Estes Park United Methodist Church

December 12, 2021

Third Sunday of Advent

 

Come Home This Christmas

 

Announcements

  • Finance Meeting on Tuesday at 3:00 PM on Zoom.
  • UMW Meeting this Wednesday at 1:00 PM.
  • Ad Council Meeting this Thursday at 4:00 PM.
  • Easy Hiking Group Meeting Today, Tuesday and Friday.

 

Birthdays

Lee Criswell 12/12

Janis Angermayr 12/15

Ellen Schroeder 12/16

Order of Worship

 

Prelude       

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming

 

Greeting/Welcome

 

Lighting of the Third Advent Candle                Janis and John Angermayr

 

Call to Worship

Leader: A path to our God, winding through the ordinary,

People: Weaving through the busyness, overcoming roadblocks and detours.

Leader: A way to go home, leaving the past in the past,

People: Moving from darkness and exile, coming into the light.

Leader: Advent is a path to our God, a way to come home, a discovery of God’s voice:

People: Rejoice, rejoice. God is with us!

 

 

Opening Prayer (Unison)

Loving God, in this third week of Advent, the week of Joy, be with us and help us to find our way back home to you.  We’re all so very busy right now, God, but we pray that you will break through our busyness and bring of the joy of this Advent season!  Amen!

 

Opening Hymn    

The King of Glory Comes

 

Affirmation of Faith

Leader: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?

People: No! In all things we are more than conquerors through the One who loved us. We are sure that neither death nor life, Nor angels, nor principalities, Nor things present, nor things to come, Nor powers, nor height, nor depth, Nor anything else in all creation, Will be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Thanks be to God, Amen!

 

Offering

            Prayer of Blessing

 

First Lesson           

Zephaniah 3:14-20

                                   

Pastoral Prayer

 

Special Music

           

Gospel Lesson

Luke 3:7-18

 

Sermon       

The Joy of Home

       

Closing Hymn       

Blessed Be the God of Israel

 

Benediction

 

Postlude     

Rise Up, Shepherd and Follow

 

Service Participants:

Pastor: Rev. Ann Steiner Lantz

Recorded Worship Liturgist: Cay Lacey

Zoom Worship Liturgist: Denise Shank

Director of Music: Jim Flanigan

Pianist: Nancy Gunter

Videographer: Jim Ecklund