Sunday Gathering

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the new born King

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With angelic host proclaim

Christ is born in Bethlehem

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Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the new born King

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Christ by highest heaven adored

Christ the everlasting Lord

Late in time behold him come

Offspring of a virgin's womb

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see

Hail the incarnate Diety

Pleased as man with man to dwell

Jesus our Emmanuel

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Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the new born King

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Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace

Hail the Son of Righteousness

Light and life to all He brings

Risen with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

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Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the new born King

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the new born King

Digital Connection Card - Tell us about yourself & get connected!

All creation holds its breath.

The time is almost here.

The heavenly choir of angels waits for its cue to sing.

Excitement is all around us.

Prepare your hearts–The grace of God takes on human form.

Good news! Emmanuel, God-with-Us, comes to us.

We gather to make ready our hearts

for the coming of Christ, our hope.

O little town of Bethlehem

How still we see thee lie

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting light

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight

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For Christ is born of Mary

And gathered all above

While mortals sleep, the angels keep

Their watch of wondering love

O morning stars together

Proclaim thy holy birth

And praises sing to God the King

And peace to men on earth

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How silently, how silently,

The wondrous gift is giv'n!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of His heav'n.

No ear may hear His coming,

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive Him still,

The dear Christ enters in

The tender mercy of our God still holds us when the light is gone

His guiding hand and guarding rod are with us as we wait for dawn

O-- though sorrow entered with the night

O-- yet even now we know his light

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His love is steady as the stars, whose ancient light is burning still

He walks beside us in the dark, the emptiness within us fills

O-- though night is long he's with us now

O-- in mercy's everlasting hour

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As every night will have its end, we know the sun will have to rise

Our loving lord will take our hands and wipe the tears from every eye

O-- for Christ has come, the day draws near

O-- and even now he meets us here

Loving God,

we confess our sins against you and one another,

and pray that you will fill us with your light,

that we may live our lives as true disciples in your name,

without counting the cost. 

In the name of Christ,

the one who showed us the way, we pray.  Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

God's light is present in this world. 

Present in the Christ child, born to lead us out of darkness. 

Present in the star, in all that guides us to love. 

God's light is in the world, and the darkness did not overcome it. 

God's grace is in the world, and our mis-steps will not overcome it. 

We are loved, we are forgiven.  Alleluia!  Amen.

Please take this time to greet one another. This will also be when Gateway Kids are dismissed on weeks they have class.

Holy Father, there is nothing I have that You have not given me.
All I have and am belong to You, bought with the blood of Jesus.
To spend everything on myself, and to give without sacrifice,
is the way of the world that You cannot abide.

But generosity is the way of those who call Christ their Lord;
who love Him with free hearts and serve Him with renewed minds.
Who withstand the delusion of riches that chokes the word;
Whose hearts are in your kingdom and not in the systems of the world.

I am determined to increase in generosity until it can be said that there is no needy person among us.
I am determined to be trustworthy with such a little thing as money that You may trust me with true riches.

Above all, I am determined to be generous because You, Father, are generous.
It is the delight of Your daughters and sons to share Your traits, and to show what You are like to all the world.

Matthew 1:18-23

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.”

—Matthew 1:18

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

–Genesis 1:1-2

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

—Matthew 1:21 

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

—1 John 4:9-10

“Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

—Luke 2:19

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

–Matthew 1:22-23

Communion is available at the Coffee Table or in the baskets on the stairs to your left. Contains juice and wafer (gluten-free option available).

He who was before there was life

Walked across the pages of time

He who made every living thing

Behold Him

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He who heard humanity's cry

Left his throne to wake as a child

He became like the least of us

Behold Him

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Jesus, Son of God, Messiah

The Lamb, the Roaring Lion

Oh be still and behold Him

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He who dined with sinners and saints

Healed the blind the lost and the lame

Even now He is in our midst

Behold Him

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He who chose a criminal's end

Paid with blood to settle our debt

Buried death as He rose to life

Behold Him

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Jesus, Son of God, Messiah

The Lamb, the Roaring Lion

Oh be still and behold Him

Jesus, Alpha and Omega

Our God the Risen Savior

Oh be still and behold Him

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Holy, holy, holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

Worthy, worthy, worthy

To receive all praise

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Jesus, Son of God, Messiah

The Lamb, the Roaring Lion

Oh be still and behold Him

Jesus, Alpha and Omega

Our God the Risen Savior

Oh be still and behold Him

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Behold Him

Behold Him

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

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Fall on your knees

Hear the angel voices

O night, divine O night

When Christ was born

O night, divine O night

O night divine

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Truly He taught us to love one another

His law is love and His gospel is peace

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His name all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we

Let all within us praise His holy name

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Christ is the Lord

Oh praise His name forever

His power and glory evermore proclaim

His power and glory

Evermore proclaim

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Fall on your knees

Hear the angel voices

O night, divine O night

When Christ was born

O night, divine O night

O night divine

Fall on your knees

Hear the angel voices

O night, divine O night

When Christ was born

O night, divine O night

O night divine

Prepare for the coming of the Lord! Make way in your hearts for love! Get rid of all anger and fear, for God is about to bring incredible light to the world! Go in peace and confidence as witnesses to God’s love. Amen