December 14, 2025
SUNDAY OF JOY!
THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Meditation, and of Coming Together Soon, to Witness the Birth of Jesus
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Vacant
Reader: Sue Spratt
Candlelighter: Frieda Lovig
Special Musical Guests: Eileen Kosasih
“I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don’t want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear purple shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact colour of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my every day to make God belly laugh, glad that God gave life to someone who loves the gift…and remember, don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
Gathering
(*Indicates that you may stand if you are able…)
PRELUDE
INTROIT MV # 71 “When the Wind of Winter Blows”
WELCOMING INTO THE LIGHT
LIGHTING OF THE CHRISTMAS WREATH CANDLES:
Leader: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.
Frieda Lovig: In the beginning is our hope, and hope is in God.
Leader: This Advent season began with the lighting of the candle of hope which symbolized our hope for this season of shorter days and longer nights. With this in mind, we light the candle of hope…
(The first candle, the candle of HOPE is lit…)
ALL sing: VU #7 “Hope Is a Star” verse #1
Leader: Isaiah spoke of the Wonderful Counsellor, the Prince of Peace.
Frieda: His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace.
Leader: Let us celebrate our inner peace and seek peace for the world.
Frieda: Let peace embrace creation, winding like a ribbon until it enfolds the earth.
Leader: And now we light the candle of Peace and put our trust in ourselves that we will live peaceful lives.
(The second candle, the candle of PEACE is lit…)
ALL sing: VU #7 “Hope Is a Star” verse #2
Leader: God delights us with wonder and blessing each morning.
Frieda: God brings smiles to our faces and joy to our sleepy souls.
Leader: Let our delight burst forth with the birth of new life today.
Frieda: Let our candle of joy reflect our desire for inward happiness.
(The third candle, the candle of JOY is lit…)
ALL sing: VU #7 “Hope Is a Star” verse #3
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGING THE TERRITORY (Unison)
We acknowledge the traditional territories and the value of the traditional and current oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut’ina and Stoney Nakoda Nations, the Metis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsive)
Leader: We have lit the candle of joy and as joyful people, we have so much to be joyful and thankful for.
ALL: We pray for joy for our families and friends, for sure, but we also pray for joy for…ourselves. We get so tired at this time of year, and the joy of the season can fizzle out. I mean OUT! GONE!
Leader: We pray that we can keep the joys of this season first and foremost in our minds. If we can smile through the season instead of worrying, we can spread so much more joy to others.
ALL: And so, we have lit the candle of joy to always remind us that there is joy in simplicity, joy in lighting one simple candle and offering light to a sometimes-darkened world.
Leader: So come, O people…come and see the abundant blossoming of the desert. Come and hear the desert places rejoicing with joy and with singing!
ALL: We have come to see the rejoicing of the desert, we have come to see the glory of Lebanon and the majesty of our God, and we have come together…we are here…
Leader: So may we open ourselves to the living God with the words of our opening prayer:
Opening Prayer (Unison)
Dreaming…you’ve got us dreaming, O God: dreaming of – if only, dreaming of – if only I hadn’t, dreaming of – if only I could, dreaming of…well, we’re dreaming of a white Christmas , with pristine snow covering everything; covering our lives that are packed too full with activity and not enough time to pray; covering over the poverty that meets us every day we hand out food vouchers; covering over the brokenness to many people feel despite the season, whether they are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, or they are feeling lonely, alone, or depressed, or they are wrestling with relationships fractured, or they are recovering from surgery at home, or they are noticing memory is less dependable and limbs less mobile. So, we pray ready to dream of wholeness and of healing. And we thank you, O God, for the message, the message of a dream shown forth in an infant, a message that speaks of vulnerability to the world as it is, a message that calls us to co-create a world that could be – if only we dream, if only we listen and learn, if only we become messengers ourselves in our living. Take these prayers of our hearts, O God, and weave them into the very fabric of our being, that we may live your dream – the dream of what will be…Amen.
ASSURANCE of PARDON: (Leader)
Today and every day, God loves us, forgives us, and sets us free. Today and every day, we remember that our living God endures forever. God’s realm will never be destroyed. We will always have a place in God’s love…Amen.
*HYMN: MV # 134 “There Was a Child in Galilee”
MEDITATION: (Unison)
May this Advent and Christmas time be for each of us, a time of moving beyond reason to wonder…beyond grasping to letting go…and beyond competition to cooperation, in the power of the Baby soon to come once again to us from Bethlehem.
Let your body be the stable…let your heart be the manger…let your life be like the child’s with the blessing of God upon you as the Spirit goes before you and Jesus lives within you…Amen.
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Sue Spratt )
FIRST SCRIPTURE
ISAIAH 35: 1-10 (578) The desert blooms and rejoices…
SECOND SCRIPTURE
Luke 1: 3-45 (831) Elizabeth and Mary…
HYMN of ILLUMINATION VU # 12
“She Walked in the Summer (The Visit)”
GOSPEL PASSAGE
MATTHEW 11: 2-11 (792) (Rev. Jope) John’s disciples visit Jesus…)
SERMON / MESSAGE / HOMILY
“The Christ-child…He is Not Only a Gift, But He is Also our Assignment”
Responding
OFFERING INVITATION (Leader)
Waken our hearts to know the power we have to make a difference. Give us wisdom to trust your voice, prompting us to act, to risk reaching out to love. Make us bold: generously offering hot chocolate and cookies and a kind word to a stranger; discovering you reflected in the joy of dancing in a crowd. Waken our hearts to know when we have made a difference, Gracious God. This we ask as we offer our gifts today…
(Laura J. Turnbull, Penticton, B.C., Gathering magazine, A/C/E 2025-2026, pg. 30)
ADVENT OFFERING MUSICAL SELECTION
PRAYER of DEDICATION (Rev. Jope)
VISUALIZING HOPE THROUGH ANONYMOUS
WORDS FROM A KOREAN WOMAN (Leader)
LORD’S PRAYER
Blessing
COMMISSIONING (unison):
And now into a waiting world we go, waiting for the birth of that child who will change the world. In our waiting, may each of us experience the deep joy of Advent blessings and Advent mystery…Amen.
*HYMN VU # 59 “Joy to the World”
BLESSING (Rev. Jope)
RECESSIONAL
POSTLUDE MUSIC
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SCRIPTURE PASSAGES for SUNDAY, December 14
Third sunday of advent - Joy
ISAIAH 7: 10-16
PSALM 80: 1-7, 17-19
LUKE 1: 46-55
MATTHEW 1: 18-25