Sunday December 28, 2025 Worship Service
Livestream at 11:10 a.m.

Gathering in God’s Name

Prelude — Psallite — Franz Lisz
As the prelude begins, you are invited to begin your personal preparation for worship.

Silent Meditation                                    
The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly. — Spiritual Writings, Kierkegaard

Call to Worship — Isaiah 63: 7-9
For the Lord said, “Surely they are My people, children who will not deal falsely:”
       And He became their Savior in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel but His presence that saved them;
       In His love and in His pity, He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days.
       Let us worship God.

Praise and Adoration

*Hymn #110 — Love Has Come — BRING A TORCH
(*Please stand, if you are able)

Confession and Pardon

Call to Confession

Prayer of Confession
God of all tomorrows, we come to You this day remembering our yesterdays. Now and again, we have failed to learn from the lessons of the past. We have heard a voice calling out in the wilderness, and yet we have made ourselves busy with other things. You sent us Your Son, so that we may follow Him, and yet we have led ourselves astray. Forgive us, Lord. We know that with You, the future is bright. We know that with You, the path leads us to eternal goodness. Help us to learn from our mistakes. Help us to follow Your light.

Silent Prayers of Confession and Petition

Kyrie Eleison (#121) — “O Little Town of Bethlehem” — ST. LOUIS
O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; O come to us; abide with us, our Lord
Emmanuel!

Assurance of Pardon

 *Congregational Response — Gloria — GLORIA
Glo—ria in excelsis Deo! Glo—ria in excelsis Deo!                                                                                                             

Welcome                  

*Hymn #132 — Good Christian Friends, Rejoice — IN DULCI JUBILO

Announcements

The Sacrament of Baptism
Harlow Virginia Jones, born July 2, 2025 to parents Aaron and Alicia Jones

*Congregational Response: With joy and thanksgiving, we welcome Harlow Virginia Jones into Christ’s church to share with us in the one ministry of Christ, for we are all one in Him.

Fellowship of Prayer

Joys and Concerns

Prayers of the People
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 and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

Anthem  — The Birthday of a King  — W.H. Neidlinger

Proclamation of God’s Word

Scripture Lessons — Matthew 2:13-16; Ruth 1:15-19 — Bible pgs. 784 and 210

Sermon — “The Ties That Bind” — Rev. Joshua Garry

Our Response to God’s Word

*Affirmation of Faith — The Book of Order: Foundations of Presbyterian Polity F-1.0301-1.0302
We believe that the Church is the body of Christ. We believe that Christ gives to the Church all the gifts necessary to be His body; that the Church strives to demonstrate these gifts in its life as a community to the world; that the Church is a community of faith, hope, love, and witness. We believe that unity is God’s gift to the Church in Jesus Christ, and that the Church strives to be one. Amen

*Sanctus — Holy, Holy, God Almighty — DIVINUM MYSTERIUM

Presentation of Tithes and Offerings

Offertory — What Is This Lovely Fragrance? — Paul Manz

*Doxology (#609) — Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow — LASST UNS ERFREUEN
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise Christ, all creatures high and low.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise God, in Jesus fully known: Creator, Word, and Spirit one.
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

*Prayer of Dedication
Gracious and Loving God, we are so thankful to belong to the body of Christ. We are so thankful to be Christ’s hands and feet. We are so thankful that you have given us the gifts we need to do Your work in this world. We pray You accept these gifts and use them to do Your will – to bless others. Amen.

*Hymn #136 — Go, Tell It on the Mountain — GO TELL IT

*Charge and Benediction

*Postlude — Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers — Michael Burkhardt