Table Of ContentADVENT THROUGH CHRISTMAS SEASON 2017-2018
SERIES OVERVIEW
“COMING HOME”
In the United States, Christmastime and thoughts of home just go together. “I’ll be
Home for Christmas,” and “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays,” are two of the
most popular holiday songs, year after year. Christmas movies and television shows
regularly feature stories of people going to their family home or extended family home
over the holidays. Among the rituals we create for this darkest time of the year in the
Northern hemisphere, perhaps the majority of them are associated with either going
home or doing special things at home-- whether lighting candles and having a time of
family prayer during Advent, or decorating a Christmas tree, or caroling through a
neighborhood, or hosting festive “open house” parties for friends, neighbors, and
colleagues. It’s all about home.
Advent and Christmas Season are about another kind of homecoming, the homecoming
of Christ to redeem and renew us, this earth, and all creation till “heaven and nature
sing” with joy eternally. The Scriptures the church uses for Advent focus first on the final
fulfillment, and later on the beginning of that fulfillment in Jesus. As they seek God’s
joyous desire, they also make plain just how far from it we have been and challenge us
with just how far we have to go, ourselves, to begin to live into it.
This year’s Advent and Christmas Season series embraces the secular seasonal
metaphor of homecoming to wrap the challenging biblical texts this season gives us.
Each week’s service will invite us to “unwrap” something that leads us toward making
our hearts, our lives, our families, our communities, and our world more like the home
Christ’s ultimate homecoming will make it to be. And each week, we also suggest an
afternoon or evening gathering for the whole church to experience a seasonal tradition
together.
Texts, Scriptures, and Weekly Invitations
Advent 1, December 3: Come Down Home
Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9
Invitation: Long for Christ’s Return
Activity: St. Nicholas Day
Advent 2, December 10: Home Is Where We Meet
Scripture: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
Invitation: Attend to the Intersections (Loving-kindness/faithfulness,
Righteousness/peace)
Activity: Ugly Sweater Day and Christmas Parties
Advent 3, December 17: Joy Is Our True Home
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Scripture: I Thessalonians 5:16-24
Invitation: Rejoice in God’s Homecomings
Activity: Caroling
Advent 4, December 24 (morning): God Makes This World a Home, Part 1
Scripture: Luke 1: 46-55
Invitation: Turn with courage because Christ makes this world God’s home
Activity: Las Posadas
Christmas Eve, December 24 (evening): God Makes This World a Home, Part 2
Scripture: Luke 2:1-7 (8-20)
Invitation: Become a manger for Jesus
Note: This is designed as a brief (30-minute) service of Word and Table to allow
congregations to offer it at several times through the evening so all can find a
convenient time to celebrate Communion, bringing families and friends who may be with
them.
After Christmas 1, December 31: Going Home Again
Scripture: Luke 2:22-40
Invitation: Choose your motives for the year to come
Activity: Watch Night
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ADVENT I: Come Down Home
December 3, 2017
Music Notes
Preaching Notes
Planning Notes
FULL SERVICE
Abbreviations Key
W&S=Worship and Song
UMH=United Methodist Hymnal
CCLI=Christian Copyright Licensing International (SongSelect)
TFWS=The Faith We Sing
BOW=United Methodist Book of Worship
ENTRANCE
Greeting:
Leader: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” (Psalm
122:1, NRSV)
People: Welcome, preacher! Welcome, people! Welcome home!
Let us worship joyfully in God’s house. Amen.
Congregational Song: “Welcome” W&S 3152
OR
“Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble” CCLI 1097028
“Beautiful One” CCLI 3915912
Prayer for Illumination:
Tear open the heavens, O God.
Open our hearts.
Let your Word fall on our ears,
and lead us home.
Amen.
WORD AND RESPONSE
Scripture Lesson: Isaiah 64:1-9 Deacon or Lay Reader
Sermon: Come Down Home
Lighting the Advent Wreath
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Hymn: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” stanza 1, The United Methodist Hymnal, 211
All [sung]: “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.”
Reader 1: God of justice and peace, healing and comfort, we see all that is wrong and
wonder where you are.
Reader 2: We are a broken people, unable to work together for our common good. We
cannot see or hear each other even within our own families and communities.
Reader 3: We are a suffering world, our nations are filled with conflict and violence. The
fragile earth cries out with longing for redemption.
