::  Download the 1.1.2017 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
::  Download the 1.1.2017 Bulletin
::  Download the 1.1.2017 Sermon Audio 

image :: La Era (The Threshing Floor), Diego Rivera, (1904, Mexican)

Preparation for Worship & Communion on January 1, 2017 :: Go

“Faith must be taught correctly,
namely, that by it you are so cemented to Christ
that He and you are as one person,
which cannot be separated
but remains attached to Him forever and declares:
‘I am as Christ.’ And Christ, in turn, says:
‘I am as that sinner who is attached to Me, and I to him.’
And by faith we are joined together in one flesh and one bone.” (Martin Luther)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Jan 1 include ::

:: O Come, All Ye Faithful (Latin hymn; att. to John Francis Wade, c.1735) [bandcamp track=1750776856 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: In The Bleak Midwinter (Christina Rossetti, c.1872) [bandcamp track=4215802200 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: In the Name of the Father (Henry Allon, c.1850) CHART [bandcamp track=1335283037 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Love’s Redeeming Work Is Done (Charles Wesley, 1739) CHART [bandcamp track=135949962 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: All Things New (Horatius Bonar, 1846) CHART [bandcamp track=503053927 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]

Call to Worship :: Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and His glory appears over you.
Nations will come to Your light,
and kings to the brightness of Your dawn.

Confession of Sin ::  John Wesley (1703-1791)

Forgive them all, O Lord;
Our sins of omission and our sins of commission;
The sins of our youth and the sins of our riper years;
The sins of our souls and the sins of our bodies;
Our secret and our more open sins;
Our sins of ignorance and surprise,
And our more deliberate and presumptuous sin;
The sins we have done to please ourselves,
And the sins we have done to please others;
The sins we know and remember,
And the sins we have forgotten;
The sins we have striven to hide from others
And the sins by which we have made others offend You;
Forgive them, O Lord, forgive them all for His sake,
Who died for our sins and rose for our justification,
And now stands at Thy right hand
To make intercession for us,
Jesus Christ our Lord.                                             

Words of Encouragement :: John 1:29

“Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!”

New Testament Reading :: Galatians 4:4-7

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Sermon :: Ruth 3:1-5

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? ² Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. ³ Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.”⁵ And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”

::  Download the 12.25.2016 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes

::  Download the 12.25.2016 Bulletin
::  Download the 12.25.2016 Sermon Audio

image :: Adoration of the Shepherds, Rembrandt (1646, Dutch)

Preparation for Worship on Christmas Day, Dec 25 :: Incarnation

“Seeing an infant,
I wonder how this could be the One who says,
‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’
I see a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Is this the One who is clothed in the beautiful glory of unapproachable light?
Listen! He is crying.
Is this the One who thunders in the heavens making the angels lower their wings?
Yes, but He has emptied Himself in order to fill us.” (Guerric of Igny, d.1157)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Dec 25 include ::

:: Once In Royal David’s City (Cecil F. Alexander, 1848) [bandcamp track=870333771 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Joy to the World (Isaac Watts,1719) [bandcamp track=1535119972 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: O Come, All Ye Faithful (Latin hymn; att. to John Francis Wade, c.1735) [bandcamp track=3651513621 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Hark! The Hearld Angels Sing (Charles Wesley, 1739) [bandcamp track=3907215354 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]

:: Go! Tell It On the Mountain (Traditional African-American Spiritual) 

:: Angels We Have Heard on High (Traditional French Carol) 

Call to Worship :: Isaiah 52:8-10

The voice of Your watchmen—they lift up their voice;
together they sing for joy;
for eye to eye they see
the return of the LORD to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you waste places of Jerusalem,
for the LORD has comforted His people;
He has redeemed Jerusalem.
The LORD has bared His holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.

Confession of Sin :: based on Isaiah 60:1-3

“Arise, shine: for your Light has come.”
Heavenly Father, forgive us;
we have lived as if the Light of the World
had not overcome the darkness of our sin.

“And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
Lord Jesus Christ, redeem us;
We confess that we sought our own glory
as we grew impatient for Your advent.

“For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you.”
Holy Spirit, renew us;
We have often grown accustomed to darkness,
and so hardened the true yearnings of our waiting hearts.

“And nations shall come to Your light,
and kings to the brightness of Your rising.”
Almighty God, You came to us in the fullness of time.
Draw us to live in Your presence and grace.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen                       

Words of Encouragement :: Isaiah 40:1-2

“Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.
“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned.”

