Bulletin for Sunday, December 19, 2021

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born upon this day

To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

From God our heavenly Father
A blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same

How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

“Fear not” then said the Angel
“Let nothing you affright
This day is born a Savior
Of a pure Virgin bright

To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan’s pow’r and might
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

Oh star of wonder star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

Now to the Lord sing praises
All you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace

This holy child of Christmas
Shall fill our hearts with grace
Oh tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh tidings of comfort and joy

The King is Coming

The King is coming
Open up your eyes to see it
Open up your ears to hear it

The King is coming
Open up your mind, believe it
Open up your heart, receive Him

Noel

Love incarnate, love divine
Star and angels gave the sign
Bow to babe on bended knee
The Savior of humanity
Unto us a Child is born
He shall reign forevermore

Noel, Noel
Come and see what God has done
Noel, Noel
The story of amazing love!
The light of the world
Given for us — Noel

Son of God and Son of man
There before the world began
Born to suffer, born to save
Born to raise us from the grave
Christ the everlasting Lord
He shall reign forevermore

Noel, Noel
Come and see what God has done
Noel, Noel
The story of amazing love!
The light of the world
Given for us — Noel

Noel, Noel
Come and see what God has done
Noel, Noel
The story of amazing love!
The light of the world
Given for us — Noel, Noel

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
‘Cause 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
‘Cause 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
(repeat)

This is Jesus Emmanuel
Here with us tell all the world
We have a Savior
We have a Savior

We are no longer lost
‘Cause He has come down for us
We have a Savior
We have a Savior

Tis So Sweet

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His promise
Just to know “Thus saith the Lord”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
Oh, for grace to trust Him more

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to trust His cleansing blood
And in simple faith to plunge me
‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
Oh, for grace to trust Him more

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
Oh, for grace to trust Him more

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
Oh, for grace to trust Him more
Oh, for grace to trust Him more
Oh, for grace to trust Him more

Hebrews 10:5-10
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’”

8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Luke 1:39-55
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”

——————-

Reader: The word of the Lord.
Ekklesia: Thanks be to God.

Luke 1:46-55
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”

722 BCE – Assyria Conquers Israel
586 BCE – Babylon Conquers Judah
330s BCE – Greeks (Alex the Great) Conquers Judea
175 BCE – Antiochus IV forces religious conversion
167-160 BCE – Maccabean Wars
64 BCE – Romans Conquer Judea
67-70 CE – The Great (Jewish-Roman) War
108-110 CE – The Kitos Wars
132-135 CE – Simon Bar Kokhba’s Rebellion

“Christmas is not a reminder that the world is really quite a nice old place. It reminds us that the world is a shockingly bad old place, where wickedness flourishes unchecked, where children are murdered, where civilized countries make a lot of money by selling weapons to uncivilized ones so they can blow each other apart. Christmas is God lighting a candle, and you don’t light a candle in a room that’s already full of sunlight. You light a candle in a room that’s so murky that the candle, when lit, reveals just how bad things really are. The light shines in the darkness, says St. John, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
– N.T. Wright, For All God’s Worth

Nothing Holding Me Back

Thank You for the cross
that You have carried
Thank You for Your blood that was shed
You took the weight of sin
upon Your shoulders
And Sacrificed Your life so I could live

Thank You for the cross
that You have carried
Thank You for Your blood that was shed
You took the weight of sin
upon Your shoulders
And Sacrificed Your life so I could live

Now nothing is holding me back from You
Redeemer of my soul
Now nothing can hold me back from You
Your Love will never let me go

Thank You for Your death and resurrection
Thank You for the power of Your blood
I am overwhelmed by Your affection
The Kindness and the Greatness of Your Love
The Kindness and the Greatness of Your Love

Now nothing is holding me back from You
Redeemer of my soul
Now nothing can hold me back from You
Your Love will never let me go

Oh Jesus You make all things new
Oh Jesus You make all things new
Oh Jesus You make all things new
Oh Jesus You make all things new

Thank You that we’re living in Your Kingdom
Jesus You’re the King upon the throne
Thank You for the way You always love me
Now I get to love You in return
Now I get to love You in return