Pastor: David Range
December 4, 2022
Miramar United Methodist Church
in the heart of Miramar, a place for gathering, healing, and sending out friends, helping to create a sense of family to find new life in Christ.
Part of the United Methodist family where we make disciples for the
Transformation of the world.
Order of Worship
December 4, 2022
8:30 & 11:00 a.m. services
Please see the end of the bulletin for some additional important information
CALL TO WORSHIP
Hymn 203 Hail to the Lord’s Anointed+
1. Hail to the Lord's Anointed, great David's greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed, his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free;
to take away transgression, and rule in equity.
2. He comes with succor speedy to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying, are precious in his sight.
3. He shall come down like showers upon the fruitful earth;
love, joy, and hope, like flowers, spring in his path to birth.
Before him on the mountains, shall peace, the herald, go,
and righteousness, in fountains, from hill to valley flow.
4. To him shall prayer unceasing and daily vows ascend;
his kingdom still increasing, a kingdom without end.
The tide of time shall never his covenant remove;
his name shall stand forever; that name to us is love.
WORDS: James Montgomery, 1821 MUSIC: Gesangbuch der H. W. k. Hofkapelle, 1784, alt; adapt. and harm. by W. H. Monk, 1868
OPENING PRAYER
*PRAISE AND WORSHIP
Great and Mighty is the Lord
Great and mighty is the Lord our God
Great and mighty is He
Great and mighty is the Lord our God
Great and mighty is He
Lift up your banner let the anthem ring
praises to our King.
Great and mighty is the Lord our God
Great and mighty is He
I Love Him Better
I love Him better every d—a—y
I love Him better every d—a—y
Close by His s-i-d-e
I will a-b-i-d-e
I love him better every d—a—y
Here I Am to Worship
Light of the world you stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart…adore you
Hope of a life spent with you
So here I am to worship; Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you’re my God
You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
King of all days oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly you came to the earth you created
All for love’s sake became poor
So here I am to worship; Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you’re my God
You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
And I’ll never know how much it costs
To see my sin upon that cross
And I’ll never know how much it costs
To see my sin upon that cross
So here I am to worship; Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that you’re my God
You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me
Where The Spirit Of The Lord Is
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is peace
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is love
There is comfort in life’s darkest hour
There is light and life, there is help and power
In the Spirit, in the Spirit, of the Lord.
My Jesus Christ The Lamb Of God
Your only Son, no sin to hide, but you have sent Him from Your side
To walk upon this guilty sod, and to become the Lamb of God.
O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God; I love the holy Lamb of God.
O wash me in His precious blood. My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God.
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Happy birthday to you, Jesus loves you it’s true,
May the Lord bless and keep you,
Happy birthday to you.
Happy Anniversary to you, happy Anniversary to you
Happy Anniversary dear friends, happy Anniversary to you
TODAY: Please prepare the elements for Holy Communion if you are joining us online.
TODAY: United Methodist Men meet at 12:30 p.m.
TODAY at 6:00 p.m. the United Methodist Men’s Ministry is sponsoring a Concert. We all look forward to a “joyful night out.” The concert will be live-streamed on our usual Sunday morning YouTube and Twitter accounts. The concert is free but an offering will be received to help raise funds for the Memorial Day Picnic to be held on Monday, May 29, 2023.
TUESDAY: Farm Share truck unloading at noon
TUESDAY: Choir practice at 7:00 p.m.
TUESDAY: Pre School Board meeting at 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: Bible Study 7:00 p.m.
THURSDAY: Food Distribution starts at 8:00 a.m.
THURSDAY: Choir 7:00 p.m.
FRIDAY: United Women in Faith Christmas Dinner 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. See flyer at end of bulletin for more information.
SATURDAY: Children’s Club and Youth Group Christmas party in the fellowship hall from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. See flyer at end of bulletin for more information.
