BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT / GAUDETE (JOY) SUNDAY

December 13, 2020

The video recording of this service can be found here.
You can also dial-in by phone to listen to the audio recording at 613-820-8104

Gathering Music / Carol Sing

Angels We Have Heard on High – Voices United #38

1 Angels we have heard on high
sweetly singing o'er the plains,
and the mountains in reply,
echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain:
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

2 Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
which inspire your heavenly song?

Refrain:
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Traditional French Carol: translation 1860 Chadwick, arr. 1937 Barnes
Song #84241 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Away in a Manger – Voices United #69

1 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

2 The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I love you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky, and stay by my side until morning is nigh.

Words: Author Unknown; Music 1895 Kirkpatrick, arr. 1982 Hassell
Song # osv-13 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Welcome & Announcements Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, on this third Sunday of Advent also known as Gaudete Sunday a day of rejoicing, a respite from the penitential blues in Advent. Today, we embrace the meaning of joy symbolized by the pink colour.

We continue to offer Sunday in-person worship services at 10 am with a maximum number of 28 people. Please call the office to register. Full information on procedures and safety measures are posted on our website.

If you are not able to worship with us in the church sanctuary, please know that BCUC offers worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats along with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events and other updates. You can also listen to the service via telephone by dialing 613-820-8104. Please continue to reach out by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls and prayers.

And here are some announcements:

- There are many ways to give and offer your support during Advent:

The Service, Outreach and Social Action Committee. Advent appeal is going to support the United Church’s Mission and Service Fund called Emergency-COVID 19 which aims to provide food and other essential services to many communities in crisis in the global South. Nicole Beaudry will tell us more about it shortly.
FAMSAC is giving out grocery gift cards for families in need instead of hampers this year. Donations are most welcome.
You can also continue supporting the Veteran’s House expected to be completed in 2021 to offer housing for 40 homeless veterans.
There is an opportunity for families to remember loved ones who have passed, through a poinsettia memorial donation. A virtual flower display with the loved ones’ names will be included in the online version of the service during Advent.
And yes – don’t forget to send in your offering and pledges for the operating fund before end of this year.

For all of these giving opportunities, you may send in your donation by cheque, by cash or by etransfer noting which on the memo line which project you are supporting.

- Order for Turkey Pies are now being received as well as the 2021 Canadian Church Calendars, grocery cards and the Book of Memories Volume 2. Please contact the office to place an order.

- Join us for a spontaneous Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, your community including the congregation, your family, and yourself.

- And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11: 00 am. Link has been emailed to you or call the office for more information. For other announcements, please check your email or the church website.

Minute for Mission & Service Advent Appeal Nicole Beaudry

“We are all in this together” , “ We must all do our part”: these are phrases often heard and repeated these days. Yes, we must all do our part and keep ourselves and our families safe. With Christmas approaching, families and churches worry about not being able to be together. This pandemic is bringing us a lot of worries indeed, but one thing that most of us don’t have to worry about is having enough food to eat .

In the midst of the pandemic as many as 500,000,000 people are on the verge of acute hunger, just as the world experiences the worst economic fallout since the Great Depression. By the end of the year, 12,000 people per day living around the world could die of hunger because of the pandemic. And the situation is getting worse by the hour.

In this year of the COVID crisis, the Service , Outreach & Social Action Committee, also known as SOSA, has chosen a special fund of the United Church’s Mission and Service Fund as its 2020 Advent Project. In a response to the crisis, Mission & Service has set up a fund to directly help those affected by the Pandemic - “Emergency Response-COVID-19".

The United Church of Canada believes access to food is a basic right. Those who work to provide food—farmers, fishers, gatherers, and hunters—as well as those who transport, distribute, and prepare food should enjoy safe and dignified working conditions and earn an adequate livelihood. The experience of the pandemic has shown us in stark relief that this is not the case for many people around the world. The fact is , vulnerable people become even more vulnerable in the midst of a crisis. A large part of the world lives with the reality of not having enough food for their families. The United Church of Canada supports local, national, and global partners as together they work to help bridge the gap between having enough to eat and being hungry. Your support will put food on the table for struggling families and provide emergency relief to those going hungry.

Please consider supporting our Advent Project by sending a cheque, payable to BCUC with ‘Advent Project’ on the memo line, to the church office or by e-transfer choosing ‘treasurer@bcuc.org' as the email address and ‘Advent Project’ in the Message box. Thank you for helping Shine Christ’s Light This Christmas.

