대강절 두 번째 주일 Second Sunday in Advent

Processional and Candle Lighting

Light the second purple/blue candle.

WELCOME

We await the Lord who will come to this earth as the Prince of Peace. We pray that the peace of the Lord be upon all of you who worship in spirit and truth. In the name of Christ, welcome.

CALL TO WORSHIP

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)

God of Peace,

Remove all distracting thoughts and worldly temptations that trouble our hearts, and help us to focus only on Your words of life and truth. Lift our eyes to see You and prepare the way for Your coming, making us true worshipers.

*HYMN

“Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, ” (United Methodist Hymnal, 203)

*RESPONSIVE READING

Leader: A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

All: The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might.

Leader: The Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord, and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

All: He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

Leader: He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

All: The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.

Leader: The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

All: They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. (Isaiah 11:1-10)

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH: The Apostles' Creed

*HYMN: Gloria Patri

Prayer

God of Peace,

As we observe the second Sunday of Advent, we worship in anticipation of Your coming. With hearts full of gratitude, we confess in praise and prayer the true peace that Christ will bring to this earth. May the spirit of peace descend upon this world divided by conflict and upon souls suffering from hatred and exclusion.

Grant us patience and hope today, so that we may not grow weary in our waiting. Let this be a time of active preparation, where we uphold and act according to Your will in our lives and faith. Through this, may we gain a renewed understanding of the significance of waiting and experience peace among those of faith who walk this journey together, encouraging and supporting one another.

Help us to share the warmth of life and sing of Christ's peace together. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who leads us on the path of true peace. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING

Malachi 3:1-4

Luke 1:68-79

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

ANTHEM or SPECIAL MUSIC

SERMON

HYMN OF RESPONSE

“Star-Child,” (The Faith We Sing, 2095)

OFFERING

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*HYMN OF SENDING FORTH

“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” UMH 216

*BENEDICTION AND SENDING FORTH

Now go out into the world, spreading the Gospel of Christ and becoming disciples who bring peace to this earth. Share the message of peace, proclaimed in the Spirit and truth of the Triune God, with your neighbors.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forevermore. Amen.

The * mark indicates an invitation to all worshipers to rise in body or spirit.

Hyok In Kwon wrote this order of Second Sunday in Advent for a bilingual Korean-English congregation. This service can be used when the Korean-speaking and the English-speaking members worship together, and it can also be used when each worships separately.

Rev. Hyok In Kwon is currently serving as the senior pastor at Korean United Methodist Church of Santa Clara Valley in San Jose, California. He completed his doctoral coursework in sociology, taught sociology and ethics at colleges, and worked as a visiting researcher at the Korean Broadcasting Institute. He has also served as a campus pastor at the Pacific School of Religion at Berkeley, California.