SALEM UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 1500 North Main

Higginsville, Missouri

web page: salemucchigginsville.org

December 13, 2020 10:00 a.m. THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

THE GATHERING

MUSIC BEFORE WORSHIP WELCOME: No matter who you are or where you are in your life’s journey, you are welcome here. Welcome, family of Christ! Each person adds to our worship. Thank you for being here. NEWS OF THE CONGREGATION

ADDRESSING OURSELVES TO GOD RINGING OF THE BELL Piano Prelude “Gesu Bambino” Yon/ arr. Roed CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: God loves justice! People: God calls us to act in compassionate ways toward others. Leader: Rejoice! God has placed God’s trust in us to be those who will bring good news of hope, peace, and joy. People: With the healing love of God in our hearts, we journey through this season, getting ready to welcome the One who turns the world upside-down. Leader: Come, let us worship and praise God showers love upon us and upon all. People: Lord God, be with us as we seek your guidance and work to do your will. HYMN “Joy to the World!” No. 125 (Please refrain from singing aloud. You may hum along and read the lyrics.)

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INVOCATION (Unison) All of heaven and earth sing to you, O Lord our God, for in your Son Jesus Christ you have given a King and a Savior to this earth, which you lovingly made. As we prepare to welcome him fully, help us to be aware of the meaning of his coming—bringing hope among our empty lives, bringing peace among those whose relationships are broken, and bringing joy—great joy—where gloom and sorrow had once reigned. We open ourselves to receive your great gifts, as we pray in the name and spirit of Christ. Amen. LIGHTING OF THE THIRD ADVENT CANDLE: JOY Leader: In times like ours, Joy can be hard to summon.

People: In times like ours, Joy can be hard even to imagine.

Leader: And still the season beckons us to make merry.

People: And the scriptures tell us to “rejoice always.”

Leader: It sounds almost ludicrous.

People: It borders on outrageous.

Leader: How can we rejoice under the burden of so much

injustice?

People: How can we rejoice under the pall of so much death?

Leader: It is enough to make those who are alone feel lonely.

People: It is enough to make the grieving or depressed feel

sadder still.

Leader: But ours is not a joy dependent on circumstances.

People: Our joy does not come from measurable outcomes.

Leader: Advent invites us to rejoice in God’s goodness.

People: Even as we watch and wait and are not sure what is

coming.

Leader: Advent invites us to rejoice in all the ways God’s love is

with us.

People: Even as it empowers us to be true to all we feel.

Leader: It will not be long now until the blessed babe is born.

People: We rejoice in the true light shining its way into the

world.

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[Light the third Advent candle] All: For such a time as this, may our Joy be full. Prayer: Blair Bergsieker

HEARING AND RESPONDING TO THE WORD

MESSAGE FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES June (Children will please remain in the seats with their families.) JOYS AND CONCERNS Preparation for prayer

PASTORAL PRAYER, THE LORD’S PRAYER (“debts” and “debtors” words in hymn No. 426)

PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURE READING I Thessalonians 5.12-25 (N.T. p.193) SERMON “God Will Do This” Tommy THE SENDING

HYMN “How Great Our Joy!” No. 144 (Please refrain from singing aloud. You may hum along and read the lyrics.) BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE “Good Christian Men Rejoice” Traditional German Carol/ arr. Thompson (The ushers will dismiss you by rows. Please follow their directions.)

Offering plates are at the exits from the sanctuary. 3

The Worship Service is over and our Service begins. *Indicates please stand if you are able to do so

**************************************** Leading Worship Today:

Rev. Dr. Tommy L. Faris – Pastor June Howell – Christian Education Coordinator/Liturgist

Jamie Smith – Music Director

IN OUR PRAYERS: Nancy Rinne, was hospitalized at Lafayette Regional Medical Center, she is now recovering at home. Clayton Lettau, is receiving cancer treatment. Brenda Homfeld, please keep her in prayer as she will need a complete liver transplant. Prayers, for anyone with a health issue, anyone grieving, and anyone that has a heavy burden on their heart, mind, and soul. Prayers, for our world and nation. THANK YOU: Thank you Salem family for all of your prayers for Kirk Smith. His one year check-up for his lung transplant had very good results and showed no rejection! Kirk continues to be blessed by Dalton Wilkinson's life-saving gift. Best Wishes for December Birthdays this week... Barbara Swigart, December 13 Annerose Wood, December 14 Mark Nolte, December 14 Marc Jensen, December 14 Sandy Akin, December 15 Camden Russell, December 16 Bryan Nolte, December 16 Marie Robinson, December 17 Eva Whitaker, December 18 Logan Warren, December 19 Randy Amor, December 19 Chris Catron, December 19

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ALTAR FLOWERS: Are placed in celebration of Paul and June Howell’s 4-year wedding anniversary.