All: We, God’s people, long for God’s presence, saying with the prophet: “If only
you would tear open the heavens and come down!” (Isaiah 64:1, CEB)
Reader: On this first Sunday of Advent, we light this candle to remind us of our longing
that God will come into the world, bringing justice and peace, comfort and healing.
Light a candle.
All [sung]: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”
Prayers of the People Deacon or Lay Intercessor
“Prayers of the People” - TFWS 2201
“Prayers of the People” - CCLI 3414705
http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/3414705/prayers-of-the-people
OR
“Prayer of the People” CCLI 7039048
http://us.search.ccli.com/songs/7039048/prayers-of-the-people
THANKSGIVING (IF NO COMMUNION)
Inviting Deacon or Pastor
The Lord requires of us a pure offering,
without blemish or spot.
We must be right with God
and our neighbor
to offer ourselves or our gifts to God.
Therefore, let us confess our sins against God,
and reconcile with our neighbors.
Let us pray.
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Confessing Isaiah 64:6, 8-9 (NRSV)
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Silence
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father;;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;;
we are all the work of your hand.
Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD,
and do not remember iniquity forever.
Silence
Pardoning and Peace Pastor
As far as the East is from the West,
so far does our God remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
Glory to God. Amen!
At peace with God, let us now offer the peace of Christ to one another.
People exchange the peace of Christ.
The offering is collected.
Offertory Music
Choir/Ensemble/Congregational Music during Collection:
“He Came Down” TFWS 2085
“How Lovely, Lord, How Lovely” TFWS 2042
Congregational Thanks at Presentation of Gifts BOW 552 (All things come…)
(May be introduced and concluded by singing UMH 588)
OR
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Invitation, Confession, Pardon and Peace UMH 7-8
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People exchange the peace of Christ.
The offering is collected.
Offertory Music
Choir/Ensemble/Congregational Music during Collection:
“He Came Down” TFWS 2085
“How Lovely, Lord, How Lovely” TFWS 2042
Great Thanksgiving for Advent BOW 54-55
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/the-great-thanksgiving-for-advent
Congregational Song “As a Fire Is Meant for Burning” TFWS 2237
OR
“Shout to the Lord” TFWS 2074
OR
“Good, Good Father”* CCLI 7036612
*See Music Notes for an important word about text
Thanksgiving after Communion
Deacon or Pastor and Congregation
Thank you, God, for coming down home among us
in this holy mystery,
flesh and blood in our flesh and blood.
Send us by your Spirit to hear the cries of others
who long for your coming
and join them in your work that makes all things new;;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
SENDING
Go in peace, love, and power
in the name of the our God
who tears open the heavens.
Amen.
All [sung]: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” (UMH 211)
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MUSIC NOTES
Welcome (W&S 3152)
Laurie Zelman and Mark Miller’s hymn, “Welcome,” gives us what Laurence Hull
Stookey has referred to as the “intersection of time and eternity” (Calendar: Christ’s
Time for the Church, p. 17) by connecting the past, present, and future with the eternal
time of the reign of God. This hymn is rich with imagery of the table being prepared,
shared, and extended into the world. If your congregation is unfamiliar with this hymn,
consider adopting it as an opening hymn for a month and teaching it over time by asking
them to sing the refrain (and taking the time on the first Sunday to teach it to them
before worship). Continue singing it in following weeks as you gather for worship--
particularly around the table--and have soloists sing the stanzas. Over time, the
congregation will associate the hymn with the Eucharist and will be able to sing it as
they build their liturgical memory. When accompanying on piano, which in this case is
not easy, I recommend not playing the melody because it can easily complicate the
singing. Improvise on the chords of the song and allow the voices to carry the melody.
Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble? (CCLI 1097028)
This text embodies the spirit of Isaiah 64:1 and calls for the congregation to sing
songs of praise to the risen Christ. The call to “prepare the way of the risen Lord” makes
this song ideal for the Advent season, and it ends with a call to “dance upon injustice.”
Then the name of God might make “the nations… tremble” (Isaiah 64:2). Accompany
with a band, piano, or solo guitar, but if using a piano, do not play the melody with the
congregation. Allow the voice to lead, with the instruments supplying rhythm and a
harmonic foundation. The range is very wide, so I recommend either Bb or B,
depending on the congregation’s ability to begin musical phrases on a high D# or D.