Centering for Worship: Kim

Friends, in the busyness of the Advent season, it is easy to get sidetracked with the business of preparing our homes and finding the perfect recipe for Christmas dinner. Let us take a moment to reflect and remember what Advent is meant to be: to make ready our hearts for the birth of Jesus, our joy. Let us now gather in worship.

Lighting of the Advent Candle: Joy Acolytes: The Berard Family

(Gord Dunbar, Gathering ACE 2020-2021)

Reader 1: Our Advent journey continues our time of celebration. We celebrate the coming of the Christ child who turns the world upside down.

Reader 2: We come to dance joyfully in anticipation of this season of new life that challenges and guides, comfort and confronts. We come in joy but not to distract us from life’s pains; instead, joy emerges out of disruption and within each disappointment.

Reader 3: Last Sunday, we light the candle of hope and the candle of peace. Today, we light our third candle, which dances in joy even as it burns.

(The joy Advent candle is lit)

Sung Response: Hope is A Star - Voices United #7 (Verse 3)

Joy is a song that welcomes the dawn,
telling the world that the Saviour is born.
When God is a child there’s joy in our song.
The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,
and none shall be afraid.

Words © Brian Wren, 1985; Music © Joan Collier Fogg, 1987
Song # 93750 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Call to Gather: (Susan Lukey, Gathering, ACE 2017-2018) Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Come, people of God, holy creations.
We come, seeking God’s grace to make us whole.
Come on this third Sunday of Advent.
We continue our journey toward Christmas,
joyous and excited, ready to welcome God’s child
into our hearts and our homes.
Come to trust, listen, believe, and imagine what is possible
because God has come into our lives and into our world.
We come, O God, we come.

Prayer of Approach and Silent Confession: (Catherine Tovell, Gathering, ACE 2017-2018) Rev. Kim Vidal

Holy Presence, you have led us to this moment in time, reassuring us when we face uncertainty, prodding us into action when we become hesitant and fearful, and comforting us when we are in the midst of changes. Be with us as we continue our journey through Advent. Hear us, dear God, as we offer our personal prayers at this time.

Silent Confession

Words of Assurance: Even within the deepening shadows of this season, the joy of God abounds. We are a pilgrim people. God will be with us wherever we go.

Let us not be discouraged. Let us be open to the Light. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Advent Hymn: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus – Voices United #2

1 Come, thou long-expected Jesus
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.

2 Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art,
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

3 Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.

4 By thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all-sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

Words 1744 Charles Wesley, Music 1715 Psalmodia Sacra
Song # 83979 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime for the Young at Heart Rev. Lorrie Lowes

We lit our 3rd candle in our Advent wreath today, the candle for Joy. That means Christmas is less than 2 weeks away! That’s a cause for Joy!

It’s good to be reminded sometimes about all the joys in our lives. The Christmas stories in our Bible talk a lot about how difficult life was around the time of Jesus’ birth. The people in that area were really struggling under an oppressive ruler, and many of them were living in poverty. Things must have seemed pretty bleak back then. I bet they had a hard time finding things to make them feel joyful.

Life is certainly better for us today. We live in a wonderful country with a government we get to choose and that takes good care of us. Most of the time, we have a lot of things to be joyful about. This crazy pandemic has made some people feel a lot less joyful, though. There are lots of things we worry about and lots of restrictions on where we can go, what we can do, and who we can get together with. I know my family has been struggling with how different Christmas will be when we can’t open presents together or sit around one table for Christmas dinner.

I think everyone is waiting for some good news to lift our spirits. And there is still good news! Our usual traditions might not be possible this year, but there are some new ways to celebrate. We can’t gather on the main streets for the Santa Claus parade but there are some Santa Claus parades making new routes through neighbourhoods so they can go right past people’s houses instead. Families are still finding ways to cut down a Christmas tree, or decorate their homes in new ways. People aren’t rushing around in stores but are taking the time to order gifts or even making gifts for the people they love. And, maybe the biggest joy right now is the news of a vaccine coming soon – because that means that this strange and difficult time will end. It may not happen as quickly as we’d like, but we know that a vaccine means this pandemic is going to end.

