SUNDAY SCHEDULE
WORSHIP 10:30 AM
In the Sanctuary and Online
Please See Below for Sunday School Class Information
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THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP
December 13, 2020
SCRIPTURE LESSON:
Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11
MESSAGE:
“Good News to the Oppressed”
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Contents:
This Week
Online Giving
Sunday School News
COB Newsline
Thank you
Notes from the Console
Last Week
Contacting the Pastor
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Advent Season Continues
This week in worship we will light the candle of joy and recall that the message of God through the prophet Isaiah and through Jesus' ministry was very good news. However, we must also consider its audience... to whom was the good news addressed? Are we able to "hear" it well from our vantage point? That depends on many factors, especially our willingness to examine ourselves, our place in the world, and our capacity for sharing. Please plan to join us for worship this Sunday and throughout this season - awaiting the coming of the Christ child.
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Live Stream Continues!
Once again (and always, we hope) our worship service will be presented "live stream" through our YouTube channel. Click the link below shortly before 10:30 AM on Sunday to enter a time of worship with all who will do likewise this Sunday.
*Note - some have reported minor glitches such as getting "sound but no video" in the live stream. A "refresh" or "restart" of the video feed generally fixes this problem. Please continue to notify us if such issues persist. Thank you.
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The video will be available to view after the worship hour in case you miss the 10:30 AM time or wish to watch it again.
*Please note: if anyone is unable to view the videos online, we have DVD copies of the services that can be picked up in the church lounge any weekday. Sermon manuscripts are also available upon request. We hope no one is missing out!
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ORDER OF SERVICE
10:30 AM, December 13, 2020
Third Sunday of Advent
Prelude “Orientis Partibus”
Welcome And Announcements
Lighting the Third Advent Candle
Hymn “O come, O come, Immanuel”
Invocation Prayer
Hymn “Hail to the Lord’s anointed”
Children's Time
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
Call to Prayer
Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
GIFTS AND OFFERING
Offering Invitation
Offertory “We give thee but thine own”
Prayer of Blessing
RECEIVING GOD'S WORD
Scripture Lesson: Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11
Special Music “Prepare the Way of the Lord”
Message “Good News to the Oppressed”
Song of Response “Joy to the World”
Commission and Blessing
Postlude “Toccata for the Christmas Season”
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Upcoming Worship Schedule
Sunday December 20 at 10:30 AM:
Worship featuring a Cantata in place of a spoken message, comprised of vocalists and instrumentalists from within our congregation and directed by Mike Frock.
Thursday December 24 at 7:00 PM:
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, in the sanctuary
**Note: Following the guidance of the church's Leadership Team, for both of these special occasions our church remains "open" to in-person gathering. However, due to present public health concerns, we encourage remaining at home as the most responsible option if you are willing and able to join in worship via live stream video.
So long as our attendance remains modest, we believe that some of can gather safely, provided that face coverings are used and distancing is observed. Thank you all for understanding and doing your part to mitigate risk of disease.**
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Christmas Eve Offering
To give, click on the Online Giving link below and select Christmas Eve Offering tab.
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Although in-person worship gatherings and events are suspended for a time, the church's ministry continues in many important ways. Please continue to give as you are so led, whether by mail or through online giving. Thank you.
For assistance setting up your account, call Donor Support at:
800-348-2886 – Option 2 – Online Giving
Questions? Contact Sheryl Leaman - Thank you for your support!!!!!
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Virtual Poinsettia Sale
Due to ongoing virus concerns, we have decided not to offer individual poinsettias for sale this advent season. We will continue to offer purchase for five dollars a "virtual Poinsettia" in honor or memory of loved ones. The cost will go to sponsor the chancel decorations already beautifying our sanctuary.
If you choose not to donate online, you may call the office with your information. Payment can be made by mailing a check or dropping cash or check to the church office. Please make your dedication by Wednesday, December 16 so it can be published in time for the Christmas Sunday bulletin and e-newsletter.