The key of A is also possible, but the low end of the range begins to get too low in this
key.
Beautiful One (CCLI 3915912)
This song continues the summon to praise and offer prayers of adoration to God,
who is “wonderful,” “powerful,” and “beautiful.” Even though the object of “Beautiful One”
is never named, it becomes clear that the beauty lies in the saving power of Christ and
the expanse of creation. The original key of D works well for this song, but if the chorus
is too high for your congregation, it also works in C. The greatest musical and textual
consideration is making sure to sing the first two statements of the chorus in one breath:
“Beautiful One, I love you, beautiful One, I adore.” The tendency will be to breathe after
the word “love,” which divides the text is disrupted and divided into musical phrases that
simply do not work with the text. Singing this whole phrase is possible, but it requires a
good, healthy breath!
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (UMH 211)
One of the most well-known, ancient hymns of the church, “O Come, O Come,
Emmanuel” is based upon the “O Antiphons” contained on the second page of the hymn
in The United Methodist Hymnal. These antiphons were chanted refrains used in
worship, one per day, during the last eight days of Advent leading up to Christmas Eve.
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Like the original antiphons, this hymn sings of the longing and somber nature of the
Advent season. We have recommended its use within the liturgy for the lighting of the
Advent candles. All are welcome to sing the opening phrase in the liturgy, but it is also
possible to have a soloist sing it in a very legato (smooth and connected) manner with a
brief pause on the last note of each phrase;; all should sing the concluding phrase:
“Rejoice! Rejoice!...” Remove the plodding nature of the accompaniment and allow the
melody to stand on its own as the stanzas originally did — as a haunting,
unaccompanied chant. Or for a different approach, play a low E pedal point on an
instrument such as organ, piano, cello, or bass, and bring in harmonies (with voices or
instrumental accompaniment) on the refrain. History of Hymns
Prayers of the People (TFWS 2201)
Bonnie Johansen-Werner’s simple setting of this intercessory prayer can be very
powerful in its direct prayer to usher in the reign of God and the connection of that
prayer to the needs of the local community and the world. Even though there is a
caesura (complete cutoff) written in the accompaniment score, it would also be possible
to hold a soft Eb pedal point underneath the spoken intercessions and prayer requests.
The recommended form in The Faith We Sing is as follows: Refrain, Petition 1,
Response;; Refrain, Petition 2, Response;; and so on. Ideally, the leader of the prayer
should also serve as the cantor. The accompaniment can range from organ to piano, to
an arpeggiated guitar or other plucked instrument.
Prayers of the People (The Brilliance)
A wonderful addition to the modern worship music catalogue, this service music
represents what is possible when combining modern music and liturgy. Short, cyclic
choruses become responses as a part of congregational prayer. The A and B sections
(“You hear us calling” and “Lord, have mercy”) are both equally usable as prayer
responses. If you listen to the YouTube link in the worship order, you will notice a rolling
accompaniment with many different instrumentalists. This kind of accompaniment gives
a pulse to the prayers and is encouraged. However, keep in mind that whatever kind of
accompaniment is possible with the musicians in your church is OK! Again, simpler
accompaniments are oftentimes the best. For a keyboard, play simple chords on each
beat. For a strummed instrument, something light, slightly syncopated, but steady is the
best option.
This song is a great example of modern music created to serve a liturgical purpose, and
it is very accessible to churches with any instrumental accompaniment. The song is not
meant to stand alone as a song;; it will require some intercessions to be created from the
context of your community. Respond to each intercession with either the A theme (“You
hear us calling”) or the B theme (“Lord, have mercy”). This poignant piece works with
organ, piano, guitar, or any other simple accompaniment.
He Came Down (TFWS 2085)
Recommended this week as the first hymn of two during the offering, this
Cameroonian work looks ahead and makes the connection that Christ “came down” to
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offer love, peace, and joy. Even though the cantor line is only written in the last measure
of the song, it is also possible to begin with the cantor singing that question and, thus,
setting the key for singing. Because both of the songs recommended for the offering this
week are in the same key, it is advisable to get the opening pitch or tonic chord of G
from the organ or piano. Sing this song a cappella with choir if possible, accompanied
by djembes, shakers, and other percussion instruments. Here is an example of a basic
rhythm to be played and improvised upon by the drums:
If a cappella singing is not an option in your context, it is also acceptable to accompany
with organ, piano, or even a strummed guitar. However the accompaniment is played,
make sure it is played with excitement!
