Those who go out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, shall come home with songs of joy, bringing in their sheaves. (Psalm 126:6)

The Community Gathers (life and work of the church)

Acknowledgment of Land

Advent Candle Lighting: Candle of Joy
…Joy is the theme of this day.

What does joy look like?
…Scripture speaks of the creation time “when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy”.

What does joy feel like?
…Joy feels like the wonderful surprise that keeps us from sleepwalking through our lives and waits for us at the end of our days.

What is it like to live in joy?
…Today we light the candle named Joy. May its light help us find our way.

All sing: MV 220 “Hope Shines as the Solitary Star”
(sing “joy” instead of “hope)

Joy shines as the solitary star.
Faith is the inner light.
You and I together mirror the Light of Lights,
and illumine the pathway home.

Hymn words copyright © 2007 Catherine Faith MacLean; music copyright © 2007 Janet Bauman Tissandier. Reprinted under OneLicense.net License #A-720359 (#126814).
Advent reading written by John Moses, Aylesford UC, Aylesford, NS. Gathering, Advent/Christmas/Epiphany 2020-2021, page 68-69. Used with permission.

Call to Worship

Hymn: MV 158 Dream a Dream

Dream a dream, a hopeful dream,
as children do on Christmas Eve,
imaginings, surprising things
to hold and to believe.

Dream a time, this Christmas time,
when no one’s hungry or afraid;
that weapons go and harvests grow,
that friends are met and made.

Dream a peace, our planet’s peace,
the greening of the earth at play,
the holy ground where life is found,
where God has touched the clay.

Dream a gift, the Christmas gift
that changes every thing we see:
the shimmering of angel wing,
the Child, the Mystery.

Words: Shirley Erena Murray, 1996; Music: Ron Klusmeier, 2005. Words copyright © 1996 by Hope Publishing Co and music copyright © 2005 by Musiklus. All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net License #A-720359 (#42130).

The Invitatory
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
O come, let us worship.

Jubilate: (Psalm 100)
Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song. Know this: the Lord himself is God; he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; give thanks to him and call upon his name. for the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures from age to age. Amen

Story Time: “Jesse Tree”

The Proclamation of the Word
Psalm 126 (VU p. 850)
The Epistle: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-24

One: The Holy Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ according to John
All: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

The Gospel JOHN 1:6-8, 19-28

One: The Gospel of Christ
All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Sermon: “That’s How the Light Gets In”

Affirmation of Faith –
Let us confess the faith of our baptism as we say:
We believe in God, who has created all life and continues to create new life within and without us. We believe in Jesus, son of God, son of man, the Saviour of the world. By his life, his death and his resurrection from the grave, we can know the true depth of human possibility and experience the true joy of abundant life. We believe the Holy Spirit is present now and always calling us to faith, giving us gifts, and empowering us for service. We believe the church is the community of faith called to experience the fullness of life through God’s Word made flesh in Jesus Christ. Amen

Offertory Hymn: MV 97 Listen, God Is Calling

Listen God is calling,
through the Word inviting,
offering forgiveness,
comfort and joy.

Words: Traditional song, Tanzania; translation: Howard S. Olson; Music: Traditional Tanzanian song; Arrangement: More Voices, 2007. Translation copyright © Makumira University College, Augsburg Fortress Publishers. OneLicense.net License #A-720359 (#01607) Arrangement copyright © 2007 The United Church of Canada. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

VU 541 The Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Words: Thomas Ken, ca 1674; Music: Genevan Psalter 1551. Copyright Public domain.

Prayer over the Gifts

Prayers of the People
In our Shared Ministry Cycles of Prayer, we pray for Anna, our bishop-elect and the congregation of Holy Trinity, Sooke....

God of Love,
in this time of waiting for your Spirit, we pray for those who have trouble catching the vision; for those who find this family season difficult because they are without loved ones; for those who are left out of the celebrations because they are without food or shelter; for those who need to be reminded of the wideness of your love and mercy. . ..

Spirit of Hope,
in a time of busyness that threatens to overpower the sound of your voice, and blind us to the needs of those around us, we pray for ourselves: that we might not become so preoccupied with our own schedules, that we forget we live within your time, that we might not be anxious about tomorrow that we may trust you to bring about your love and peace, that we might work together to share Good News with those around and beyond us.
silence

Creator of Joy,
we wait with excitement and impatience.Surround us with your stillness, quiet us with your Spirit, that we might be ready to receive the light of the world. Amen.

Collect

The Lord’s Prayer (spoken in our mother tongue)

Hymn: VU 48 Hark the Herald Angels Sing (with Kwak’wala verse and chorus)

Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Huklila lak watlum utla
Si da pipaglum nuqa
Kunts dadalik kunts ugwaki
Zilwaka kunts Gikumaya
Nala gilahida utla
Kunts nalak gints yaiksamik
Gaka yutla yalakakalisa
Sis Kwanuqa
Gakitl wutlas Jesus Christ
Mayauglum utl kwa nalak.

Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!”

English Words: Charles Wesley, 1739, alt. and Old Kwakiutl translation; Music: Felix Mendelssohn, 1840; adapt. William Hayman Cummings, 1856. Copyright: Public domain.

Blessing

Threefold Amen and Dismissal

Gila’kasla…We extend a warm on-line welcome to everyone worshipping with us today!

Announcements:
Reprinted and podcast with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-720359. All rights reserved.

• All in-person worship and activities at St. Columba have been suspended by provincial health order until at least Jan. 10.
• You can contact Elaine Julian by email at incumbent@stcolumbaporthardy.ca or phone her at the church office. If you leave a message, she will reply as soon as possible.
• Rev. Elaine will be in Port Hardy this coming week. Please email her or phone the church office if you would like an appointment to meet with her following all safety protocols.
• Bible Study Tuesday Dec. 15 at 5:15 PM on Zoom. If you do not receive the weekly invitation and wish to join us, please contact Elaine. There will be no Bible Study Dec. 22 or 29.
• Celtic Prayer Thursday at 2:00 PM on Zoom. You can participate on Zoom, or just read the weekly prayers and readings at home. If you do not receive the weekly email invitation and wish to join us, please contact Rev. Elaine.
• Mission Focus is J C Memorial Church on the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations
• A bag lunch will be available on Sunday morning just after 11 AM for those who need a meal. Gloria will be available at the church to give you the lunch.
• Blue Christmas service Dec. 18 at 7 pm

Next Week’s Readings
Hebrew Scripture: 2 SAMUEL 7:1-11, 16
Song of Mary Luke 1:47-55 (VU pp.898-899)
The Epistle: ROMANS 16:25-27
The Gospel LUKE1:26-38

Quote of the Day:
God is present at the point where the eyes of those who give and those who receive meet.
(Simone Weil)