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David Diehl Memorial Fund
Our beloved choir director David Diehl passed away November 12th and his family has decided to wait until a later time to hold a memorial service, due to the pandemic. For now, the church is planning gifts in honor and memory of David's 20-plus years of Music Leadership.
Gifts suggested include the following:
- Junior and Youth Symphony Scholarships
- First Church Music Instrumentalists Fund
(David maintained this fund over the years as his contribution to First Church)
- A tree in David's honor as part of the landscaping plans being developed
If you want to show your appreciation for David's service to First Church, you can make a tax-deductible contribution to the church. Designate the David Diehl Fund and indicate where you want to direct your contribution. You may mail it to the church office or drop in the church offering plate.
The church has also set up a link to the church’s on-line giving website where contributions can be sent to the church in honor and memory of David. The church will acknowledge the gifts and forward them as a group to the Junior and/or Youth Symphony in David’s memory.
From there you will see the option to donate to David’s fund.
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Photo Directory Update
Thank you to all who had photos taken last month! You should have received your prints by now. A few updates as we move forward with directory design:
- If you were not able to sit for photos last month, there is still a chance to be included in the directory! See below for options:
- You may arrange to have someone take your photo and submit the digital file to the church - we will then forward it to the directory production company for inclusion. It may be professionally done or simply a photo taken in your home. Please try to provide a clean and neutral-color backdrop for the photo. Email the photo to [email protected]
- You may be able to re-use the photo from our directory produced 6 years ago. Contact the church office and request this if you like.
- The directory design will take weeks or perhaps even months to complete, so there is still time to get in it. If anyone has some quality digital photos of the building, sanctuary, or from recent church events, please send them to [email protected] and we may be able to include them within the opening pages. Thank you!
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Sunday School News
Homebuilders Sunday School Class
The Homebuilders Class is continuing to meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 am to 10:00 am by conference call. All are welcome to join. To be included, contact Mike Martin either by calling 717-840-4184 or by emailing [email protected], leaving the phone number at which you would like to be called. You will receive a phone call in the vicinity of 9:00 am. The class continues to examine lessons from the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum.
Lamplighters Sunday School Class
The Lamplighters Class is meets on Wednesday Evenings at 7:00 pm until 8:00 pm by zoom (video) conference. If you wish to be included and haven't received an email already, please contact Pastor Joel at [email protected], and he will forward you the link. This week the class will begin a five session series on Advent Season, "Christmas Gifts That Won't Break" by James Moore and Jacob Armstrong. This will be led by
Patricia Carey.
Vine & Branches Sunday School Class
The Vine & Branches Class is continuing to meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 am to 10:00 am by zoom (video) conference. If you wish to be included, please contact Pastor Joel at [email protected], and he will forward you the link. The class will be studying the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum, "Call in the New Testament." This week the lesson continues to explores Matthew 1, the "call" of Jesus before his birth and the willingness of Joseph to remain faithful to Mary. Come and join us!
Children's Sunday School Class
ADVENT SERIES CONTINUES! All families with Sunday School age children should have received a postcard with login information last week. We've invited some new people this time as well! Children's Sunday School meets at 12:00 noon each Sunday via zoom, with a lesson lasting approximately 20 minutes. Parents may of course participate alongside, but the time will be tailored to children. For the zoom link and to be included, please contact Pastor Joel at [email protected]. Thanks, and we look forward to this special time together!
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ENTERING CDC AREA DURING THEIR HOURS OF OPERATION
Please do not enter the CDC hallways during their hours of operation (6:30 AM - 5:30 PM weekdays) unless you notify the CDC office first that you would like to enter. This includes the entrance at the kitchen/gym as well as access to the library, food pantry, Sunday School classrooms, etc.
Please ring the doorbell and a CDC employee will let you in and do the necessary requirements such as take your temperature and have your shoes sprayed to help to keep the CDC children and staff safe. This all is due to guidance on daycare operations that the center must maintain during the pandemic.
Thank you for your co-operation.
