Don’t forget to join your church for the first portion of worship each week via ZOOM. Faith Covenant meets for some online face-to-face connection at 10:00am, and Holy Community meets at 10:30am. Contact your church for the ZOOM link!
3rd Sunday of Advent
Advent simply means “coming”. It is the season in which we remember and wait for the coming of Christ Jesus our Lord. We remember when he came to earth, born in Bethlehem, all those years ago. And, we wait with anticipation and readiness for Christ to come again. Join us on this 3rd week in this month long journey as we wait and watch for Jesus!
Song of the Season – “Joy to the World”
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart, prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing
Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy
No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found
Far as the curse is found
Far as, far as the curse is found
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness
And wonders of his love
And wonders of his love
And wonders, wonders of his love
What word, phrase, or line catches you?
What joy does this express this Advent season?
Take a moment to text or email a line(s) to a friend or family member who could use this joyful reminder!
Reflection – Advent 3
Scripture Reading
Read aloud these words from Psalm 98.
Psalm 98
1 Sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory;
his holy arm has shown his saving power!
2 The Lord has announced his victory
and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!
3 He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Shout to the Lord, all the earth;
break out in praise and sing for joy!
5 Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song,
6 with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.
Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!
7 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the earth and all living things join in.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!
Let the hills sing out their songs of joy
9 before the Lord,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
and the nations with fairness.
Offering
We desire that this offering express careful and willing sharing on our part, with fruitful blessing on God’s part, as together we seek to build God’s kingdom among the nations and God’s will among all peoples, through Christ the Lord. Amen.
Responding in Prayer
Stand up. Physically reposition your body.
Turn your face and your gaze upward.
Lift up your hands – hold them in front of you with your palms faced up;
Or lift them straight over your head. Heck, “raise the roof” if the Spirit leads….
Recognize that God is looking on you in deep and sincere love.
From this position take 30 seconds or a minute to simply hold a feeling of joy in your heart.
Pray this way in an enthusiastic voice:
God of Life –
I turn myself – my whole life – to You.
With joy for the freedom there is in You…
With joy for how you’ve come to make Your blessings flow….
I turn myself – my whole life – to You.
Amen.
Closing Song – “Hope for Everyone”
Hear the angels sing
There’s hope for everyone
To announce our King
There’s hope for everyone
What good news they bring
There’s hope for everyone
Angels sing
There’s hope for everyone
They came from afar
There’s hope for everyone
Wise men saw the star
There’s hope for everyone
Shepherds heard the choir
There’s hope for everyone
From afar
There’s hope for everyone
We are waiting on the promise
For the One who lights the darkness
Bending low to be among us
Bring Your glory in the highest
Come let us adore
There’s hope for everyone
On the manger floor
There’s hope for everyone
What are you waiting for
There’s hope for everyone
Come adore
There’s hope for everyone
We are waiting on the promise
For the One who lights the darkness
Bending low to be among us
Bring Your glory in the highest, Jesus
Come let us adore
There’s hope for everyone
On the manger floor
There’s hope for everyone
What are you waiting for
There’s hope for everyone
Come adore
There’s hope for everyone
Benediction
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets, 21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
Announcements
HCCC and FCC Christmas Carol Concert: Mark your calendars for December 19th, 7:00pm! A live concert via ZOOM for the whole family to enjoy some homegrown Christmas music sung or performed by your friends. It will be a good time! Invite friends. See your church’s weekly e-mail for zoom link.
Christmas Eve Service: Join us for a virtual Christmas Eve service including candle lighting (provide your own candles). More details to come.
Christmas Cheer BINGO: As Jesus’ people, our lives to be are signs of his Kingdom here and now. When we love our neighbours in Jesus’ name, we reveal the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ and his reign. We become like an early answer to the prayer “Come, Lord Jesus” which God will one day answer perfectly.
Print off these Christmas Cheer BINGO cards, and see what you can do to be part of sharing the goodness of Jesus Christ with others this season. Have some fun with it. See what you can do!
Winnipeg Covenant 