Bulletins - Covenant Presbyterian Church (Sun City West, AZ)

Lord’s Day Worship

First Sunday of Advent

November 27th, 2022 at 10:30 a.m.

Psalm 118:24

“This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Prelude by June Ruyle, Organist

“The Advent of Our God”, "Hosanna Now Through Advent"

"The King Shall Come"

Moldoveanu - “Praise the Lord Forevermore”

Welcome and Announcements

Missionary Moment

Lighting of the Advent Wreath Dave and Karen Campbell

Entering into Worship

Responsive Reading Deacon Lawrence Coldon

*Psalm 121

Leader: I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

All: My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

Leader: He will not let your foot be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

All: Behold, he who keeps Israel

Will neither slumber nor sleep.

Leader: The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade on your right hand.

All: The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

Leader: The Lord will keep you from all evil;

He will keep your life.

All: The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in

From this time forth and forevermore.

All: Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!”

Leader: You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

All: That my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

*Hymn of Preparation – Hymn # 194

“O Come, O Come Emmanuel”

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

and ransom captive Israel,

that mourns in lonely exile here,

until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Lord of might,

who to thy tribes, on Sinai's height,

in ancient times didst give the law

in cloud and majesty and awe. [Refrain]

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free

thine own from Satan's tyranny;

from depths of hell thy people save,

and give them vict'ry o'er the grave. [Refrain]

O come, thou Dayspring from on high,

and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;

disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

and death's dark shadows put to flight. [Refrain]

O come, thou Key of David, come

and open wide our heav'nly home;

make safe the way that leads on high,

and close the path to misery. [Refrain]

Music Leaders – Jean-Paul Muresan, Roxanne Martindale

Invocation

Congregational Confession of Sin

Leader: Merciful God, we humble ourselves in your presence, confessing our unworthiness and our sinfulness in your sight.

All: We have broken your holy law. We have not sought first your kingdom and righteousness.

Leader: We have been anxious and troubled about many things, and have neglected the things that belong to our peace.

All: We have not loved our neighbor as ourselves, or done to others as we would that they should do to us.

Leader: Most Gracious God, our heavenly Father, who hast given your Son, Jesus Christ, to save your people from their sins;

All: Forgive us, we pray; cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and renew a right spirit within us; through the grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

Private Confession of Sin

Assurance of Forgiveness

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

Ephesians 1:7-10

*First Reading – Bible pg. 1227 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Adoration and Praise

*Congregational Response – Hymn #213

“What Child Is This”

What child is this, who, laid to rest,

on Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,

while shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

whom shepherds guard and angels sing:

haste, haste to bring him laud,

the babe, the son of Mary.

Why lies he in such mean estate,

where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christian, fear; for sinners here

the silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear, shall pierce him through;

the cross be borne for me, for you:

hail, hail the Word made flesh,

the babe, the son of Mary.

So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh;

come, peasant, king, to own him;

the King of kings salvation brings,

let loving hearts enthrone him.

Raise, raise the song on high,

the virgin sings her lullaby:

joy, joy for Christ is born,

the babe, the son of Mary.

*Confession of Faith The Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 98: What is Prayer?

A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.

Q. 99: What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?

A. The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called the Lord’s Prayer.

*The Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father,

and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be.

world without end. Amen, amen.

Offering – “He's Coming Soon”

*Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

praise him, all creatures here below;

praise him above, ye heavn'ly host;

praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Word and Sacrament

Pastoral Prayer

*Sermon Text – Bible pg. 918 Ezekiel 37:1-14

Sermon “Is There Hope”?

Reverend Dr. Paul Muresan

God’s Blessing on His People

*Congregational Response – Hymn # 195

“Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come”

Joy to the world! The Lord is come:

let earth receive her King;

let every heart prepare him room,

and heav'n and nature sing,

and heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns:

let men their songs employ;

while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains

repeat the sounding joy,

repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

nor thorns infest the ground;

he comes to make his blessings flow

far as the curse is found,

far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

and makes the nations prove

the glories of his righteousness

and wonders of his love,

and wonders, wonders of his love.

*Benediction

*Postlude by June Ruyle, Organist

“We Plow the Fields and Gather”

Sermon Notes

Ezekiel 37:1-14– November 27th, 2022

“Is There Hope”?

Reverend Dr. Paul Muresan

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