New Testament Reading

New Testament Reading :: Colossians 1:15-21

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Gospel Reading :: Luke 2:8-11

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Sermon :: Philippians 3:1

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

::  Download the 12.18.2016 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
::  Download the 12.18.2016 Bulletin
::  Download the 12.18.2016 Sermon Audio

image :: Feast of the Redeemer, Maurice Prendergast (1899, American)

Preparation for Worship on Dec 18, the Fourth Sunday in Advent :: Redeemer

“Almighty God, You make us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of Your Son Jesus Christ: grant that, as we joyfully receive Him as our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold Him when He shall come to be our Judge.” (Thomas Cranmer)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for December 18 include ::

:: Gloria (Luke 2:14) CHART [bandcamp track=3705156614 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Charles Wesley, 1744) CHART [bandcamp track=1664620326 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: In Christ Alone (Getty & Townend, 2002) CHART [bandcamp track=676321818 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: O Come All Ye Faithful (attr. John Francis Wade, 1743) CHART [bandcamp track=1923573538 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Once He Came in Blessing (Jan Roh, 1485-1547) >>> AUDIO

Call to Worship ::  Isaiah 65:17-19, 24,25

“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.

Declaration of Faith ::  The Belgic Confession, Article 15 (1561)

We believe that by the disobedience of Adam original sin has been spread through the whole human race. It is a corruption of all nature— an inherited depravity which even infects  small infants in their mother’s womb, and the root which produces in man every sort of sin. It is therefore so vile and enormous in God’s sight that it is enough to condemn the human race, and it is not abolished or wholly uprooted even by baptism, seeing that sin constantly boils forth as though from a contaminated spring. Nevertheless, it is not imputed to God’s children for their condemnation but is forgiven by His grace and mercy— not to put them to sleep but so that the awareness of this corruption might often make believers groan as they long to be set free from the “body of this death.”

Confession of Sin :: Puritan Prayer, from The Valley of Vision

Lord Jesus Christ, Sin is my malady, my monster, my foe, my viper, born in my birth, alive in my life, strong in my character, dominating my affections, following me as a shadow, intermingling with my every thought, my chain that holds me captive. Yet Your compassions yearn over me, Your heart hastens to my rescue, Your love endured my curse, Your mercy bore my justice, Your incarnation unites God and Man, And in Man crushes the Serpent’s head. Let me walk in humility, cleansed in Your blood, tender of conscience, living in triumph over the world, the flesh and the devil as an heir of Your salvation through Your blessed name. Amen.

Words of Encouragement :: Colossians 1:12-14

Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son.  In Him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Gospel Reading :: Luke 2:36-38

The account of Anna, who waited for the Lord’s redemption

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Sermon :: Ruth 2:19-23

¹⁹ And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” ²⁰ And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” ²¹ And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’” ²² And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” ²³ So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

::  Download the 12.11.2016 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
::  Download the 12.11.2016 Bulletin
::  Download the 12.11.2016 Sermon Audio

image :: Ruth Gleaning, Marc Chagall (1960, French)

Preparation for Worship on Dec 11, the Third Sunday in Advent :: Refuge

“Advent creates new men and women.  Look up, you whose eyes are fixed on this earth, you who are captivated by the events and changes on the surface of this earth.  Look up, you who turned away from heaven to this ground because you had become disillusioned.  Look up, you whose eyes are laden with tears, you who mourn the loss of all that the earth has snatched away.  Look up, you who cannot lift up your eyes because you are so laden with guilt.  Look up, your redemption is drawing near.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for December 11 include ::

:: Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing (Robert Robinson, 1758) CHART [bandcamp track=4015998502 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (Liturgy of St. James, 5^th century) CHART [bandcamp track=3666026699 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Amen, Amen (Neil and Kate Robins, 2008) CHART [bandcamp track=3980195636 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Edmund H. Sears, 1849) CHART [bandcamp track=958843212 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: We Are Going to See the King (Andre Crouch, 1978) CHART >>> AUDIO

:: Wait For The Lord / Psalm 27:14 (Jacques Berthier, 1991) CHART >>> AUDIO

Call to Worship :: Haggai 2:7-8

“In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the LORD Almighty.

Declaration of Faith :: from Article 17, of the Belgic Confession (1561)

We believe that our good God, by His marvelous wisdom and goodness, seeing that man had plunged himself into both physical and spiritual death and made himself completely miserable, set out to find him, though man, trembling all over, was fleeing from Him. And He comforted him promising to give him His Son, “born of a woman,” to crush the head of the serpent, and to make him blessed.

Confession of Sin :: from the Book of Common Prayer

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone what we ought to have done, and we have done what we ought not to have done, and there is no health in us. Yet, good Lord, have mercy on us: restore those who repent, according to Your promises declared to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. And grant, merciful Father, for His sake, That we may live a godly, righteous, and obedient life, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

Words of Encouragement :: Matthew 1:21

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.

Gospel Reading ::  Luke 2:25-35

Simeon’s song, who waited for the consolation of Israel, “Nunc Dimittis”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Sermon :: Ruth 2:4-18

⁴ And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.”⁵ Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” ⁶ And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. ⁷ She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”

⁸ Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women.⁹ Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.”¹⁰ Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” ¹¹ But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. ¹² The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”¹³ Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”

¹⁴ And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. ¹⁵ When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. ¹⁶ And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”

¹⁷ So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. ¹⁸ And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied.

