Sunday Worship Bulletin, Dec 21 2025

Veradale United Church of Christ

An Open & Affirming Congregation

Worshiping God in Christ – Welcoming All – 

Working for Justice & Peace

“No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, 

you are welcome here!”

Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 21, 2025• 10:30 a.m.

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10:15am Enter in Silence

10:20 Gathering and Prelude

Wayne Shull, Music Director

Charlie Salt, AV

Tom Cuilla, Usher

Louise Tarjuddin, Usher

Jerry Brines, Usher 

Stephanie Wallis Candle of Joy

Sue Ferrozzo, Fellowship Set-Up

_____ Fellowship Clean-up

Scotty Patton, Zoom Monitor

Rev. Genavieve Heywood, Pastor 

Candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy are Re-Lit

10:30am Worship begins

Land Acknowledgement

We worship on the unceded traditional territory of the Spokane, Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Coeur d’Alene, and other tribes. We acknowledge the history of indigenous genocide, removal, and erasure that continues to this day.  We recognize the role that Christian communities played in these injustices, and we recommit ourselves to seeking more peaceful, just, and neighborly ways of sharing this land with all who call it home.

Community Affirmation

God loves us. . . all the time!  All the time . . . God loves us! 

Service and Fellowship Opportunities 

Wednesday: 7pm Christmas Eve, the Christ Candle will 

be lit by Naomi Hanvey

Bible Study, Monday at 7pm

Silent Prayer, Tuesday 9:00 to 9:30am

No String-A-Lings or Sing-A-Lings until January 7, 2026

 Community Giving: Birthday Kits

Opening Hymn

*Hymn “O Come All Ye Faithful” p. 20 Carol Booklet

1.  Adeste fideles, Laeti triumphantes; Venite, venite in Bethlehem; Natum videte, Regem Angelorum:  Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus, Venite adoremus Dominum!

1.  O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.  Come and behold Him, born the King of angels:  Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

2.  Highest, most holy, Light of light eternal, Born of a woman, A mortal he comes; Son of the Mighty Now in flesh appearing!  Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

3.  Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God!  Glory in the highest:  Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

Lighting of the Candle of Love, December 

Stephanie Wallis: “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Message from Stephanie Wallis

Prayer at the lighting of the Love:

All: Loving God, help us to welcome your love in our lives. Cleanse all guilt, shame, and resentment from our lives that your love may heal us. We ask in the name of Jesus. Amen

Advent Hymn: “Come O Long-Expected Jesus” 122 (NCH)vs 1 and 3

1. Come, O long-expected Jesus, born to set all people free; From our fears and sins release us; grant us your true liberty.

3. Born all people to deliver, born a child, you came to reign! Born to rule on earth forever, come, be known to us again.

Community Prayer

“O Lord, You’re Beautiful” 310 (RB)

O Lord, you’re beautiful. You face is all I seek. For when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me.

Prayers of Gratitude

For when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me.

Prayers of Concern

For when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me.

Silent Prayer

For when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me.

The Lord’s Prayer use the translation which is meaningful to you or

Our Father (Creator) 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.  Amen.

Response: “There Is None” 67 (RB)There is none holy as the Lord, there is none beside thee; Neither is there any rock like our God, there is none holy as the Lord.

A Time of Offering

An Invitation to Share

Dedication Hymn: “Joy to the World” 132 (NCH) verse 3

Christ rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of God's righteousness and wonders of God's love, and wonders of God's love, and wonders of God's love.

Dedication prayer:  Loving God, bless these offerings that your love may be know through this your church. Our spirits rejoice in the ability to give. Now, bless and multiply these to fulfill your vision of a just and peaceful world. Amen

Listening for God

Matthew 1:18-24 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,    and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.

Hymn: “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” 345 (NCH) v.1       

1.  Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly-minded, for with blessing in the hand, Christ our God to earth descending, our full homage to demand.

The Refugees by Ann Weems 

Into the wild and painful cold of the starless winter nightcame the refugees, slowly making their way to the border.The man, stooped from age or anxiety,hurried his small family through the wind.Bearded and dark, his skin rough and cracked from the cold,his frame looming large in spite of the slumped shoulders;

He looked like a man who could take care of whatevercame at them from the dark.Unless of course there were too many of them,One man he could handle, two, even … but a border patrol…,they wouldn’t have a chance.His eyes, black and alert,darted from side to side, then over his shoulder,then back again forward.Had they been seen?Had they been heard?Every rustle of the wind, every sigh from the child,sent terror though his chest.Was this the way?

Even the stars had been unkind—had hidden themselves in the ink of nightso that the man could not read their way,Only the wind … was it enough?

Choir: North Wind

Only the wind and his innate sense of direction …

What kind of cruel judgment that would be,to wander in circles through the night?Or to safely make their way to the border,only to find the authorities waiting for them?

He glanced at the young woman, his bride.No more than a child herself,she nuzzled the newborn, kissing his neck.she looked up caught his eye and smiled.

Oh how the homelessness had taken its toll on her!Her eyes were red, Her young face was lined,her lovely hair matted from inattention.her clothes stained from milk and baby,her hands chapped from the raw wind of winter.

Choir: Star Carol

She’d hardly had time to recover from childbirthwhen word had come that they were hunted,and they fled with only a little bread,and the remaining wine,and a very small portion of cheese.

Suddenly, the child began to make small noises,the man drew his breath in sharply:the woman quietly put the child to breast.Fear … long dread-filled moments….Huddled the family stood still in the long silence.At last the man breathed deeply again,reassured they had not been heard.and into the night continued

Mary, Joseph and the Babe.

Choir: I Wonder as I Wander

Reflections

Announcements Reminders

Our Light moves into the World God Loves

Hymn: “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” 345 (NCH) verses 2, 3, and 4

2 Monarch great, yet born of Mary, as of old on earth Christ stood, Lord of all, in human vesture - in the body and the blood -Christ will give to all the faithful bread of life for heavenly food.

3 Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads its vanguard on the way, As the Light of light descending from the realms of endless day, That the powers of hell may vanish as the shadows clear away.

4 At Christ's feet the six-winged seraphs, cherubim with sleepless eye, Veil their faces to the Presence, as with ceaseless voice they cry, Alleluia, alleluia,alleluia, God most high!

Benediction

Communal Blessing

Be Yourself.

Grow in Christ.

Live with Compassion