Caldwell United Methodist Church
Bring Individuals to Christ Nurture spiritual growth
Invite others to discipleship
December 9,
2007 Second Sunday of Advent
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(Please sign the attendance sheet in
the pew pad.)
PRELUDE: Lighting
of the Candles
WORDS OF GREETING: God is Good - All the time
All
the time - God is Good
ANNOUNCEMENTS & BIRTHDAYS
*MORNING GREETINGS: Greet those around you
with handshakes
or
hugs and words of greeting or joy.
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLE
*CALL TO WORSHIP
One: A voice cries out:
All: “In the wilderness prepare the way of
the Lord, make
Straight in the desert a highway
for our God.” Amen.
*OPENING SONG:
“Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”
#196 in your
Hymnal
CHILDREN’S
MOMENTS:
The Children will be singing, “Jesus is Our Savior”.
PREPARATION FOR PRAYER: “Through It All” #507 in your Hymnal
SHARING OUR JOYS AND CONCERNS
Following
each joy, please respond:
For
These gifts, We thank you, God.
Following
each concern, please respond:
God,
in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
SILENT PRAYER
PASTORAL PRAYER
THE LORD’S PRAYER
SHARING GOD'S BLESSINGS
(Loose change: Holiday Baskets)
*OFFERING RESPONSE
“Praise God from Whom All Blessings
Flow” # 95 in your Hymnal
*PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Merciful God, you sent your messengers the prophets to
preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation. Give us grace to heed their warnings and
forsake our sins, that we may celebrate aright the commemoration of the
nativity, and may await with joy the coming in glory of Jesus Christ our
Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy spirit, One god, for
ever. Amen.
A READING FROM THE BIBLE: Matthew 3:1-12
ANTHEM: “When Will Messiah Come?” Ed Kee, Dale
Matthews
MESSAGE: “From These Stones” Rev. Grace Baldridge
*CLOSING SONG: “Help Us
Accept Each Other”
#560 in your
Hymnal
*WORDS OF PARTING
*PARTING SONG:
“King of
Kings” (See PowerPoint)
8504 Caldwell Road, Mukwonago,
WI 53149
(800) 570-4440
www.CaldwellUMC.org
CaldwellUMC@earthlink.net
Pastor Grace Baldridge’s Cell
Phone (262) 751-0955
Secretary’s Phone: (262) 662-0264
Ministers
All of us
Pastor
Rev. Grace Baldridge
Choir Director
Deanna Shimko-Herman
Greeters & Ushers this week Robert
& Tami Dixon
Reader this week
Alan Willhite
Nursery
Erica Steib
Dates to
Remember
December
9-16 Labyrinth Available 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
December 10 Pastor’s Sabbath
December 11 Church Office Hours 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
December 11 Ad Council 7:00
PM
December 12 Taize Service 6:00 PM
December 13 Choir Rehearsal 6:30 PM
December 15 SHARE 8:00
AM
UMM-Meeting 9:00 AM
Coffee and
Donuts 9:30
AM
Volunteers for Next Sunday
Greeters & Ushers Randy &
Jane Craig
Reader
Jane Craig
Nursery
Replacement Needed
Matthew 3:1-12
The Proclamation of John the Baptist
In those days John
the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one
of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.” ’
Now
John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and
his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all
Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were
baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with* the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’
Points to Ponder
- What
are the characteristics of stones?
- What
is a stone used for?
- Why
would God want to transform stones?
- How
does god transform us?
.
Daily
Prayer
Please use this guided prayer as a way to pray daily for
the whole world.
Together, let us pray
For the people of this congregation…
For those who suffer and those in trouble…
For the concerns of this local community…
For the world, it’s peoples, and it’s leaders…
For the Church universal – it’s leaders, it’s members, and
it’s mission…
In communion with the saints…Amen