November 29, 2020.
Thank you for worshipping with us at Calvary Moravian Church. To support our ministries, you can mail the office a check (948 N. 21st St. Allentown 18104). An online giving portal is at: https://mmfa.info/calvary-moravian-church-pa-donation-form/.
Please note that we are no longer holding in-person Worship services.
10:45 a.m. : Worship with us via ZOOM or on our Calvary Moravian Church Allentown Youtube Channel.
https://zoom.us/j/673028163, Meeting ID: 673 028 163
You can continue to call this number and listen to the service on your any telephone as well:
(929) 205-6099 (enter 673028163#).
Bulletins are available from Friday onward in the Little Library on Livingston St.
Worship will start at 10:45 a.m. via Zoom or on our Calvary Youtube Channel.
A Sunday school check-in and community sharing will begin at 10 a.m. using the same Zoom address
Helping our Neighbors at Esperanza Moravian Church!
Esperanza Moravian Church, a bilingual church and ministry outreach to the neighborhood of South Bethlehem, is collecting food to help hungry kids in the neighborhood. We are collecting microwaveable Mac and Cheese cups (just the cups not the boxes) to donate as part of this effort or funds to purchase these. Please bring them to church or call us to arrange a drop-off.
Daily Texts
Moravian Daily Texts for 2021 are available, contact the church office The cost is $11.00 for regular print, $13.00 for large print.
2021 Pledges
Please remember to make your 2021 pledge commitment to Calvary Moravian as we need your financial support to continue working within the lives of members and in our community. Pledges can be dropped off to the church, mailed in, or emailed directly to churchcalvarymoravian@gmail.com
Advent Devotional “Do Not be Afraid”
Join us on Wednesday mornings from 10 – 11 a.m. or Wednesday evenings from 7 – 8 p.m. during Advent (Dec. 2, 9, 16 and 23) for an Advent Devotional group on Zoom. “Do Not be Afraid” is the message that the God gave to God’s people throughout their history and it is heard again in our Advent readings in the first two chapters of Luke’s gospel. What does it mean to hold hope when life feels really uncertain, to bring peace in the face of fear, practice joy, and to choose love when it is sometimes really hard? Each week you will receive a PDF study guide of a few pages or you can also receive a hard copy of the study guide. Email or call the office to sign up.
Wednesdays at 10 a.m. https://zoom.us/j/94658842137, Meeting ID: 946 5884 2137
Wednesdays at 7 p.m. https://zoom.us/j/96061712916, Meeting ID: 960 6171 2916
Angel Tree is here!
The Angel Tree is returning this year; our regular participation in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree benefits low-income children in our community. Our tree will be virtual this year – contact the office if you need the link or if you can’t open it, we can share some suggestions (tell us gender, age preference). It is not necessary to buy all the items; these are just suggestions or ideas for what the children would like. All presents should be delivered to Calvary UNWRAPPED in a gift bag with the tag (with name of child and code) securely fastened on it by December 8.
For Christmas!
You can still order your “Lovefeast to Go” or Moravian sugarcake for pick up on December 23. Contact the office or look to your email for the link to order.
Christmas Eve worship will be via Zoom (or Youtube and saved there for later viewing) at 4:30 p.m.
Unity Prayer Watch
Every day throughout the year, the worldwide Moravian churches take a day to pray. December is the month given to the Northern Province of the Moravian Church (N. America) and Calvary will be sharing Dec. 7 with several other local churches. Please consider praying for our church and global churches, as well as any other prayer requests for 30 minutes during that day. Contact the church office to take a prayer slot!
Worship Service
Welcome and Announcements.
Introit. “Hosanna” Anne Ettinger.
Call to Worship – Psalm 126
The power of dreams lies in waking up. For when we close our eyes,
We can see a better world.
When we close our eyes,
We can dream a better dream.
But when we open our eyes,
We begin the work of faith.
The power of worship is the same. When we enter this space,
this virtual space is still sacred space, gathered together – being still and welcoming in God’s presence wherever we are. . . . when we enter this space,
We can see a better world.
When we enter this space,
We dream a better dream.
But when we leave this space,
We begin the work of faith.
So come in. Dream your dream. Find hope here. Begin the work of faith. Amen.