When I think back to the Christmas stories in the Bible, I think the people of those times were probably feeling a lot like we are now. They really needed some good news too. Last week we talked about messages that angels brought. An angel came to Mary and to Joseph with news that changed their lives immediately – but then, on the night when Jesus was born a whole host of angels came to shepherds. The news they brought wasn’t just for them but for the whole world. Jesus was born to bring hope and peace to everyone and, just like the vaccine we are hearing about today, this wasn’t going to happen overnight. God didn’t send a full-grown man, after all, but a tiny baby who needed time to grow into the wonderful Messiah that the world needed. It would be many more years before anyone would hear Jesus’ teachings about how to change the world and make it the way God intended for Creation. Those shepherds still had to look after their sheep and life was still very difficult for them and all the people around them – but they were filled with joy at the news that things were on their way to getting better.

This week, I choose to be filled with joy too – joy that Christmas is coming, that new memories are being made in our homes and in our communities, and that a vaccine is coming to put an end to this hard time of Covid-19. I also choose to look for joy even on difficult days and, just like those shepherds that heard the angels that night so long ago, I will do my best to spread that joy to the people I meet. So, today I am putting shepherds on the tree in our sanctuary to remind us that joy isn’t always right in front of us but is found in messages of hope and peace and patient waiting – and that, even though it may take some time to happen, that message is worth celebrating right now.

Hymn: Jump for Joy - More Voices #48 - Erin Berard with CGS/Bell Canto

1.       I can feel you near me God I can feel you near
         Yes I know you’re with me God I feel you here
          I can feel you near me God I can feel you near
          Yes I know you’re with me God Heaven is here.

          Refrain:
          And I’ll jump for joy I’m singing Alleluia
          Jump for joy for you I will jump for joy
          I’m singing Alleluia Jump for joy for you.

2.       I can feel you loving me yes I know you care
          God I know you’re loving me always everywhere
          I can feel you loving me yes I know you care
          God I know you’re loving me I know you’re there. Refrain

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Marion Dugas

Show us the way, O God, to reshape our lives
with your Word of wisdom.
Open our hearts to rejoice in renewed relationships
so we can look forward to the birth of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Reading: Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11 (NRSV)

The Good News of Deliverance

61 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 broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
3 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.
4 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.

8 For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 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.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us. Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “When God Disturbs” Rev. Kim Vidal

Christmas is just around the corner – 12 days from now to be exact. But this year, celebrating Christmas will be different due to the pandemic. Ontario Health had issued some fun and safety ways to celebrate Christmas including a virtual holiday gathering with family and friends; a family outdoor activity; celebrating at home by baking cookies, decorating a tree; mailing cards and presents and the last suggestion says: give the gift of good health! And yes – the news about the COVID vaccine is certainly offering a glimmer of hope for many of us. Good suggestions I would say, but some have a depressing look at Christmas. Being together with family is not good news for everyone. Not good news for those confronted with illness or grief. Not good news for the community where shelters for the homeless like The Mission and Elizabeth Fry are filling up again as the days get colder. FAMSAC is giving out grocery gift cards instead of hampers for those who cannot afford a decent meal. There is nothing worse than feeling alone and hopeless, when the rest of the world seems to be gushing with joy. Globally, we are not there yet in terms of joy. The COVID-19 pandemic still tops the list of worry in every country in the world. Add to that, the issues of hunger, famine and homelessness. Wars and violence have not somehow disappeared with the anticipated arrival of the Prince of Peace. We are not there yet in terms of Joy.

We have been listening to the voice of the prophet Isaiah since the first Sunday of Advent. Who is this prophet? What is he doing in this season of supposedly joyful celebration? Why do we need to listen to him? A prophet is more than a seer, a predictor of the future, or one gifted with extraordinary spiritual and moral insight. A prophet is a mouthpiece of God who lives in the present, looks around the community and addresses issues of concern. Prophets are rabble rousers, disturbers of those who live comfortably without caring for their neighbours. Prophets see injustice, poverty, political upheavals, religious callousness, immorality of all sorts. They open their mouth to protest and wag their finger to warn those in power and calls for repentance and transformation. Theologian Deborah Block explains that “prophets are voices of Advent because they say what no one wants to hear and believe. They point in directions no one wants to look. Prophets hear God when everybody else has concluded God is silent. They see God where nobody else would guess that God is present. They feel God’s compassion for us, God’s anger with us, and God’s joy in us. They dream God’s dreams and utter wake up calls. They hope God’s hopes and announce a new future. They sing God’s song and interrupts the program with a tune of disturbance.”