How Lovely, Lord, How Lovely (TFWS 2042)
With this week’s thematic focus on “Come Down Home,” there must be a
reference to the “abiding place” of God, and this modern paraphrase of Psalm 84 serves
as a beautiful way to sing of God’s presence. Following “He Came Down,” there is also
a movement resembling a meeting, in which God came to earth in flesh in the form of
Christ and now dwells within us and all creation. Do not sing this hymn too slowly, or the
lyricism of the tune will be lost. The best tempo will feel more like 2/2 (quarter note =
116), but it will allow for two musical phrases to become one, thus making it less
choppy. The ideal accompaniment is piano or organ. History of Hymns
As a Fire Is Meant for Burning (TFWS 2237)
Ruth Duck’s classic text uses the image from Isaiah 64:8 of God as a potter and
us as clay, shaped and molded to “live to God’s delight.” BEACH SPRING was created
as a pentatonic, shape-note hymn tune, and therefore, there are many ways to sing this
hymn creatively:
1) Sing the hymn as written with organ or piano accompaniment.
2) Create a drone with either treble or bass clef voices on an open fifth (F and C
above) and the other clef singing the melody.
3) Sing the hymn in a round, either in one-measure, two-measure, or four-measure
intervals.
4) Any other creative possibilities you might envision using the notes F, G, A, C,
and D!
Shout to the Lord (TFWS 2074)
This modern worship song from the 1990s speaks of the cosmic affirmation of
Jesus as Lord of all creation. Again, the image of God coming down and the quaking
mountains are echoed in this prominent song still featured in the CCLI Top 100 from
Darlene Zschech and Hillsong. The best accompaniment for this song is a full band, but
it is also possible to accompany with a small ensemble, piano, or solo guitar. Only the
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chorus is found in the Pew Edition of The Faith We Sing, but the lyrics can also be
found within the Singers Edition of the same text or on the CCLI website. The key of A
is included in The Faith We Sing, but the range of the verses in that key are very low
and somewhat problematic for congregational singing. If singing in A, I recommend
having an alto soloist sing the verses, with the choir and congregation joining at the
chorus. If the congregation is singing the entire song, the key of Bb or B works best.
History of Hymns
Good, Good Father (CCLI 7036612)
The nature of the Scripture this week could also lead to a singing of this recently
composed song, which at the moment is at the top of the CCLI Top 100. The statement
of God as a loving parent who knows our needs and calls us to move deeper in our
understanding of our relationship with God and neighbor calls to mind the final
statement from Isaiah 64 this week: “Now consider, we are all your people” (NRSV).
The scriptural narrative acknowledges we are like clay in the potter’s hands, and so we
become intertwined in the work of God as we are molded and shaped. It is in this
context that the relationship between parent and child can be inferred. However, keep in
mind the language in this song is very androcentric and begs to be balanced somehow
in worship with a more expansive view of God, who, according to Article I in United
Methodist Doctrinal Standards, is “without body or parts.” I don’t recommend changing
the words in this song;; rather, I recommend using enough balancing, non-male imagery
within the other hymns and liturgy for this week if this song is to be included.
PREACHING NOTES
We begin our Advent series this year with a difficult passage. My colleague Jackson
Henry noted that Isaiah’s words read a little bit like a legal document, or even a United
Methodist resolution:
Whereas, the LORD would rip open the heavens and descend, make the
mountains shudder at your presence;;
And whereas, as when a forest catches fire, as when fire makes a pot to boil to
shock your enemies into facing you, make the nations shake in their boots;;
And whereas, you did terrible things we never expected, descended and made
the mountains shudder at your presence;;
And whereas, since before time began no one has ever imagined, no ear heard,
no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him;;
And whereas, you meet those who happily do what is right, who keep a good
memory of the way you work;;
And whereas, you have been angry with us;;
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Description:This year's Advent and Christmas Season series embraces the secular .. Alignment,” the season of preparing for the celebration of the birth of Jesus association between Christmastime (all of December) and electric train sets. text has its origins in the folk hymn tunes of the nineteenth century.
