New Year's Eve Worship

It takes dozens of volunteers to make our Sunday morning Large Group worship celebrations possible each and every week. As a way of showing our appreciation to these amazing individuals, we’re taking a break from holding a worship service this Sunday. We believe it’s important to rest and to spend time abiding in God. So, we’ve assembled the following worship materials for you and your family to use in order to worship God wherever you’re spending this holiday weekend.

We believe “Church Can Happen Anywhere,” and we hope you’ll invite others to join you in reading Scripture, praying, singing, and discussing the Gospel message from Luke 2:22-40. Remember to “Check In” to Peace Tree UMC on Facebook and Instagram. Every check-in will provide a Book of Hope to a child living in a persecuted or hard-tor-reach area thanks to our partnership with Causely and OneHope. And be sure to use the hashtag #books4kids so that other people will know about this month’s charitable cause.

Have a safe and happy New Year’s weekend! We’ll see each of you back at the Malco Forest Hill Cinema on January 7th at 10AM as we kick off our new sermon series, “ReNew Year.” If you’d like to make donation to Peace Tree this week, you can give HERE, and if you have any prayer requests, then please share them with us HERE. God bless!

+Peace and Love from Pastor Kris


OPEN WITH PRAYER

O almighty God, by the birth of your holy child Jesus
  you gave us a great light to dawn on our darkness.
Grant that in his light we may see light.
Bestow upon us that most excellent Christmas gift of love to all people,
  so that the likeness of your Son may be formed in us,
  and that we may have ever brightening hope of everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
(The UMC Book of Worship 1965, Alt.)
 

READ SCRIPTURE

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
(Luke 2:22-40, New Revised Standard Version)


DISCUSS TOGETHER

1. Christ was born as a pure child, and yet Luke 2:40 says that Jesus grew in wisdom and in the favor of God. What are ways that we can grow in God’s favor and become more holy as individuals?
2. The Holy Spirit guided both Simeon and Anna in the Temple as they met Jesus. What can we do to better hear the Holy Spirit and respond to its promptings?
3. Have you ever waited a long time for something, or prayed to God for an answer to your questions? How did you feel when you finally received a response?
4. As we prepare of the start of a new year, what is God saying to you right now? What will you do about it?

 

REFLECT

Watch this music video for Francesca Battistelli’s “Holy Spirit.” Listen to the lyrics (or sing/read them below) and consider what God is calling you to do this week.

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VERSE ONE:
There's nothing worth more
That could ever come close
No thing can compare
You're our living hope
Your presence, Lord
I've tasted and seen
Of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free
And my shame is undone
Your presence, Lord
 
CHORUS:
Holy Spirit, You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence, Lord
Your presence, Lord
 
VERSE ONE
 
CHORUS

BRIDGE (x4):
Let us become more aware of Your presence
Let us experience the glory of Your goodness

TAG
Holy Spirit, You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence, Lord
 
(Written by Cyril Garrett Neville, Gaynielle H. Neville, Hack Bartholomew, Norman Caesar • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Christian Music Group)
 
 
CLOSE WITH PRAYER
 
May the Christ who by his Incarnation
  gathered into One things earthly and heavenly,
  fill us with the sweetness of inward peace and goodwill;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
  the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
  be upon us and remain with us always.
Amen.

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