ALTAR ROSE: Is placed in celebration of the birth of Lachlan Kennet Conner. Lachlan was born Tuesday, November 17, 2020. His parents are Andy and Briana Conner and his grandparents are Wes and Jami Homfeld.

WE EXTEND OUR SYMPATHY TO: The family of Bill Rinne. Bill was born September 5, 1944 and passed away from Covid-19 on December 10, 2020. Bill was the brother of Darrel, Delmar, Bob, and Howard Rinne, Doris (Rinne) Bird, and the late Leland and the late Weston Rinne.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: ANGEL TREE: Please return all wrapped Angel Tree gifts by noon, tomorrow, December 14. The committee will work all this week to prepare for delivery.

POINSETTIAS: We will appreciate having poinsettias in church again this Christmas. If you wish to place a plant in memory of someone, please notify the church secretary (584-3603) by Wednesday, December 16, so that she can print it in the church bulletin. Be sure your name is on the plant that you bring. Please leave it in the fellowship hall on the stage on Thursday, December 17, and before noon on Friday, December 18, (Please do not bring the poinsettias before these dates), the flower committee will place the plants in the sanctuary. We would like to enjoy the poinsettias for Sunday, December 20, both services for Christmas Eve, and Sunday December 27. You may collect your poinsettias after the December 27th worship service.

CHRISTMAS OFFERING ENVELOPES: If you will not be able to attend the Christmas Eve Candle Light Service or you do not have boxed envelopes with the Christmas Eve offering envelope, please use the purple envelopes in the back of the sanctuary marked “Christmas Fund”. The Christmas Eve offering always goes to a mission. We always send a gift from us to the “Christmas Fund” (Formerly known as “Veterans of the Cross”).

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REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS: Meals on Wheels could use a few more volunteers from Salem to deliver meals. If you would like to volunteer, please call Sharon Hoefer at 660-537-5934. Someone will go with you on your first delivery to show you the route and what to do. Salem delivers one week approximately every two months and it would probably be only one time that week you would be needed. YEAR END CHURCH BUSINESS: Please have all church financial contributions and business transactions to the church office by 10:00 a.m., Thursday, December 31, 2020. Thank you for your consideration.

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE 2020: We are having two Christmas Eve services this year, 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. We would like for everyone to RSVP sometime before Christmas Eve so that we would know how many to expect and know when we have reached our limit of 140 people for a service. Please call or email the church office as soon as you have decided on a service. The Elders will live stream both the 5:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Services. 2021 ENVELOPES are available in the Fellowship Hall. ADVENT DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS: Are available in the back of the sanctuary and outside the church office.

INCLEMENT WEATHER CANCELLATIONS: If the church council makes the decision to close church because of inclement weather, these are the stations that will have the cancelation notices: KMBC 9, KCWE 29, Fox 4, KCTV 5, 41 Action News, KMMO, KMZU, KOKO. To be added to the church closing text list, send a text message to 81010 with the message @h8k8f7, when you do this you will get a text message telling you the church will be closed if there is inclement weather. Thank you to June Howell for coordinating this!

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ZOOM SUNDAY SCHOOL: June is having children's Sunday School by Zoom on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. For more information on how to join Sunday School on Zoom contact June 660-441-8568 or call the church office 660-584-3603.

OPTIONS FOR THE CHURCH BULLETIN: You have a couple options for the church bulletin. Paper copies of the bulletin are available or you can view the church bulletin on the church website. Please feel free to use your phone or tablet during worship to view the bulletin. Salem website: salemucchigginsville.org/home/church-news/ MASKS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED: The Church Council and Board of Elders strongly encourage wearing masks during worship at church. Please consider making a reusable mask or purchasing a mask for everyone in your family. A limited number of disposable masks are available at church, but providing your own would be appreciated. GROWING HOPE GLOBALLY This year also marks the 21st anniversary of Growing Hope Globally (formerly Foods Resource Bank). This will be Salem’s 20th year of involvement with this organization. There is a video of the harvest of our first crop on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HIV64Bbt8Y#action=share I would encourage everyone to view it. Growing Hope Globally programs address food shortages, poverty, and health challenges that lead to hunger. The goal of each program is to help families have enough to eat throughout the entire year and to produce a surplus they can sell to pay for school supplies, medical care, and modest home improvements. In the past, our donations have gone to projects in Uganda, Nicaragua, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If you care to join the Men’s Fellowship in this mission, please drop your donation by the church office no later than December 31st. Thank you, Dennis Knipmeyer

