Fouth Sunday of Advent
December 22, 2024
Welcome! We’re glad you’re here.
“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God, it is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
— Psalms 100:2-3
Order of Worship
*Please stand as you are able
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Music and Words by Isaac Wardell
Arranged by Sam JC Lee
How long? Will You turn Your face away?
How long? Do You hear us when we pray?
On and on, still we walk this pilgrim way - How long?
How long ’til Your children find their rest?
How long ’til You draw them to Your breast?
We go on holding to Your promises - How long?
Refrain
’Til You wipe away the tears from ev’ry eye
’Til we see our home descending from the sky
Do we wait in vain?
Jesus, give us hope again!
How long ’til Your word will still the storm?
How long ’til You bare Your mighty arm?
How we groan ’til You snatch us from the thorns - How long?
How long? Sweet the dawn that ends the race.
How long? Weak our hearts but strong our legs.
Looking on - great that cloud of witnesses! How long?—
CCLI License No. 7161130
Welcome and Preparation
Call to Worship*
LEADER: Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name
PEOPLE: Give to him glorious praise!
LEADER: All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you
ALL: Sing praises to your name!
Lighting of the Advent Candle
MINISTER: Prepare the way of the Lord. We light this candle in love, the love of our coming Savior, Jesus.
ALL: Prepare, then, the way of the Lord.
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Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.—
CCLI License No. 7161130
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Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.
Chorus
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
Say what may the tidings be,
Which inspire your heav’nly song?
Chorus
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Chorus
—CCLI License No. 2051446
Corporate Confession
ALL: Lord Christ, as we look forward to celebrating your first coming at Christmas, we are often distracted by the festivities around us. We get busy with the stress and joy of family gatherings. Forgive us for not preparing your way in the world; forgive us for adding to the distraction of others. As we look forward to your second coming, we are surrounded by the duties and expectations of everyday life. Forgive us for being too scared or overwhelmed to prepare the way for you. Help us, in this Advent season, to live in the joy of your first coming and the hope of your second coming so that those around us may see the difference your coming makes. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Personal Confession
Receiving of Grace
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
Advent Doxology*
To us a child is born today
Immanuel in flesh displayed
To once for all His people saved|
Rejoice! Give thanks, and praise His name
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
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It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold;
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
From Heaven’s all gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
They bend on hovering wing,
And ever over its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing.
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.—
CCLI License No. 2051446
Testimony
Heng Lee
Prayer for Children
Extending Peace
MINISTER: Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another. The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
ALL: And also with you.
Announcements
Gospel Lesson
Scripture Reading*
9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
10 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.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:9-12, ESV
READER: This is the Word of the Lord.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
Sermon
“Fear and Joy”
Rev. Benjamin Bae
Prayers for Tithes and Offerings
ALL: Merciful Father, we offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us - our selves, our time, and our possessions - signs of your gracious love. Receive them for the sake of him who offered himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear
Chorus
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall Come to thee,
O Israel
O come, thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight
O come, thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.—
CCLI License No. 4903820
Benediction & Dismissal*
MINISTER: Let us go forth to serve the world as those who love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
ALL: Thanks be to God!
Announcements
Citylife strives to be a diverse community of grace that forms disciples of Jesus for the renewal of Boston and our neighbors.
Connect with Citylife. We’re happy you’re here! If you are new, the easiest way to get in touch with us is by filling out the Connect Card HERE.
Christmas Eve. Join us for Citylife’s Christmas Eve Service 7:30pm on 12/24! The service will be held at Hope Fellowship Church at 16 Beech Street, Cambridge, MA 02140.
Kids & Youth
There will be no Kids Church or Nursery on 12/29.
Kids Ministry Volunteer Brunch. Let's take time to celebrate all that God has done and is continuing to do in our Kids Ministry! Cecily would like to provide a space for rest, fellowship, and joy with you all Saturday, January 18 • 11am-1pm. Location TBD. Register HERE.
Youth Ministry. Our regular Saturday Youth Group meeting cadence resumes 1/18. We are planning a Youth Group Game Night and Hygiene Kit packing night on 1/4. Please contact Cecily for details.
Next Youth Sunday School meets: 1/12.
Next Saturday Youth Group meets: 1/18.
Justice & Mercy
Healing Cohort Orientation. For those holding hurts, habits and hang-ups that keep us from fully experiencing the joy and goodness of the gospel, we hope you will come learn more about Citylife's Healing Cohort. In the spirit of Celebrate Recovery, the Healing Cohort is a fellowship of believers that walks together to seek healing from hurts, recovery from addictions, and freedom from secret sin, for lives wholly surrendered to Jesus. You are invited into a space where we submit to God even those parts of ourselves and our stories that we hold back from others, from church, and even ourselves. Sunday 1/12 at 1:00 p.m. Sign up HERE.
Today is the last day of our 5th annual Christmas Coat Drive and Match for Catie's Closet! Please pledge the number of coats you want to donate, and Citylife will MATCH the total number of coats donated. More info HERE.
We are at Somerville Homeless Coalition on the 1st Saturday of the month, L Street Mission on the 2nd Saturday, and Pine Street Inn on the 3rd Saturday. Sign up to purchase for and assemble hygiene kits every 3rd Sunday.