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PRAISE SONGS “Unto Us A Child Is Born” Unto us a child is born,
King of all creation: Cradled in a stall was He, the Lord of every
nation, The Lord of every nation.
Cradled in a stall was he with sleepy cows and asses; But the
very beasts could see that He all men surpasses. That He all men
surpasses.
Herod then with fear was filled:'a prince', he said, 'In Jewry!
' All little boys be killed at Bethl'em in his fury. At Bethl'em in
his fury.
Now may Mary's Son, who came so long ago to love us, Lead us all
with hearts aflame unto the joys above us. Unto the joys above
us.
Omega and Alpha He! Let the organ thunder, While the choir with
peals of glee doth rend the air asunder Doth rend the air asunder
Translation, English: Dearmer, Percy (1867-1936) © Oxford
University Press, London “Away in a manger”
“While Shepherds Watched Their Flock By Night” While shepherds
watched their flocks by night all seated on the ground The angel of
the Lord came down and glory shone around
To you in David's town this day is born of David's line The
Saviour who is Christ the Lord and this shall be the sign
The heavenly babe you there shall find to human view displayed
All meanly wrapped in swaddling bands and in a manger laid
All glory be to God on high and to the earth be peace, Goodwill
hence forth from heaven to men Begin and never cease
CCLI Song No. 32008 © Public Domain, George Frideric Handel,
Nahum Tate, All rights Reserved. www.ccli.com, CCLI License No.
2246914
“Away In A Manger” Away in a manger, no crib for a bed The
little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head The stars in the bright
sky looked down where He lay The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the
hay
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes But little Lord Jesus no
crying He makes I love Thee Lord Jesus, look down from the sky And
stay by my side until morning is nigh
Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever
snd love me I pray Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there CCLI Song No. 322031
© Public Domain, John Thomas McFarland, Martin Luther, William
James Kirkpatrick, All rights Reserved. www.ccli.com, CCLI License
No. 2246914
ANNOUNCEMENTS PRAISE SONG “Go Tell It On The Mountain”
http://www.ccli.comhttp://www.ccli.com
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THE CANDLE OF JOY Joy is hard Is there really a smile behind the
mask? How do you celebrate when others are hurting Or when they are
struggling to make ends meet? Where is there room for laughter when
grief preoccupies us? Joy is hard… …but sorrow is even harder… So
we light a wee flame that is not hidden by bushel or mask… …whose
tentative heat thaws our hearts and opens us to the possibility of
joy …that will help us not to take our ourselves so seriously that
we can’t laugh CANDLE SONG “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
CCLI Song No. 611852, 1989 Hope Publishing Company, Brian Wren,
Joan Collier Fogg, www.ccli.com, CCLI License No. 2246914
WE PRAY THE LORD’S PRAYER Our Father, who art in heaven Hallowed
be Thy name. Thy kingdom come Thy will be done, on earth as it is
in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our
debts as we forgive our debtors And lead us not into temptation but
deliver us from evil For Thine is the kingdom The power and the
glory Forever and ever Amen
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WE SING “The First Nowell” The first Nowell the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay In fields where
they lay keeping their sheep On a cold winter's night that was so
deep
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell Born is the King of Israel
They looked up and saw a star Shining in the east beyond them
far And to the earth it gave great light And so it continued both
day and night
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell Born is the King of Israel
And by the light of that same star Three wise men came from
country far To seek for a king was their intent And to follow the
star wherever it went
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell Born is the King of Israel
This star drew nigh to the north-west O'er Bethlehem it took its
rest And there it did both stop and stay Right over the place where
Jesus lay
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell Born is the King of Israel
Then entered in those wise men three Full reverently upon their
knee And offered there in His presence Their gold and myrrh and
frankincense
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell Born is the King of Israel
Then let us all with one accord Sing praises to our heavenly
Lord That hath made heaven and earth of naught And with His blood
mankind hath brought
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell Born is the King of Israel
CCLI Song No. 2804206 © Public Domain, www.ccli.com, CCLI
License No. 2246914 SPECIAL MUSIC CHILDREN’S TIME
http://www.ccli.com
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GOD’S WORD Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD
is on me, Because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to
the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim
freedom for the captives And release from darkness for the
prisoners, To proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour and the day of
vengeance of our God To comfort all who mourn, and provide for
those who grieve in Zion— To bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes, The oil of joy instead of mourning, And a garment
of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks
of righteousness, A planting of the LORD for the display of his
splendour. They will rebuild the ancient ruins And restore the
places long devastated; They will renew the ruined cities That have
been devastated for generations. “For I, the LORD, love justice; I
hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my
people And make an everlasting covenant with them. Their
descendants will be known among the nations And their offspring
among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge That they are
a people the LORD has blessed.” I delight greatly in the LORD; my
soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of
salvation And arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, As a
bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, And as a bride adorns
herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up
And a garden causes seeds to grow, So the Sovereign LORD will make
righteousness And praise spring up before all nations.