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COMMUNITY NEWS: JOHN KNOX VILLAGE AND MEYER CARE CENTER BIBLE STUDY: Bible Study has been cancelled until further notice. UP COMING DATES: December 14 – Please have Angel Tree gifts to church December 16 – Please call church office with names for poinsettias December 17 – Poinsettias may be placed in the Fellowship Hall December 18 – Please have poinsettias in the Fellowship Hall by noon

December 20 – Fourth Sunday of Advent PRAYERS AND CONCERNS: Anyone who is in need of prayers, please call the church office, (660) 584-3603. CHURCH INFORMATION: Tommy’s email: tlfaris@ctcis.net Tommy’s cell phone: 816-352-2052 Church Telephone: 660-584-3603 Church Email: salemucc@ctcis.net Church Website: salemucchigginsville.org Fax number: 660-584-5666 Wi-Fi Network Name: Salem UCC Wi-Fi Password: Resurrection!1870

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THIS WEEK’S EVENTS AT SALEM

December 13, thru December 20, 2020

Sunday - Third Sunday of Advent 10:00 a.m. Worship with Live-Stream Worship on Facebook 11:00 a.m. Zoom Sunday School 11:30 a.m. Confirmation

Monday - Please have Angel Tree gifts to church

Tuesday - Food Pantry

Wednesday – Please Call Church Office About Poinsettias 10:30 a.m. Lafayette Area Pastors Meeting 7:00 p.m. Alcoholics Anonymous

7:00 p.m. Al-Anon

Thursday - W.I.C. All Day 7:30 p.m. Church Council Meeting

Friday - Please Have Poinsettias to Church by Noon 7:00 p.m. A. A.

Saturday - 9:30 a.m. A. A.

Sunday- Fourth Sunday of Advent 10:00 a.m. Worship with Live-Stream Worship on Facebook (Virtual Christmas Program) 11:00 a.m. Zoom Sunday School 11:30 a.m. Confirmation

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Hopes and fears Sacred Christmas carols are a cherished tradition. But during sorrow and struggle, some lyrics may seem hard to swallow. “O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant”? Where is the joy when my loved one has just died? Where is the triumph if I’ve lost my job? “Silent night, holy night, all is calm …”? Not in my house; I’m exhausted from the fighting. Yet ... listen: And you beneath life’s crushing load, Whose forms are bending low … Oh, rest beside the weary road And hear the angels sing. —“It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”

Truly, God reaches out to the happy and hurting alike. “The hopes and fears of all the years are met” — and gathered up — in the Babe of Bethlehem, who shares our joys and troubles. There are Christmas carols for us all.

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UCC MISSION MOMENT

If you’ve ever been through a period of grieving, it’s likely that someone in your life has, at one time or another, shaken their head and clucked their tongue and assured you that “God doesn’t give anyone more than they can handle.” Or, maybe that someone patted your hand and said “God is just testing you right now. If you have enough faith, you can get through it.” Or maybe even, “Don’t cry.”

These platitudes, although they are usually intended to comfort, can instead sting. They can leave the recipient feeling that if only their faith was stronger, they would not feel sad or angry.

The psalmist shows us a different way of thinking of God. The psalmist knows that hard times and sorrows are neither tests from God, nor signs of the displeasure of God. The author of Psalm 126 sings instead that sorrows and grieving are just part of life. These words remind us that God does not bring misfortune; instead God is with us in our grief.

One UCC church in New Hampshire wanted to demonstrate God-with-us to the whole neighborhood last Advent. Motivated by the tragic death in their congregation, the church decided to show God’s light in the darkness of grief. They invited members of the church to purchase a string of Christmas lights in memory of someone who had passed. Overseen by a professional lighting design company, it took twenty volunteers to hang all the lights that were donated. When the thousands of lights were strung together all over the outside of the building and surrounding greenery, they were a very visible reminder to all who passed of the light of the presence of God in the community. *See link below.

During Advent, we anticipate the incarnation - the coming of the God to earth in the form of a human. The Divine One comes to us as Christ Jesus to remind us that through all the ups and downs and griefs of life, God is never far from us. And, like memorial lights in a New England winter, that presence can bring more joy than all the well-meaning words in the world.

*https://www.ucc.org/news_light_bulbs_tragedy_memorial_idea_set_n_h_church_aglow_for_christmas_12202019