ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING:
Advent 3
All sing: VU 7 “Hope is a star” verse 3
Joy is a song that welcomes the dawn,
telling the world that the Saviour is born.
When God is a child there's joy in our song.
The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,
and none shall be afraid.

On this third Sunday of Advent, we come with joy as a community of faith.
We watch, we wait, we wonder.
May we bask in the joyful moments that are ours when we take time to notice joy-in the beauty of nature, in the beauty of a single snowflake with its intricate, always-unique pattern, or in the many snowflakes that comprise the softly falling snow, or in the play and laughter of children.
We embrace joy as we anticipate the birth of Jesus, Mary's new boy.
As we light the third candle in our wreath, we take a moment to breathe in the Spirit of joy.

1. CALL TO WORSHIP:
Joy, in the midst of sadness-is such a thing possible?
We come weary but full of hope that this is true, full of love for one another and God.
Joy, even when things are hard, this joy we seek today.
Let us gather from the four winds seeking God-with-Us.
Let us pray for Emmanuel, for joy, for wisdom to find those glimmers of joy like stars in the night sky.
     Used with permission from Gathering: ACE 2024-2025; Whitney Bruno

3. OPENING PRAYER:
Holy and loving God, as we wait for your son, Jesus, to be born into our world again, help us get ready. Help us get ready to receive true hope, true peace, true joy, and true love. Then with these filling our hearts and souls, may your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
     Used with permission from Gathering: ACE 2024-2025;Sandra Jenkinson

4. HYMN: “Herald! Sound the Note of Gladness” VU 28
1.  Herald! Sound the note of gladness!
Tell the news that Christ is here;
make a pathway through the desert
for the one who brings God near.
Refrain:  Sound the trumpet!
Tell the message!
Christ the Saving One has come!

2.  Herald! Sound the note of judgement,
warning us of right and wrong,
turning us from sin and sadness,
till once more we sing the song.   Refrain

3.  Herald! Sound the note of pardon
! Those repenting are forgiven;
God receives these wayward children,
and to all new life is given. Refrain

4.  Herald! Sound the note of triumph!
Christ has come to share our life,
bringing God's own love and power,
granting victory in our strife.  Refrain

5. PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION:
Holy One, open our ears to receive your word. Open our hearts to receive your presence. And open our hands to do your work in the world. Amen.
     From the Abingdon Worship Annual 2024.
     Copyright @2023 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission

6. SCRIPTURE LESSON:
Zephaniah 3:  14 - 20
A Song of Celebration
14 Everyone in Jerusalem and Judah, celebrate and shout with all your heart!
15 Zion, your punishment is over. The LORD has forced your enemies to turn and retreat. Your LORD is King of Israel and stands at your side; you don't have to worry about any more troubles. 16 Jerusalem, the time is coming, when it will be said to you:“Don't be discouraged or grow weak from fear! 17 The LORD your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.”[a]
The LORD's Promise to His People
18 The LORD has promised: Your sorrow has ended, and you can celebrate.[b]
19 I will punish those who mistreat you. I will bring together the lame and the outcasts, then they will be praised, instead of despised, in every country on earth.
20 I will lead you home, and with your own eyes you will see me bless you with all you once owned. Then you will be famous everywhere on this earth. I, the LORD, have spoken!

Responsive Reading  Isaiah 12: 2 - 6  VU page 880
REFRAIN: “Proclaim god's marvelous deeds to all the nations.”

I will praise you, O GOD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away, and you comforted me.
2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid,
for you GOD, are my strength and might; you show yourself my saviour.  REFRAIN

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Give thanks and call on God's name;
make known God's deeds among the nations;
proclaim that God's name is exalted.
5 Sing praises to God, whose work is glorious; let it be known in all the earth.
6 Shout for joy, you who dwell in Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is majestic among you.  REFRAIN

7.  REFLECTION

8.  HYMN “Hail to God's Own Anointed” VU 30
1.  Hail to God's own anointed, great David's greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed, God's reign on earth begun!
Christ comes to break oppression, to set the captive free,
to take away transgression, and rule in equity.

2.  Christ comes with justice surely to those who suffer wrong,
to help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong,
to give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying, are precious in his sight.

3.  Christ shall come down like showers upon the fruitful earth,
and love, joy, hope, like flowers, spring in his path to birth.
Before him on the mountains shall peace the herald go,
and righteousness in fountains from hill to valley flow.

4.  To him shall prayer unceasing and daily vows ascend,
his kingdom still increasing, a kingdom without end.
The tide of time shall never his covenant remove.
His name shall stand for ever: that name to us is Love.

9.  SCRIPTURE LESSON:
Philippians 4: 4 - 7
4 Rejoice[a] in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.[b] 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Gospel of Luke 3: 7 - 18
7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin 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. 9 Even now the ax 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.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do? ”11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,[a] 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

10.  REFLECTION

11. HYMN: “All Earth is Waiting” VU 5
1.  All earth is waiting to see the Promised One,
and open furrows await the seed of God.
All the world, bound and struggling, seeks true liberty;
it cries out for justice and searches for the truth.

