*Entire service available on video HERE
Call To Worship
(Scripture to set a tone for worshipping the Lord):
The Kingdom of Light comes to wage war on the Kingdom of Darkness
-John 1
Worship In Song
This Is War
This is war like you ain’t seen
This winter’s long, it’s cold and mean
With downcast hearts, we stood condemned,
But the tide turns now at Bethlehem.
This is war, and born tonight
The Word as flesh, the Lord of Light,
The Son of God, the low-born King,
Whom demons fear, of whom angels sing.
(CHORUS)
Hallelujah! A Child is born!
He is the rescue we’ve waited for!
The Throne of David, He will restore
And reign with mercy forevermore!
This is war!
This is war on sin and death,
The dark will take its final breath;
It shakes the earth, confounds all plans,
The mystery of God-as-man!
(to Chorus)
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
(CHORUS)
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight
Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing
Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it
Mount of God’s redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by Thy help I’ve come
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He, to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
The Reading Of God’s Word
Isaiah 8:19-9:7 (Jessica Stott)
When they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the spiritists who chirp and mutter,” shouldn’t a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20Go to God’s instruction and testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them.
21They will wander through the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged, and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. 22They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness.
1Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future he will bring honor to the way of the sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations.
2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
a light has dawned
on those living in the land of darkness.
3You have enlarged the nation
and increased its joy.
The people have rejoiced before you
as they rejoice at harvest time
and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
4For you have shattered their oppressive yoke
and the rod on their shoulders,
the staff of their oppressor,
just as you did on the day of Midian.
5For every trampling boot of battle
and the bloodied garments of war
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.
The Proclamation Of God’s Word
Peace – Second Sunday Of Advent (Sean Nolan)
Songs Of Response
It Is Well
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul “
(CHORUS)
It is well (It is well)
With my soul (With my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul
My sin O the bliss
Of this glorious thought
My sin not in part
But the whole
Is nailed to the cross
And I bear it no more
Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord O my soul
It is well (It is well)
With my soul (With my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul
And Lord haste the day
When my faith shall be sight
The clouds be rolled back
As a scroll
The trump shall resound
And the Lord shall descend
Even so it is well
With my soul
It is well (It is well)
With my soul (With my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul
It is well (It is well)
With my soul (With my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul
It is well, it is well, with my soul
All Glory Be To Christ
Should nothing of our efforts stand
No legacy survive
Unless the Lord does raise the house
In vain its builders strive
To you who boast tomorrow’s gain
Tell me what is your life
A mist that vanishes at dawn
All glory be to Christ!
(CHORUS)
All glory be to Christ our king!
All glory be to Christ!
His rule and reign we’ll ever sing,
All glory be to Christ!
His will be done
His kingdom come
On earth as is above
Who is Himself our daily bread
Praise Him the Lord of love
Let living water satisfy
The thirsty without price
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
When on the day the great I Am
The faithful and the true
The Lamb who was for sinners slain
Is making all things new.
Behold our God shall live with us
And be our steadfast light
And we shall ere his people be
All glory be to Christ!
Worship Through Poetry
Original Poem by Joanna Pennings
When the angel approached Mary,
Did his words break through years of captivity?
Disrupt decades of darkness?
And just as the starlight speaks prophesy of the coming of sun—
Those same stars sit in the sky, lit for the children of promise,
Reminding them that one day the Sunrise from on high
Will come.
Maybe Mary saw all the colors of the morning,
As the angel spoke of God’s plan.
That promise that had wrapped itself around
The weary hearts of Israel.
“He will crush the Serpent’s head.”
And in that long night,
As they sang the hymns of ransom;
Reaching a hand into the night sky;
To try to catch remnants of a long-remembered covenant;
Did they find hope?
Assurance in what they could not see?
When the star rose above Bethlehem,
Do you think God smiled,
Knowing the night would soon be over?
Knowing the promise was fulfilled,
And the day would come,
As an all-consuming fire,
Leaving no dark space.
It was the age-old hope,
Born in the shadow of the garden,
To bring light back to the Children of Promise.
A hope fulfilled in the face of God.
They, wandering in darkness, have seen that great light,
And they will not forget.
Worship Through Giving:
Those who call Engage home are encouraged to worship through giving. In order to ensure minimal contact, those giving by cash or check are encouraged to drop in the bucket on the back table (not the garbage bucket) discreetly as they depart. To read more about what we believe about giving or to submit an offering online click HERE.
(also available on Venmo: @EngageAlbany)
Updates & Announcements
As COVID concerns are on the rise, please revisit our updated protocols on our social media channels and website.
1. Building Purchase: our offer on a building was accepted. Too early to get too excited, but please keep praying for the Lord’s will.
2. Going Digital: we are NOT able to meet on December 13th due to a scheduling conflict with the current landlords. Stay tuned for upcoming changes as we prepare for another wave of increased COVID.
3. Serve: As we strive to limit our attendance in accordance with NYS guidelines, we’ll need people to help serve. Email engagealbany@gmail.com if you’re interested. Also:
If you want to be a part of a living nativity on December 19th, email the above address as well
4. Save the date: We’re planning a Christmas party for December 11th (Friday) in the evening. This will most likely be a digital event at this point!
Benediction
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
-2 Thessalonians 3:16