PIONEER
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Worship
via Blog 1st Sunday of Advent November 29, 2020
~~~~~~~~~~
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome to Pioneer’s blog worship service.
Though we are accessing this remotely and unable to look each other in the eye,
we are still the Pioneer faith community, gathered as children of God to
worship, to be spiritually fed, and to be equipped to go out to serve in
Christ’s name—though we do it differently during this pandemic.
Pioneer offers worship in several modes:
a)
The
blog.
b)
The
blog service mailed through US Postal service.
c)
Sermons
only, mailed to those who so request.
d)
Zoom
services at 10:00 Sunday mornings.
e)
Live
worship with masks and social distancing has plenty of room for additional
worshipers.
-
Today
is the first Sunday of Advent
-
Women’s
Spirituality meets Tuesday at 10:30
-
M&M
has begun the Christmas sock drive for Shepherd’s House, a homeless shelter in
Bend. December 20 will be the last day for drop off. Collection boxes are in
the Fireside Room or you can hand off socks to someone who is coming by the
church. Dark socks are better and no hats or scarves this year. Thanks for your
contributions to help homeless men.
-
Advent Candles
o
Today
is the first Sunday of Advent. Gathered in the sanctuary, our tradition is to
read a scripture, light the first candle on the Advent wreath and explain its
meaning. Each week, another candle is lit and on Christmas Eve the Christ
candle is lit. You are encouraged to have your own Advent wreath or a set of
candles to light as part of worship in the Advent season. Typically, there are three
purple candles and one pink, plus the white Christ candle. You can use colors
of your choosing or all white.
Now allow yourself a brief time of silence
as you open your hearts and feel God’s presence with you, right where you are.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BAPTISM: Friends, remember your baptism … and be thankful.
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT
CANDLES
First Week of Advent – Hope
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
The people walking in darkness have seen a
great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has
dawned.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is
given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the
increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on
David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice
and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
[Light
the first candle of the Advent Wreath (purple).]
We light this first Advent candle as a
sign of the promise of Christ’s coming. We remember that people looked forward
to the coming of Christ. The first Candle is the candle of hope.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Awake, people of God, and stay alert for
Christ’s coming.
Grace to you and peace from God who sent
Jesus to us.
Make
your ways known to us, O God.
Show
us once more your awesome presence.
We are all God’s people; no one is
excluded.
Come together as God’s family for worship
and prayer.
Let
the mountains quake before you, mighty God.
Let
the nations tremble in awe and reverence.
Praise the One who grants us the gift of
life.
Give thanks for God’s continuing
faithfulness.
Heaven
and earth will pass away,
But
the Word of God is true for all times and places.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Amid threatening clouds of anger and
selfish strife, come, O God, to bring light. Into our days of worry and
anxiety, send a confident hope. Enrich us with spiritual gifts that transcend
disappointments and spill out in generous compassion for all your suffering
children. Meet us today where we are so we may be equipped for trials yet to
come and for joys yet to be revealed. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
OPENING
SONG: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” #88
CALL TO CONFESSION
As a new year begins in the church, we
seek to leave behind our past unfaithfulness. We remember our doubts and
neglect, the empty times when prayer is forgotten and our focus is narrowed to
petty concerns. God is waiting to hear from us. Let us pray.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Awesome
God, we confess the sin of our separation from you. We have blamed you for
hiding from us, rather than admitting we have failed to see you in the
thousands of ways you are revealing yourself every day. We have not called on
you, and we have not listened for your call to us. Without you, we have become
tiny islands of self-concern. Our links with the rest of your children are
stretched and broken. O God, we long for that loving community in which your
reign is acknowledged and your purposes are served. Move us to that place, we
pray.
(Let us continue our prayers in silence ….. ) Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.
The old life has gone; the new life has
begun.
Friends, believe the Good News!
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven and
restored to new life!
PASSING THE PEACE
May the peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Let us extend the peace of Christ in heart
and prayer to one another.
GLORY
BE TO THE FATHER
TIME WITH CHILDREN
Good morning Fiona. Good morning Zoey. Do
you know that Christmas is coming soon? But it’s still almost a month away. Do
you like Christmas? What do you like about it? There’s lots to like, isn’t
there. Christmas trees and decorations. Music. Baked goodies. Family gatherings.
And … presents!
So
do you like waiting for Christmas? No? Do you wish it was sooner? Sometimes we
do if we’re looking forward to something fun. And getting presents is fun.