2.  Thus says the prophet to those of Israel,
'A virgin mother will bear Emmanuel.'
One whose name is 'God with us', our Saviour shall be,
through whom hope will blossom once more within our hearts.

3.  Mountains and valleys will have to be made plain,
open new highways, new highways for our God,
who is now coming closer, so come all and see,
and open the doorways as wide as wide can be.

4.  In lowly stable the Promised One appeared.
Yet, feel that presence throughout the earth today,
for Christ lives in all Christians and is with us now;
again, on arriving, Christ brings us liberty.

12. PRAYER OF YEARNING:
Merciful God, it can be hard to follow your ways. We want to hold on to what we have. We want to mind our own business and ignore the needs of others. We want to follow the ways of the world and not your ways. Remind us that you offer us forgiveness and bring healing and redemption into our lives. Help us turn to you once again, that we may receive the good news of your endless love and grace. Amen.
     From the Abingdon Worship Annual 2024.
     Copyright @2023 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission

13. WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
God hears our prayers and offers us forgiveness. In the name of Christ, you are forgiven.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
     From the Abingdon Worship Annual 2024.
     Copyright @2023 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission

14. SUNG RESPONSE: “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” VU 2
1.  Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free:
from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee

15.  Affirmation of Faith: “The Nicene Creed” VU 920
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
in accordance with the Scriptures;
On the third day he rose again
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son
is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

17.OFFERTORY: “Away in the Manger”  Tune VU 69 Gathering ACE 2009-10 Gord Waldie
O Christmas is coming, the season is here
Of folks buying presents for friends far and near.
To you God incarnate, our gifts now we bring.
We lay them before you while praises we sing.

18.  OFFERING PRAYER:
So often, when we present our offerings to you, O God, we do so out of a sense of duty and of responsibility. On this Sunday of joy, however, we want to celebrate how you bless us each day. By sharing our abundance-no matter how insignificant it may seem to us-our spirits dance in celebration of how your purpose, through what we give, changes lives. Bless us by changing our lives too, in Jesus' name. Amen.
     Used with permission from Gathering ACE 2024/25; Gord Dunbar

19. PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND LORD'S PRAYER

20. HAND BELL CHOIR: “Little Drummer Boy” arranged by Martha Lynn Thompson

21.  BLESSING:
We have prayed that God's kingdom will come.
May this prayer bring us hope in this week.
We have prayed that we will be empowered to act on God's will as it is enacted in heaven.
May this prayer carry us in hope in this week.
We have held the world in prayer.
May these prayers encourage us to work for hope throughout this week.
We have received words of promise: “I am with you.”
May these words empower us to live in hope this week, for the sake of God's kingdom, in the memory of Christ, for the good of the world. Amen.
     Used with permission from Gathering A/C.E 2024/25; Heather Sandiland

22. THREE FOLD AMEN.

23.  HAND BELL CHOIR:  “We wish you a Merry Christmas”

Next Sunday:  Fourth Sunday of Advent
        December 22, 2024:
         Micah 5:2-5a;  Psalm 80:1-7;
         Hebrews 10:5-10;  Luke 1:39-45, (46-55).

1. SATURDAY, December 14, 2024  “CHRISTMAS TEA AND BAKE SALE”   2:00 - 4:00 PM   Admission: $5.00  Wesley Hall  ALL ARE WELCOME!
   [For full details view poster on the “HAPPENINGS” tab]


2. SUNDAY, December 15, 2024  “Third Sunday of Advent (JOY)”  10:45 AM   Rev. Jo-Ann Hills  “REFLECTIONS”    EVERYONE WELCOME!


3. SUNDAY, December 15, 2024  “SUNDAY BRUNCH”   11:30 AM - 1:00 PM   ALL ARE WELCOME!


4. TUESDAY, December 17, 2024   BIBLE STUDY  10:00 AM  Board Room  ALL ARE WELCOME


5. TUESDAY, December 17, 2024  “CAROL FESTIVAL”  7:00 PM  Sanctuary  ALL ARE WELCOME
   Proceeds to Battlefords District Food & Resource Centre
   [ For full details view poster on the “HAPPENINGS” tab]


6. SUNDAY, December 22, 2024  “Fourth Sunday of Advent”  10:45 AM   Rev. Jo-Ann Hills  “REFLECTIONS”    EVERYONE WELCOME!


7. TUESDAY, December 24, 2024  “CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE”   7:00 PM   ALL ARE WELCOME!


8. SUNDAY, December 29, 2024  “AGAPE NEW YEAR SERVICE”  Pot Luck Lunch in Wesley Hall  ALL ARE WELCOME!


9. SUNDAY, January 19, 2025  “SUNDAY BRUNCH”   11:30 AM - 1:00 PM   ALL ARE WELCOME!