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I Knew This Would Happen!

Worship
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B
Frank Ramirez
Lectionary Worship Aids
Series VII, Cycle B
Call To Worship (Acts 3:19-21)
One:
Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,
All:
so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus,
One:
who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.

Collect

Gracious Lord, your message saves lives and nations. You promised all nations would be blessed through Abraham! In our worship today we pledge to be your light to all the nations, whether perceived as friend or foe, that as children of Abraham, children of God, we may all be gathered into your family. Amen.

Prayer Of Confession

Today we proclaim that God is merciful and just, intent on the restitution of all things, aiming to reach out for Ninevites, such as ourselves. Why are we always so surprised, Lord, about your boundless mercy? Why do we always assume, God of judgment, that your boundless mercy always includes us? We repent of our idolatries of nationalism, racism, commercialism, consumerism. We proclaim one God, one Lord, one salvation, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymns
There's A Wideness In God's Mercy
Here In This Place
Low In The Grave He Lay
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Advent 3
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
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Advent 4
36 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
19 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
3 – Pastor's Devotions
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Christmas!
27 – Sermons
100+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
3 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
Not many things are quite as common — and, for that matter, quite as predictable — as the sunrise and the sunset. Yet that does not make them less spectacular, does it? We still find ourselves struck by their beauty. So much so, in fact, that at times we try to take pictures in order to capture what we are seeing and experiencing. Or, if others are nearby, we call some family member over to the window in order to share the beauty of the view with someone we love.
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Micah 5:2-5a
Phillips Brooks wrote the hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” in 1868. The song began as a poem he’d written for the Sunday School of his church, The Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia. Brooks found the inspiration for this hymn after the Civil War, during a year abroad (1865-66) in Europe and the Holy Land. While traveling, he wrote to the children of his parish about visiting Bethlehem on Christmas Eve.

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
Then I said, ‘See, I have come to do your will, O God’ (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).

If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t miss a super hero movie, you know that every one of them has an origin story. Bruce Wayne, for instance, witnessed the senseless murder of his parents when he was a child, which is why as an adult he was not only intent on fighting crime but also to instill in criminals the traumatic terror he experienced as a child, and that is why he donned the character of the Batman.

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A small bag of potato chips. This message includes role-playing. Depending on your group of children, you can either select your players yourself or ask for volunteers when you need them. You will want one girl to be Mary, another to be Elizabeth, and two more children to be the people in town.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! But instead of just hearing the story,

SermonStudio

Susan R. Andrews
We Protestants don’t know what to do with Mary. Because the doctrines of the Catholic church have turned Mary into a sweet passive icon of virginal purity, we Protestants have been content to leave her out of our gallery of biblical saints — except of course, for her obligatory appearance in our Christmas pageants.
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The recurring phrase, "let your face shine" (vv. 3, 7, 19), offers an interesting opportunity to reflect on the meaning of God's presence in our world. This reflection takes on a particular significance during the Advent season.

Mary S. Lautensleger
The name Johann Sebastian Bach has been familiar in church music circles for many years. Bach inscribed all his compositions with the phrase, "To God Alone The Glory." Professor Peter Schickele of the fictitious University of Southern North Dakota discovered an obscure relative, P.D.Q. Bach, known as the most bent twig on the Bach family tree. The name Bach had always been associated with fine music until P.D.Q. appeared on the scene. This fabled genius, P.D.Q.
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Year after year, we are drawn to this night. This night with its carols and candlelight, inhaling an atmosphere of poinsettia and pine, and exhaling the promise of peace. What is it about this night that so captivates our souls, I wonder? There are, I suppose, as many answers as there are people in this room.

Some are here because they are believers, faithful followers of the Christ. You are here to celebrate the nativity of your Lord. In the name of the Christ you worship and adore, I bid you a joyful welcome.

Harold C. Warlick, Jr.
The university chaplain was late for a meeting. He roared down the interstate through a sparsely populated area of his state. He was traveling ten miles per hour over the speed limit. As the blue light from the highway patrol car flashed in his rearview mirror, the churning in his stomach was exceeded only by his anger at his foolishness. Putting on his best professional face and a humble demeanor, he gave the officer the requested information and jotted in his date book the time and location of his court appointment.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Christmas is nearly here! In our worship today let us reflect the joy and happiness of Mary in the way in which we too greet the birth of our Saviour.

Invitation to Confession:

 Lord Jesus, we are longing for your birth.

Lord, have mercy.

 Lord Jesus, we wait to greet you with clean hearts.

Christ, have mercy.

 Lord Jesus, we welcome you -- make us right with you.

Lord, have mercy

 Reading:

 Luke 1:39-45

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