December 9, 2018 8:15, 9:30 and 11 a.m..
Gathering Around The Word
“That is the wonder of all wonders, that God loves the lowly…. God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings. God marches right in. God chooses people as God’s instruments and performs God’s wonders where one would least expect them. God is near to lowliness; God loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas
Opening Voluntary (9:30 and 11 a.m.)
Prelude and Meditation on O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Matthew Corl
Invitation to Discipleship Introit (9:30 and 11 a.m.)
Advent Message Martin How The Sanctuary Choir Come Lord Jesus, Amen come Lord Jesus. The voice of Him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, Make straight in the desert, a highway for our God.
Call to Worship and Lighting of the Advent Wreath *Hymn 88 (V erses 1,2,6 and 7)
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
VENI EMMANUEL
*Call to Confession and Prayer of Confession
God who brings peace to the world, make us peacemakers.When we bicker and argue, lead us toward resolution. When we act on envy, greed, and selfishness, cleanse our hearts and set us on a new path.When we disagree, help us to remain non-anxious.We confess that we have encouraged conflict and sustained discord. Forgive us, and make us sowers of the seeds of peace. Amen.
*Words of Forgiveness
Leader: Friends, hear and believe the good news of the Gospel: People: We are saved by grace through faith. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God. Amen.
*Gloria Patri (Hymn 581)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
*P assing of the P eace
Leader: The peace of Christ be with you. People: And also with you. You are invited to turn to your neighbors and exchange the words, “The peace of Christ be with you,” or other words of greeting.
P rayer for I llumination S cripture Luke 2:8-20
S ermon
O Holy Night: Stories from the Manger: The Shepherds
Rev. Matthew Ruffner
From the Heidelberg Catechism By condemning envy, hatred, and anger, God wants us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be patient, peace-loving, gentle, merciful, and friendly toward them, to protect them from harm as much as we can, and to do good even to our enemies.
*A ffirmation of F aith
*H ymn 117 (V erses 1-4) 9:30 & 11 a . m . While Shepherds Watched
WINCHESTER OLD
T he L ord ’ s P rayer
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.
P resentation of T ithes /O fferings O ffertory M usic
Come, Thou, Dear Redeemer (8:15 a.m.) Hilary Taylor, soloist
César Franck
And the Glory of the Lord from MESSIAH (9:30 & 11 a.m.) G.F. Handel The Sanctuary Choir And the glor y of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it Together : for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 40:5)
*D oxology
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all people here below; Praise God above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
*P rayer of D edication *H ymn 136 verses 1 and 2 Go Tell It On The Mountain enediction *B
C losing V oluntary
Finale on O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Worship Leaders
Our preacher today is Rev. Matthew Ruffner. Director of Music Steve Jobman is conducting our Sanctuar y Choir. Ar tist-in-Residence Bradley Hunter Welch is playing today’s ser vice. Our acolytes are Axel and Dillon Kennedy. The lay liturgist is Anné Hughes. Next week’s preacher is Rev. Matthew Ruffner at 9:30 and 11 a.m. and Rev. Kathy Lee-Cornell at 8:15 a.m. and Worship at Five.
GO TELL IT
Matthew Corl
Flower Dedications The flowers in the Columbarium are given to the glor y of God by Suzanne and José Stewar t in loving memor y of Brittany Alexandra Stewar t.
Rev. Matthew Ruffner Senior Pastor
Rev. Sarah Johnson Associate Pastor for Discipleship
Rev. Kathy Lee-Cornell Associate Pastor for Mission and Outreach
Rev. Sarah Are Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults
Connect
Rev. Mark Brainerd Associate Pastor for Congregational Care
Rev. Jessie LightWells Monie Pastoral Resident
Rev. Dr. Bob Poteet Parish Associate
Second Sunday Lunch: Enjoy lunch following 11 a.m. service today! Roasted pork tenderloin with dressing, gravy, vegetables, salad and desserts. $10/adults, $5/children 6-12, age 5 and under free. Immediate family maximum $30.
Junior High Lock-In: December 14 We will decorate Christmas cookies, have a Christmas movie marathon, play silly games, and stay up far too late! All Junior high students (7th & 8th grade) are invited to attend!
Choir Gala 2019: Tickets are now on sale for the Choir Gala! On Saturday, February 9, in the Malachite Ballroom at Renaissance Dallas Addison Hotel, we’ll celebrate and raise funds for the choir tour to northern England and Scotland in July 2019.Tickets are $50 each and include dinner, silent and live auctions and live music.You can also reserve a table of 10! Go to www.phpc.org/gala to reserve yours today.
Senior High Lock-In: December 21 We’ll start with some good ole’ fashioned Christmas caroling, which both senior and junior high are invited to attend! After caroling, the senior high will head back to the Youth House for a gift exchange, games, hot cocoa and more!
Flower Sponsors: Stop by the Atrium December 9, 16 and January 6 to sign up to sponsor Sanctuary and Chapel flowers. This is a lovely way to honor a loved one, mark a special date or celebrate a PHPC member wedding, while at the same time enhancing the worship experience for everyone at PHPC. After January 6, the Flower Calendars will be hanging in the hall opposite the main church office. Christmas Pipings: A Holiday Concert: On December 17 at 7 p.m., Ryan Anthony, principal trumpet of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, joins Gary Beard, organ/piano, and PHPC’s Artistin-Residence Bradley Hunter Welch will offer a free (offering collected) 70-minute concert featuring all your Christmas favorites! Men’s Breakfast Christmas Breakfast: All are welcome at the Christmas Men’s Breakfast on December 18 at 7:30 a.m.! Join us for eggs Benedict and hear WFAA’s Paige McCoy Smith. Please register at the church office. $10/person. Faith and Grief Ministries: With the support of the PHPC Foundation, Faith & Grief Ministries is providing their annual Memorial Arch as a place to remember your loved ones by writing their names on ribbons and tying them to the arch. Visit the east end of Klyde Warren Park through December 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.You are also invited to Klyde Warren Park for an interfaith prayer service on December 18 at 6 p.m.
Upcoming December 16: Christmas Music Sunday December 23: Worship at Five Christmas Music Sunday December 30: Two services, 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Grow
Presbyterian Women: All PHPC women are invited to a December circle meeting Monday, December 10, or Tuesday, December 11. Monday: 9:30 a.m. for refreshments and Bible study in Jubilee Hall, lunch by reservation. 5:30 for BYO supper and Bible study in the Youth House .Tuesday: 10 a.m. for Bible study and lunch at a member’s home. Contact DeLane Zipper:
[email protected] or 214.352.4775. The Bible study is “God With Us When We Seek God” taught by Rev. Jessie LightWells. For more information, contact Pat Coggan pcoggan@ sbcglobal.net or 214.369.3068 Growing Saints Garden Club - On Friday, December 21 at 10 a.m. in Jubilee Hall, the GSCG will host a Christmas program featuring Rev. Mark Brainerd’s reading of “The Man Who Owned the Stable,” and Christmas music by Julie Liston Johnson, soprano. A holiday luncheon will be served in Jubilee Hall. Contact Margaret Williams at
[email protected]
Give
Alternative Christmas Gifts: Visit our Malawi Mission Team in the Atrium for handcrafted goods and check out the brand new PHPC Giving Catalog, where gifts of hope purchased through our ministry partners can make a perfect gift and a difference in our world! Next week, our friends at GAIA will have a pop-up store featuring gifts made by refugee women!
Commit 2019
Your Commit dollars go to our Mission and Outreach teams, who are preparing summer mission trips for 2019 across the country.
