Advent 3: We Can Choose a Better Way

Sunday, December 11, 2022
10:30 AM 11:30 AM 10:30 11:30

Union Presbyterian Church 200 E Main St Endicott, NY, 13760 United States (map)

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And then there’s Joseph. Mary tells him about the angel, but he doesn’t think he can go through with their marriage—until the angel comes to him, and he decides to choose another, better way.

You, too, are a part of this story. You are invited!

Join us for worship in our sanctuary, or right here, if you are at home or on the road. You can also find the live-stream and worship videos on the Union Presbyterian Church of Endicott YouTube page! Worship videos are available Sunday after 1:00 PM.

Third Sunday in Advent

From Generation to Generation: We Can Choose a Better Way

Matthew 1:18-25; Isaiah 35:1-10 

Union Presbyterian Church

December 11, 2022

Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Liturgist: Doug Moore Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube

Prelude Chris Bartlette

“Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” John Carter

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Welcome Rev. Pat Raube

Call to Worship / Lighting of the Advent Candle of Joy

Doug Moore, Arianna Neal

Doug: Over a hundred people, from the ages of two to eighty years old, were asked the question: “What brings you joy?” From the voices of different generations, hear their answers:

Adult: A clean kitchen.

Older adult: Sand between my toes.

Child: Being outside.

Teenager: Sleeping in my own bed after a night away.

Adult: Having a camera in my hand.

Older adult: My partner’s laugh.

Child: When my parents pick me up from school.

Teenager: Mountain Air.

Adult: The end of my to-do list.

Older adult: Hugs from my niece and nephew.

Child: My cat.

Teenager: Baby giggles.

Adult: A warm cup of coffee with friends.

Older adult: My new granddaughter.

Child: Time with my friends.

Teenager: Lingering at the table after dinner.

Older adult: Family of faith, what brings you joy?

(Liturgist lights the candle.)

Doug: Today we light the candle of joy.

May its light remind us of all the good news this season brings.

May its light remind us of the many sources of joy in our lives.

May that joy not only draw us closer to one another, but closer to God. Amen.

Hymn  #160 W & R “Awake! Awake, and Greet the New Morn,” Marty Haugen

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Awake! awake, and greet the new morn,

For angels herald its dawning.

Sing out your joy, for soon he is born,

Behold! the Child of our longing.

Come as a baby weak and poor,

To bring all hearts together,

He opens wide the heavenly door

And lives now inside us for ever.

To us, to all in sorrow and fear,

Emmanuel comes a-singing,

His humble song is quiet and near,

Yet fills the earth with its ringing;

Music to heal the broken soul

And hymns of lovingkindness,

The thunder of his anthems roll

To shatter all hatred and blindness.

In darkest night his coming shall be,

When all the world is despairing,

As morning light so quiet and free,

So warm and gentle and caring.

Then shall the mute break forth in song,

The lame shall leap in wonder,

The weak be raised above the strong,

And weapons be broken asunder.

Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night,

Though dark the winter and cheerless,

The rising sun shall crown you with light,

Be strong and loving and fearless.

Love be our song and love our prayer

And love our endless story;

May God fill every day we share

And bring us at last into glory.

Call to New Life

Prayer for Wholeness and Peace

God of mercy, a million times a day we have the opportunity to be gracious, to assume the best in others, to give the benefit of the doubt. A million times a day we could choose the better way, but so often we don’t. Fear and greed kick in. Assumptions and insecurities take the wheel. Comparison and critique lead the charge. Forgive us for forgetting that we are descendants of Joseph. Forgive us for forgetting that grace and mercy are in our blood. Forgive us for forgetting that all belong to you. Give us the courage to love even more extravagantly than before, and the wisdom to choose a better way. Amen.

Words of Assurance

Family of Faith, hear this good news:

We who have chosen wrong, are given a second chance.

We who have lost our way, are welcomed into community.

We who feel alone, are seen, held, and known.

This is the good news of the gospel.

No matter how many times we choose wrongly or lose our way,

God continues to be a God of second chances, community, and love.

Thanks be to God! Amen.

Sharing of the Peace

May the peace of God be with you. 

And also with you.

Let us share a sign of God’s peace with one another.

Scripture Isaiah 35:1-10

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
    the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly
    and rejoice with joy and shouting.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
    the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
    the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands
    and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
    “Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
    He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
    He will come and save you.”

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf shall be opened;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness
    and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool
    and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp;
    the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

A highway shall be there,
    and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
    but it shall be for God’s people;
    no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there,
    nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
    but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
    and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain joy and gladness,
    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Children’s Message Rev. Pat Raube

Music: “like a child,” Daniel Charles Damon

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Scripture Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

“Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,
    and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.

Response  Holy Wisdom, Holy Word: 

Thanks be to God! 

Meditation

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in a God who offers second chances,

and does not hold grudges.

We believe in a God who opens the door to new life

and leaves the porch light on for us when we get lost.

We believe in a God who believes in us—

believes that we can make a difference,

that we can choose grace over comparison,

love over hate,

peace over war.

And so we strive to live our lives in love.

We strive to listen as Joseph listened,

and to be the people that God calls us to be.

It’s all that easy, and it’s all that hard.

This we believe. Amen.

Anthem Choir

“Joseph, Strong and Faithful Man,” Pepper Choplin

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Joseph, Joseph, have you heard the news?

Mary is with child now, what will you do?

Will you be noble, and let compassion flow,

Save her disgrace and quietly let her go?

The angel came to Joseph and told him in a dream,

“The things they say of Mary are not quite as they seem.

The child she carries is divine, full of holy life.

Rise up and take dear Mary to be your wedded wife.”

Joseph, Joseph, will you obey,

Though you are tempted to turn and walk away?

Will you have the courage to live this holy plan

And prove what it means to be a strong and faithful man,

Strong and faithful man?

Prayers of the People   

The Lord’s Prayer   

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. 

Prayer Response  #475 W & R    

“Eternal Spirit of the Living Christ,” Frank von Christierson 

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Eternal Spirit of the living Christ, 
We know not how to ask or what to say; 
We only know our need, as deep as life, 
And only you can teach us how to pray. 

Call for Offering

Doxology   “Advent Doxology” 

Tune: “Once in Royal David’s City” (Public Domain) 

Praise to God, the One who made us. 

Praise to Christ, the newborn Son. 

Praise the Spirit, ever with us. 

Praise the Godhead, Three in One. 

Clear a path! Prepare the Way! 

Advent leads to Christmas Day!

Prayer of Dedication

Hymn  #198 W & R “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice”

(Public Domain)

Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ was born today;
Ox and ass before him bow,
And he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!

Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Now ye hear of endless bliss;
Jesus Christ was born for this;
He has opened heaven's door,
And we are blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this!
Christ was born for this!

Good Christian friends, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave;
Jesus Christ was born to save;
Calls you one and calls you all
To gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!

Benediction (Responsive)

As you leave this place, may you go knowing that

from generation to generation,

we have been claimed and loved.

From generation to generation,

God has been by our side.

From generation to generation,

we are not alone.

The God of yesterday and the God of tomorrow

knows you by name, loves you, and calls you forth,

saying, “Go be the person you are called to be,

love wildly, do justice, and come back soon.”

May it be so. Amen.

Postlude  Chris Bartlette

“Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,” Franklin Ritter

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Where an * is indicated, please rise in body and/or in spirit.

“W & R” ~ the red Worship and Rejoice hymnal.

“PH” ~ the blue Presbyterian Hymnal

Prayers by Rev. Sarah (Are) Speed | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org