Younger Children’s
Bulletin
Older Children’s
Bulletin
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.
Notes and Reminders
We are planning to celebrate the church for Christmas and Advent this year, though we will have to do things a little bit differently. The Flower Committee will not having a Poinsettia tree, and we will be moving the location of the Christmas Tree due to space limitations. The angel tree will continue to be in the fellowship hall. We encourage you to donate angels for the tree, if you would like to do so in honor or memory of a loved one. We will feature the tree in some of our worship celebrations this year. Please refer to the email sent out this past week.
Advent is coming quickly, and we want to invite you to celebrate with us! In addition to our regular Sunday morning worship, each Sunday Advent evening we will be having a time to celebrate in scripture, carols, and prayer. We will gather at 5:30 PM in the pavilion, and each evening celebration will be about 30 minutes long.
Please also remember that we have begun our annual collection for the patients at Western State Hospital. This collection includes everything from essentials to fun items. It is our hope that our collection will be a sharing of Christ’s love for them in the Christmas season. A list of items for the collection can be viewed at https://pleasantvalleyalive.org/wp/western-state-christmas-collection/ .
Flowers in the church are in memory of Teri Sumey’s father, Bill Ritchie, and her husband, Randy Sumey.
Faith of our Fathers
Jesus announced the nearness of God’s kingdom and called his disciples to be fishers of all people.
We come seeking courage to follow in the way of Jesus,
that our lives may bear witness to the good news of the kingdom at hand
and serve to draw people to God’s reconciliation.
We come seeking the nearness of God, in each other and in Spirit and truth.
We come hungry, thirsty, weary, worn out, and tired.
One: Let us come just as we are to worship.
We come joyous, grateful, full, expectant and hopeful.
Come and worship.
May our honest praise be a beautiful offering to our God.
Guide My Feet
Guide my feet while I run this race.
Guide my feet while I run this race.
Guide my feet while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain!
Hold my hand while I run this race.
Hold my hand while I run this race.
Hold my hand while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain!
Stand by me while I run this race.
Stand by me while I run this race.
Stand by me while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain!
I’m your child while I run this race.
I’m your child while I run this race.
I’m your child while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain!
Search my heart while I run this race.
Search my heart while I run this race.
Search my heart while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain!
Guide my feet while I run this race.
Guide my feet while I run this race.
Guide my feet while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain!
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Guide My Feet
Almighty God,
through love you have made us,
and for love you call us.
Set your Spirit upon us to mend our sinful ways,
to lead us to strength in your compassion and forgiveness.
Restore to us the joy of your salvation,
as we serve and praise,
bearing witness to your abundant mercy in all the world;
through Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you, forever and ever.
Amen.
Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’
Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,
“Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’
When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Prayer for God’s Direction
God of wilderness people whose children often traveled confused and fearful, we confess our own wanderings in sorrow, sadness and doubt. We know how it feels to be lost, hurting and troubled. It seems often that we are wandering scared from all that threatens us. Desperate for survival, we settle for only halfhearted attempts at life. Forgive our reckless measures to find security. Forgive our lack of confidence in the face of the darkest valley. Give us a large measure of your spiritual nourishment so that even in the great difficulties, we will flourish in your grace. Guide us out of the wanderings of our hearts and lead us back to you, where we will find the security and love that we have been searching for in all the wrong places. When we find ourselves lost or confused continue to call to us, to lead us back to your loving arms. Help us to live each day as your disciples, knowing that even in the worst of storms that life can throw at us, we can still find shelter in you.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come; thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee.
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths
its flow richer, fuller be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee.
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
and feel the promise is not vain,
that morn shall tearless be.
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O Love
God of abundance,
you fill us with good things;
you satisfy our thirst;
you meet our every need.
From your rock,
our blessings flow.
Guide our hearts, our hands, our gifts, our love,
to answer the cries of a world in need.
-Shelley Cunningham, adapted
PASTORAL PRAYER
Thank you, God, for your care for all.
You watch over the sun, whose rays warm us,
you order the moon, whose light silvers the night.
The seasons follow your guidance,
and we give thanks for farmers and their harvests.
Even as food is collected and stored,
we are mindful of places where food is hard to find;
the rains didn’t come, and the plants didn’t grow,
or hurricane winds blew the harvest away.
Open our hearts to share nature’s bounty
with all your children who are in need.T
hank you for your care for us,
for the way you bring people into our lives to love us.
Thank you for families, for friends, for our church community,
offering love and support.
You know that we care for each other,
yet we confess that we love imperfectly, sometimes grudgingly,
sometimes with only half a heart.
Give us the courage to apologize when apologies are necessary,
to model ourselves on the humility of Jesus Christ,
who gave his whole life in service to others.
Knowing your care for us,
we are confident as we lift up those who are grieving,
or who face health challenges of various kinds.
Where there is sorrow, bring your comfort,
Where there is violence, we need your peace,
where there is instability, your calming presence,
where there is hatred, your abundant love,
where there is suspicion and fear, your assurance.
God of great gifts,
equip us as your church to be agents of your kingdom,
ambassadors of hope, following your path of peace.
Guide us in your love so Your will may be done in our lives.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
-Copyright Carol Penner, adapted
www.leadinginworship.com
O Healing River
O healing river, send down your waters, send down your waters
upon this land.
O healing river,
send down your waters,
and wash the blood from off the sand.
This land is parching, this land is burning, no seed is growing
in the barren ground.
O healing river,
send down your waters,
O healing river,
send your waters down.
Let the seed of freedom awake and flourish, let the deep roots nourish,
let the stalks rise.
O healing river,
send down your waters,
O healing river,
from out of the skies.
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O Healing River
May we depart knowing that
the Spirit goes with us through the wilderness,
shaping, guiding, nudging, encouraging.
And may the peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds centered
in the love of Jesus Christ.
