A Service of Lessons and Carols
A SERVICE OF LESSONS AND CAROLS
Tripp Carrington, Reader
Beloved in Christ, at this Christmastide let it be our care and delight to hear again the message of the angels, and in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, and the Babe lying in a manger.
FIRST LESSON
Genesis 3:8–15, 17–19
God tells sinful Adam that he has lost the life of Paradise and that his seed will bruise the serpent’s head.
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
And to the man he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
SECOND LESSON
Isaiah 11:1–4a, 6–9
The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown.
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see
or decide by what his ears hear,
but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor
and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
The wolf shall live with the lamb;
the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the lion will feed together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
THIRD LESSON
Luke 1:6–35, 38
The angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
FOURTH LESSON
Luke 2:1-7
St Luke tells of the birth of Jesus.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.
FIFTH LESSON
Luke 2:8–16
The shepherds go to the manger.
Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger.
SIXTH LESSON
Matthew 2:1–12
The wise men are led by the star to Jesus.
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:
‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
SEVENTH LESSON
John 1:1–14
St John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Thanks be to God.
Be an Usher or Children's Volunteer
We need volunteers each week to serve as ushers by greeting worshippers, distributing bulletins, collecting the offering, and clearing the pews after the service. Wendy Jewell is the head of Music & Worship committee, please reach out to serve as an usher or if you have any questions.
Volunteers are also needed to help in the nursery and with children’s chapel. Contact our Director of Children and Youth, Ken Carrington if you would like to help with Sunday or midweek children’s ministry opportunities.
Advent Devotional: Love
"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love."
-Hamilton Wright Mabie
Night after night under the wide night sky, the shepherds probably had a sense of perspective, of how they fit in the world. But when the angels come with their news - and call it good, and say that it's for everyone - it's an invitation to set out and see what is there, and to discover who they are in the presence of what they find.
This is about more than just the shepherds. When they arrive, they tell Mary and Joseph and the baby all that the angels told them. Then the shepherds leave, rejoicing. They've become carriers, bearers of God's good news, and witnesses to it.
Living in a post-birth-of-Christ world, we forget what it must have been like to wait in darkness, wondering if God had forgotten the Jewish people oppressed under Roman rule. There was no sign that God was in a hurry to fulfill the promise made centuries before, the promise that someday there would be one who would rescue them from the shadows of evil. They waited, and waited, and waited, with no sign that God remembered them.
Christ is the reminder that God remembers us.
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!Psalm 22:23-31 NIV
The Message version puts the end of this passage this way (with my own added emphasis):
All the power-mongers are before him
—worshiping!
All the poor and powerless, too
—worshiping!
Along with those who never got it together
—worshiping!
Our children and their children
will get in on this
As the word is passed along
from parent to child.
Babies not yet conceived
will hear the good news—
that God does what he says.
Good news is all around. May we be transformed by it. May we learn to love this world and all people just as we are loved.
With great love,
Jordyn
Devotions this season are inspired by 2020 Advent lessons adapted from Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider and In Light and Darkness published by Illustrated Ministries. You can sign up here to join the church email list to receive special devotionals like this directly.
Sunday Bulletin - Dec. 18
THIS IS GOD'S HOUSE - ALL ARE WELCOME
“Meeting people at their point of need, Inviting all into a dynamic relationship with Christ”
LET US KNOW YOU WORSHIPED WITH US TODAY - If you’re a visitor, online or in person, and would like more information please feel free to fill out a card or email Pastor Cress.
INFORMATION & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Are you looking for a church home where you can make a difference for the God we serve? Where you belong and where you will be known, nurtured, challenged? We welcome you and invite you to spend some time with us.
Second Presbyterian is a church community where you will be known and nurtured. Have a prayer request? Please let us know here. Interested in joining Second? Find more about becoming a member here.
Lessons & Carols Service
Sunday morning worship at 10:30 a.m.
Find upcoming events and announcements here.
SERMON SNAPSHOT: Sunday, December 18, 2022
Dear Friends in Christ –
We have lit candles of Hope, Peace, Joy and this week we light the candle of Love.Our texts are varied as we are led by the choir and Tripp Carrington throughLessons and Carols- the narrative of both testaments to the incarnation, the enfleshment of God. Whoa! The mystery compounds the closer we get!
Let’s lean into the music and the mystery that positions us for the arrival of the Holy. Don’t miss this life giving season!
Trumpet, violin, new members, all celebrating the coming of Hope, Peace, Joy & Love.
In great joy –
Listen to sermon podcasts here. Click here to view all Second Presbyterian Church videos. Find upcoming events and announcements here.
Source: sermons
Confessional Church Symposium
Confessional Church Symposium - January 15th
Mark your calendars for Sunday, January 15th to attend this symposium in the fellowship hall following worship where we will view the PC(U.S.A.) Theoacademy’s presentation of what it means to be a confessional church.