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2021 DIRECTORY
We need your help to update our 2021 church directory!
If you have any changes, please email them to the church secretary
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RENOVATIONS IN PROGRESS
WEEK OF DECEMBER 7, 2020
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New automatic bi-fold
side entrance door
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New automatic
sliding front door
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Church of the Brethren Denominational News
Denominational news and information is always available by visiting brethren.org
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December Church of the Brethren
Newsline Digest
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Click for Friends to Remember in Prayer
and Event Announcements
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A BIG thank you to everyone who helped to make cookies for the
Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry cookies for truckers project. Glenn and Anna Miller delivered 168 bags of cookies for this outreach ministry.
We appreciate everyone who made it possible to spread God’s love
to others. It is what Christmas is all about. – The Witness Team
I want to thank everyone for your prayers, calls, and cards. My treatments are now completed. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. - Barbara Rollman
I want to express my appreciation to my church family for the many cards, notes, phone calls, and other acts of sympathy and kindness that you showed to me at the passing of my son, Craig. It has been a rough time but I know with your continued prayers I will get through this time of grief. Thanks so much! - Carole Bradfield
Thanks to the congregation and staff of lst Church COB for the many expressions of sympathy on the loss of our son, David. We grieve his loss, but celebrate his new phase of life with our Lord. We expressed to him that he would be playing his cello in heaven's symphony, singing and directing the choir to the glory of God. God bless all of you at
lst Church COB. Sincerely, Donald & Norma Diehl and family.
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Concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and church operations:
Since video live-streaming is fully functional and despite COVID-19 cases rising in our area, we believe that we can responsibly continue worship gatherings, so long as they are small and well-distanced.
That said, staying home remains the safest option, and we commend doing so to prevent spread of contagious disease. Worship will be recorded and live streamed each Sunday morning at 10:30 AM whether anyone is in attendance or not. We remain a committed body of Christ's faithful disciples whether we gather in person or not. We are simply allowing in-person attendance for those who desire to do so. Thank you all in advance for choosing wisely how and where you will worship.
No Sunday School classes will not resume in person until a later date, and several elements of worship will be adjusted such as seating arrangements, no passing of offering plates, and restricted singing. Handshake greetings should be avoided and masks must be worn within the building. Please know that all of these measures are for our collective wellness.
We have every intention of continuing to provide worship, teaching, and encouragement while maintaining “physical distance” for the safety and well-being of the vulnerable among us. The pastor and secretary continue to be available and in the office most of the week, so please feel free to call or email as you wish. We discourage in-person visits, however. Visitation to nursing homes and hospitals continues to be restricted, and pastoral visits will be minimal.
Please recognize that your church will require funds to continue basic operation of property and facility, fulfill pledged outreach giving, and maintain staff who will continue to minister whether in-person gatherings happen or not. Online giving is a simple and easy way to support your church and those it serves during this time, and it is accessible through our church website www.yorkfirst.org. Mailing your gifts and offerings to the church office is also welcome. Thank you to all who have given generously! We have been able to maintain our many outreach commitments thus far this year, and for that we give thanks!
Look for other announcements on our website and facebook page, and as always you may read current and/or recent newsletters through our website for other updates (and past sermons if you have spare time). **Note that you do not even need a facebook account of you own to view the church's page there. If you do have a facebook account, please "like" our church's page to view updates there. The more you "like" and "comment" and "share" our content, the better it "travels" and will be seen by others. Do your part to freely spread our messages of ministry during this time. Thank you!!**
Concerning the spread of COVID-19, here is a good resource with helpful links to other sites as well: https://covid19.brethren.org/ Be careful to pay attention to public health experts, rather than every news headline or comment from your neighbors. We must act responsibly for the well-being of all, not merely ourselves. This disease is real and a genuine threat to the lives of many.
Thank you all for understanding and for your faithful participation in our life together. Stay apart from each other in body but close together in spirit. Talk to each other often, by phone especially. Please stay home and do your part to prevent the spread of contagious disease. That is how we can best love one another for the time being. God's comfort and peace be with you.
