PRELUDE: CHOIR
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP:
L: Come, all who hunger and thirst for more – God calls us to the feast!
P: We are weary exiles, longing for home,
caught in a world that drains our hope.
L: “Listen, so that you may live! My covenant is everlasting, my promise sure.”
P: Can joy reach us here, in this place of waiting?
L: God’s vision is higher than the heavens, stretching beyond what we can see.
P: The invitation is for all people, from the farthest reaches of the earth.
L: The word of the Lord does not return empty-it brings forth life!
P: The mountains and the hills will burst into song,
the trees of the field will clap their hands!
All: You are the source of true joy, O God. You expand our vision,
lifting our eyes beyond the moment, beyond despair, into
amazement. We stand before you,
ready to enter your story and be amazed.
OPENING PRAYER
HYMN: Joy to the World – HWB #318
ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING
L: We have been wandering in the dark, cold desert of grief and despair,
and we feel heavy, dry and lifeless.
P: Come, Joy of the world. Come amaze us.
All: May your joy water our thirsty souls, that we may become your
fountains of joy, freely sharing your joy with the world.
CHOIR: Hymn of Worship
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
CHOIR: Hymn of Worship
CHILDREN’S STORY TIME: The Samaritan Woman John 4:4-42
HYMN: Spirit of the Living God - HWB #349
SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 55:1-13; John 4:13-14
SERMON: Pastor Calvary deJong, “Be Amazed: Joy in the desert”
HYMN: Come, Thou Fount - HWB #521
BLESSING
SENDING HYMN: Go Now in Peace – HWB #429
