OUR SAVIOUR’S
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Announcements

Joyce Kiepura

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Prelude

Theme and Variation on a Provençal Noel

Leon Roques

Ricardo Pedroza​​​

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Welcome

Pastor Heewon Kim​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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*Hymn

What Child is This

United Methodist Hymnal 219

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Prayer

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Lighting the Advent Candle

Kathy Sicher, Linda Demore, Margee Hay

 

First Leader: This is the second week of Advent. We light a candle in the shadow of fear.
We name the Herod within — the part of us that clings to control,
That resists change, that fears what new life might demand.

 

Second Reader: But God is not afraid of our shadows.
God dares to birth love in the midst of fear.
Even Herod cannot stop the scandalous grace of God.

 

First Leader: We light this candle for all who feel trapped by their own inner villain,
For those who fear they are too broken, too bitter, too bound.
We light this candle for courage —
To challenge the narrative, to welcome the new.

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(Light the Second candle of the Advent wreath.)

 

Second Leader: This is the candle of Peace.
Peace that disarms fear.
Peace that challenges the Herod within.
Peace that makes room for love.

 

All: Come, Light of the World.
Disarm our fear.
Birth something new in us.

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Children's Christmas Pageant

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Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Joyce Kiepura

 

Offertory

How Quietly

Joel Raney

Martha Polen
Linda DeMore
Margee Hay
Collette Reid
Jeanette Prather
Pam Alexander

 

*Hymn

Lord, You Are More Precious Than Silver

The Faith We Sing 2065

 

*Prayer of Dedication

God of all, whose light reaches even the shadowed places of our hearts, your love is wider than we can imagine.  As we bring these gifts, reshape our desires so we follow your story rather than the world’s hunger for power or control.  Let our lives bear the fruit of love, peace, hope, and justice. In a world so often driven by fear, use these offerings—and use us—to plant seeds of peace and shine your mercy. 
We pray in the name of Christ, our coming and present Lord.

Amen.

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*Gospel Reading

Joseph Mitchell

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Matthew 2:1-3, 7-8, 13, 16

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”

3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him.

7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.”

13 When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him.”

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Murder of the Bethlehem children
16 When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi.
 

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Leader: This is the Word of God for the people of God.
People: Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Message

Christmas in a Herod World

Pastor Heewon Kim

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Holy Communion

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Invitation

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Leader: Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him,
who earnestly repent of their sin
and seek to live in peace with one another.
Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.

 

CONFESSION AND PARDON

 

Leader: Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have failed to be an obedient church.
We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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All pray in silence

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Leader: Hear the good news:
Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God's love toward us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

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Unison: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

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All: Glory to God. Amen.

The Peace

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Leader: Let us offer one another signs of reconciliation and love.
 

The Great Thanksgiving

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Leader: The Lord be with you.

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Unison: And also with you.

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Leader: Lift up your hearts.

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Unison: We lift them up to the Lord.

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Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

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Unison: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

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Leader: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets, who looked for that day when justice shall roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

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Unison: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

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Leader: Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ, whom you sent in the fullness of time to be a light to the nations. You scatter the proud in the imagination of their hearts and have mercy on those who fear you from generation to generation. You put down the mighty from their thrones and exalt those of low degree. You fill the hungry with good things, and the rich you send empty away. Your own Son came among us as a servant to be Emmanuel, your presence with us. He humbled himself in obedience to your will and freely accepted death on a cross. 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.

 

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.

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Unison: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

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Leader: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, 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.

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Unison: Amen

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Leader: And now, with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:

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Unison: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

Amen.

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*Hymn

There is Wideness in God's Mercy

United Methodist Hymnal 121

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Blessing​​​​​​​​

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Postlude

God Rest You Merry Gentlemen

Ricardo Pedroza