with three questions, each followed by a short silence.
Focusing intentionally on thoughts and memories can be a kind of prayer, bringing our lives into a conversation with the Holy.
I invite you to take a deep breath and close your eyes if you are comfortable doing that.
The first question is this:
Who was a gift of presence to you this week?
Did you experience their attention in a way that felt like a special connection?
Take a moment to recall this in your mind's eye, seeing it emerge like opening a gift.
If you cannot recall such a moment, it is OK... this week you will notice these moments more deeply.
(brief silence)
The second question is this:
How did you offer yourself as a gift of presence?
What did it feel like to extend your attentiveness and availability beyond yourself?
Did you notice how it made a difference to someone else for you to be truly present to them?
(brief silence)
The third question is this:
Is it possible that God's presence is felt more acutely in these moments when we truly tend to one another?
What could you do this coming week that would allow God's gift of Peace to flow through you to someone else?
It may be as simple as finding opportunities to speak an encouraging word.
Or as complex as actually lifting up someone's circumstances through volunteering or donating.
(brief silence)
You are invited to share prayers of joy or concern.
So that the people online may hear, please wait for the microphone to be brought to you before sharing your joy or concern.
Online people are invited to unmute and offer your prayers.
You can also email your prayers for our community to prayerchain@campbellucc.org
Please let us know if you would like your spoken prayer to be distributed on the Prayer Chain email.
(Wait for prayers to conclude, then Pastor may re-voice offered prayers or proceed to Silent Meditation)
Pastor: Silent Meditation
Pastor: Let us keep those and our unvoiced prayers in mind as we listen for God in the silence that follows the ringing of the singing bowl.
(The singing bowl is rung.)
Pastor: Pastoral Prayer
Pastor: (use your own or embellish this)
In this prayerful, present moment we ask you, Christ Jesus, the Greatest Gift of All,
to help us savor our journey toward the celebration of Christmas.
Help us recognize and create moments of sweet presence
rather than filling the voids with the things that do not last.
Help us to stop, notice what we are experiencing,
and accept it with open hearts and minds.
In doing this, we allow you to meet us
in the right here, right now, right where we are.
Amen.
Pastor: We pray in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray:
Pastor: The Lord's Prayer
ALL: Our Father (God/Mother/Creator), who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
ALL: Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
ALL: Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors (sins/trespasses)
ALL: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
ALL: For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever.
Amen.
Communion Invitation
Pastor: This is the table, not of the Church, but of the Lord
So come, you who have much faith and you who have little.
You who have been here often, and you who have not been for a long time,
you who follow,
those whose steps are uncertain,
and those who come anew, questioning and searching.
Come.
Not because it is I who invite you, but because this table is our Lord’s.
It is right we should meet him here.
(Pastor and Lay Reader move to the Communion table.)
Song: "Here is Bread, Here Is Wine" (TFWS#2266)
Here is bread,
here is wine:
Christ is with us,
He is with us.
Break the bread;
taste the wine:
Christ is with us here.
Here is grace,
here is peace:
Christ is with us:
He is with us.
Know his grace;
find his peace:
Feast on Jesus here.
In this bread
there is healing;
in this cup
there's life forever.
In this moment
by the Spirit
Christ is with us here.
Graham Kendrick; Words and Music © 1991 Make Way Music (admin. By Music Services in the Western Hemisphere. OneLicense song 196823. Reprinted under One License.net A-726183.
Communion
Pastor: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the true essence of Christ,
so that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his love.
Pastor: By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world
Song: "Here is Bread, Here Is Wine"
Here we are,
joined in one:
Christ is with us:
He is with us.
We'll proclaim
till he comes
Jesus crucified.
In this bread
there is healing;
in this cup
there's life forever.
In this moment
by the Spirit
Christ is with us here.
Graham Kendrick; Words and Music © 1991 Make Way Music (admin. By Music Services in the Western Hemisphere. OneLicense song 196823. Reprinted under One License.net A-726183.
Communion
Pastor: These are the signs of love for the community of Peace.
He whom the universe could not contain is present to us in this bread.
He who redeemed us and called us by name now meets us in this cup.
