From the Stump

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 Week 3: Hope — Phyllis Spencer 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.

Candle Reader — Virginia Olejnik 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.”

Candle Lighter — Sandy Walker

Candle Prayer — Rev. Johan Dodge Let us pray: (Isaiah 11:1-4a, 6, 9-10) O come, thou Branch of Jesse’s tree, free them from Satan’s tyranny that trust thy mighty power to save, and give them victory o’er the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! That day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. Ever Present 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.

Siblings in Christ, for the sake of the world that God so loves, let us pray.

We pray for the peace of the world.

We pray for peace in every nation — that people will turn their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks and study war no more.

We pray for the peace of the church.

We pray for peace in Christ’s body — put an end to fear and fighting, and help us proclaim in word and action the good news of salvation to all.

Pray for the peace of this community.

We pray for peace in this place — for safety in our homes and streets, for the prosperity of our neighbors, and for the health of family and friends.

God of the future, make us ready for the coming of your kin-dom, when we have given up our selfish ways and work together to renew the face of creation through the power of your Holy Spirit and the teachings of Jesus. Amen.

Loving God of all creation, let your Word ring out from the Mountains and your Spirit shine forth in the earth, so that all may hear your teaching and all may be filled with hope and find comfort in following your way of love. Amen.

An Urgent Appeal ¹¹ Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; ¹² the night is far gone; the day is near. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; ¹³ let us walk decently as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in illicit sex and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴ Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

The Necessity for Watchfulness ³⁶ “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so, too, will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Then two will be in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken, and one will be left. ⁴² Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what dayyour Lord is coming. ⁴³ But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

The Prophet Isaiah speaks of a shoot coming from the stump of Jesse’s tree, a renewal of the lineage that was once thought to have ended. There are times, when we look around and feel like things are ending, times in which we feel like we have lost hope. The passages from Romans and Matthew both speak to staying awake or waking up. How do these words of action fit with this idea from Isaiah to not give up hope in the face of darkness?

(Playing his own arrangement.)

Come with gratitude and joy to the table of the Lord. Bring the works of your hands and the gifts of your lives as an offering of praise. Amen.

We give you thanks and praise, O God, that you have built us up in faith and bound us together in love. By your grace, may all that we do show the world your way of love through these gifts that we share from our abundance given by you. Amen.

May the Way of Jesus guide you, the love of God encourage you, and the Holy Spirit empower you as you grow the light of God into the world around us. Amen.