New Is Messy – Do It Anyway

Good Morning and Welcome to Worship! Worship is often the first place that new people come into contact with this growing community of faith. And so, if you are joining us for the first time, I say to you what is said every Sunday: You are welcome here. Here is a place where all are welcome. For such is the love of God for God’s Very Good Creation. ADVENT 4: Root of Jesse— Virginia Olejnik “Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, King of the nations! Lord, who will not fear and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your judgments have been revealed.” — Revelation 15:3b-4

ALL: God of power and love, you raised Jesus from death to life, resplendent in glory to rule over all creation. Free the world to rejoice in his peace, to glory in his justice, and to live in his love. Unite all humankind in Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen. — Book of Common Worship

As our nights grow longer and our days grow short, we look on these earthly signs — light and green branches — and remember God’s promise to our world: Christ, our Light and our Hope, will come.

Listen to the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth … The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them … They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” — Isaiah 11:1-9

Liturgist — Virginia Olejnik Let us pray …

ALL: Almighty God, you brought forth a royal branch from the ancient stock of Jesse’s line: Grant that we who have been grafted into this heritage may bear fruit worthy of Jesus Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Merciful God, you call us to goodness and lead us on right paths. You encourage us with signs of your coming and urge us to keep watch, that we might greet you with heads raised high when you come to restore all of creation. We pray for this world that needs your creative love and restoration.

For all who suffer from violence, in the streets or in their homes.

For all who live in worry or fear.

For those who have forgotten the ways of Loving kindness.

For those who have never been witness to your amazing love.

For all those who have lost hope, or never had it at all. We pray, too, for your church in the world, that we may increase in ardor for you and your creation, and work in confidence to build the kin-dom amidst the kingdoms.

Now by the power of your Holy Spirit, make us ever more faithful, that we may greet you in the faces of those most in need even as we seek to find your face in one another. Amen.

God, the source of all love, wisdom, peace, and joy — by the power of your Holy Spirit, lead us in your truth and teach us to do your will; for the sake of the kin-dom that seeks to be born around us. Amen.

¹To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. ²O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. ³Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. ⁴Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. ⁵Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. ⁶Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. ⁷Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord! ⁸Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. ⁹He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. ¹⁰All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

²⁵“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. ²⁸Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” ²⁹Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; ³⁰as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. ³¹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. ³²Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. ³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ³⁴“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, ³⁵like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Even in the midst of trouble and turmoil of our kingdoms, God calls us into the kin-dom here on earth. How have you found ways to be the kin-dom of God’s love to your neighbors? How do you reveal the love of God to those most in need? Where do you have needs that are unmet? Do you have the courage to ask for assistance?

We offer both white and red grape juice. If you are afraid of spilling red grape juice, a limited number of cups with white grape juice are provided.

Here at Community Church, we celebrate “Open Communion.” Anyone who wishes to commune may come to God’s Table. You do not have to be sinless; God forgives you. You do not have to be perfect; God encourages you to grow. You need not belong to any church; God invites all people to this meal. It is enough to love and follow God with all your heart. This is what God asks us to do. Come to God’s Table in faith this day. Go from this place to live, and never be the same again. Let us commune as siblings in Christ.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

You created for yourself a world filled with diversity and blessed by your breath of life. Rainbow colors bloom in spring, summer breezes bring garden delight, and now as autumn comes our way, we see the work of your paintbrush upon every face and tree. In mercy, while we still held to the chains of our winter, of pride, self-righteousness, and historic egos you loved us steadfastly and delivered us as babes to reflect the beauty and diversity of your grace, to bring us into a community of love, hope, and peace.

And so, with all your people on earth in every place where two or more are gathered in your name and all the company of heaven who have gone before us, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. Your Spirit anointed him to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to announce that the time had come when you would save your people.

He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.

He prayed that we might be one, as he is one with you, and he asked that we might be known by the love we have for one another. On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and fruit of the vine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ that we, together as a new creation and a new community around the globe may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit help the body of Christ be one. Help the left hand and the right hand work as one in ministry to all the world. Help the eyes and the ears sense your present and coming kingdom. Bring the blessing of the diversity of the body to bear fruit until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty God, now and forever. Amen.

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

The bread which we have eaten is a sharing in the bread of Christ. The cup over which we give thanks is the sharing in the cup of Christ.

Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Trusting in the sure promises of Christ, and grateful for the Spirit’s sustaining power, let us bring our tithes and offerings to God. Amen.

God of loving Kindness, you have saved us from the worst the world can do and have redeemed the whole of creation. In love and hope we offer our gifts of money and self, that we may be part of what you are doing in the world even now, as we build the kin-dom of God here on earth. Amen.

Go in peace, live in love, and seek to be holy in all that you do. May the God of mercy keep you, the Holy Spirit cheer you, and the living Jesus greet you, now and in all the days ahead. Amen.