NEXT SUNDAY: Third Sunday in Advent. Services at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
MONDAY, December 12 Admin/Church Council at 7:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall
THURSDAY, December 15 at 4:30 the Preschool Christmas musical will be presented
SUNDAY, December 18 one joint service at 10:00 a.m. for the presentation of the Cantata, Emmanuel Shall Come
SATURDAY, December 24 Christmas Eve service at 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, December 25 Christmas Day services at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
December 26 to 29 church building closed for termite tenting
SATURDAY, December 31 Max Chambers hosts an Early New Year’s Eve for the children from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. with the Ball Drop countdown beginning at 4:50. There will be inflatables, big slide, bungie bounce, face painting, popcorn, ice cream, with a DJ. Get your photo taken with your favorite Superhero or Disney Princess. The event will take place at the Miramar Regional Park Baseball Field, 16801 Miramar Parkway, Miramar 33027, for more info call 954-602-3157
SATURDAY, December 31 Watch Night service at 11:00 p.m.
SUNDAY, January 1 Covenant services at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
Starting today and continuing for the next two weeks, there are envelopes marked “Staff Christmas Gift” in the pew pockets and on the tables. Please give as you are able towards a gift for the Administrative Assistant, Custodian, Treasurer, Church Musician and Choir Director.
The Church Council has made it optional to wear a mask in the sanctuary for worship. Please follow your conscience as you are led.
For Sharing of the Spirit, please wave at the YouTube camera and say, “the peace of the Lord be with you,” and then wave at your neighbor in the sanctuary and say, “and also with you”.
Responsive reading (Psalm 72 verses 1 to 7)
Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor!
May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth!
In his days may righteousness flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Amen.
Please stand for the gospel according to Matthew 3:1-12
CHILDREN’S TIME
Welcoming New Members
Today we welcome at 8:30 Dawn Richardson, and at 11:00 a.m. Ritinella Benjamin, Hazel Frederick, Joyce Ewing, Patrick Nwa and Florence Nwa
Brothers and Sisters in Christ; through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are initiated into Christ’s holy church. We are incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit. All this is God’s gift, offered to us without price. Through the reaffirmation of our faith and by transfer, we renew the covenant declared at our baptism, acknowledge what God is doing for us, and affirm our commitment to Christ’s holy church. We celebrate those who have answered the call of God to become members of this local church. These persons before you have come forward to declare they are followers of Jesus Christ and to reaffirm their faith and witness to God’s grace. They are ready to take on the responsibilities of full membership. We ask them to respond to these questions as a testimony to their faith, and I ask you, members of the congregation, to pledge to help them in this task.
The questions for those becoming full members today:
On behalf of the whole Church, I ask you: Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin? I do.
Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves? I do.
Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races? I do.
I ask you, as members of Christ’s universal church, will you be loyal to Christ through The United Methodist Church, and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries and as members of this congregation, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness? I will.
Now of the congregation I ask:
Do you, as Christ’s body, the Church, reaffirm both your rejection of sin and your commitment to Christ? We do.
Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith and life and include these persons now before you in your care? With God’s help we will.
Friends, you stand before us today having affirmed your faith in Christ. We pray the Holy Spirit will continue to work within you, that having been born through water and the Spirit, you may live as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Members of the household of faith, I commend these persons to your love and care. Do all in your power to increase their faith, confirm their hope, and perfect them in love.
We give thanks for all that God has already given you and we welcome you in Christian love. As members together with you in the body of Christ and in this congregation of the Miramar United Methodist Church, we renew our covenant faithfully to participate in the ministries of the church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
The God of all grace, who has called us to eternal glory in Christ, establish you and strengthen you by the power of the Holy Spirit, that you may live in grace and peace. Amen
The Right Hand of Fellowship. Presentation of new members packet.
You may greet the new members with applause.
*HYMN 217 Away in a Manger+
1 Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
2 The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
and stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
3 Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay
close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.
WORDS: Anon. MUSIC: James R. Murray, 1887
RECEPTION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Please place your offering in the baskets at the 3 doors leading into the sanctuary on your way in or out.
