Younger Children’s Activity Pages

Older Children’s Activity Pages

Good morning!  This page is intended to both serve as a continuing worship option for those participating in our worship service from home, and to serve in place of print resources during our in-person worship.  Following the worship service on Sunday, one or more video recordings from the service will be placed on this page, including the sermon.  This may take several hours, due to the time needed to process the videos.  We will email the congregation when the recordings have been posted.  If you would like to be added to our congregational email list, please contact pvcob.alive@gmail.com.

  • If you have previously ordered weekly giving envelopes, your box of envelopes for 2022 is in the church narthex.  Please let me know if you do not wish to continue with the weekly envelopes.  Or, if you have not previously used these pre-assigned envelopes for tracking your giving and would like to start, please let me know and I will designate a box for you.

  • Backpack Pals are accepting donations of Pudding Cups and Ramen Noodles! Pudding cups are especially needed. Please leave any donations in the blue bin located in the Narthex.  Thank you!

  • Come join us for a celebration of Scripture and Song this Christmas Eve at 7:00PM. We will meet as usual in the Sanctuary, but will not have a reception afterward. The Fellowship Team is planning to pass out cookies at the end of the service. There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex if you would like to donate cookies to be shared.

  • On December 26 and January 2 we will move to our combined worship schedule with Sunday School at 9:30AM and Worship and 10:30 AM. We look forward to welcoming guest preachers on those Sundays. JD Glick will be preaching on December 26 and Jerry Ruff will preach on January 2.

  • Pastors Daniel and Rebecca will be gone on vacation from December 25 to January 3rd. In case of emergency, please contact your deacons

  • Please be praying for the refugees being resettled in our area by Church World Service, and also for those working to help them. More information will be available about how we can be involved soon.
  • LIFE Groups are beginning! Leaders will be contacting those who have already signed up to set up first meetings. To join a group, sign up sheets are available in the Fellowship Hall, or visit www.pleasantvalleyalive.org.

Good morning! We gather together today because
A child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The light shines in the darkness.
And the darkness cannot overcome it.
Jesus is born for us!
God’s compassion has been given breath, voice, and song!

Most holy and Amazing God,
We spend so much of our days trying to float above the troubles of this world
Our jobs are never done, and we gasp for a moment of rest,
Then fill our breaks with busyness as well.
We paddle like mad, trying to keep up, trying to stay on top.
Only to witness your abandoning a throne above all things
To come down to earth, to come into our chaos and craziness
Not reigning from on high, but vulnerable as a child,
born, not even into comfort and cleanliness and safety,
But born in a barn, only a pile of hay to serve as a bed.
You have come to be with us,
To remind us that our struggle to be on top of everything is not what will bring us peace.

Help us to trust in you, O God.
Help us to follow simply.
Help us to love without perfection.
To believe that our neighbors do not demand perfection from us
To believe that grace is given for our struggle
To believe that love really is all around.

May we let love become the breath than sustains us
That washes the stress and exhaustion from our chests
That gives us room to welcome others
To not be inconvenienced, or feel judged
But to simply be with each other
Brothers and sisters in you.

 

Heal the damage that our hurried lives have caused.
Give us the humility and courage to ask for reconciliation
to acknowledge and accept our past mistakes.
Prepare us to receive those who have wounded us in the past
to allow each person to be a part of your new creation.

Lord, we desire to worship at your throne,
So help us to see it in the stool of the grocery clerk.
Help us to recognize it in the seat of the Fed-Ex truck.
May the mechanic and professor, and retiree be recipients of our love for you.

Because you have entered in.
You have come to love and heal.
You have taught and embraced.
You have accepted pain, suffering, and rejection for us.
May we take our seats in the straw with you. Amen.

 

People of God, when do we rejoice in the Lord?
When the babe is born
When the mother is cherished.
When the father is tender.

Rejoice!

When the star shines bright.
When the rainbow reminds When the rain renews.

Rejoice!

When the city renews. When love prevails.
When our breath breaks through disease.

Rejoice!

When we defeat oppression.
When we free the captives.
When the earth heals.

Rejoice!

When righteousness prevails. When all are lifted up.
When we are free together.

Rejoice!

Christ is born. God is here. Together we rejoice!

-Jana Carter
Los Angeles, California

(c) 2020 Church of the Brethren 12-27-25

Luke 2:41-52 NRSV

 

41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents[a] saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”[b] 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years,[c] and in divine and human favor.
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Gracious God, from whom every blessing takes root and blooms, We celebrate in your love today. Receive our joy at the light you present to all your creation, Bringing us back to life and giving us a vision of life that no worldly light can show. Share your love through us and to lead us all into the time of your perfect celebration. In Jesus name, Amen.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’

Listen! Those watching lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
The arrival of God is right before us.

Break forth together into singing, you broken and fallen;
for God brings comfort, he is our redeemer.

Jesus reveals the power of God’s love.
Every end of the earth will witness God’s salvation.