Lighting of the Advent Candle “Keep Awake-Hope”.
Close your eyes. What is your dream?
May this Light be an invitation to Keep Awake.
May this Light be our invitation to be Advent people- Those Who Dream.
May this Light be our invitation to be people of Hope.
Liturgy for Advent pg. 49.
Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, all the earth! The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Rejoice greatly, shout for joy! See, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and brings salvation.
TUNE: ST. THEODULPH (151 G)
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.
We praise you, the Lord God of Israel! You came to the help of your people and have set them free.
You have raised up for us a mighty Savior, a descendant of your servant David.
You promised through your holy prophets long ago that you would save us from our enemies, from the power of all those who hate us.
You have shown the mercy promised to our ancestors and have remembered your holy covenant.
With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham, you promised to rescue us from our enemies and allow us to serve you without fear,
So that we might be holy and righteous before you all the days of our life.
By your tender mercy you cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us,
To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
The voice of the messenger echoes from the desert, calling us to prepare the way of the Lord and to make a straight path on which he may come. Let us confess our sins, so that our crooked ways will be made straight and the rough ways smooth.
Gracious Lord Jesus, you come to us with the good news of salvation, but too often we fail to notice. You come to us day by day, yet we close the doors of our hearts when it seems convenient to do things our own way. We ignore your presence and your leadership. We have failed to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God. Forgive us, merciful Lord. May we live so that the world will know that you have come. Amen.
Through John the Baptizer, we hear the Lord’s promise: Turn away from your sins, and God will forgive your sins.
TUNE: TRURO
Lift up your heads, you mighty gates; behold the King of glory waits;
the King of kings is drawing near; the Savior of the world is here.
Fling wide the portals of your heart; make it a temple set apart
from earthly use for heaven’s employ, adorned with prayer and love and joy.
So come, my Sovereign, enter in; let new and nobler life begin;
the Holy Spirit guide us on, until our glorious goal is won.
Eternal God, Ruler of all ages, graciously you come to us in order that we might come to you, through the merit of Jesus Christ, strengthened by the Holy Spirit.
Help us and all your children to respond to the call of your gospel with faith, love, and hope.
God of faith, you created humanity to serve and praise you; and even when we rebelled against you, you promised to send a Savior to redeem us from our sins:
Strengthen our faith in your saving work through Christ. As you chose the people of Israel to hear the promise of redemption through the prophets, may people today believe in your good will for all that you have made.
God of love, you fulfilled your promise of a redeemer in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Grant us the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we may share your love with the sick and the afflicted, with the poor and the homeless, with the victims of injustice and discrimination, and with all who are experiencing times of trouble.
God of hope, you comfort us through our Savior’s promise to return in glory at the end of time:
As we await the coming of the Prince of Peace, let us not despair. We long for you to inspire all the nations and peoples of the world to turn to cooperation and nurture, rather than to hatred and destruction.
God of faith, love, and hope, to you and to you alone we pray:
For you are our God, the only God, forever and ever. Amen.
“Hosanna” page 239. (Special thanks to Moravians around the world and the IBOC)
Lord, you have kept the promise you made to our ancestors, and have come to the help of your servant people.
You remembered to show mercy to Abraham and Sarah and to all their descendants forever!
We praise you, Lord. You are enthroned in glory, yet you came and continue to come for all who will receive you. We praise you, for you are good, and your mercy endures forever.
To you be glory and power, forever and ever. Amen.
TUNE: REGENT SQUARE (585 D)
Praise to you, O Lord, we render, for your love in Jesus shown;
may that love, so strong and tender, bind us fast to him alone;
now and ever, now and ever, gather us among your own.
Reprinted or adapted from the 1995 Moravian Book of Worship with the permission of the Interprovincial Board of Communication, Moravian Church in America. © 1995 IBOC. www.moravian.org; e-mail: pubs@mcnp.org. All rights reserved
Prayers of the People
Pastoral Prayer/Lord’s Prayer
Scripture Mark 13:24-37.
Sermon “Revolutionary Patience”
Hymn 274. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel, shall come to you, O Israel.
O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in its ways to go. Refrain
O come, O Bright and Morning Star, and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light. Refrain
Benediction
Calvary Moravian Church 