Visitors: We're delighted you are here. Please complete a Welcome card (at the Welcome Table) and we invite you to introduce yourself during the sharing time.
Lighting of the
Advent Candle
Call to worship: A
reading of Psalm 72, a prayer for good
leaders.
All Give to your leaders good judgment, O God, and a sense of what is right
Leader May they lead with justice and do right for those who are powerless.
All May the mountains bring peace for the people, and the hills bring justice.
Leader May they defend the poor, save the children and crush all oppression.
All May they endure as long as the sun, like the moon through all generations.
Leader Like the rain that fall on the early crops, like showers that water the earth.
All May justice flower in their days and peace till the moon is no more.
Leader May they rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth.
All May they rescue the needy with they cry out, and the poor who have no one.
Leader May they have piety on the weak and powerless and may they save the poor
All May they redeem them from oppression and violence and regard their blood as precious.
Leader to them, long life and continuous prayers as, day by day, they are blessed.
All Let grain be abundant in the land and wave on the tops of the mountains.
Leader Let the crops blossom…and the people flourish like the grass of the fields.
All Blessed be God, the God of the faithful people, who alone does wondrous deed. Blessed for ever be the glorious name of God. May the whole earth be filled with God’s
glory!
Amen! Amen!
Hymn of welcome On
this day earth shall ring
HWB
192
Scripture reading
Matthew
2:1-12
Congregational hymn ‘Twas in the moon of wintertime HWB 190
Prayer
Poetry reading The Magi by TS Eliot
Congregational hymn In the Bleak Midwinter [handout]
Children’s teaching They followed a bright star, poem by Joan Alavedra and illustrated by Ulises Wensell
Teaching
The
story of the Magi is about our search for the good leader
Offering
Sharing, announcements
and prayers
Hymn of sending It
came upon a
Benediction:
Leading us in worship today: Worship leader and speaker – Paul Versluis, Song leader- Marty Showalter, Pianist – Michell Webster - Hein
If you
have congregational concerns, contact
the pastor or the
Congregational Life Committee: Dave.;
Roxanne Cross; Curtis Weaverdyck
SHALOM COMMUNITY CHURCH
HAPPENINGS
Small Group Opportunities: the following groups meet regularly and are open to all interested persons. You can “drop in” and “drop out” as you wish. Call the contact person for information, dates, times, directions or location. Or call Norene Kanagy
Peace and Justice Interest Group, Jan 12, 7:30 PM Weaverdyck
· Gertrude Warkentin
Readers’ Club: Our Mutual Friend by Dickens Jan 25, 7:00 PM Warkentin,
· Priscilla Chamberlain
Slow Cookers:
· Gertrude Warkentin
Committee Meetings:
Finance
Committee:
Nurture Committee:
Jan
8,
Worship Committee: Jan 26, 7PM Versluis
Congregational Life Committee
Jan
15,
Service Outreach
Committee
Jan
22,
Congregational Business Meeting Feb 15, Gretchens House
are encouraged to come to this annual weekend of
fun &
fellowship. There will not be Sunday school or worship in
Please let Tim Smith know by Dec 28 whether or not you plan to attend. Please see Tim’s email
What are you
reflecting on
as the New Year approaches? Are you looking back, or
forward? Are
you thinking about your own life, or pondering the world and its
complexities? Our Sunday worship
hour at
come ready with your thoughts; or bring a poem or song that speaks to you, here in the beginning of 2009.
There will be no
kid's Sunday school Dec. 28, Jan. 4 or Jan. 11 at
These are the hosts and guests for the January
rotating potlucks. The date is on or around Jan. 17. If you
have not
been included and wish to be, please let me know. If there are
newcomers
not listed and you wish to invite them to your potluck (if you are the
host)
please do so.
Host: Weaverdyck, Guests: Ponstein, Clemens
Host: Versluis, Guests: Cross, Harvey, Hein
Host:Showalter, Guests: Brubaker, Seelbach, Hollander/Chamberlain
Host: Kanagy, Guests: Nofziger, Shantz, Tang, Hallberg
Host: Miller-Polley, Guests: Sprunger, Hansen
Host: Ropp, Guests: Burkholder, Smith, Kaufman
Host: Brubacher/Clingenpeel, Guests: Warkentin, Holland/Carbary
SERVICE – OUTREACH
¨
Food
collection: The Service-Outreach
committee asks you to remember to bring canned/ packaged food to
potluck for
donation. 110 lbs of food was
delivered last week to Food Gatherers.
¨
Titus and Joy K , Nelson and Ruth S,
Paul V, and
Paul S are making plans to volunteer with Mennonite
Disaster Service the week of Feb 15th in
¨ On the third or fourth Sunday of each month Paul and Joy will be hosting guests at their home for lunch.
¨ On January 24 we are planning to do some collective work at Interfaith Hospitality House. Some clean up and painting I believe. Set aside some time to help on Saturday morning. See Paul if you are interested in helping.
Dear Friends at Shalom, Every year you have been very generous in giving us a gift at Christmas time. I am grateful for your kindness and willingness to care for us in this way.
Thank you. Paul and Joy Versluis