The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Centering Practice
Advent is a season of waiting & expectation. Today, we invite you to center your whole self in the love of Christ.
- The theme of the fourth Sunday of Advent is love!
- Breathe in: God is love • Breathe out: I am welcomed
- Turn to neighbor: You are welcomed here!
Lighting of the Advent Candles
Week Four: The Candle of Love
Reader 1
We give thanks for the light of Christ,
shining in the lives of all God’s people.
Reader 2
As we light our Advent candle
We thank You for the love You give.
As we prepare for Christmas time
Light of the world, shine on us.
Reader 1
As we seek to worship You,
Increase love in our hearts.
To all the people who don’t know You,
Light of the world, shine through us.
Reader 2
In this world of pain and darkness,
Help us to share Your love.
In our service here today,
Light of the world, light the way.
— Light Three Purple Candles and One Pink Candle —
Worship Song
Sound of Adoration / How Can I Keep
How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing
When we were lost ones
You were the Shepherd that carried us home
When we were prodigals
You ran to meet us with open arms
And we can’t hold back our praise
When we were refugees
You were the One who took us in
When we were enemies
You paid the price for all our sin
And we can’t hold back our praise
This is the sound of adoration
Oh, how we love You
Jesus, we love You
You are the joy of all creation
Oh, how we love You
Jesus, we love You
You are the Risen One
You conquered death and made a way
You sang our freedom song
Now we are dancing on our chains
And we can’t hold back our praise
Community Prayer
Holy One,
be the light in our darkness this day.
As we have lit the candle of love,
we pray for those people and places who need love…
— Invite people forward to light candles —
Holy One,
be the light in our darkness this day,
that we might reflect Your light
into the dark corners of our world. Amen.
Assurance of God’s Love
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
The Lord’s glory will appear, and all humanity will see it together;
Thanks be to God! Amen.
Communion
Offering
Announcements
- Thanks for worshiping with us today! We hope you experience meaningful connection with God and others in our community. If you’re visiting for the first time today, we invite you to use our QR code to fill out a visitors card so we can get to know you better
- Clothing Drive: Men’s Clothing for a Men’s Rehab in Mexico and children’s items for the San Marcos Lutheran Children’s Center Cares Closet. Please talk to Ann Leong for more details!
- Christmas offering: We are proud to partner with Justice Ventures International and Big Table San Diego for our annual Christmas offering. Give via Tithely (choose “Christmas 2023” from the drop-down menu) or write a check to Solana Beach Presbyterian Church and include “Anchor & Hope Christmas Offering 2023” in the memo.
- NextGen Christmas Offering: Our Sunday School students will collect funds to give a Christmas offering to support World Vision. Animals like goats, chickens, and rabbits can make a big difference for farmers’ families around the world!
- Next Sunday, December 24th: We will celebrate Christmas together with a joint family worship service. We will also celebrate baptisms and confirmations together! We’ll meet here at 10:30 am at Sandburg Elementary.
- Gingerbread house supplies: Please sign up today to bring building materials for next week!
- Sunday, December 31st: We will not gather on the final Sunday of the year but will instead have a Reset Sunday. We’ll send out a worship guide that week so you can reflect on God’s faithfulness over the past year and look forward to next year together!
- Sunday, January 7th: Anchor & Hope will celebrate our anniversary on the first Sunday of the new year. We’ll invite our whole church to renew our commitment to prayer, witness, and community as we continue to hope & dream together. We’ll meet at 10:30 am at Sandburg Elementary.
- Resolution Run 2024: Please talk to Jin if you’d like to join our Anchor & Hope team for a 5k/10k on Saturday, January 13th.
- Save the date: There will be a women’s retreat on February 2-3, 2024!
Passing of the Peace
Family Song
Go Tell It On The Mountain
Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born
While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light
The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed the Savior’s birth
Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn
Blessing of the Children
Go in peace and go in joy;
Filled with wonder for this day.
Go in faith and go in love;
God will guide you on your way!
Worship Song
Build My Life
Worthy of every song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
Jesus, the Name above every other name
Jesus, the only One who could ever save
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for You, we live for You
Holy, there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder
And show me who You are
And fill me with Your heart
And lead me in Your love
To those around me
I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken
Scripture Reading
Zephaniah 3:14-20
14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
17 The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
18 as on a day of festival.”
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
19 I will deal with all your oppressors
at that time.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the Lord.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Together: Thanks be to God.
Sermon
The Season of Advent
Divine Hospitality: Welcome
Pastor Dan So
For those of us who have been fortunate enough to have a place to call home where we have felt safe and loved, there are few things better than a genuine homecoming welcome at the end of a journey or time spent away.
Pastor Kara Eidson
Reflection questions:
- When has a meaningful welcome changed your life (even in small ways)?
- How do you know you’re welcomed, safe, and wanted?
- Have you ever felt incredibly welcomed but also a little (or a lot!) uncomfortable? How did you feel welcome despite the discomfort?
- Building a welcoming community is more than just a one-time effort. Relationships take time. So how can our church invest in a culture of welcome throughout 2024?
Worship Song
Open Up (reprise)
May Your love
Cause us to open up
Cause us to open up our hearts
May Your light
Cause us to shine so bright
That we bring hope into the dark
All that we do without love
It means nothing
Grant us the courage to give
As You’re calling
Make me an instrument
Of Your peace
Where there is hatred
Let me sow love
Where there is darkness
Let me shine light and…
Hope for the hopeless
Your love is
Strength in our weakness
Your love is
Anchor & Hope Church 