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Today’s service will be held indoors in the sanctuary as an in-person service and also live streamed at this link. Join us!
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Gathering Music Polly Dunford
Welcome and Announcements Diane Lee
Anthem “Hope Will Come” By James Brighton. 2008. Choristers Guild. All rights reserved.
Advent Song “When God is a Child” (verse 1 only) Handout
Words by Brian Wren; Music by Joan Collier Fogg
1989. Hope Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
Hope is a star that shines in the night, leading us on till the morning is bright.
When God is a child there’s joy in our song. The last shall be first and
the weak shall be strong, and none shall be afraid.
First Sunday of Advent Lin Hagen
Focus: Isaiah 64:1–9; Hope for Renewal Katie Hagen
Reader 1: O God, we light the first candle of Advent.
Reader 2: We kindle it with hope. We long for you to come to our world, to break through and reign with compassion, justice, and peace.
Reader 1: The prophet Isaiah also cried to God to tear open heaven and come down. He called God’s people to do right.
Reader 2: Isaiah called them to be refashioned like clay by God, the potter. This Advent, we call out to God.
People: God of the Possible and Probable, gloom often encapsulates us when life is confusing and conflict is great. Our faith is rattled, and we are swallowed by shadows of fear. The world often feels like the end is near even when a new beginning is around the corner. We forget that even when shadows have lengthened, there remains a crack in the surface. Light begins to stream into our space, and warmth dances upon our hearts. When fear unnerves us, may we cling to the hope of God’s love and the possibilities of joy once again. Amen.
Call to Worship
One: We love to tell the old, old story.
Many: We love to sing the old, old song of your saving deeds of mercy and freedom and healing and newness.
One: We know about Exodus freedom and dancing tambourines. We know about land and huge clusters of grapes. We know about rivers of water and rivers of oil. We know about the strangeness that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised, the poor rejoice.
Many: We know. Give us courage to trust what we know and to obey what we hope. We know that the old, old story--in our telling--becomes a new, dangerous, transforming song. And so we sing.
—From Prayers for a Privileged People by Walter Brueggemann, pp. 109-110.
Opening Hymn Potluck Advent Hymn
Scripture Lesson Luke 1:46-55
Sermon “God Has Remembered” Dr. Josh Hunt
Words to Ponder: The Tenth Century mystic Bernard of Clairvaux spoke about the coming of Christ in three different ways: the coming of Christ in the flesh at Bethlehem, the return of Christ in glory at the end of time, and the coming of Christ in our hearts every single day.
For a thousand years, we have looked back to this teacher and his insight to help us process what the incarnation of God means and all of the ways Jesus comes to us. There are no checkpoints, no guards, no one checking credentials, no walls to scale, no doors to pass through, no velvet ropes to separate us, no fences to keep us out.
We have open access and an open invitation to participate in the divine story.
Let us think of the ways we can receive that invitation and the ways we can share it!
Joys and Concerns
Prayers of the People
Closing Hymn and Offertory Potluck Advent Hymn
Benediction
Discussion
Shalom (“May you be well and whole and in communion with all creation.”)
Shalom, my friends, Shalom, my friends, Shalom, Shalom.
Till we meet again, Till we meet again, Shalom, Shalom.
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Reprinted with permission under One License #A-625711. All rights reserved.
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Please join us for our 1st Sunday Potluck Meal following worship service.
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Calendar of Service -
December 8 - Dr. Keith Ray, 2nd Sunday in Advent (Peace)
December 15 - Dr. Keith Ray, Christmas Pageant, 3rd Sunday in Advent (Joy)
December 22 - Dr. Keith Ray, 4th Sunday in Advent (Love)
December 24 - Dr. Keith Ray, Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7:00 pm
December 29 - Lessons and Carols
The next Anderson Forum for Progressive Theology event will be presented online on Sunday, December 1 at 4 pm. Rev. Jim Dant will present a lecture entitled “Understanding the Development of the Christmas Nativity Stories Through the Lens of Jewish Midrash (What You Were NOT Taught in Sunday School)” To Register for Zoom, click: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0ID24xplSke-dv4HLnkjEw#/registration
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The GAMAC Chorale, Anderson Symphony Orchestra, & The Electric City Big Band will be performing a Christmas concert on Thursday, December 12 at 7 pm. Visit https://www.gamac.org/masterworks for tickets
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Keenagers Christmas Party will be held on Saturday, December 14, at 11:30. Bring a gift to exchange. Lunch is still being planned. Everyone is invited!
