DisciplesNet Worship #280 Advent 3: “Joy in Darkness” (Borschel, 12.13.2015)
To watch this worship service on YouTube, click here.
From Rev. Deb Phelps: While beginning to preach this week's sermon, the third Sunday of Advent, I asked listeners to reflect upon persons in their lives whose lives seemed to radiate God's joy, even amidst sorrow, grief, and trouble. My mind went to our DisciplesNet colleague Rev. Dr. Audrey Borschel. She helped launch DisciplesNet Church, volunteering to work with us despite being in recovery from breast and bone cancer, recent brain surgery, and continuing chemotherapy to slow down the cancer. She knew her time was short but chose to give what she could to our DisciplesNet viewers, especially knowing that some may be experiencing some similar challenges.
Audrey loved to preach the "Joy" sermon for advent, and she did so our first three years. Complications of cancer finally took her life in April of 2014, and we miss her greatly. As I thought of Audrey's joyfulness that she loved to share, I realized that the sermon I would like to share this Advent would be from her own. So for our sermon today, we have a repeat of Rev. Borschel's sermon from 2012, For Prophets Now and Then, and Audrey's gift of song as well.
It is our prayer that you will be blessed by this message, and will find ways to share God's joy in the world around you.
Worship this week is 28 minutes. As we do every week, our time together includes a time of communion (breaking of the bread) where you may choose to participate, or simply meditate as we tell of Jesus' invitation to "do this in remembrance of me."
If you would like to share with us at the table that goes beyond all earthly boundaries of time, place, and structure, we ask that you prepare a piece of bread of some type and a drink, such as grape juice, wine, or water. As we pray, our prayers are given to extend to where you are If you are unable to eat or drink, you may want to use a symbolic gesture or mental symbol as you come together at this table of remembrance with us. (Scroll down for an Order of Worship)
We hope that as you join us for worship you will feel a blessing from being part. Please tell friends, family, and others you know about our online church that is here with doors that are always open, walls as wide as the world, and always room at the table.
ORDER OF WORSHIP:
1. Opening music, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," Ted Yoder, hammered dulcimer
2. Welcome: Russ Smith, with 3-part Litany (please choose a part if you'd like to read along. From Isaiah 12:2-6, Zephaniah 3:14-20, Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV), refrain: "Rejoice!" from "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"
3. Opening hymn: “One Candle is Lit”
4. Prayer: Bob Shaw
5. Song: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" Brian Keith Wallen, with Dean Phelps and Holly Garrett
6. Scripture: Luke 3:7-18 (NRSV), Susan McNeely
7. Message: Audrey Borschel (recorded December 2012)
8. Hymn: "Let Us Walk in the Light of Our God"
9: Communion: Susan McNeely
10.Hymn: "I Come With Joy"
11.Benediction: "Audrey Borschel"
If you would like to chat with one of our pastors, including talking more about belief in God, becoming a Christian or following Christ, or living as a disciple of Christ, please email us at pastor@disciplesnet.org, or contact us using the contact information on our website, www.disciplesnet.org, or our Facebook page, DisciplesNet Church.
Invitation to Giving:
DisciplesNet Church is a not-for-profit church that exists to cross barriers and boundaries to share the Good News of God's redeeming love. We rely on the gifts of our online viewers as we continue to grow and extend our nets around the world.
We have a giving page on our website, disciplesnet.org. And emailing address is: giving@disciplesnet.org
We also have a way of recognizing gifts in honor or memory of some person or event special to you. On our Giving Page, we have a special place to designate memorial gifts and we will send recognition of the gift to the giver or someone else whom you designate.
Please share this video around if you'd like. Hope to see you back next week. God bless you, and thank you for joining us!