The Lighting of the Second Advent Candle
When Israel was a child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called my son.
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known;
Along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
We light this candle as a sign of the coming light of Christ.
I will turn the darkness into light before them
And make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
We wait for you, and trust you to lead us.
Angels We Have Heard On High
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echo back their joyous strains
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Shepherds, why this jubilee
Why your joyous strains prolong
Say what may the tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
See him in a manger laid
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
While our hearts in love we raise
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Traditional French carol, Tune GLORIA. Traditional French melody
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
It came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold
Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heaven’s all gracious King
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing
Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing
And ever o’er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing
O ye beneath life’s crushing load
Whose forms are bending low
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow
Look now, for glad and golden hours Come swiftly on the wing
O, rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing
For lo, the days are hastening on
By prophets seen of old
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold
When the new heaven and earth
Shall own the Prince of Peace, their King
And the whole world send back the song Which now the angels sing
Edmund H. Sears, Tune CAROL, Richard S. Willis, CCLI 241710
Prayer for the People, the City, and the Nations
Gifts — We Have a Savior
A child has been given
The King of our freedom
Sing for the light has come
This is Christmas
Come and adore him
And bring gifts before him
Joy to the world, worship the Son
This is Christmas
This is Jesus, Emmanuel
Here with us, tell all the world
We have a Savior, we have a Savior
We are no longer lost
He has come down for us
We have a Savior, we have a Savior
Sing with the angels
And lift up your voices
Join in the song of hope
This is Christmas
This is Jesus, Emmanuel
Here with us, tell all the world
We have a Savior, we have a Savior
We are no longer lost
He has come down for us
We have a Savior, we have a Savior
His love will reign forever
His love will reign forever
His love will reign forever
His love will reign forever
His love will reign forever
His love will reign forever
This is Jesus, Emmanuel
Here with us, tell all the world
We have a Savior, we have a Savior
We are no longer lost
He has come down for us
We have a Savior, we have a Savior
This is Jesus, Emmanuel
Here with us, tell all the world
We have a Savior, we have a Savior
We are no longer lost
He has come down for us
We have a Savior, we have a Savior
Christ, the Lord
Ben Glover | Reuben Morgan © 2012 9t One Songs Ariose Music Hillsong Music Publishing CCLI 241710
A Confessional Litany of Christ
God joined our humanity in Jesus Christ the eternal Word made flesh.
He is the long-awaited Messiah, one with us and one with God,
Fully human and fully divine, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
—Our World Belongs to God, from stanzas 23 & 27
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing alleluia
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth
Joseph Mohr/Franz Gruber, 1818
Sermon
“The Fullness of Time”
Galatians 4:1-7
Prayer of Confession
Sovereign God and Heavenly Father,
You have made us yours through Christ,
And you hold us in the palm of your hand.
Yet each day we struggle to trust you.
Have mercy on us and forgive.
Give us courage to admit our fear and unbelief.
Where we wrestle for control, settle our spirits.
Enable us to celebrate the mysteries of your will,
And trust you with every part of our lives,
Liberate us to love and serve your good world,
Until you make everything new.
Through Jesus, our coming King. Amen.
The Lord’s Supper
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Come, thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing thy praise
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it
Mount of thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by thy help I’m come
And I hope, by thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandr’ing from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed his precious blood
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let thy goodness, like a fetter
Bind my wand’ring heart to thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above
O that day, when freed from sinning
I shall see thy lovely face
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing thy sovereign grace
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry
Take my ransomed soul away
Send thine angels, now to carry
Me to realms of endless day
Robert Robinson, Asahel Nettleton © Public Domain CCLI 241710
The Apostles’ Creed (for reflection)
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Advent Doxology
O come, let us adore him
O come, let us adore him
O come, let us adore him
Christ the Lord
C. Frederick Oakeley, John Francis Wade © Public Domain CCLI 241710
Benediction
chapelgate worship 