Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Leader: Advent is a season of waiting - and sometimes, waiting lasts longer than we expect. Last week, we waited apart, yet God’s promise did not pause, and God’s presence did not withdraw.
People: God has been faithful in our waiting. God’s light has continued to shine.
Leader: Today we gather again to proclaim the good news: God’s presence brings life. We remember the joy God offers freely and the love God makes known among us.
People: Joy is God’s gift to weary hearts. Love is God’s life shared with the world.
Leader: We light the candle of Joy, remembering God’s invitation to come, to delight, and to live in the abundance of grace.
(Light the third candle.)
People: Joy is not something we achieve; it is something we receive.
Leader: We also light the candle of Love, celebrating the Word made flesh, the Light that shines in the darkness, and the grace that moves into our lives.
(Light the fourth candle.)
People: Love is not distant or abstract. Love dwells among us.
Leader: Together these lights remind us: Joy and love are not delayed by distance, not extinguished by storms, and not overcome by darkness.
People: The light shines, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Leader: As we worship, may joy rise within us, may love take root among us, and may we welcome Christ, who comes to bring life to all.
People: Come, Lord Jesus. Dwell among us with joy and love.
Opening Hymn
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel UMH 211
Prayer of Confession
God of love made flesh, we confess that we do not always recognize your presence among us. We look for you in power and certainty, while you come to us in humility and grace.
We turn away from the Light and choose paths shaped by fear, distraction, and self-interest. We fail to love our neighbors fully and struggle to receive your love for ourselves.
Yet still, you come. Hear now the silent confessions of our hearts as we seek your mercy…
— silence —
Amen.
Words of Assurance
Leader: Hear the good news: The Word became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth. In Jesus Christ, love has drawn near, and you are forgiven.
People: Thanks be to God, whose love dwells among us.
Passing of the Peace
First Reading:
John 1:1-18
Sermon:
God Moves Into the Neighborhood by Pastor Kevin Rutledge
Hymn of Response
In the Bleak Midwinter UMH 221
Tithes and Offerings
Offertory Response
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow UMH 95
Offertory Prayer
God of incarnate love, we thank you for the Word made flesh, for the Light that shines in the darkness, and for the grace and truth you pour into our lives.
Moved by your love, we offer these gifts, and we offer our hands and hearts to join in your work of reconciliation and mercy. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer and Lord's Prayer
Announcements
Closing Hymn
Love Came Down at Christmas UMH 242
Why This Song:
Though often sung at Christmas, it fits Advent 4 beautifully with John 1 — love not as sentiment, but as incarnation.
Benediction
Said Each Week as A Communal Prayer:
Send to us all the people who feel unwanted and unloved in other places, and if they can't come to us, send us to them.
Postlude