While
you’re waiting, I have something for you to count off the days. It’s called an
Advent calendar. Advent is the time between now and Christmas. Advent means ‘coming’
and is a time of waiting and anticipation. That’s a big word that means to look
forward to something. It’s not just about looking forward to presents and
treats. It’s about looking forward to the coming of Jesus. That’s what
Christmas is about—the birth of the baby Jesus. Each day you get to open one of
these little ‘doors’. Since today is the first day of Advent, you get to open
one right now. Then tomorrow and each day after you open one more. Before you
know it, Christmas will be here. Let’s pray.
Dear
Jesus. We are excited about Christmas coming soon. Then we will celebrate your
birthday. Help us to remember that Christmas is about you. Amen.
HYMN: “Jesus
Loves Me”
Jesus loves me,
this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him
belong, they are weak but he is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves
me. Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves
me. The Bible tells me so.
SCRIPTURE 1: Mark 13:24-37
"But in those
days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not
give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in
the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in
clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels, and
gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of
heaven. "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes
tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when
you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away before all these things
take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
"But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch; for you do not know when
the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and
puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to
be on the watch. Watch therefore -- for you do not know when the master of the
house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the
morning -- lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I
say to all: Watch."
SCRIPTURE 2: Isaiah 64:1-9
O that you would tear
open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your
presence -- as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil --
to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble
at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came
down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those
who wait for him. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in
your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we
transgressed. 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. There is no one who calls on your
name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. 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. Now consider, we are all your people.
SERMON: “Tear
Open the Heavens” Rev. Jean Hurst
Each Sunday between now and Christmas Eve, we light a candle
in the Advent wreath that represents an emotional element of the season. As you
just heard, the first is ‘hope’. Yet to come are peace, joy, and love. What is it that you hope for? It’s worth giving
some serious thought because what you hope for can change your life. It is a
time to think about it because this is a season of hope.
This
is the first Sunday of Advent. The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus, which means ‘coming’ or
‘visit’. It really has different meaning for different people. And the concept
didn’t start with the Christians.
For
the people of Israel in exile it was a deep longing. Part of that was a longing
for things to be like they used to be before they were torn from their homes
and their lands and their way of life and forcibly and violently moved to a
foreign land where they, themselves became the foreigners.
No
longer a powerful, independent country, a people chosen by God to be special
and unique in the world, they lamented their loss. How could such a thing have
happened to turn their world totally upside down? They believed, during that
era, that for bad things to have happened, it meant they had sinned and this
was God’s way of punishing them.
They
pray, “Oh that you would tear the heavens open and come down.” They implore God
to come among them as he did in more ancient times--to make the mountains
tremble, to do the unexpected among them, to restore the relationship they had
with God, to make things right again. They humble themselves before God,
acknowledging that God is the potter, they are the clay, that all they are, all
they become is according to God’s will and actions.
It
is during this time of exile that they long so fervently for the coming of the Messiah,
a warrior king who will free them from their oppressors and restore them to
their former power and glory. The Advent hymn, “O come, O Come Emmanuel … and ransom captive Israel” is a
reflection of that.
For
Christians, Advent is a two-fold concept. Especially during the Christmas
season it’s about anticipation of and preparation for the coming of the baby
Jesus--the Christ or Messiah who ultimately brings redemption and salvation.
We, too, use the word ‘Emmanuel’ which means ‘God-with-us’. Others translate
that anticipation and preparation as being about the second coming of
Christ--the time of judgement, the end of the world as we know it, the ushering
in of the time of eternal reward for the righteous--or, as some believe, the
time of eternal punishment for the unrighteous.
We
place hope in all it means for God to enter our world and our lives in the
person of Jesus. And some have so
despaired of the evil in the world that their hope is that God will just end it
all and that Jesus will return in glory and triumph.
In
the Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of end times: the sun darkened, no light from
the moon, the stars falling, the heavenly bodies shaken. Jesus is quoting from
Isaiah 13:10 which was a prophecy against Babylon--who took the people of Israel
into exile. Before that he spoke of wars and rumors of wars, nation rising
against nation, earthquakes and famines and said--this is not the end. And
indeed, that has been the truth of it down through the ages.
But
when you’re living it, what do you do? How do we deal with it? It often feels
like the end is near. But Jesus told us that no one knows, he doesn’t know, only God knows. But we are to be alert, to be
prepared, to watch and wait. And so we do. We watch, we wait, we anticipate,
and we hope.
We
need to hang onto hope. It’s what keeps us going. We live in radical times.
There is so much wrong in the world. It makes a person reluctant to turn on the
news for fear of what we’ll hear next. So back to the original question. What
is it you hope for? And is that just a wish?