::  Download the 12.4.2016 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
::  Download the 12.4.2016 Bulletin
::  Download the 12.4.2016 Sermon Audio 

image :: The Recall Of The Gleaners, Jules Breton (1859, French)

Preparation for Worship on Dec 4, the Second Sunday in Advent :: Favor

“Herein is wonder of wonders: He came below to raise me above, was born like me that I might become like Him. Herein is love; when I cannot rise to Him, He draws near on wings of grace, to raise me to Himself. Herein is power; When Deity and humanity were infinitely apart, He united them in indissoluble unity, the uncreated and the created. Herein is wisdom; when I was undone, with no will to return to Him, and no intellect to devise recovery, He came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost, as man to die my death, to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,  to work out a perfect righteousness for me.” (Puritan Prayer)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for December 4 include ::

:: O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Latin antiphons, 12^th century) CHART [bandcamp track=134275884 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Creator of The Stars of Night (7^th Century Latin Hymn) CHART [bandcamp track=2507463581 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Let Me Find Thee (Joachim Neander, 1679) CHART [bandcamp track=1585737294 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds (John Newton, 1774) CHART [bandcamp track=3647467981 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Behold Our God (Baird & Altrogge, 2011) CHART [bandcamp track=4160179747 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]

Call to Worship :: Isaiah 64:1-4

Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before You! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil,come down to make Your name known to Your enemies and cause the nations to quake before You! For when You did awesome things that we did not expect, You came down, and the mountains trembled before You. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

Declaration of Faith :: The Nicene Creed, 325AD

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by Whom all things were made; Who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; Who spoke by the prophets; and we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

Confession of Sin

Lord, You alone are full of grace and truth, but we have not kept watch for You. We have occupied ourselves with our own concerns. We have sought our own glory above Yours. We have not waited to find Your will for us. We have not noticed the needs of others around us. We have not acknowledged Your favor and the love that You have shown us. Forgive us for our sins against You. Heavenly Father, help us to yield to the wisdom of Your ways; Lord Jesus, lead us to live in light of Your coming; Holy Spirit, give us faith to see that You are truly among us; Amen.

Words of Encouragement :: Zephaniah 3:14-15

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel!  Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!  The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, He has turned away your enemies.  The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.

Gospel Reading :: Luke 1:67-79, Zechariah’s song as he waited for the Savior, “Benedictus”

Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Sermon :: Ruth 2:2-3

² And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” ³ So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech

::  Download the 11.27.2016 Worship Study Guide and Sermon Notes
::  Download the 11.27.2016 Bulletin
::  Download the 11.27.2016 Sermon Audio

image :: The Summer (Ruth & Boaz), Nicolas Poussin (1664, French)

Preparation for Worship on Nov 27, the First Sunday in Advent :: Kinsman

“The Holy Family’s first few years were not tranquil. They were filled with grueling travel during the hardest part of pregnancy, a birth in worse than a barn, no steady income, an assassination attempt, two desert crossings on foot with an infant, living in a foreign country, waiting on God for guidance and provisions just in the nick of time. It was difficult, expensive, time-consuming, career-delaying and full of uncertainty. And it was God’s will. The unplanned, inefficient detours of our lives are planned by God. They are common for disciples, and they commonly don’t make sense in the moment. But God’s ways are not our ways because our lives are about Him, not about us. He is orchestrating far more than we know in every unexpected event and delay.” (Jon Bloom)

“He saved us from alongside us.” (Donald Macleod)

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for November 27 include ::

:: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Charles Wesley, 1744) CHART [bandcamp track=1664620326 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Come Ye Sinners (Joseph Hart, 1759) CHART [bandcamp track=1984899776 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: None Other Lamb (Christina Rossetti, b.1830)  CHART [bandcamp track=798046000 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Magnificat (Luke 1:46-49) CHART [bandcamp track=3475501751 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: Doxology (Thomas Ken, 1709) CHART [bandcamp track=2257784892 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=short]:: All The Way My Savior Leads Me (Fanny Crosby, 1875) CHART 
>>> AUDIO

Call to Worship :: Malachi 3:1-2

Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

Declaration of Faith :: from the Belgic Confession (1561), Article 18

We profess that God fulfilled the promise that He had made to the early fathers by the mouth of His holy prophets when He sent His only and eternal Son into the world at the time set by Him. The Son took the “form of a servant” and was made in the “likeness of man,” truly assuming a real human nature, with all its weaknesses, except for sin; being conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. And He not only assumed human nature as far as the body is concerned but also a real human soul, in order that He might be a real human being. For since the soul had been lost as well as the body, He had to assume them both to save them both together. In this way He is truly our Immanuel—that is: “God with us.”

Confession of Sin :: Book of Common Prayer

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent, for the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your Name. Amen.

Words of Encouragement :: based on Isaiah 40:1-2

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Your warfare is ended; Your sins are pardoned; The penalty for your rebellion is paid.

Gospel Reading :: Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
And His mercy is for those who fear Him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
in remembrance of His mercy,
as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Sermon :: Ruth 2:1

Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.