9:30am Prelude - “Do You Hear What I Hear” - Jeff Perks Welcome - Rev. Dana Seiler Lighting the Advent Candles - Mom2Mom Opening Song - “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” - Makenzie Loudermilt Time of Greeting Children’s Time Song - “Mary Did You Know” Reflection on Peace - Rev. David Bonnema Song - “Breath of Heaven” Sermon - “Learning to Trust” The Characters Of Christmas- Today’s Characters are and . Joseph chose to trust God despite the situation being and according to human logic. Joseph demonstrated a deep and abiding in God by acting to the angel’s command.. Charles Spurgeon once said, “It is the same sun that melts the that hardens the .” How does Joseph’s response to the angel's message demonstrate his deep trust in God, and how can we apply this example to our lives today? Barbara Brown Taylor speaks of “solar Christianity” and "lunar Christianity." What do these terms mean, and how can they help us trust God in different seasons of life? Offering and Prayer Song - “The First Noel” Benediction 11:00am Prelude - “Do You Hear What I Hear?” (Perks) - Jeff Perks Welcome - Rev. Dana Seiler Lighting the Advent Candles - Mom2Mom Call to Worship - Rev. David Bonnema Leader: Welcome to worship this Advent season. People: As the days grow longer in darkness, we come to seek God’s light. Leader: As the temperatures dip, we gather in the warmth of God’s presence. People: As the earth struggles in turmoil, we long for God’s peace. Leader: As beloved children of God, we gather today in worship. People: Come, let us worship the Lord! Hymn - “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” - #31 - 3 Verses Prayer of Confession Lord of Peace, we all want peace on earth, but we don’t live like it. We battle with our co-workers for the next promotion, or with our friends to be the team captain. We forget that peace isn’t something that someone else does far away from here, but something that only we can do within ourselves. Give us the strength to live out Your call for peace in our world. Forgive us when we exclude others and forget to offer grace. Remind us of Christ’s message of peace, and let it rule in our lives each day, as we pray in Christ’s holy name, Amen. Declaration of Forgiveness Passing of the Peace Reflection on Peace Anthem - “Coventry Carol” (Rouse) - Unity Choir Sermon - “Learning to Trust” - Rev. Dana Seiler The Characters Of Christmas- Today’s Characters are and . Joseph chose to trust God despite the situation being and according to human logic. Joseph demonstrated a deep and abiding in God by acting to the angel’s command.. Charles Spurgeon once said, “It is the same sun that melts the that hardens the .” How does Joseph’s response to the angel's message demonstrate his deep trust in God, and how can we apply this example to our lives today? Barbara Brown Taylor speaks of “solar Christianity” and "lunar Christianity." What do these terms mean, and how can they help us trust God in different seasons of life? Anthem - “The Holly and the Ivy” (Willcocks) - Unity Choir Offering and Prayer of Thanksgiving Doxology - “Rejoice, Rejoice” - #2 Chorus Affirmation of Faith - by Rev. Stephen M. Fearing We believe that God has come to us as a little child, making our weakness his strength, securing our salvation by becoming one of us, blessing us with unending love, filling our hearts with joy to be shared with one another. We believe that God has birthed righteousness into the world, giving us a law that will be written upon our hearts, making the cause of the oppressed the highest priority, declaring an everlasting reign of peace, and defeating the power of pain and suffering. We believe that God calls us to participate in this reality of love, inviting us to proclaim Christ’s resurrection to others, transforming us as disciples to go out into the world, sending us forth to announce his kingdom of peace and comfort, challenging us to see everyone as nothing less than beloved children. This we believe. Closing Hymn - “Angels from the Realms of Glory” #22 - 4 Verses Benediction Postlude