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GOD’S WORD Luke 1:46b-55 Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, For he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations
will call me blessed, For the Mighty One has done great things for
me Holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him From
generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his
arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones But has lifted up the
humble. He has filled the hungry with good things But has sent the
rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel Remembering to be
merciful To Abraham and his descendants forever Just as he promised
our ancestors.” WE SING “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” 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 Israel's strength and
consolation Hope of all the earth Thou art Dear desire of every
nation Joy of every longing heart
Born Thy people to deliver Born a child and yet a King Born to
reign in us forever Now Thy gracious kingdom bring By Thine own
eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone By Thine all-sufficient
merit Raise us to Thy glorious throne
CCLI Song No. 31999 © Public Domain, Charles Wesley, Rowland
Hugh Prichard, All rights Reserved. www.ccli.com, CCLI License No.
2246914
http://www.songtouch.com
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MESSAGE “Joy Is Hard” Hanukkah
…Festival Of Lights …Miracle of eight days of oil
…courage of Judah/Maccabees rebelling against the Greeks in
200BC …light in the darkness (of winter)
…not Biblical… …but very important to Jewish people
…food, family, fun (Sufganiyot, Latkes) Slides
Joyful time Not the Jewish equivalent Christmas…
…other than the celebration, family and fun part Sharing it
because it falls around Christmas time…
…because it’s probably as big as Christmas in the Jewish
Calendar …and because there are background elements similar to what
we value
For instance, we need only look at the Menorah… …and the light
it produces
Light overcomes darkness… …miracle of the 8 days worth of
oil…
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We also celebrate light overcoming darkness… …not just with the
Advent candles we light every Sunday…
…but also in Jesus Christ Hanukkah also represents resistance to
evil…
…in this case, the Greeks that were attacking the nation of
Israel… …even destroying their Temple
The Maccabees resisted the Greeks and stood up for the Jewish
people We do the same thing…
…resisting the forces fighting against God’s goodness and truth…
…and striving for God’s justice not just about “our own”…
…but for all humanity More generally, we share the prophetic
wisdom that defines God’s justice…
…and helps us understand God is not being Jewish or Christian…
…but the one who loves and seeks the best fo all humanity
Or course, there’s the whole “celebration, food and family”
thing… …and that’s what I’d like to focus on…
…not simply in terms of joy… …but in terms of justice
The Maccabees fighting the Greeks were familiar with Isaiah’s
prophecy It would have been part of their growing up…
…just as many of us are familiar with the Gospels and grew up
with them The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, Because the
LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor He has sent
me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim freedom for the
captives And release from darkness for the prisoners
I realize that I might sound a bit repetitive with this whole
justice thing… …but it’s a recurring them throughout the Bible…
…so there’s no real getting away with it In fact, today’s Gospel
reading is an important prophetic moment…
…although it comes from a source you might not expect Oh, sure,
you’re all familiar with the four prophets Luke mentions…
…Zechariah, Elizabeth, Anna and Simeon… …or at least they should
sound somewhat familiar in Jesus’ birth story
…because they all informed both Mary and Jesus’ role in God’s
plan …but they weren’t the only prophetic voice who spoke about
Jesus
Mary herself spoke directly to why Jesus came… …sharing the same
concept of Justice that prophets like Isaiah did
That’s right The same Mary we usually think of being as almost
childlike…
…that same virgin Mary we associate with innocence… …and maybe
even humble submission…
…was more than just the mother of God’s own Son
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It’s easy to romanticize her… …to see her through rose coloured
glasses because of her blessing…
…to worry about her given in youth and inexperience …but that
would be a mistake
Mary wasn’t a simple, innocent, submissive teenager She was a
prophet who realized fully who Jesus was…
…and understood exactly what He was all about Armed with this
knowledge, she celebrated with a powerful song
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my
Saviour …and in those words reveals her deep insight