So take this bread and this cup.
In them, God comes to us so that we may come to God.
The table is ready.
Lay Reader: Friends, there are a lot of tables in this world, but there is none like this one.
We have a seat saved for you.
Come.
Lay Reader: As you come forward, please use the hand sanitizer station.
We have both regular and gluten-free elements for you to use.
If you would prefer to be served in your seat,
stay put and we will come to you.
Wait to advance to this slide until the speaking is concluded.
Lay Reader: Communion
Please come forward
to receive the elements
(The elements are shared.
Lay Reader returns to seat after all are served.)
Pastor: Communion Blessing
Pastor: Most gracious God, source of all blessing,
we give you thanks for this meal of Peace.
Strengthen us to be a blessing to one another and to all people,
glorifying you in everything we do and say,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Pastor: Closing Carol
Pastor: We close our service with a Christmas carol.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow knew the chaos and sorrow of life,
sinking into a depression after his wife died and his son was badly injured in the Civil War.
When Longfellow heard the bells on Christmas Day, he was encouraged that peace could come again one day to a troubled nation.
And we carry that same hope for peace this day.
Song: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"
Song Leader: Please rise as you are able and sing our closing carol.
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
the words repeat
Of peace on earth,
good-will to all.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
th'unbroken song
Of peace on earth,
good-will to all.
And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong,
and mocks the song
Of peace on earth,
good-will to all.
Then pealed the bells
more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth God sleep;
The wrong shall fail,
the right prevail,
With peace on earth,
good-will to all"
Then ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved
from night to day–
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth,
good-will to all!
Henry W Longfellow,John B Calkin; Words: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1864. Music: ’Waltham (Calkin)’ John B. Calkin, 1872. Setting: "The Book of Common Praise", 1885. copyright: Public Domain. This score is a part of the Open Hymnal Project, 2006 Revision.
PTZ2 - select Closeup Ruth/Janet view for Postlude
Pastor: Benediction
Pastor:
"As we strip away the cluttered surface of our lives
and become more present in the moment,
we may be disturbed by what we can now see in the open vista,
especially the suffering of "the least of these."
We are no longer numb to the cries of those hurting.
We ache for the violence humans do to one another and to the earth.
We see all people and all creation held within God's love and life.
Our comfortable lives are disrupted as we ask new, hard questions.
But being more mindfully present will also bring greater awareness
of God's presence, peace, and clarity in the midst of it all."
[adapted from Amy Oden, Right Here, Right Now]
So now go and be truly present
so you may be a gift of presence for others.
That's all that is expected -
that the gift that is YOU
is the best gift you can give.
In the name of the Holy Presence,
the Divine Gift,
and the Spirit of Peace that is just waiting for us
to unwrap abundant life.
Amen.
Postlude
"TBD"
by Laura Winnen and Jeff Cothran
Used under CCLI License #21189255
Advance to next slide after Postlude is concluded.
Remaining slides will auto-advance to the post-service loop.
Credits (Note: Credits slide will Advance after 5 seconds)
Pastor: Rev. Shirley Macemon
Lay Reader: Flo Galvez
Song Leader: TBD
Music Director: Ruth Huber
AV tech: Ken True/Larry Edson
Slides production: Flo Galvez, Ken True
Copyright (Note: Copyright slide will Advance after 5 seconds)
This Video © Copyright 2023,
CampbellUCC. All rights reserved.
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726183 and/or from CCLI with streaming license #21189255.
All rights reserved.
UNMUTE CD Player and Play CD music.
Stop Zoom meeting.
Wait for Zoom video to process on CUCC-AV2 system
Turn off Projectors/ Rear TV/ Lobby TV and put away mics in A/V closet.
Goodbye (Note: Goodbye slide will Advance after 5 seconds)
Liturgy adapted from: Advent Two- Being Present with Peace by Marcia McFee
© 2023 by worshipdesignstudio.com/present Used with permission.
Communion liturgy adapted by Shirley Macemon from Communion liturgy by Carter Heyward.
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-726183 and/or from CCLI with CCLI Streaming Plus License™ #21189255. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, the New Revised Standard Version of biblical translation is used.