As our world evolved, major events and ideologies challenged our faith and the church soon found it necessary to say more than simply “Jesus is Lord.” These creeds, confessions and catechisms from around the world and over the centuries not only prove that we are reformed, and ever-reforming, but they also clarify and shore up the foundations of the Christian faith we build our lives on. Together we will explore why we use the theological documents that are the first part of our Constitution of the Presbyterian Church as an interpretive key to scripture. Please join us, won’t you?
We are incorporating more creeds, confessions and catechisms, both historic and contemporary, as the statements of faith in our worship services. We hope this deepens our understanding of Presbyterian Reformed traditions, prompts questions and discussions and enriches our faith journey.
Advent Devotional: Joy
If you take the time to listen, you’ll begin to hear the angelic proclamation: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people... a Savior has been born to you.”
- Honest Advent
This is the third week of Advent, which means it’s the second half of the season. Does the fact that we’re inching closer and closer to Christmas spark joyful anticipation for you? Or does the countdown elicit some panic as you think of all that you’d still like to accomplish before the 25th? What brings you joy right now?
Happiness is a lovely thing, but fleeting. That reality can leave people chasing the feeling, stuck in nostalgia, or steeled against the feeling so as not to be left abandoned by it. Happiness is wholly dependent on outside circumstances beyond our control. But joy is the byproduct of transformation, wholly dependent on our inward posture. Feeling joy isn’t required for acknowledging that there is real, genuine joy found in God’s never-changing love for us.
May we enjoy the trappings of the season, but may we not be overcome- or undone- by it. Happiness is not a guaranteed outcome no matter how many presents are under the tree or how well the holiday party goes. We can welcome joy into our lives, even when we may not feel quite ready, deserving, or willing. There is joy simply by entrusting our lives to the God who loves us and cares for us.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:8-12 NIV
We often depend on faith, because it is hard to trust that there is unseen goodness and glory at work. May you be given the eyes to see all the unexpected messengers carrying good news of great joy in the world today. I hope that you find joy in the coming Hope of the World. And that such knowledge instills in you the good news that lights the world.
This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!
With great joy,
Jordyn
Devotions this season are inspired by 2020 Advent lessons adapted from Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider and In Light and Darkness published by Illustrated Ministries. Aspects of the Sunday church service and the book Honest Advent that we used in Thursday night bible study were also referenced this week.
Sunday Bulletin - Dec. 11
THIS IS GOD'S HOUSE - ALL ARE WELCOME
“Meeting people at their point of need, Inviting all into a dynamic relationship with Christ”
LET US KNOW YOU WORSHIPED WITH US TODAY - If you’re a visitor, online or in person, and would like more information please feel free to fill out a card or email Pastor Cress.
INFORMATION & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Are you looking for a church home where you can make a difference for the God we serve? Where you belong and where you will be known, nurtured, challenged? We welcome you and invite you to spend some time with us.
Second Presbyterian is a church community where you will be known and nurtured. Have a prayer request? Please let us know here. Interested in joining Second? Find more about becoming a member here.
"What About Me?"
Sunday morning worship at 10:30 a.m.
Find upcoming events and announcements here.
SERMON SNAPSHOT: Sunday, December 11, 2022
Dear Friends in Christ –
This week we’ll be looking at John the Baptizer again, but rather than the desert wind blowing through his shaggy mane, he breathes the sour air of a prison cave/cell. Herod has tired of his scolding and fears the multitudes that have flocked to John and his message to change tack.
John sends his disciples to Jesus. “Are you the one?” they ask. “Go back and tell him what you see and hear what you hear,” Jesus says, but the list of blessings doesn’t include the release of prisoners. John must be thinking, ‘What about me?’
What is John to do? What are we to do when the answer that comes back doesn’t satisfy? Can we still know joy? (Spoiler: the answer is yes!)
Let’s engage this together - The Pageant! The Dessert Sale! God’s promises this Sunday.
See you in worship!
Listen to sermon podcasts here. Click here to view all Second Presbyterian Church videos. Find upcoming events and announcements here.
Source: sermons
Advent Devotional: Peace
“Grace and truth is the invitation to be seen, and in that seeing to receive the gift of presence not withheld.”
- Scott Erickson, Honest Advent
At one of our Thursday night small groups last year we talked about peace, peacemakers and shalom. We sat out on a porch together imagining what implication a biblical call to peacemaking has on our lives and how that might shape us as a people of shalom. Shalom is a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility. Peace is a hope, a comfort, and a challenge.
Jesus embodied shalom on earth. People saw the glory of God in Jesus and described that wholeness as full of grace and truth. When we recognize ourselves as in need of and also worthy of grace we can extend grace readily. When we recognize truth as something that surpasses our own perspective, we can see things for what they actually are, which allows us to bear witness to the world around us but by continuing to seek truth, we can open ourselves up to other perspectives and point to the truth that is in fact good news to all people.
