PLEASE NOTE: Celebration is back in the sanctuary! Masks are optional, but encouraged. You also may watch the service on a live stream at home. Please use this option if you aren’t feeling well. To learn more about these choices, please visit mpcfamily.org/celebrate. In order to keep everyone healthy & safe, we will:
- encourage masking when indoors
- run the furnace filtration system for ventilation, doors and windows open only when necessary
You can submit comments and prayer requests via our Comments Form at mpcfamily.org/comments . We’d love to hear from you!
If you are visiting today, we hope you’ll fill out our online Visitor Card at mpcfamily.org/hello .
If you’d like to support our work in the world (which is much appreciated!) please visit mpcfamily.org/donate .
In celebration this week:
- Kim Rankin will play a prelude, “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”, 16th c. German Chorale, arr. Mark Hayes
- the Advent wreath will come forward as the congregation sings the hymn, “Come Now, O Prince of Peace”
- the wreath will be lit by the Thompson family, who will lead the responsive reading
- Rev. Ben Daniel will welcome everyone to Celebration
- the opening hymn will be “Now the Heavens Start to Whisper”,
- next Eloise Gilland will lead us in the Prayer for Peace (Ecumenical Consultation on Common Texts)
- Celebrating December birthdays follows
- Time with Children follows, then
- Invitations are next
- MPC Choir will sing “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree”, poem by Rev. Richard Hutchins (1761); music by Alan Bullard (2010)
- next Eloise will read from Isaiah 11:1-10 and Romans 15:4-13,
- Katie Kilby will offer a sermon,
- the hymn of response will be, “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”
- then a God’s Work in the World presenting Timothy Dobbins from El Porvenir, one of the organizations MPC supports through Giving to the World
- then the offering plates will be passed, while Kim plays “Watchman, Tell Us of the Night” on the organ, a traditional Welsh hymn tune, arr. Lloyd Larsen
- next we will celebrate communion together,
- the closing hymn will be “Watchman, Tell Us of the Night”
- we will recite the Charge
- there will be a benediction
- followed by a postlude, “Postlude on ‘The Sussex Carol’ “; a traditional English carol, arr. Don Michael Dicie
The Charge (say together) Go out into the world in peace. Have courage; hold on to what is good. Return no one evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, and help the suffering. Honor all people. Care for Creation. Love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Celebration live stream recordings
Every week, we post a live stream recording to YouTube. You can view information about those live stream recordings and access a link to the playlist on our Celebration Recordings page.