What’s the difference?
A
wish is something we want but aren’t necessarily inclined to invest ourselves
in. A wish is, perhaps, more shallow, more frivolous. We have less conviction
of the possibilities that go with it.
Wishes come and go. I wish it
wouldn’t snow. Someone else wishes it
would. They got their wish, I didn’t. I
wish Jasper wouldn’t wake me in the middle of the night with his squeaky toy,
wanting to play. I wish I didn’t get so many telemarketing calls.
Hope
goes deeper. Hope is tied to some deep longing within us. Within that longing
there is a duality. One part of us feels that what we’re hoping for is a long
shot, unlikely, perhaps even impossible and yet there is an element of belief
that what we long for is, beyond all odds, possible. And that’s what we hold
onto.
Hope
stays with us. It’s like Emily
Dickinson’s poem, “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and
sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.” That is hope--that thing that won’t let us
go, that some part of us believes, against all odds, will happen. That is what keeps us from total despair,
keeps us longing, keeps us looking with expectation, waiting, and watching.
The
Israelites lived with hope. Their hope
was rooted in their deep belief that God was part of their lives, that God had
acted in their history, that God would act again. And so they prayed. And God did act again, brought them out of
exile, gave them a new beginning. God
did not just hand it to them. God did not serve it up on a silver tray. God did
not just wave a magic wand.
God
did work in the heart of King Cyrus
to secure their release, to decree their rebuilding of the temple and to return
to them the Temple vessels which had been taken when Jerusalem was sacked. God did
empower the Israelites to have the courage and the resourcefulness to return to
their homeland and rebuild and start over.
It seemed impossible, yet they held onto hope and it happened.
The
coming of the Messiah seemed impossible yet the belief was so deeply imbedded
in their culture they couldn’t stop hoping. Yet when Christ came, when that
hope was fulfilled, it wasn’t what they were looking for and so most of them
missed it. They were watching for a warrior king. They got a baby instead.
We
are looking for a baby and a star and shepherds and angels proclaiming peace.
That happened long ago. We keep looking for a memory. Are we looking for the
wrong thing? Are we looking for the easy fulfillment that makes no demands on
us? Like the Israelites, are we missing the real fulfillment of our hope that
is found in the life and teachings of the grown up infant? Are we not
recognizing that fulfilling that hope makes demands on us?
And
just what is it we hoping for? And on what do we ground that hope? And might
God be already bringing it into being if we just open our eyes to see it? And
might we be part of that? As I said, there is much wrong in the world. It leads us to hope for peace on earth, for
the healing of the brokenness all around us, for God’s shalom.
What
does that look like and what role do we play? Do we even believe it is possible
or do we instead long for it to just be over with? Not everyone’s vision of
that hope-fulfilled looks the same--nor the means of getting there. Often,
embedded in that hope is the desire that someone else do it or that God just
wave that magic wand and make it happen. Or that it happen without our having
to get too close to it, too involved, that it be without our sweat and tears
and money and risk.
Yet
if we are the hands and heart of God in the world, then we are the means. Like
the Israelites, we are empowered to be part of the process of bringing that
hope to life.
Part
of hope is in believing the possible in the middle of the impossible. It is
believing that God will be faithful and then opening our eyes to see goodness
in the actions of people as they respond to the brokenness around them. As they
engage in acts of kindness and generosity, as they promote justice and peace, as
they resist hatred and bigotry, then it awakens within us the hope that it’s
not over, that the world can be
healed, that’s God’s kingdom now is
possible--even when it seems so impossible.
It
also means each one of us being hope
in the world, living as if it were
already happening, owning our own
role in it. If we’re truly hoping for something, longing for
it, then we’ll be praying for it. If we’re praying for something--earnestly
praying for it to come about, then we’ll be focused on it. If we’re focused on
it, we’ll be living our lives in a way that moves toward it. If we’re really
living our lives in a way that moves toward that hope, then we’ll be
anticipating it.
If
we are anticipating it, we will be living the teachings of Jesus at the same
time we’re celebrating the birth of an infant of promise. We will be living
faithfully while we await that second coming. We will be living in
Advent--anticipating, waiting, preparing, watching--just as Jesus instructed
us.
So,
just as the saying goes, “Be careful what you pray for” we also need to be
careful what we hope for. It could change our lives. It could change the world.
Pray that it does. Amen.