I once heard a preacher say that the flip side of joy is disappointment. The prophet Isaiah tells us stories of disappointment. The Israelites were exiled. Life had become like a wilderness to the people. They had been taken in as slaves for nearly seventy ears. Then there was a shift. Those years in exile are over. Isaiah sees a highway- a road safe and secure, leading to the city gates. On it will travel the lost ones, captives and slaves, an exiled people now redeemed and able to return to their homeland. We’ve heard the reading from the 61st chapter of Isaiah written for people who had been liberated and had returned home - which had been their fervent dream and hope and prayer for generations. However, once they finally made it back to Israel, it was not exactly the sort of paradise they had imagined. Disappointment and sense of hopelessness once again confront the people. Isaiah, however, sees a vision of hope, peace and joy for the people. He sees the return of shalom - God’s reign, where God’s spirit empowering them 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 favour.”

These words sound familiar as words spoken by Jesus himself in the Gospel of Luke when he first preached in his hometown of Nazareth. When Jesus reads Isaiah's words, Jesus places himself inside a tradition that is alive today…that of prophetic ministry and witness. The social gospel is born in that moment and millions of people have followed Jesus down the path. These words of Isaiah proclaimed by Jesus are earth-shaking, life-changing words. It's no wonder that some people in the synagogue had a hard time hearing what Jesus was saying that day. Good news for the oppressed speak not only for those who live in poverty and the homeless, but those whose spirits and bodies need healing from illness, grief and loneliness. Release the captives could mean – freeing those prisoners of war who were taken as slaves or it could also have meant personal captivity to both spiritual and material temptations that harm both body and spirit. These words of Isaiah and spoken by Jesus 600 years later are God’s disturbing words. And when God disturbs, it takes many forms and many responses. When God disturbs, it causes us to reflect and to reach out.

I spoke with someone who I know as a caring, active and a wonderful volunteer. But a personal situation had been troubling her. Her words are full of conviction: "If I didn't have a church to come to, I don't know how I would survive." She explained that the community, the friends, and the church service all lifted her spirits and gave her the resilience to keep going. “I always leave this place feeling better than when I came in." She says. I told her I couldn't agree more. "I don't know how people do it without faith, without a spiritual life," I told her. "I know I couldn't." Sometimes disturbing news confront us – like a sense of emptiness or despair that comes unannounced.

A scholar once asked a bookstore manager: "What are the most popular books these days?" "The first book," said the manager, "are those on who gets rich in the new information economy. The second most popular book is on spirituality and, in particular, books about Buddhism." The scholar asked the manager why books on Buddhism are becoming more popular than books on Christianity. And this was the reply: "I think it's because Buddhism is being presented as a way of life, and Christianity is being presented as a system of belief." We need to rediscover our faith as a way of life, because that's what we need the most! I have found that Christianity, when practiced with relevance and context, offers a message that relates to our deeper realities, our spiritual identities, aspects of our being that are so often ignored or neglected these days.

What happens if God disturbs us? What if God barges into the midst of our comfort zones? How would you feel? How would you respond? What change would God’s presence bring? What in your life would change? If Isaiah’s words were the clarion call for Jesus, a summary of his mission agenda, then they should be included in our mission statement as well. What is the good news for the poor and the oppressed today? Is there good news for the street people, the brokenhearted, the prisoners, the physically and mentally challenged, the unemployed? What about the most vulnerable in our society? The children, the women, the elderly, the homeless? Is there good news for them? A wise preacher once said that "the truth will make you free, but first it will make you miserable." This creates for us a unique responsibility and calling. If we are touched and disturbed at the same time by the lives of our brothers and sisters, then we can respond with the same kind of love we have received from the God of love and compassion. Wouldn't it be exciting to witness what it means to "rebuild the ancient ruins," as Isaiah put it ... to see what would happen if we would radically and dramatically practice that which we preach? If we are more than willing to be nudged by God’s prophetic voice, disturbed by God’s wisdom, to be as passionate about our mission as a church and do acts of justice, love and kindness, as we are about budget line items, what miracles could we still accomplish in making a difference in the world?

