-We Gather-

-Lessons and Carols-

6. JOSEPH’S DREAM
Matthew 1:18-25
Chuck

1. GOD BLESSES CREATION Gil

CALL TO WORSHIP Mitchell CAROL O Little Town of Bethlehem 230
Genesis 1:26-27, 31
The world is on the edge, taut with expectation.
Breathless with imminence, caught up in anticipation. CAROL People, Look East 202
7. JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM Dawn
Something is going to change. Some thing . . . Luke 2:1-7
Something hovers just out of sight, beyond our imagining-
Beyond our dreaming, beyond our hoping; 2. THE BIRTH FORETOLD Kathy
CAROL Away in a Manger 217
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
God moves, (Molly Parker will offer the first verse in ASL; we’ll sing verses 2 and 3.)
and we are on the brink of the incredible. CAROL Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming 216
Come, Emmanuel, come.
8. LUKE’S NATIVITY Mitchell
Luke 2:8-19
CAROL O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 211 v.1,2,6,7 3. THE PEACEABLE KINGDOM David
Isaiah 11:1-4a; 6-9
CAROL What Child Is This 219
CANDLE LIGHTING Chloe
CAROL It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 218
I cannot tell you how the light comes. SILENT PRAYER Eve
What I know is that it is more ancient than imagining. “But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.”
That it travels across an astounding expanse to reach us.
4. A PROMISE MADE TO BETHLEHEM Judy What are you silently pondering and treasuring
That it loves searching out what is hidden, what is lost,

Micah 5:2-4
what is forgotten or in peril or in pain. in your heart tonight, on the threshold of Christmas?
That it has a fondness for the body, for finding its way toward flesh,
 What will you bring to the birth? What will you leave behind?
CAROL God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen 3052
for tracing the edges of form, for shining forth through the eye,

the hand, the heart. And so we take the ragged fragments,
We welcome the light. the patches of darkness

5. THE ANNUNCIATION Heidi that give shape to the light;

I cannot tell you how the light comes, but that it does.
 Luke 1:26-38 the scraps of desires

That it will. That it works its way into the deepest dark

unslaked or realized;

that enfolds you, though it may seem long ages in coming
 READING Annunciation Dyani the memories of spaces

or arrive in a shape you did not foresee.
Even if I don’t see it again—nor ever feel it of blessing, of pain.
We welcome the light.
I know it is—and that if once it hailed me And so we gather the scattered pieces
And so may we this day turn ourselves toward it.
We welcome the light. it ever does— the hopes we carry

May we lift our faces to let it find us. fractured or whole;

And so it is myself I want to turn in that direction the struggles of birthing

We welcome the light. 

May we bend our bodies to follow the arc it makes. not as towards a place, but it was a tilting exhausted, elated;

We welcome the light. within myself, the places of welcome

that bring healing and life.
May we open and open more as one turns a mirror to flash the light to where
and open more still And so we lay them at the threshold, God;
it isn’t—I was blinded like that—and swam
to the blessed light in what shone at me bid you hold them, bless them, use them;

that comes. Jan Richardson. janrichardson.com ask you tend them, mend them,

only able to endure it by being no one and so transform them

CHOIR Our Gift for You Estes specifically myself I thought I’d die to keep us warm,

make us whole,
from being loved like that. Marie Howe
and send us forth. Jan Richardson
9. MYSTERY OF INCARNATION John 1:1-5, 14 Thank you for worshiping with us tonight!

A Candle Light
If this was your first time at Essex UMC, we hope tonight gave you a
MUSIC Thankful Dana & Kathryn glimpse of who we are. We’re not an institution with lots of glitz or all
the answers; we’re a community exploring the questions of Christian

-We Are Sent-

faith together; we’re people learning to live out the questions in love
and service to the world.
Service of
MAKING A CIRCLE; LIGHTING OUR CANDLES We worship on Sunday at 10:00 am. Lessons and Carols
Child care and Sunday school are available.
CAROL Silent Night v. 1-3
Silent night, holy night! We are not taking a formal offering tonight, but there are offering
All is calm, all is bright plates in the back of the sanctuary if you’d like to make a donation.
round yon virgin mother and child. Tonight’s offering will be shared between Meals on Wheels and the
Holy Infant, so tender and mild, Pastor’s Relief Fund.
sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight;
glories stream from heaven afar,
heav'nly hosts sing, alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born!

Silent night, holy night!

Son of God, love's pure light
radiant beams from your holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at your birth, Jesus, Lord, at your birth.

BENEDICTION Mitchell
A small light you may be,
but be a light nonetheless.
Be an Advent candle,
a living sign of the coming of Christ,
shining with Christ's grace.
Let yourself become transparent
to the glory of God.
Let all that you do tonight be light.
Someone walking in deep darkness Essex Center United Methodist Church

will see, and give thanks. www.essexumc.com [email protected] tel. 878-8304

Sliman Mansour 
POSTLUDE Ministers: the entire congregation Lay Leader: Joshua Knox
Equipping Pastor: Rev. Mitchell Hay
OUTSIDE Launching Our Light home tel. 878-3778 (feel free to call) [email protected]
Office Manager: Heidi Evans
Essex Center
Organist: Kathryn Parker Pianists: June Packard, Ellie Uckele
United Methodist Church
z Djembe: Barbara Lemmel Guitar: Richard Randazzo
Song Leader: Dana Thomas Projection: Sam Evans Christmas Eve 2017 6:00 pm