Call to Worship
Be vigilant, praying at all times for strength to pass safely through all imminent troubles and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.
Prayer of Confession
God of all history, the passing of time sometimes escapes us. We live from payday to payday, from party to party, from crisis to crisis. We lose sight of our spiritual state of health until illness or tragedy brings us up ...
Call to Worship
Wait expectantly for our Lord Jesus Christ to reveal himself. He will keep you firm to the end, without reproach on the Day of our Lord Jesus. It is God in person, who called you to share in the life of the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; and God keeps faith.
Prayer of Confession
God of many names, by what name shall we call you? Our question rises out of some confusion, not only abou...
Psalm 25:1-22, Jeremiah 33:1-26, Luke 21:25-36, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Psalter—Psalm 25:1-10
First Lesson—The prophet promises justice and righteousness in the days to come that will bring salvation and safety to God’s people. Jeremiah 33:14-16
Second Lesson—The apostle Paul hopes specifically for the return of Christ with his saints. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Gospel—Jesus is not only a teacher, but on occasion an apocalyptic prophet, making dire predictions. L...
Call to Worship
Get the road ready for the royal visit: make a straight path for Christ to travel! The winding roads must be made straight and the rough places smooth. All humanity shall see God's salvation.
Prayer of Confession
Holy God, Messenger of the new covenant, flaming Spirit, we confess that we are sinners and cannot worship you worthily except as we are purified and cleansed of our sins...
Isaiah 12:2-6, Zephaniah 3:14-20, Luke 3:7-18, Philippians 4:4-7
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
CALL TO WORSHIP
Express gratitude to God, invoking God by name. Make God's deeds known in the world around, declaring the supremacy of the divine name.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of peace, Prince of peace, Spirit of peace, your names are to be hallowed as supreme. Forgive us if we fail to give due honor to your name in our families and in our social life. In our society the name of Santa Claus some...
READINGS
First Lesson—The message of this messenger is that the Coming One will purify the temple as a refiner purifies precious metal. Malachi 3:1-4
Second Lesson—The sharing of the gospel is a great joy to both the preacher and the congregation. Philippians 1:3-11
Gospel—John the Baptist preaches a baptism of repentance as a way of preparing the way for the coming of the Christ. Luke 3:1-6
CALL...
John 1:19-28, John 1:1-18, Psalm 126:1-6, Luke 1:46-56
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
Call to Worship
Tell out the greatness of the Lord. Rejoice in God your Savior.
Prayer of Confession
Infinite Parent, Incarnate Offspring, Inclusive Spirit, in Jesus Christ you have experienced our humanity. We admit that we are not yet holy in spirit, soul and body. Our worship is not always wholehearted. Our hearts and minds are often arrogant, prejudiced, unchangeable. Our bodies are too prone...
Psalm 126:1-6, Isaiah 61:1-11, John 1:6-8, 19-28, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Psalter—Psalm 126
First Lesson—The prophet brings glad tidings of relief and renewal. Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Second Lesson—Paul urges cautious optimism as Christians give thanks and pray while waiting for the second coming of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Gospel—John the Baptist, though a lesser light, is a light widening the eyes of people to see the brighter light of the Christ. John 1:6...
Isaiah 12:1-6, Zephaniah 3:1-20, Luke 3:7-18, Philippians 4:2-9
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Old Testament—Isaiah 12:2-6
First Lesson—The coming king is forecast as strong against oppressors but a savior of the disadvantaged and the outcast. Zephaniah 3:14-20
Second Lesson—Paul urges rejoicing since the best is yet to be. Philippians 4:4-7
Gospel—John the Baptist is like a broom sweeping clean the way of the Lord’s coming. Luke 3:7-18
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: The grace of our Lor...
2 Samuel 7:1-17, Psalm 89:1-4, Luke 1:26-38, Romans 16:1-27
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Psalter—Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 or Luke 1:46b-55
First Lesson—David is promised God’s unfailing love and a long, disciplined dynasty to follow him on the throne. 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Second Lesson—Paul’s letter to the Romans is concluded with a dignified doxology. Romans 16:25-27
Gospel—The angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she is favored by God to be the mother of God’s Son. Luke 1:26-38
...
Psalm 80:1-19, Micah 5:1-4, Luke 1:39-45 (46-55), Hebrews 10:1-18
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Psalter—Luke 1:47-55 [OR] Psalm 80:1-7
First Lesson—Bethlehem is the unlikely birthplace of one who, though newly born, has existed from ancient days. Micah 5:2-5a
Second Lesson—The coming of the Christ is the offering of the supreme sacrifice to replace any other less adequate offerings for human sin. Hebrews 10:5-10
Gospel—The meeting of Elizabeth and Mary, both mothers by special arran...
Psalm 24:1-10, Isaiah 25:1-12, John 11:32-44, Revelation 21:1-27
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Psalter—Psalm 24
First Lesson—The prophet celebrates the conquest of death still to come. Isaiah 25:6-9
Second Lesson—John foresees an immortality that is rich with a loving personal relationship with God. Revelation 21:1-6
Gospel—The death of Lazarus is the occasion for a miracle of Jesus and a promise of eternal life for all who would come after him. John 11:32-44
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leade...
Psalm 149:1-9, Daniel 7:1-3, 15-28, Luke 6:20-31, Ephesians 1:11-23
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Psalter—Psalm 149
First Lesson—Despite visions of terror the prophet also had dreams of an eternal kingdom for the people of God. Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Second Lesson—The apostle Paul celebrates our inheritance of glory with the royal Jesus. Ephesians 1:11-23
Gospel—Luke records the woes of Jesus declared against the rich as well as blessings for the poor. Luke 6:20-31
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leade...
