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orship

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Candlelight Service of Love, Joy, Peace & Hope

Material/Suggestions: Four large (wide) candles for lighting placed on communion table, large Family Bible, dimmed lighting. Scripture passages taken
from Bible Gateway online.

Congregation Hymn: appropriate selection of your choice Reader One: Candle Lighting and Reading of Peace (Reader lights first candle before reading Scripture selection) I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the LORD. 2 Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. 4 That is where the tribes go up the tribes of the LORD to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. 5 There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones

of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure. 7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. 8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, Peace be within you. 9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity. (Psalm 122) Congregation: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) Congregation or Special Music: appropriate selection of your choice Reader Two: The Spirit of the Lord (Reader reads from large Bible on the communion table) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.8 The infant will play near the cobras den, and the young child will put its hand into the vipers nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. (Isaiah 11: 1-10) Congregation: Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right
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hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12) Congregation or Special Music: appropriate selection of your choice Reader Three: Candle Lighting and Reading of HOPE (Reader lights second candle before reading Scripture selection) For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of Gods truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.10 Again, it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.11 And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him. (Romans 15: 4-13) Congregation: 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor. 4:16-18) Congregation or Special Music: appropriate selection of your choice Reader Four: Candle Lighting and Reading of JOY (Reader lights third candle before reading Scripture selection)
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And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me holy is his

name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors. (Luke 1:4755) Congregation: The Lord God is in our midst. He is the Mighty One, who will save, and rejoice over us with gladness, He will quiet us with His love as He rejoices over us with singing.(Based on Zephaniah 3:17) Congregation or Special Music: appropriate selection of your choice Reader Five: Candle Lighting and Reading of LOVE (Reader lights fourth candle before reading Scripture selection)
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This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means God with us). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Matt 1:18-25) Congregation: 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (I John 4:9-10)

Congregation or Special Music: appropriate selection of your choice Prayer: Join hands across the congregation as Senior or Worship Pastor gives a closing prayer. Rev. Jeanne McIntosh December 2011. All rights reserved.