She calls God her Saviour Mary the prophet speaks in poetry that
is inspired by God…
…not just directed to God He has scattered those who are proud
in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their
thrones But has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with
good things But has sent the rich away empty
Mary the prophet was not a simple teenager… …but a force to be
reckoned with
She knows that her baby is part of a greater plan… …not just
because of what the angel told her…
…but because she has been given wisdom and insight into God’s
desire Mary knows that what is happening to her doesn’t matter
immediately It’s not simply a matter of her giving birth to God’s
Son…
…it’s a matter of being part of the fulfilment of God’s vision
for humanity Her vision lines up with previous prophetic visions
They look towards God’s desire for judgment being fulfilled For
prophets like Isaiah, it was an open-ended vision They knew only in
part For Mary the prophet, the vision was of justice being
fulfilled through Jesus…
…and she saw the complete plan that she was helping to bring
about No wonder she offered up this joyful song Like her fellow
Jews, she was waiting for a Saviour…
…believed the promises that God would indeed bring salvation
about… …and then she was told not only that the promised Saviour
was coming…
…but that she was part of that fulfillment of God’s promises
That’s reason for a little bit of worry…
…and a whole lot of rejoicing! We’re on the other side of Mary’s
prophetic vision We’re celebrating Jesus’ birth 2,000 years
ago…
…hence the candle of Joy we lit this morning
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In many ways, however, we’re also on the expectation side of the
story… …because we’re waiting for Jesus to return…
…for the fulfilment of God’s promised salvation of humanity That
means joy might be hard…
…because things aren’t all rosy and perfect Despite Jesus’
fulfilling God’s plan…
…we humans don’t always do our part Tomorrow, thanks to the
dramatic rise in COVID-19 infections…
…we’re returning to Red Zone status… …severely limiting what we
can and can’t do
Those restrictions are being imposed because folks were
careless… …not wearing masks to protect others…
…gathering in groups without concern for the consequences… …some
even defying and challenging the restrictions…
…arguing that businesses were hurting… …and that their rights
were being infringed
Being declared a Red Zone is not a reason for celebration… …and
even without that new imposition on our happiness…
…Joy is hard Is there really a smile behind the mask? How do you
celebrate when others are hurting? Or when they are struggling to
make ends meet? Where is there room for laughter when grief
preoccupies us? Joy is hard…
…but sorrow is even harder Mary could have panicked when she
realized what God asked of her She could have stressed out over
being the mother of God’s Son…
…or over the lack of justice that needed Jesus to come Those
folks threatened by the Greeks could have given up…
…but they chose to resist… …and in the midst of their
darkness…
…they had enough oil to light their Menorah for eight days
Optimistic me: Joy is a choice…
…and for people who believe in God’s promises… …it is the only
one
Jesus reveals to us the full meaning of God’s love… …and that
love gives us reason to celebrate…
…to rejoice that God is our Saviour… …that Jesus is the
fulfillment of God’s promised justice…
…and that we are very much part of God’s justice work in the
world… …helping to be a source of joy…
…even when joy is hard Amen
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WE SING “A Little Child The Saviour Came” A little child the
Saviour came; The mighty God was still his name, And angels
worshipped as he lay The helpless infant of a day Christ Jesus, as
a child, did show The way of life for all to know; Now Christ
proclaims the message free, 'Let little children come to me.'
We bring them, Lord, and, with the sign Of sprinkled water, name
them thine: Their souls with saving grace endow; Baptize them with
thy Spirit now. Oh give thine angels charge, good Lord, Them safely
in thy way to guard; Thy blessing on their lives command, And write
their names upon thy hand.
O thou, who by an infant's tongue Dost hear thy perfect glory
sung; May these, with all the heavenly host, Praise Father, Son and
Holy Ghost. CCLI Song No. 2959120 Words© Public Domain, William
Robertson,vAll rights Reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI License No.
1201084
WE PRAY WE SING “Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming” WE RECEIVE GOD’S
BLESSING May your hope in Christ guide your way through fear May
Christ of peace calm your troubled hearts May the joy of Christ
fill your hearts to overflowing May the love of Christ be felt by
everyone you meet And May Christ Himself be made known through all
you do, say and are