Woodland Forest Church
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in Tuscaloosa
6701 Hargrove Road East, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35405
The First Sunday of Advent, December 2, 2018
Happenings on the Hill Fran Duncan
*Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 25:1-10) Pastor Jeff
Pastor: On this first Sunday of Advent, may the Lord be with you!
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Now to the Lord, we say: “Make Your ways known to us, Lord;
Lead us in Your truth! You are the God who saves us!”
People: As we travel the road to Bethlehem, we ask that deeper truths
be revealed to us as we retell the story of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Pastor: We offer our lives to You, Lord. Do not let those who hope in You
be put to shame. Instead remember us according to Your faithful
love and goodness.
People: May our Christmas worship honor and glorify You before the
World, so those around us will be drawn to You, the Hope of
Creation.
*Advent Hymn 176 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
The First Candle of Advent Pastor Jeff and family
Advent Reflection Pastor Jeff
Scripture Reading Jeremiah 33:14-16 (p. 563)
Prayer for the Journey
Lighting of the First Candle
Advent Hymn 175 (stanzas 1, 2) O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
The Journey Begins Pastor Jeff and congregation
Pastor: With the lighting of the first Advent candle, we set out on a road
leading to a stable where the King of kings lies sleeping In a
simple feed box, surrounded by the sights, sounds, and smells of
common farm animals. In contrast, our place of worship is filled
with beauty and light, reflecting the anticipated birthday celebration
of the very same King of kings.
Therefore, to the glory of God and in awe of the mystery of grace
through which God became human and lived among us…
All: We dedicate these Evergreens as a symbol of life and victory
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Pastor: In gratitude to Christ who led us out of our darkness into the
Light of the Lord…
All: We dedicate these Candles to light the world with God’s glory.
We dedicate the Banners of prophecy and the Nativity picturing
His birth as a reminder that it was our sin that brought Jesus to
the world to be the sacrifice for us.
Pastor: God has given us the greatest of all gifts in Jesus! Let us
express our gratitude in joyful song, the spoken Word, and
prayers freely offered.
All: Amen!
Oh, How Joyfully Choir
Oh, how joyfully, Oh, how blessedly Comes the glory of Christmastime!
To a world so lost in sin, Christ, the Savior, enters in:
Praise Him, all ye Christians, praise Him evermore!
**
Jesus, born in lowly stall, With His grace redeems us all:
Hosts of angels from on high Sing, rejoicing in the sky!
Welcome Church Family and Friends Ron Wilson
*Fellowship Hymn 182 (refrain) Go, Tell It on the Mountain
Go, tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere!
Go, tell it on the mountain That Jesus Christ is born.
An Advent Observance of the Lord’s Supper Pastor Jeff
The Lord’s Invitation
Christ, our Lord, invites us to this table to receive the bread and cup as a reminder
of the fulfillment of God’s promised salvation. Here we are all one family, diverse
in every way, yet one in Jesus. We come in awe just as the shepherds came to the
manger bed of the infant Son of God.
The Reminder to Examine Our Hearts
Scripture instructs us to search our hearts and confess our known sin.
I Corinthians 11:27-29: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks
the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the
body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of
the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without
discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.”
The Prayer for Forgiveness and God’s Assurance
1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Appointing of the Church Family Servers
Fran and Les Duncan, Jonathan Ivy and Sarah McPherson
The Gift of the Bread
1 Cor. 11: 23-24: “On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and when
He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body that
is broken for You. Do this in remembrance of me.’”
The Prayer for the Bread (Fran Duncan)
The Sharing of the Bread
Take and eat! The body of Christ was broken for you.
The Gift of the Cup
I Cor. 11:25-26: “In the same way, after supper, He took the cup
saying, ‘This cup is the New Covenant in My blood. Do this, as often
as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread
and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.’”
The Prayer for the Cup (Jonathan Ivy)
The Sharing of the Cup
Take and drink! The blood of Christ was given for you.
Prayer of Commitment to Christ (Pastor Jeff)
Offertory Chorus 210 Emmanuel
Offertory Prayer
Offertory I Wonder As I Wander
Message Signs of Hope Pastor Jeff
Luke 21:25-36 (p. 746)
*Invitation Hymn 189 Child in the Manger
*Closing Hymn 668 Doxology
*Benediction Blessing and Blessing for Lunch Pastor Jeff
*Benevolence Offering for Alabama Teen Challenge Les Duncan
*Postlude