Round Hill Community Church

ORDER OF SERVICEDecember 27, 2015

First Sunday after Christmas

PRELUDE O Hail This Brightest Day of Days J.S. Bach

WORDS OF WELCOME

INTROIT

CALL TO WORSHIPLeader: Some people say that Christmas is for children.All: Christmas is also for people of age and experience.Leader: Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, and Zechariah, the priest, accepted new

birth breaking into all their familiar patterns.All: Simeon the singer and Anna the prophet hoped for many

years to see the Messiah and then recognized the Messiah in a poor couple's baby.

Leader: How then shall we respond to Christ's promised coming?All: With willingness for change, with patience in long waiting,

with silence and singing, with the ability to see Christ in the least likely of our brothers and sisters. 

*HYMN No. 143 Joy to the World

*The congregation is invited to stand

*OPENING PRAYERGracious God, we have sought you in high and holy places; we are ill-prepaid to acknowledge your presence among the lowly and poor. We believe you are profound but we overlook your obvious truths.  We are anxious about the unknown but we hardly consider the realities immediately in front of us.  Turn us, incarnate God, by the simple wonders of your love, to a rebirth of faith and hope and joy. Amen

*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 trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us,and lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.For Thine is the kingdom,and the power, and the glory,forever and ever. Amen.

*GLORIA PATRIGlory 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.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Linda SeaverChildren may now leave for Church School.

ANTHEM What Sweeter Music Fink SCRIPTURE LESSON Luke 2: 25-40

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

SERMON What Are We Waiting For? The Rev. Dan Haugh

*HYMN No. 170 How Great Our Joy

OFFERINGInvitationAnthem Sussex Carol English carol*Doxology Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all

creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host: Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*Hymn O Beautiful for Spacious Skies O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber

waves of grain, for purple mountainmajesties above the fruited plain!

America! America! God shed full graceon thee, and crown thy good with servanthood

from sea to shining sea.

PASTORAL PRAYER

*HYMN No. 150 Hark the Herald Angels

CHURCH PRAYEROur Heavenly Father, shed forth thy blessed spirit upon all our lives. Make each one of us an instrument in thy hands for good. Purify our hearts, strengthen our minds and bodies, fill us with Christian love. Let no pride, no self-conceit, no rivalry, no illwill ever spring up among us. Make us earnest and true, wise and prudent, giving no just cause for offense; and may thy holy peace rest upon us this day and every day throughout the coming week, sweetening our trials, cheering us in our work, and keeping us faithful to the end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BENEDICTION AND CHORAL RESPONSE

POSTLUDE Noel Dacquin ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT

We, the members of the Round Hill Community Church, a self-governing, non-denominational body, seek to foster a community of faith where people of all ages and backgrounds pursue spiritual growth; where God is worshipped in Word and praised in music; where friends are made and hurts are healed. We seek to be a community where individuals commit their time and resources to education, fellowship, and to helping those in need among our Church family and in the broader world. We are a church where faith, hope, justice and love are valued, and above all, Jesus is Lord.

ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH CREEDI believe in God, the one universal Father of all mankind, revealed supremely in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and present with us to guide, comfort and inspire in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Kingdom of God; and in the mission of the Christian Church to proclaim the Gospel to all the world, exalting the worship of the Lord our God, and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of righteousness, the reign of peace, and the realization of human brotherhood. United in Christian love, we pray and labor for the coming of the Kingdom, the triumph of righteousness and the life everlasting. Amen.

CHURCH NEWS

Thank you to Hadi and Mirella Hajjar for ushering during today’s service.

Thank you to Ginger and Josh Jewett hosting today’s Coffee Hour. Please join them in the parlor following the service.

If you didn’t receive a Pledge Card, or are a newcomer and would like to make a gift for the coming year, Pledge Cards are available in the Parlor.

Give the gift of warmth…please donate to our Mitten Tree! There is a Christmas tree located in the Parlor that we hope to adorn with new gloves, hats and mittens to keep little hands and heads warm this winter! All donations should be hung on the Mitten Tree and will then be distributed to our friends

The Meditation/Stress Reduction Group will not meet again until January 7th and thereafter, will resume normal bi-weekly meetings. All are welcome!

All men of Round Hill are invited to attend the new year gathering of the Greenwich Men's Club on Thursday, January 7 from 6-8 pm at Tengda Asian Bistro in Greenwich. A suggested donation of $10 will be gratefully accepted to help defray costs. The presentation and moderated discussion will be about Happiness. Please reserve your space by registering at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/greenwich-mens-club-january-gathering-tickets-20035206843 or you may email church@roundhillcommmunitychurch.org

Save the date! On Sunday, January 10th, RHCC together with the YWCA of Greenwich, will hold a Domestic Abuse Forum to learn how domestic violence affects our community. Please join Adrianne Singer, President and CEO of YWCA Greenwich and Meredith Gold, Director of YWCA Domestic Abuse Services, for a discussion of the basics of domestic abuse, how to help a friend or family member, what services are available and how to get involved. Please join us!

Youth are invited to participate in two Service Saturdays this winter in partnership with Neighbor to Neighbor of Greenwich. Students will help collect, sort and organize donated clothes and food items on Saturday, January 16 between 10 am and 12:30 pm and Saturday, February 13 from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Community service hours will be awarded and students are encouraged to sign up quickly, as capacity is limited. Please register by January 10th. For more info, contact Rev. Dan Haugh.

REFLECTIONS

It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you...yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand. -Mother Teresa

It's hard to beat the system when we're standing at a distance. 

So we keep waiting, waiting on the world to change. 

Now if we had the power to bring our neighbors home from war, 

they would have never missed a Christmas, no more ribbons on their door.

 And when you trust your television,

what you get is what you got, cause when they own the information, oh 

they can bend it all they want.

That's why we're waiting, waiting on the world to change. 

We keep on waiting, waiting on the world to change.

-John Mayer

Cover Art: “Simeon and Anna Recognize the Lord in Jesus”,c. 1627, Rembrandt

Senior Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Edward G. HorstmannAssociate Pastor: The Rev. Dan Haugh

Minister Emeritus: The Rev. Dr. Ralph AhlbergMinister of Music: Christopher Kabala

Church School Coordinator: Connie Blunden

Round Hill Community Church395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, CT 06831

203.869.1091 roundhillcommunitychurch.org