First Presbyterian Church
Order of Worship

Link to our livestream worship page.

Sunday Worship
December 7, 2025 - 10 a.m. EST

Prelude - Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (arr. Jason Krug)
JuBellee Bells

Ringing of the Church Bell

Invitation to Worship - A Sanctified Art

One: Prepare the way —

All: Deck the halls and light the candles.

One: Prepare the way —

All: Open the doors and sing a song of hope.

One: Prepare the way —

All: Make space in our hearts for a new kind of love.

One: Christ is coming —

All: Prepare the way!

Hymn 88 - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verses 1-2, 6-7)

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily:
to us the path of knowledge show;
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
all peoples in one heart and mind;
bid envy, strife, and discord cease;
fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

Lighting of the Second Advent Candle - A Sanctified Art
Christie Vargo and Jacob Palmer

One: I will wait for the sky to clear.

All: I will wait for the plot to thicken.

One: I will wait for snow to fall.

All: I will wait for dinner to be ready.

One: I will wait for the leaves to change.

All: I will wait for the dust to settle.

One: I will wait for Christmas to arrive.

All: I will wait for a lot of things, but I will not wait for peace.

One: This world is rampant with divisions, walls, and grudges.

All: I do not want to be a passive bystander in this division.

One: So today we light the candle of peace as a reminder that we have a role to play.

All: May the desire to sow peace kindle in us like a light in the darkness. Amen.

Canticle 91 - Come, Come, Emmanuel

Come, come Emmanuel.
Come, Emmanuel.
Come, come Emmanuel.
Come, Emmanuel.

Sharing the Peace

Welcome and Announcements

Old Testament Reading - Isaiah 11:1-10
J. David Rinehart, liturgist

Anthem - What Shall We Call Our King? (Lynn Shaw Bailey and Becki Slagle Mayo)
Children’s Choir
Aaron Wilburn, director

Word with Children
Kristin Ream

New Testament Reading - Matthew 3:1-11

Sermon - “Preparing the Way ... and the Heart”
Wallace W. Bubar

Hymn 87 - Comfort, Comfort Now My People

“Comfort, comfort now my people;
tell of peace!” So says our God.
“Comfort those who sit in darkness
mourning under sorrow’s load.
To my people now proclaim
that my pardon waits for them!
Tell them that their sins I cover,
and their warfare now is over.”

For the herald’s voice is crying
in the desert far and near,
calling us to true repentance,
since the reign of God is here.
O, that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way.
Let the valleys rise in meeting
and the hills bow down in greeting.

Straight shall be what long was crooked,
and the rougher places plain.
Let your hearts be true and humble,
as befits God’s holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
now on earth is shed abroad,
and all flesh shall see the token
that God’s word is never broken.

Prayers of the People

One: God of faithfulness:

All: Hear our prayer.

Offering

Offertory - A Voice Cries Out, “Prepare the Way of the Lord” (arr. Lloyd Larson)
Chancel Choir

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Doxology 606 - Praise God, from Whom All Blessing Flow

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.

Sacrament of Communion

Eucharistic Prayer

One: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

One: Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up to the Lord.

One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

One: ... we look with hope for his coming:

All: Come, Lord Jesus.

One: ... bring the gift of peace on earth:

All: Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer [unison]

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Invitation to the Table

Sharing of Communion

Communion Hymn 124 - Still, Still, Still

Still, still, still,
He sleeps this night so chill.
The Virgin’s tender arms enfolding,
Warm and safe the Child are holding.
Still, still, still,
He sleeps this night so chill.

Sleep, sleep, sleep,
He lies in slumber deep.
While angel hosts from heav’n come winging,
Sweetest songs of joy are singing.
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
He lies in slumber deep.

Prayer After Communion

Hymn 105 - People, Look East

People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.

Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in course the flower may flourish.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the rose, is on the way.

Birds, though you long have ceased to build,
Guard the nest that must be filled.
Even the hour when wings are frozen
God for fledging time has chosen.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the bird, is on the way.

Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as sun and moon together.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the star, is on the way.

Angels, announce with shouts of mirth
Christ who brings new life to earth.
Set every peak and valley humming
With the word, the Lord is coming.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the Lord, is on the way.

Postlude - Lift Up Your Heads, You Mighty Gates (arr. Wilbur Held)
Philip Everingham

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