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NACCP on YouTube. Since the beginning of this year, a small group of NACCPers have worked to make our gatherings available on YouTube. As of November 2024, you can find us at NorthAndersonCCP on YouTube. You can live stream us, or see recordings.
Now we are recruiting others to be part of our NACCP AV Team. We would like to share recording/streaming among several people. We will offer training to anyone willing to help. Please let Cynthia (cynthiakwarner@mac.com) or Joanne (843.607.3862) know if you are interested.
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The Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk will be on December 21 at 4 pm.
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Seasonal choir practice meets on Sundays at 9:25 a.m. in the choir room. Call or text Polly at 864-940-0640 if needed.
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An updated church directory is available for upload. If you do not have the password, please send request to mhc.clemson@gmail.com
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The Carolina Bronze Handbell Ensemble, featuring our very own Cynthia Warner, will be playing several free concerts, including:
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Hurricane Helene Relief News:
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Please join Presbyterian Earth Care (PEC) for this unique monthly opportunity for community and meaningful Bible study! The study will run for 75 minutes each session. Dates: Nov. 24th, Dec. 22nd, Jan. 26th, Feb. 23rd, Mar. 23rd, Apr. 28th, May 26th all at 7 pm. Study Leaders: Rev. M. Courtenay Willcox and Rev. Lucy Youngblood. For more info and Zoom link: https://presbyearthcare.org/bible-study-pw-2024-2025/
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Sarah Shumpert, AIM Board member, shares this update about the AIM Food Pantry: given the increased need in the community, AIM has increased the number of food boxes distributed to 55 per day (this is up from around 35 per day prior to COVID). The increase in distribution means that the pantry empties much faster than before. Please keep that in mind as you bring in food items. Also, the pantry is completely out of peanut butter and they would love to restock this item!
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Adult Children of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families Support Group meets each Thursday from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church, 1501 Sandy Springs Rd., Sandy Springs, SC. This is a 12-formatted program.
For more information, call 864-844-7137. Please share this with anyone who may benefit from this group.
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Bible Study meets on Mondays at 6:30 pm through Zoom. Contact Cynthia Warner at cynthiakwarner@mac.com or Dave Johnson at ampaw2t@gmail.com
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You may have noticed the new glass “tip jar” on the piano at church that serendipitously came about when someone didn’t claim a flower vase. Feel free to drop in a dollar or five when you like the music during the service. Dave and Polly will donate the “tips” to a cause related to music, such as bringing music to schools.
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If you would like to donate to the family of Eric Childs, who was tragically killed in a car accident, please use this link: https://gofund.me/6340eb47. Eric’s wife Jessicka Spearman heads the PFLAG group that meets at NACCP.
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Women’s clothing is needed for women coming out of incarceration. Good, gently used items please. All sizes.
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Doug Booth encourages everyone to volunteer at PAWS – there is something for everyone, from socializing with the dogs on-site to taking a dog to lunch to hosting weekend visits. There are many dogs at the facility who crave human interaction. Additionally, don’t forget to bring in any donations of blankets to the church.
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Karen highlighted that the Prayer Tree has been moved into the sanctuary. If you have a prayer request to add to the tree, write it on one of the provided tags and hang it on a branch.
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Joanne reminds us all to keep up the food donations for AIM (Anderson Interfaith Ministries)! Bring your non-perishable items to the church. This is an on-going need that can easily become part of everyone’s shopping routine.
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Are you interested in becoming a member of NACCP? Would you like to make this community your spiritual home? Please contact Keith at keithdray@gmail.com or at 864-508-1530.
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Remember in prayer: Family of Steve Hallowell; Gloria Bennett and family; Michael Little’s friend Becky; Shea Marsden; Linda McFall; Glennie Burns; Mary Alice Mundy; Latha and Cheryl Semones; Immigrant families; Victims of all violence, oppression, and injustice; People of Ukraine; People of Israel and Palestine.
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