St. Paul’s United Church30 Main Street South, Brampton, ON L6W 2C4

St. Paul’s - "A caring, Christian community,sharing the love of Jesus through our words and actions."

Worship Theme: "Seeking Love"(*Please stand as you are able*)

“As we begin today, we acknowledge the history, spirituality, culture, and stewardship of the land of the Indigenous people of this region,

most recently the Mississaugas of the New Credit who are Anishinaabe Ojibwe people. We seek to live in respect, peace, and right relations

with them as we live, work, and worship upon their traditional territory.

We are also mindful of broken covenants and the need to strive to make right with all our relations.”

The Approach of the People of God

Music as we gather

Welcome and Announcements

Music

Call to Worship:

Advent Candle Lighting

Hymn*: VU #6 1“A Candle is Burning” (1)

4 A candle is burning, a candle of love,a candle to point us to heaven above.A baby for Christmas, a wonderful birth,for Jesus is bringing God’s love to our earth.

5 1We honour Messiah with Christ-candle's flame,our Christmas Eve candles glad tidings proclaim.O come, all you faithful, rejoice in this night,as God comes among us, the Christian's true light.

Lighting of the 4th Advent Candle of Love One The fourth Candle of Advent is the Candle of Love. Its light is

meant to remind us of the love that God has for us.All Lord, let your love abide in us.One When humanity embraces love unconditional, then the lost will

be found, the naked will be clothed, the hungry will be fed, the bombs will be destroyed and there will be peace and unity.

All May it be known that, regardless of language and creed, love is fluently spoken here.

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One Mistletoe reminds us of our tradition of embracing and loving those who are in our lives. May it further remind us of the love God showed for us through the birth of Jesus.

All We light this candle of love and the darkness is diminished.

Hymn*: VU #60 “O Come All Ye Faithful” (2)

Refrain: O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

1 O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem:come and behold him, born the King of angels; R

2 God of God, light of light,lo, he abhors not the virgin=s womb;very God, begotten, not created: R

3 Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;glory to God in the highest: R

4 See how the shepherds summoned to his cradle,leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear;we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps; R

5 Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;Jesus, to thee be glory given;word of the Father, now in flesh appearing: R

Listen to the Word of God

Senior Choir Anthem: “Night of Silence” (3)

Time with Children

Hymn*: VU #69 “Away In A Manger” (4)

11 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

2 The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.I love you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky,and stay by my side until morning is nigh.

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3 Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stayclose by me forever, and love me, I pray.Bless all the dear children in your tender care,and fit us for heaven, to live with you there.

Passing of the Peace*

Scripture Lessons: Isaiah 9:2-7Luke 2:1-20

One: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.All: Thanks be to God.

Quote for the Sermon: (5) “With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”

Congregational Hymn: MV #115 “Behold, Behold, I Make All Things New” (6)

Behold, behold, I make all things new, beginning with you and starting from today. Behold, behold, I make all things new, my promise is true, for I am Christ the way.

Sermon: “Margins & Centres”

Hymn*: VU #73 “The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy” (7)

1He come from the glory, [clap, clap]he come from the glorious kingdom.He come from the glory, [clap, clap]he come from the glorious kingdom.Oh, yes! believer! Oh, yes! believer!He come from the glory, [clap, clap]he come from the glorious kingdom.

1 The virgin Mary had a baby boy,the virgin Mary had a baby boy,the virgin Mary had a baby boy,and they say that his name is Jesus.

12 The angels sang when the baby was born,the angels sang when the baby was born,the angels sang when the baby was born,and they say that his name is Jesus.

13 The shepherds came where the baby was born,the shepherds came where the baby was born,the shepherds came where the baby was born,and they say that his name is Jesus. R

Responding to God’s Word

The Offering Page 3

Offering Hymn*: VU #55 “In the Bleak Midwinter” (8)

1 In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

2 Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign;in the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficedthe Lord God almighty, Jesus Christ.

3 Enough for him, whom cherubim worship night and day,a breast full of milk, and a manger full of hay.Enough for him, whom angels fall down before,the ox and ass and camel which adore.

4 What can I give him, poor as I am?If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;if I were a wise man, I would do my part;yet what I can I give him - give my heart.

Offering Prayer*

Prayer for Healing

The Prayer of Jesus (Said) VU #921

1Our Father/Mother/Creator, who art in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as in heaven.Give us today 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, the power and the gloryforever and ever. Amen

Hymn*: VU #59 “Joy to the World” (9)

1 1Joy to the world! the Lord is come:let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

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2 Joy to the earth! the Saviour reigns:let all their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

3 No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground:he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.

4 He rules the earth with truth and grace,and makes the nations provethe glories of his righteousnessand wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, and wonders, wonders of his love.

Blessing and Sending Forth

Three-fold Amen

Music as we go back to the world

* * *(1) Words © 1986 Sandra Dean. Music: James R. Murray 1887(2) Words: English trans. Frederick Oakeley 1841 et. Al, French trans. Claude Rozier 1950. Music: attrib. John Francis Wade ca. 1743(3) Kantor(4) Words: Author unknown. Music: William James Kirkpatrick 1895, arr. Desmond Hassell 1992(5) Max Ehrmann(6) Words and music © 1995 by WGRG. All rights reserved. Used by permission.(7) Words and music © 1945 Boosey & Co. Ltd., copyright renewed.(8) Words: Christina Georgina Rossetti ca. 1872. Music: Gustav Theodor Holst 1906(9) Words: Isaac Watts 1719, alt. Music: attrib. George Frideric Handel 1742; arr. Lowell Mason 1836

Cover photo – “Inuit Mother and Child” from The National Gallery of Canada

PARTICIPANTS IN THIS MORNING’S SERVICE

Minister The Rev. Richard C. ChoeDirector of Music Iain MorrisonChair of Council David HymersChurch Officer Jack DrewAdvent Candle Lighting Ritchie FamilyReader Shirley SouthCo-ordinating Greeter Cathy RobertsonGreeters Beverly & Mohabir Ramnarine, Molly &

Nimrod Ramnarine, Joan & Willard Rintoul, Doug & Margo Rogers, Elizabeth Ward

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