December 13

Service of Word
Third Sunday in Advent

CCLI license #1913561

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Sung by Keisha Prime

Comfort, comfort you my people,
Tell of peace, thus says our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness
Bowed beneath oppression's load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
Of the peace that waits for them;
Tell them that their sins I cover,
And their warfare now is over.

For the herald's voice is crying
In the desert far and near,
Bidding us to make repentance
Since the kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way;
Let the valleys rise in meeting
And the hills bow down in greeting.

Make you straight what long was crooked,
Make the rougher places plain:
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits God's holy reign,
For the glory of the Lord
Now o'er earth is shed abroad;
And all flesh shall see the token
That God's word is never broken

Call to Worship

The Promised One of God brings good news to the oppressed and binds up the brokenhearted. We are witnesses to the light of Christ! Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, hold fast to what is good; we are witnesses to the light of Christ!

Opening Prayer

We thank you, O God, for those in our lives who have pointed us to Christ: strangers and friends. Give us eyes to see him today among those who are oppressed, imprisoned, brokenhearted, or beaten down. Open our hearts and our arms to embrace the world that we, too, may point to Jesus, and be a light to the world. Amen

Advent Candle Lighting
Watch and wait for Christ’s coming! We light candles of hope, peace, joy and love, remembering the promises of God with prayer.

We light this candle in hope.

We light this candle for peace.

We light this candle in joy

God of hope, God of peace, God of joy, you are our salvation; we trust in you and are not afraid.

God of promise, God of joy, into our darkness come.

Music "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" from the Liturgy of St James, 4^th C sung by Keisha Prime

Sung by Keisha Prime

Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded, For with blessing is His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth, Our full homage to demand.

King of Kings, Yet born of Mary, As of old earth He stood,
Lord of Lords, In human vesture, In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful. His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads it's vanguard on the way,
As Light of light descendeth from the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six-winged seraph, Cherubim, With sleeples eye,
Veil their faces to His presence as with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Lord Most High!

Prayer for Illumination
Holy One, giver of life and light, as your word is read and proclaimed, illumine our hearts and minds, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, our lives may reflect Your glory. Amen.

Reading from the Prophet Isaiah 61:1—4, 8—9

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion -- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing;1 I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.

Reading from the Gospel of Luke 4: 14—21

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.
He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Sermon " The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Us " The Rev. Russell Lehman

Sermon by Rev. Russell Lehman

Music "Trading My Sorrows" by Darrell Evans sung by Keisha Prime

Sung by Keisha Prime

I'm trading my sorrows I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
Yeah -
I'm trading my sickness I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord

We say
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Amen

I am pressed but not crushed
Persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I am blessed beyond the curse
For His promise will endure
That His joy's gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning

I'm trading my sorrows I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
Trading my sickness - spoken
I'm trading my sickness I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord

I'm trading my sorrows I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
Yeah -
I'm trading my sickness I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord

We say
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Amen

I am pressed but not crushed
Persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I am blessed beyond the curse
For His promise will endure
That His joy's gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Pastoral Prayer

God who restores, you have done great things for us and we rejoice! So often you have filled us with laughter, even turning tears of sadness into shouts of joy. You send prophets, who point the way to justice and show the way to you. We thank you for sending good news to us and repairing so much that we have devastated. In this season of light, we lift up in prayer so many who wait in darkness: people oppressed by poverty and discrimination, by political upheaval or dangerous rulers; people imprisoned wrongly and also those imprisoned justly. Right what is wrong among us and in us and restore us to you, to others, to ourselves. Make the brokenhearted whole again;
comfort those who mourn; repair our ruined cities. In all the jostling and jingling of these days, do not let us lose sight of you or those whom you especially came to serve: people who are in need of healing, people who are overlooked or underserved, the ones who are lost, and the ones we have made to feel little and least. Light of the world, live among us always, full of grace and truth. Amen.

Lord’s Prayer (Ecumenical Version)
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen

A Statement about Offering our Gifts

At this time of year especially, the abundance of some and the needs of so many stand in marked contrast. In humble gratitude we give what we can so that the ministries of this church and our mission partners who tend to the needy can be sustained. In this time of pandemic and separation, let us remember that we are still the church, Christ’s body at work in the world. .

Donations can be mailed to Lakeview Presbyterian Church at 1310 22nd Av S, St Petersburg, FL, 33705 or given online through our website @lakeviewpresbyterianchurch.org

Prayer of Dedication

Gracious God, give thanks for the privilege of sharing what we have received with others, and of receiving the gifts that others share with us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Charge

Pray without ceasing. Witness to the light of Christ so that all may be blessed in him.

Blessing

May the God of peace call forth your complete dedication;
may the light of Christ shine upon you;
and the Holy Spirit fill you completely, now and forever.

Postlude "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” Latin c 12^th century sung by Keisha Prime

Sung by Keisha Prime

O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight, refrain

Refrain:

O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace. Refrain

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