December 7, 2025

Dec 5

Written By Heath Nettles

Second Sunday of Advent | A Service of Lessons & Carols

December 7, 2025 | Lesssons & Carols Livestream Worship Online Bulletin

Welcome

Rev. Kelly Dotson

*GLORIA PATRI Glory Be to the Father UMH#70

Lighting of the Advent Wreath Candles

Barbara Dick and Paula Dempsey

We light this candle as a sign of peace. May it remind us that the Prince of Peace is always near, inviting us to be peacemakers in our world.

Hymn

People, Look East UMH#202

An Advent Services of Lessons & Carols

Brooks Gibson, Narrator:

As for you, Bethlehem, though you are the least significant of Judah’s forces, one who will be a ruler in Israel on my behalf will come out from you. His origin is from remote times. Therefore, he will give them up until the time when she, who is in labor, gives birth. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. They will dwell securely because he will indeed become great throughout the earth; he will become one of peace. The Word of the Lord…

All: Thanks be to God.

Narrator: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. Everything came into being through him, and nothing came without him.

All: What came into being in him was life, which was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.

Narrator: The Word of the Lord…

All: Thank be to God.

Narrator: The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill my gracious promise with the people of Israel and Judah. I will raise a righteous branch from David’s line who will do what is just and right in the land.

All: Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live safely. He will be called: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.

Narrator: Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. She entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. With a loud voice, she blurted out, “God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry. Why do I have this honor that the mother of my Lord should come to me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.

All: Happy is she who believed the Lord would fulfill his promises to her.”

Narrator: The Word of the Lord…

All: Thanks be to God.

Anthem Word Made Flesh to Dwell Among Us Carl F. Schalk

Amanda McLeod, solo

Narrator: And Mary said,

Women: “With all my heart, I glorify the Lord!
In the depths of who I am, I rejoice in God, my Savior.
He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored
because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.

Narrator: He shows mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors him as God.

Men:He has shown strength with his arm.
He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.
He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.

All: He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed.

Narrator: He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, just as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.”

All: Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.

Narrator: The Word of the Lord…

All: Thanks be to God.

Anthem Infant Holy arr. Alan Bullard

Narrator: Look, I am sending my messenger who will clear the path before me; suddenly, the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you take delight is coming, says the Lord of heavenly forces.

Women: Who can endure the day of his coming?

Who can withstand his appearance?

Men: They will belong to the Lord, presenting a righteous offering.

Narrator: “Bless the Lord God of Israel because he has come to help and has delivered his people.”

All: He has raised up a mighty Savior for us in his servant, David’s house, just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago.

Narrator:He has brought salvation from our enemies and from the power of all those who hate us.

All: He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and remembered his holy covenant, the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham.

Narrator: He has granted that we would be rescued from the power of our enemies so that we could serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes, for as long as we live.

Women: You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.

Men: You will tell his people how to be saved through the forgiveness of their sins.

Women:Because of our God’s deep compassion, the dawn from heaven will break upon us,

Men: to give light to those who are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death,

All: to guide us on the path of peace.”

Narrator: A man named John was sent from God. The Word of the Lord…

All: Thanks be to God.

Anthem We Three Kings of Orient Are arr. Tony Alonso

Zeke Andrews, Brandon Bussey, Jacob Bailey, soloists

Narrator:The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them, light has shined. You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest. You have broken the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named

All: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Narrator: The Word of the Lord…

All: Thanks be to God.

Anthem Still, Still, Still arr. Zack Stachowski

Narrator: In those days, Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax. Everyone went to their own cities to enroll. Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. He went to be enrolled with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the guestroom. The Word of the Lord…

All: Thanks be to God.

*Hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel UMH#211
Please sing stanzas 1, 2, 5, 7

Narrator: Nearby, shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified.

Women: The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you, wonderful, joyous news for all people.

Men: Your Savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord.

All: This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.”

Narrator: The Word of the Lord…

All: Thanks be to God.

*Hymn Away in a Manger UMH#217

Narrator:And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly host, praising God and saying,

All: “Glory to God in the Highest heaven, and peace to all on Earth!

Narrator: When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” They quickly found Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.

All: When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told.

Narrator: The Word of the Lord…

All: Thanks be to God.

Solo O, Holy Night Adolphe Adam
Jacob Bailey

Narrator: The grace of God has appeared,

All: Bringing salvation to all people.

Narrator: It educates us to live sensible, ethical, and upright lives right now by rejecting ungodly ideas and the desires of this world.

All: At the same time, we wait for the blessed hope and the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Narrator: He gave himself for us to rescue us from every kind of lawless behavior and cleanse a special people for himself who are eager to do good actions.

Choir: Talk about these things!

Narrator: But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

All: He poured this Spirit on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Narrator: The Word of the Lord…

All: Thanks be to God.

Joys, Concerns, and Prayers with the Lord’s Prayer for Advent

Holy One,
Maker of the dawn and Keeper of every waiting heart,
your presence draws near in ways gentle and surprising.
Your kin-dom comes among us like light that grows,
like hope that refuses to be extinguished.

Let your dreams for the world take root in us—
dreams of justice, mercy, and shared bread;
dreams where every child is cherished,
and every elder is honored; where the hungry are filled,
and the weary can finally rest.

Give us what we need for this day—
enough courage to show up with honesty,
enough compassion to love our neighbor,
enough strength to take the next faithful step.

Forgive us when fear closes our fists or hardens our hearts;
heal the harm we’ve done,
and soften us to offer grace to those who wound us,
as freely as you have offered grace to us.

Guide our feet away from the paths
that lead to despair, violence, or indifference.
Make straight the highways of our hearts
that Christ may enter in.
Deliver us from all that steals our joy
and all that dims your light within us.

For your kin-dom is breaking in—
a kin-dom of hope, peace, joy, and love—
now and forever.
Amen.

Blessing of the Tithes and Offerings

What can I give him poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part.
Yet what I can give him: give my heart.

Blessing and sharing the Light of Christ to the World

Postlude

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing arr. Cathy Moklebust
The Handbell Choir