[ORDAINING/INSTALLING NEW ELDERS AND
DEACONS]
At
the live worship service, November 29th
Ordained and installed as Elder on Session: Becky Shull
Installed
as Elders on Session: Sheila Angell and Pauline Braymen
Ordained/installed
as Deacon: Jan Yaryan
Installed
as Deacons: Kathy Wassom, Linda Greenfield, Marianne
Andrews,
and Judy Hook
HYMN: “Soon
and Very Soon” LU#142
PRAYERS OF THE
PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
O God, it is the Season of Advent and
we are waiting … waiting for love to rekindle its flame in the hollow of our
hearts; waiting for that peace which is beyond comprehension to quiet our
troubled thoughts; waiting for the Light of Life to brighten our steps in the
dark winter nights. Come quickly, Jesus and lift the shadow of our vision. Come
quickly, Lord, and coax us out of our hiding places.
Place us in the midst of the hungry.
Put us face to face with the lonely. Remind us of how much we have to give to
those who have so little. And keep us hopeful, O Lord, even when the conflict
around us threatens to paralyze our faith. Give us the courage to live out your
message of reconciliation and kindness.
May the love we seek be the love we
share. May the forgiveness we need be the forgiveness we offer to others.
Cleanse our minds from fear, prejudice, guilt, hostility, and pride. Return to
our thoughts the vision of the gentleness that became a world-changing power.
May we not only believe in your love but live it every day in everything we say
or do, so that the One on whom we wait will be born anew in the world.
As we wait, O Lord, we pray for your
children here and around the world—those who live in the shadow of fear and
violence and hunger and loneliness and hopelessness. We pray for those close to
us, for George Sahlberg … Phyllis Bauer
… Beverly Patterson … Darlene Wingfield … Lois White … Virginia … Cherry … John Matthews … Margaret
Dunbar … Trisha … Dave … Jacob … Joyce … Jennifer … Chuck … Courtney … Ethel …
Helen. (Additional prayers ……)
God
who guides our lives, we entrust to you these prayers and those that remain yet
in our hearts as we pray the prayer Jesus taught: 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.
CALL TO OFFERING
We have been enriched and strengthened in
so many ways by the gifts of God. Now we have the privilege of sharing God’s Word
with the world. Our offerings enable our church’s witness in this community and
a caring outreach around the globe. Let us give as we have been blessed.
DOXOLOGY
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Gracious God, we give our best to you, not out of
guilt or fear, but with gratitude and faith. You have been our support in times
of need. Every breath we take is a gift from you. We dedicate these symbols of
thankfulness and all the days of our lives to those purposes. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Song
of Hope” #765
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
Hope. As you wait with anticipation
through the Advent season, do it with hope. Not just wishing, but a hope that
is rooted in the belief that miracles do happen and with God all things are
possible. Hope.
As you do the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is with you now
and always. Amen.
CHORAL RESPONSE
May the Lord, Mighty God, bless and keep you forever.
Grant you peace, perfect peace, courage in every endeavor. Lift up your eyes
and see his face and his grace forever. May the Lord, Mighty God, bless and
keep you forever.
~~~~~~~~~~
LOOKING
AHEAD
December 1-31 pastor off with ankle surgery,
vacation
December 1 10:30 a.m. Women’s Spirituality
December 8 6:00 p.m. Session
December 12 10:30 a.m. PPW Christmas brunch*
December 13 following worship M&M
December 15 10:30 a.m. Women’s Spirituality
December 20 following worship Worship & Music
December 24 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service
December 27 following worship Deacons
*PPW brunch: bring a commercially packaged consumable
for the gift exchange. Value should be $10-15.
M&M has begun
the Christmas sock drive for Shepherd’s House, a homeless shelter in Bend.
December 20 will be the last day for drop off. Collection boxes are in the
Fireside Room or you can hand off socks to someone who is coming by the church.
Dark socks are better and no hats or scarves this year. Thanks for your
contributions to help homeless men.
PRAYER
CARE:
Pastor Jean (ankle
surgery 12/1), George Sahlberg (infection, heart problems), Phyllis Bauer
(aging issues), Beverly Patterson (aging issues), Lois White (lymphoma),
Virginia DesIlets (broken hip), Darlene Wingfield (heart valve, pulmonary
fibrosis, breast cancer), Margaret Dunbar (fall/broken tailbone), John Matthews
(cancer), Trisha Cagley (health problems), Dave Clark (kidney cancer), Jacob
Cunningham, Joyce Sahlberg (health issues), Jennifer Schirm (Parkinson’s),
Chuck VanHise (leg/walking rehab), and Courtney Ziegler (Huntington’s).
LECTIONARY
FOR DECEMBER 6, 2020
Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15a;
Mark 1:1-8
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