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Since 2011 our Witness Team has sponsored the Cash for Causes program by selling Giant & Weis gift cards. The church receives 5% of sales to support various ministries. For 2020 the gift card sales will support The Lehman Center (Children’s Aid Society), New Community Project, Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry, and LifePath Christian Ministries (formerly York Rescue Mission). You may purchase the cards in amounts of $100, $50, $25, or $10. The cards make great gifts, especially at holidays. Consider donating cards to the Food Pantry or using them yourself any time you shop at Giant or Weis.
I plan to attend our in-person worship services and will have the gift cards available for your purchase before or after the service. However, if you will not be attending our in-person worship services, I will continue to send cards in the mail if you want to support this outreach ministry. Send your check to Becky Wenger, 3011 Bedford Pl, York, PA 17408. The Giant or Weis cards will be mailed to you. Make your check out to York First Church.
Thank you for supporting this program - Becky Wenger, Cash for Causes representative
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"Notes from the Console," Article 73, By Mike Frock
The Special Music this week, sung by Pam Baldwin and John Gibble, is “Prepare the Way of the Lord” by William Rowan. The Postlude is “Toccata for the Christmas Season” by Lani Smith. The Prelude is “Orientis Partibus” attributed to Pierre De Corbeil and arranged by Henry J. Markworth. ORIENTIS PARTIBUS is a tune that I think most of you will recognize as the tune used for “The Friendly Beasts.” However, there are many different sets of lyrics which have been paired with this tune including “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” and “Soldiers of the cross, arise!” The tune has an interesting history though. In medieval France there arose a ceremony called The Feast of Fools. This feast was later celebrated throughout Europe. (The Feast of Fools was described in Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In Disney’s 1996 animated musical movie version of the story, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz immortalized the idea of the feast in their song “Topsy Turvy.”)
Out of the Feast of Fools developed a separate festival in the eleventh century called The Feast of the Ass, celebrated primarily in France. In this festival, participants celebrated the donkey-related storied in the Bible, particularly the donkey that accompanied Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to Egypt after the child’s birth. However, the donkey was also an important figure in the stories of Joseph and Mary’s trip to Bethlehem and Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday). In the Middle Ages, the donkey was regarded as a venerable figure. During the festival, a girl and a child on a donkey would be led through the town to the church where there was a mass. ORIENTIS PARTIBUS, with original lyrics, was originally written in the 1200s for this Mass of the Donkey as part of the Feast of the Ass. Translated “from the Oriental parts,” meaning “from the eastern lands,” the original lyrics were about a donkey that accompanied the three wise men. The original lyrics mention Arabia, Saba (a kingdom, probably in Arabia), gold, incense, and myrrh. Both the Feast of Fools and the Feast of the Ass originated in proper liturgical Christian observance, but both began to incorporate other secular aspects. Eventually the Catholic Church banned the Feast of Fools in 1431. The Feast of the Ass, considered not as objectionable as the Feast of Fools, gradually disappeared in the second half of the 1400s.
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Scripture Lesson:
Mark 1:1-8, 2 Peter 3:8-15a
Message:
“Patience as Salvation”
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Pastor Joel Gibbel can be reached most mornings in the church office Monday - Thursday from 9:00 AM to noon. Afternoons and evenings are often set aside for visiting those in need, for meetings, and for other pastoral duties. Pastor Joel is also available for Pastoral Counseling by appointment. |
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If you need to reach the pastor outside of office hours, his home phone number is
(717)318-5442, and his cell number is (717)271-4888 . You can also email him at
pastor@yorkfirst.org. Note that laws prevent hospitals from contacting a pastor without your permission when you are admitted, so you will need to let hospital staff know that you would like the hospital to contact your pastor.
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Our Mission Statement:
“People dedicated to Spiritual Growth, Loving Relationship, and Sacrificial Service”
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Our Vision Statement:
“To become a community of committed Christians who Love God, Share Christ, and Serve the World”
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