Jesus: God's Unlikely Revelation Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany Services includes biblically-based sermons, suggested scriptures, children's time, hymn and prayers, as well as litanies for lighting the Advent wreath. Also included are suggestions for seasonal funerals. These services offer a completing message of hope during this important church season, when people often visit a church for the first time. Each service focuses on and celebrates a different aspect of the theme: Jesus: God's Unlikely Revelation 1. First Sunday of Advent- Jesus: The Unlikely Image of God (Genesis 1:26-27; Colossians 1:15-17) 2. Second Sunday in Advent Jesus: The Unlikely Gift from God (Isaiah 55:1-9) 3. Third Sunday of Advent Jesus: The Unlikely Story of God with Us (Matthew 1:18-25) 4. Fourth Sunday of Advent Jesus: The Unlikely Messiah (John 7:25-31) 5. Christmas Eve Jesus: An Unlikely Peacemaker (Luke 2:8-20) 6. Christmas Day An Unlikely Christmas Card (Matthew 2:13-23) 7. Epiphany John the Baptizer: Jesus' Unlikely Herald (John 1:1-14) Seasonal Funerals Ready-to-use worship resources for the four Sundays of Advent, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Epiphany. F. Belton Joyner Jr. is a retired United Methodist pastor and author of The Unofficial UM Handbooks and Being Methodist in the Bible Belt: A Theological Survival Guide for Youth, Parents, and Other Confused Methodists and many other books. Currently, he is a visiting lecturer at Duke Divinity School and member of Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church. He lives in Bahama, North Carolina. Just in Time Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany Services By F. Belton Joyner Jr. Abingdon Press Copyright © 2010 The United Methodist Publishing House All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4267-0680-6 Chapter One First Sunday of Advent Jesus: The Unlikely Image of God Question: What picture comes to mind when you think of God? A Thought: Not humankind, but Jesus Christ is the perfect image of God. Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Colossians 1:15-17 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Call to Worship One Voice: And God said, "Let us make humankind in our image." All Voices: We come to worship our Creator. One Voice: And God created humankind in the image of God, all humankind. All Voices: So we gather with brothers and with sisters, these here and those beyond this space. One Voice: And when that image of God was broken All Voices: God came in full visibility, to show and to restore that perfect image. One Voice: God came in Jesus Christ. All Voices: God came in Jesus Christ. One Voice: Born to set the people free! All Voices: Amen! Amen! Amen! Pastoral Prayer O God, who has come and yet comes again, we are grateful for the ways in which you break into our lives. You bring the possibilities of joy in the midst of our despair. You offer the gift of community in the midst of our lonely places. You show us what tomorrow is meant to be in the midst of our complacency. You have made us in your image, but we confess that what we see in the mirror of our lives does not look much like you, like your love, like your justice, like your peace. You live in the unbroken Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and we tarry in relationships that are shattered, neighbor divided against neighbor, nations torn from one another, and even sharp words we exchange with those closest to us. In this season of looking at the birth of your Son, bring new birth into our hearts. Forgive the shadows we have put in front of your light and let the winds of your Spirit blow away the clouds that block others from seeing you in our lives. (Here the one leading the prayer may include confessions, petitions, intercessions, and thanksgivings appropriate to the community.) Hear the prayer we offer in the name and spirit of the One who shows you perfectly, even Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray, "Our Father ..." Some Ingredients to Stir into the Sermon Pot Just John and Jane If you were going to write a story that told the truth about all of humankind, what would you name the main characters? What names would you choose to represent all of us? When writing in North American English, persons will often use "John Doe" or "Jane Doe" to stand for the average, ordinary citizen.