Service for December 14, 2025

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Prelude

Lighting of the Advent Candle

Call to Worship

I was glad when they said to me,

“Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

Psalm 122:1

Hymn # 208 O Come, All Ye Faithful

1 O come, all ye faithful,

joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;

come and behold him

born the King of angels;

Refrain:

O come, let us adore him,

O come, let us adore him,

O come, let us adore him,

Christ the Lord.

2 God of God,

Light of Light;

lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb;

very God,

begotten, not created; [Refrain]

3 Sing, choirs of angels,

sing in exultation,

sing, all ye citizens of heav'n above;

glory to God

in the highest; [Refrain]

4 Yea, Lord, we greet thee,

born this happy morning:

Jesus, to thee be all glory giv'n;

Word of the Father,

late in flesh appearing; [Refrain]

Call To Confession

And God spoke all these words, saying:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 You shall have no other gods before Me.

4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image...5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.

7 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

12 Honor your father and your mother.

13 You shall not murder.

14 You shall not commit adultery.

15 You shall not steal.

16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 You shall not desire...anything that is your neighbor’s.

I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I have not hidden.

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”

And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You

In a time when You may be found.

Psalm 32:5–6 (NKJV)

Confession of Sins

Let us, therefore, confess our sin, saying together:

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me... Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities” through Jesus your Son. Amen.

Word of Assurance

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:11–13 (NKJV)

Song of Renewal

Gracious God my heart renew,

Make my spirit right and true;

Cast me not away from thee,

Let thy Spirit dwell in me;

Thy salvation's joy impart.

Steadfast make my willing heart.

#486, stanza 5 (Ps 51:10-11)

Scripture Lesson:

Isaiah 49:1-6

“Listen, O coastlands, to Me,

And take heed, you peoples from afar!

The Lord has called Me from the womb;

From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.

2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword;

In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me,

And made Me a polished shaft;

In His quiver He has hidden Me.”

3 “And He said to me,

‘You are My servant, O Israel,

In whom I will be glorified.’

4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain,

I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;

Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord,

And my work with my God.’ ”

5 “And now the Lord says,

Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,

To bring Jacob back to Him,

So that Israel is gathered to Him

(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,

And My God shall be My strength),

6 Indeed He says,

‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant

To raise up the tribes of Jacob,

And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;

I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,

That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

Isaiah 60:1-5

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the Lord will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising.

4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see:

They all gather together, they come to you;

Your sons shall come from afar,

And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.

5 Then you shall see and become radiant,

And your heart shall swell with joy;

Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,

The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.

Sermon

Hymn # 197 Comfort, Comfort Ye My People

1 Comfort, comfort ye my people,

speak ye peace, thus saith our God;

comfort those who sit in darkness,

mourning 'neath their sorrow's load.

Speak ye to Jerusalem

of the peace that waits for them;

tell her that her sins I cover,

and her warfare now is over.

2 Yea, her sins our God will pardon,

blotting out each dark misdeed;

all that well deserved his anger

he no more will see or heed.

She hath suffered many a day

now her griefs have passed away;

God will change her pining sadness

into ever-springing gladness.

3 For the herald's voice is crying

in the desert far and near,

bidding all men to repentance,

since the kingdom now is here.

O that warning cry obey!

Now prepare for God a way;

let the valleys rise to meet him,

and the hills bow down to greet him.

4 Make ye straight what long was crooked,

make the rougher places plain;

let your hearts be true and humble,

as befits his holy reign.

For the glory of the Lord

now o'er earth is shed abroad;

and all flesh shall see the token,

that his word is never broken.

Prayer of the Church and 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.”

Anthem – Sing Joy

Hymn # 195 Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come

1 Joy to the world! The Lord is come:

let earth receive her King;

let every heart prepare him room,

and heav'n and nature sing,

and heav'n and nature sing,

and heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing.

2 Joy to the earth! The Savior 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.

3 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.

4 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

Benediction