I was driving to the church one day thinking about my schedule for the last few weeks leading to New Year - meetings I still need to attend, reports I need to write, preparations for the upcoming worship services, emails to check and phone calls I absolutely have to make, and what I need to cook for supper that day. All of a sudden, I found myself pulling into the parking lot at BCUC. I had driven the 10 kilometers to work and had no idea how I got there. I have been so absorbed in what was coming up that I was completely oblivious to the present. You might be in the same boat with me. We are still in Advent but this season doesn't seem to exist in secular culture, where everything is spiraling quickly toward Christmas. No time to wait, no time to notice, no time to reflect, no time to engage, no time to be present. All of a sudden, we will find ourselves on Christmas Day not knowing how we got there. Advent is a holy season, a season that bids us to be present, to wait, to engage, to respond. So much is evoked in this season - hope, longing, joy, the bittersweet awareness that the world is both beautiful and broken. Consider all of these things. Sit with them. Pray with them. Be aware of this God time of great promise and possibility. Today is a good time to reflect on our Advent call as followers of Jesus. I take that to mean that we have been disturbed by God compelling us to make a difference, no matter how big or how small, here and now. I am reminded of the words of the hymn, “I Am the Light of the World” that express the message of Isaiah’s words spoken by Jesus: "When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among people, To make music in the heart." When God disturbs, take notice. God wants us to respond. Amen.
Sources: Engaging the Spiritually Disconnected: Inviting the Culture to Move to the Deeper End of Life's Pool, patheos.org. Standing on the promises by Kathleen Norris, The Hard Work of Making Life Right by Michael Brown:, Disengage the Autopilot by Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, December 12, 2017

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer: Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Prayer of Intercession for the Advent Season (inspired by Isaiah 35)

In patience and in hope,
let us offer our prayers to God,
saying with one voice,

We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.

For all who walk in God’s Holy Way:
those in the pews and in the pulpits;
those at home and on the streets;
for all who ponder God’s promise in their hearts,
and all who carry the good news into the world,

We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.

For the nations and their leaders:
that eyes may be opened and ears unstopped,
and that peace and justice break forth in every land.

We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.

For all the world: heaven and earth,
the seas, and all that is in them.
For the early and the late rains,
and the precious crop from the earth.
For the gathering darkness and the light of hope.

We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.

For this community and all who live in it,
each member of the whole body:
friend and stranger, parent and child,
brother and sister, widow and orphan.
Strengthen weak hands, dear God,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
Be strong, do not fear!

We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.

For all who are nearest to you, O God:
the lonely, the out-of-work,
the sick, the fearful, the cold, and the hungry.
For the one who is sorry, and the one who is ashamed.
It is you, our God of hope, who sets all prisoners free.

We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.

For all the departed, and all who remember,
We rejoice with joy and singing
For the coming of the LORD is near.

We are waiting, O God, with all the patience we can muster.
Beloved of angels and archangels,
Lover of saints and sinners,
God our Savior, to you alone we pray, Amen.

~ written by Margaret D. McGee, and posted on In the Courtyard. www.inthecourtyard.com

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory,
Forever and ever,
Amen.

Invitation to Offer: Rev. Kim Vidal

Even in difficult times we remember that God has done great things for us. We choose to live our lives in hope, counting on the goodness of God in every way. As a sign of our trust in God, we share our gifts this morning, strengthening the ministry of this church as we seek together to extend joy to others. Let us gather our time, talents and treasures together and present them as an offering to God. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the slot by the kitchen door of the church or mail them to BCUC. You can also send in your support through e-transfer. Thank you for your continued love and support to BCUC.

Offertory Prayer: (spaciousfaith.com)

Holy One, this Advent season we wait in joy,
and we give with joy.
Joy for all you have given us;
joy because of your sacred promises.
Receive these generous offerings,
and use them to spread your joy in our world. Amen.

Sending Forth: Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Inspired by the prayers of Robin Laidlaw and Chelsea Masterman, Gathering, Advent 2016-2017, Year A. Used with permission.)

Go into the world with joy.
We are not alone. God is with us.
Joy is promised in these Advent days.
God bless you as you wait. God bless you as you work for joy.
Your rejoicing is blessed. Go in joy! Amen.

Hymn: Joy Shall Come - Voices United #23

Joy shall come, even to the wilderness,
and the parched land shall then know great gladness;
as the rose, as the rose shall deserts blossom,
deserts like a garden blossom.
For living springs shall give cool water,
in the desert streams shall flow;
for living springs shall give cool water,
in the desert streams shall flow.

Departing Music: (Poinsettia Flowers in memory of Loved Ones) Never Ending Joy – More Voices 40 BCUC Choir

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11:00 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

Sunday Worship Service - December 13, 2020