The Mission Offering today is for Good Samaritan Fund
Next Sunday our Mission Offering goes to Apportionments
As we draw near to the close of the year, please remember in your end of the year giving the church in your contributions so that we can not only pay all our bills and increase our mission but also so that we can reduce the time it will take to pay off our mortgage by contributing to the “mortgage principal reduction.” Thank you for your faithfulness.
Prayer of Dedication
One minute musical interlude while worshipers prepare their offering. Instructions for giving online, by check or text are in the section after the Order of Service.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
praise him all creatures here below,
praise him above, ye heavenly hosts,
praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen
Sunday School children go out to their classes
“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world,
red or yellow, black or white, they are precious in his sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world..”
TIME OF SHARING JOYS & CONCERNS
(please email miramarpastor@gmail.com)
PRAYER HYMN 218 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear+
1. It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth, to touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven's all-gracious King."
The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.
2. Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats o’er all the weary world;
above its sad and lowly plains, they bend on hovering wing,
and ever o’er its Babel sounds the blessed angels sing.
3. And ye, beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low,
who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow,
look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing!
4. For lo! the days are hastening on, by prophet seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years shall come the time foretold
when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing.
WORDS: Edmund H. Sears, 1849 MUSIC: Richard Storrs Willis, 1850
PRAYER OF INTERCESSION AND 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 trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
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.
SERMON Shopping for the Right Stuff Pastor David Range
HYMN OF PREPARATION 626 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
1 Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand;
ponder nothing earthly-minded, for with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand.
2 King of kings, yet born of Mary, as of old on earth he stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture, in the body and the blood;
he will give to all the faithful his own self for heavenly food.
3 Rank on rank the host of heaven Spreads its vanguard on the way,
as the Light of light descendeth from the realms of endless day
that the powers of hell may vanish, as the darkness clears away.
4 At his feet the six-winged seraph, Cherubim, with sleepless eye,
veil their faces to the presence, as with ceaseless voice they cry,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Lord Most High!
WORDS: Liturgy of St. James, 4th cent.; trans. by Gerard Moultrie, 1864 MUSIC: French Carol melody; harm, from The English Hymnal, 1906alt.
HOLY COMMUNION
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING FOR ADVENT
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life.
When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets, who looked for that day when justice shall roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. And so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ, whom you sent in the fullness of time to be a light to the nations.
You scatter the proud in the imagination of their hearts and have mercy on those who fear you from generation to generation.
You put down the mighty from their thrones and exalt those of low degree. You fill the hungry with good things, and the rich you send empty away. Your own Son came among us as a servant, to be Emmanuel, your presence with us.
He humbled himself in obedience to your will and freely accepted death on a cross.
By the baptism of His suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death,
and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to His disciples, and said:
“Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by His blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and for ever.
Amen
Hymns to be sung while Communion is being served.
Hymn 378 Amazing Grace
1. Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost,
but now am found; was blind, but now I see.
2. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved; how precious did
that grace appear the hour I first believed.
Hymn 357 Just As I Am
1. Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me,
and that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
5. Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Hymn 354 I Surrender All
1.All to Jesus I surrender; all to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust him, in his presence daily live.
I surrender all, I surrender all, all to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
3. All to Jesus I surrender; make me, Savior, wholly thine;
let me feel the Holy Spirit, truly know that thou art mine.
I surrender all, I surrender all, all to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
Something Beautiful
Something beautiful, something good, all my confusion, He understood.
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife,
but He made something beautiful of my life.
Something beautiful, something good, all my confusion, He understood.
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife,
but He made something beautiful of my life.
Hymn 189 Fairest Lord Jesus
1 Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature, O thou of God and man the Son, Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor, Thou, my soul's glory, joy, and crown.
4 Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations! Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be thine.
Hymn 117 O God, Our Help In Ages Past
1. O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.
2. Under the shadow of thy throne, still may we dwell secure;
sufficient is Thine arm alone, and our defense is sure.
Hymn 528 Nearer My God to Thee
1 Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
2 Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
yet in my dreams I'd be, nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
Hymn 529 How Firm a Foundation
1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
3. “When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
Hymn 145 Morning Has Broken
1. Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning,
praise for them springing
fresh from the Word.
3. Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day.
*HYMN OF SENDING FORTH 102 Now Thank We All Our God+
1 Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices;
who from our mothers' arms has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
2 O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us,
and keep us still in grace, and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills in this world and the next.
3 All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,
the Son, and him who reigns with them in highest heaven
the one eternal God, whom earth and heaven adore;
for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.
WORDS: Martin Rinkart, 1663; tran. by Catherine Winkworth, 1858 MUSIC: Johan Cruger, 1647; harm. by Felix Mendelsohn, 1840
BENEDICTION
+All music under ccli #24249
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We give God thanks for this opportunity to worship together in-person in our sanctuary as well as online. Please wear your mask and greet each with a wave, an elbow or fist bump. Please maintain social distance and sit at either end or the middle of the pew. In the pews we ask you to sit, in every other pew, spaced out as best you can. Seats are also available in the foyer and the fellowship hall if needed. Both have been set up with screens for the PowerPoint presentation and live video stream from the pulpit. We will continue to live stream the services on Twitter and YouTube for those who would like to continue to participate from home.
The offering will be received in the baskets at the three entry points of the sanctuary. No bulletins will be handed out, everything you need will be on the screens. No need to call or email ahead for a place to worship, you are invited to the sanctuary any time for in-person worship. Come as you are!
Remember there are two ways you can watch our services. One is on YouTube.com by typing in the search bar: Miramar UMC and then you should see the service live streamed. If you subscribe to our service through YouTube.com you can set up reminders for the day before or 15 minutes before, whatever you like.
The other way to “gather” in virtual worship is through the Twitter service available by going to our miramarumc.org website. Pass around the information so that others may join in worship by clicking on the Twitter bird icon on the home page. We will continue our 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. services (except when we have a fifth Sunday of the month 10:00 a.m. service.) If you lose the service for a few seconds do not worry it will probably come back, but if it is longer than a few seconds you might try clicking the refresh button in your browser window.
Please email your prayer requests for uplifting on Sundays by sending them to miramarpastor@gmail.com. It is best if you send them by Saturday NOON if possible.
Our church prayer meeting is online on Sundays at 7:30 p.m. and you may contact Marvia Aitken or Vinessa Edwards mamaness@bellsouth.net for the link.
This week, Monday through Thursday there will be someone in the church office from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. each day, and you may make an appointment to see the pastor at these or other times. Please remember to enter from the south entrance near the Pastor’s office. No other doors will be open for church business. The preschool is open but you should still come in by the south entrance because the north entrance from the parking lot must be dedicated for the little children of the preschool. Please let friends with preschool aged children know that they can enroll the children in our preschool.
WAYS to give:
1. Online giving is available through our website miramarumc.org. On the home page the ‘Donate’ icon (a hand with a dollar sign above it) is located at the top left corner and on the right under “Contact Us” you will see the same icon along with “Donate Online.” Click on either location for instructions. If you need help call the church office at 954-989-4711. Thanks to all who have signed up for this. The regular tithes and offerings of the church are a great source of blessing.
2. You can also mail a check to Miramar United Methodist Church. If you have your offering envelopes you will see that the address of the church is printed for mailing purposes and your offering can be mailed in this envelope when you apply a stamp. You may also use a regular envelope and address it to: MUMC, 2507 Utopia Drive, Miramar FL 33023. Just put your check inside, mark which funds you would like to support, put a stamp on and let the United States Postal Service do the rest! Or bring it by after the Sunday services, someone will be in the church for one hour after the worship finishes as well as Mon-Thurs 1-5 pm. We trust God will keep us strong.
3. Also, we have the option of giving by text! Use 833-931-1791 to GivePlusText and when you text any amount, by putting that number in the message, you will be prompted to register, then fill out the details of your name, address and means of payment, and the contribution will go in! If you enter an email address you will get an immediate receipt. It is easy! If you have an Apple phone you may also get Vanco’s GivePlusMobile by downloading the app from the App Store. You may also look up YouTube videos to show how all this is done.
Thank you for your prayers! Grace and peace, Pastor David