Psalm 24:1-10, Isaiah 25:1-12, John 11:32-44, Revelation 21:1-27
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Psalter- Psalms 24
First Lesson - The prophet celebrates the conquest of death still to come. Isaiah 25:6-9 [OR] The wise one celebrates the immortality of the righteous in the care of the Eternal One. Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9
Second Lesson - John foresees an immortality that is rich with a loving personal relationship to God. Revelation 21:1-6
Gospel - The death of Lazarus is the occasion...
Daniel 7:15-28, Daniel 7:1-14, Psalm 149:1-9, Ephesians 1:1-14, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 6:17-26, Luke 6:27-36
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
Call to Worship
Exult in glory, faithful people. Let the high praises of God be in your mouth, for the LORD takes pleasure in his people; and adorns the humble with victory.
Prayer of Confession
Sovereign God, we do not need nightmares to fill us with fear. The television news shows us some of the horrors of war and cruelty in the streets. When the promise of peace seems strongest new conflicts b...
Isaiah 25:1-12, Psalm 24:1-10, Revelation 21:1-27, John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
CALL TO WORSHIP
God has spoken. Let us be glad and rejoice in the salvation of God.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Eternal God, nothing is more awesome for us than the death which we know to be inevitable but which we can not fully understand. We often question the timeliness of death, wondering if it is really occasioned by your plan or only the result of natural causes. Forgive any doubts that we may hav...
Call to Worship
Let us worship God. Let us pray that our inward eyes may be illumined that we may know what is the hope to which God calls us that we may learn how vast are the resources of the Spirit's power that we may value the wealth of the heritage that we share with Christ.
Prayer of Confession
God of Moses, God of the Messiah, God of the church, forgive the doubts that plague us, the quest...
Joel 2:1-11, Matthew 6:1-4, Psalm 51:1-19, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, 2 Corinthians 6:3-13, Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:19-24
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
CALL TO WORSHIP
Take joy in your salvation and be willing to obey God as the Spirit prompts you.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God above all, you have created us from the ground up and in Christ came to our turf, to show us again that the earth is yours and you have made all things to be good. Your own Spirit infused life into the lifeless so that the human race should be distinct not in its physical prop...
Acts 8:9-25, Psalm 29:1-11, Luke 3:21-38, Luke 3:1-20, Isaiah 43:1-13
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
CALL TO WORSHIP
Praise God's glorious name, bow down before the Holy One when Christ appears.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Magnificent Creator, we are humbled by the voice of your power and majesty. Even your Son Jesus awes us, as he does your servant, John the Baptist, so that we know we are unworthy to unfasten his shoes. We are often too proud to stoop to the menial service that our neighbor's needs r...
Psalm 29:1-11, Isaiah 43:1-13, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, Acts 8:14-17
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Psalter—Psalm 29
First Lesson—The prophet reassures the people of God of the commitment of their Creator to their survival and growth. Isaiah 43:1-7
Second Lesson—In the season when we remember that Jesus Christ is revealed to the Gentiles we are reminded that the Spirit also will be given them in the course of events. Acts 8:14-17
Gospel—Though he is a cousin of Jesus, John the Baptist g...
Revelation 1:4-8, Psalm 132:1-18, 2 Samuel 23:1-7, John 18:28-40
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
CALL TO WORSHIP
Holiness is the beauty of God's temple while time shall last. Worship God in the sanctity and freedom from our sins which Christ gives us through his life's blood.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Ancient in year, First-born from the dead, timeless Spirit, we confess that too often we are overawed by the wealth and power of human rulers forgetting that they are as mortal as we are, and that o...
Jeremiah 23:1-8, Luke 1:67-80, Colossians 1:1-14, Colossians 1:15-23, Luke 23:26-43
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
Call to Worship
Follow Christ into the way of peace, for by the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high has broken upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Prayer of Confession
God of the whole universe, we confess that we often forget your concern for everyone and everything because we are so attentive to ourselves, our own families, our own congrega...
2 Samuel 23:1-7, Psalm 132:1-18, John 18:33-37, Revelation 1:4-8
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Psalter—Psalm 132:1-12, (13-18)
First Lesson—The final words of King David are full of hope for the future. 2 Samuel 23:1-7
Second Lesson—Not a kingdom of military power but a kingdom of priests is envisioned by John on Patmos. Revelation 1:4b-8
Gospel—The ruler of the realm of the Spirit defends himself before a ruler of this evil world. John 18:33-37
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: The grace o...
Matthew 25:31-46, Psalm 100:1-5, Ezekiel 34:1-31, Ephesians 1:15-23
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Psalter - Psalms 100
First Lesson - The great Shepherd to come, says the prophet, will care for the lean sheep pushed aside by the fat ones. Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Second Lesson - The apostle rejoices in the faith of this congregation but prays for further growth toward maturity. Ephesians 1:15-23
Gospel - Jesus tells a parable of final judgment. Matthew 25:31-46
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader:...
Psalm 46:1-11, Jeremiah 23:1-8, Luke 1:67-80; 23:33-43, Colossians 1:11-20
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
READINGS
Psalter—Luke 1:68-79 or Psalm 46
First Lesson—The prophet declares that the God of Israel will have to gather the scattered flock of people driven away by their irresponsible human shepherds. Jeremiah 23:1-6
Second Lesson—All Christians share in the inheritance of the royal Jesus. Colossians 1:11-20
Gospel—A criminal’s cross is a grotesque enthronement for the King of the Jews. Luke 23:33...