Jesus showed the world the grace and truth known in God. When we embody the wholeness found in truth that surpasses our own understanding, we can see others in their loving humanity and can offer ourselves in kind. In grace and truth we can see and be seen. We can offer the invitation of presence and come to know the gift of presence not withheld. When we are committed to creating spaces for people to be known and nurtured- when we can allow ourselves to be known and nurtured- the hard and holy work of peace can develop.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John 1:14-18 NIV
May we make peace, with our words and with our actions, that contributes to peace everywhere.
As we prayed on Sunday: Faithful God, you are at work to restore all of creation in its intended harmony. Give us your shalom that we may be reconciled to all enemies in the peace that passes all understanding, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
God of promise, God of hope, into our darkness come.
Shalom,
Jordyn
Devotions this season are inspired by 2020 Advent lessons adapted from Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider and In Light and Darkness published by Illustrated Ministries. Aspects of the Sunday church service and the book Honest Advent that we're using in Thursday night bible study were also referenced this week.
Sunday Bulletin - Dec. 4
THIS IS GOD'S HOUSE - ALL ARE WELCOME
“Meeting people at their point of need, Inviting all into a dynamic relationship with Christ”
LET US KNOW YOU WORSHIPED WITH US TODAY - If you’re a visitor, online or in person, and would like more information please feel free to fill out a card or email Pastor Cress.
INFORMATION & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Are you looking for a church home where you can make a difference for the God we serve? Where you belong and where you will be known, nurtured, challenged? We welcome you and invite you to spend some time with us.
Second Presbyterian is a church community where you will be known and nurtured. Have a prayer request? Please let us know here. Interested in joining Second? Find more about becoming a member here.
A Promise
Sunday morning worship at 10:30 a.m.
Find upcoming events and announcements here.
SERMON SNAPSHOT: Sunday, December 4, 2022
Dear Friends in Christ –
It’s been hard for me to settle into a groove, to find a way into this season of Advent. I know Advent is a prescribed time for waiting, anticipating, perhaps even yearning for what only a miracle can provide – an antidote to the incessant bickering and blame and violence and vulgarity. How sad that it must be necessary to shake us out of our complacency and ennui. Yes, sad that the creatures made in the image of God retreat to, retire to, or are relegated to colorless lives of desperation.
Can’t be jolly when the wild fire’s bearing down on your friend’s home or there’s another provocation from the east or the west to deprive displaced people of dignity, another storm lurking, another genocide, or another charge of sexual misconduct appropriately redrawing the lines of what is cute, funny or demeaning.
So, we need a miracle. We need to be reminded that the God of creation draws near. Come be strengthened. Come be reminded. See you in worship!
In anticipation –
Listen to sermon podcasts here. Click here to view all Second Presbyterian Church videos. Find upcoming events and announcements here.
Source: sermons
Advent Devotional: Hope
“The world feels dim, but glory grows in the dark.”
As a prayer for Advent this year Cole Arthur Riley offers, "the world feels dim, but glory grows in the dark." She reminds us that the glory we are waiting for is not “a God who delights in conquering the earth but who came in tenderness to bring healing and liberation.”
As we begin our journey through this season reminded of what was and is and is to come, we start out in hope.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:4-5 NIV
This Advent, consider the suggestion of John- and Genesis- that “the darkness” is what is, and “the light” is what comes. We are rooted in the first and we await the second, but our lives find meaning through them both.
Darkness can be sacred, offering rest and focus, and it is rife with creative possibility. The people John’s writing to would have experienced the return of light each morning as what made it possible for them to see and navigate the world around them, to know themselves and each other, and to work, learn, and discover. The darkness allows us to see the stars, but is also what offers us the promise of a new sunrise.
Enjoy the expectation of what's to come. Hold hope for what could be birthed forth even when things feel dim. And when our hope falters, may we encounter the face of God in those around us.
As we prayed on Sunday: renew us in hope, that we may work toward Christ's advent of peace among all nations. God of promise, God of hope, into our darkness come.
In hope,
Jordyn
Devotions this season are inspired by 2020 Advent lessons adapted from Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider and In Light and Darkness published by Illustrated Ministries. Aspects of the Sunday church service, the book Honest Advent that we're using in Thursday night bible study, and Cole Arthur Riley's "Holy Dark Advent" at Black Liturgies were also referenced this week and would each make a great option for extended study.
If you are looking for a simple daily practice this season, you can download Kate Bowler's A Season of Waiting Advent Devotional here.
Sunday Bulletin - Nov. 27
THIS IS GOD'S HOUSE - ALL ARE WELCOME
“Meeting people at their point of need, Inviting all into a dynamic relationship with Christ”
LET US KNOW YOU WORSHIPED WITH US TODAY - If you’re a visitor, online or in person, and would like more information please feel free to fill out a card or email Pastor Cress.
INFORMATION & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Are you looking for a church home where you can make a difference for the God we serve? Where you belong and where you will be known, nurtured, challenged? We welcome you and invite you to spend some time with us.
Second Presbyterian is a church community where you will be known and nurtured. Have a prayer request? Please let us know here. Interested in joining Second? Find more about becoming a member here.