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Sermon – December 22, 2019

December 22, 2019 By Leave a Comment

“Service of Lessons and Carols“

The Lessons and Carols

The First Lesson – Genesis 3:8-15                    
Rev. Angela Martin

The Second Lesson – Jeremiah 23:5-8
Sylvia Harper

Sanctuary Choir 

“Come Thou Long, Expected Jesus”
Arr. Robert Hobby

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us;
let us find our rest in thee. Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art, dear
desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver, born a child, and
yet a King; born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal
Spirit rule in all our hearts alone; by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.
Rule in all hope of all. Come, expected Jesus , come.

The Third Lesson – Isaiah 9:1-6                               
John Bowles

The Fourth Lesson – Isaiah 11:1-10                           
J.B. Thrasher

The Fifth Lesson – Luke 1:26-38                        
Becky Ferguson 

Hymn No. 230   verses 1-2

“O Little Town of Bethelehem”

The Sixth Lesson – Luke 2:1-7                 
Rev. Stanley Davidson

The Seventh Lesson – Luke 2:8-16                             
Matthew Pitts

Hymn No. 239 verses 1-2

“Silent Night, Holy Night”

The Eighth Lesson – Matthew 2:1-11                          
Andrew Pitts

Hymn No. 245 verses 1-3

“The First Noel”

Offering

Offertory Anthem     

“Ev’en So Lord Quickly Come”
Paul Manz
Sanctuary Choir

Peace be to you and grace from Him. Who freed us from our sins,
who loved us all and shed His
blood, that we might saved be. Sing Holy, Holy to our Lord,
the Lord, Almighty God, who was
and is and is to come; sing Holy, Holy, Lord! Rejoice in heaven,
all ye that dwell therin, rejoice
on earth, ye saints below. For Christ is coming soon.
Lord Jesus quickly come, and night shall be
no more. They need no light nor lamp not sun,
for Christ will be their ALL!

*The Doxology No. 95

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

The Ninth Lesson – John 1:1-14                           
Rev. Mike Holly

*Hymn No. 234               verses 1-3

“O Come All Ye Faithful”

*Choral Benediction

“Let Us Worship Him”

*Sending Forth with Blessing

Be people of love. Let love live in your heart and share the love of Christ with all you meet. Share love by loving those you see regularly. Start by loving your community. Share love by loving those you do not know. Share love by praying for our world. As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share love, joy, peace, and hope with all those you meet. Amen.

Postlude

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Sermon – December 15, 2019

December 15, 2019 By Leave a Comment

“Joy to the World“, by Rev. Julie Holly

The Word

Luke 1:39-45

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

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Sermon – December 8, 2019

December 8, 2019 By Leave a Comment

“Silent Night“, by Rev. Mike Holly

The Word

Luke 2:1-5

In those days a decree went out from Emperor 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.

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Sermon – December 1, 2019

December 1, 2019 By Leave a Comment

“O Come, Emmanuel“, by Rev. Angela Martin

The Word

Matthew 11:2-11

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,

‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’

Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

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Sermon – December 23, 2018

December 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

“The Gloria – The Song of the Angels“, by Rev. Mike Holly

The Word

Luke 2:13-14

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!”

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Sermon – December 16, 2018

December 16, 2018 By Leave a Comment

“The Magnificat – Mary’s Song“, by Rev. Angela Martin

The Word

Luke 1:46a-55

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

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Sermon – December 9, 2018

December 10, 2018 By Leave a Comment

“The Benedictus – Zachariah’s Song“, by Rev. Mike Holly

The Word

Luke 1:67-80

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us 74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

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Sermon – December 17, 2017

December 17, 2017 By Leave a Comment

“Someday at Christmas“, by Rev. Mike Holly

The Word

Luke 1:26-38

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. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with 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.

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Christmas at Bluff Park 2020

December 1, 2016 By 1 Comment

Advent2015SermonIconThe Advent and Christmas season is an important and cherished time in the life of the church. The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed our normal worship and activity schedule, but we are still preparing to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child throughout the season of Advent with live streamed and in-person worship services, a virtual Children’s Christmas Pageant, a drive-thru family Christmas event, and special holiday worship services.

During the Christmas season, we also make time for mission activities like the Festival of the Three Kings, special food pantry distributions, and the distribution of blankets to the homeless that were collected in November. We gather online and in-person on Christmas Eve for a moving candlelight worship service welcoming the Christ child.

Worship Services

  • Sunday Morning Traditional Worship and Live Stream @ 10:30am (registration required for in-person worship)
  • Sunday Worship at The Gathering and Live Stream @ 9:00am (registration required for in-person worship)
  • Lessons and Carols Traditional Worship and Livestream – Sunday, December 20th, at 10:30am (registration required for in-person worship)
  • Early Christmas Eve Traditional Worship December 23rd @ 6:00pm
  • Christmas Eve Traditional Candlelight Worship and Live Stream – December 24th @ 3:00pm and 6:00pm in the Sanctuary (registration required for in-person worship – Live Stream during 6:00pm service only) Registration is currently full for both traditional services. Contact the church office if you would like to be added to our waiting list in case of cancellations.
  • Christmas Eve Worship at The Gathering and Live Stream – December 24th @ 3:00pm in the Chapel (registration required for in-person worship.)

Holiday Events and Activities

  • Children’s Virtual Christmas Pageant – This video will be published Sunday, December 13th on YouTube and Facebook.

  • Drive Thru Christmas Event – December 13th from 4:00-5:00pm in the church parking lot. We will have a live nativity and Santa will even be there to wave at everyone and spread some Christmas Cheer! We will be giving the first 300 children a candy cane and a pack of hot cocoa. There will also be a special “North Pole Mailbox!” Kids can pass us their letters to Santa and he will take them back to the North Pole with him!

We are finding safe and creative ways to celebrate the Christmas season while protecting the health and well being of our neighbors. Please join us this year and build your own holiday memories here at Bluff Park United Methodist Church. We look forward to seeing you (and don’t forget your mask!)

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Sermon – November 27, 2016

November 27, 2016 By Leave a Comment

BPUMC_Podcast_Logo“The Waiting is the Work“, by Rev. John Carl Hastings

Leap of Faith Weekly Prayer

Advent Prayer

Merciful God, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation. Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Word

Matthew 24:36-44

“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

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