Angelic Night
Behold the King of Angels
Moment of Meditation: Advent is a season of four weeks, which calls the community of faith to prepare once again to celebrate, by Word and Spirit, the birth of Christ. Advent is from the Latin “adventus,” meaning “coming.” Jesus is the King of Angels, born to set His people free and whose coming again in victory, we anticipate as a future reality of the fullness of God’s Kingdom.
Today, the congregation gathers together to gather in time of worship and prayer, humbly offering their gratitude to the Almighty. As Lead Pastor, Rev. David Brown, will share an impactful message on this Christmas Eve centered on the theme of Angelic Night.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among all with whom God is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
-Luke 2:1-20
The service will be accentuated by the beautiful, uplifting and soulful sounds of music by the talented Armstrong Chancel Choir directed by Ben Basone and Stacy Haney on the organ and piano. Together, the faithful will lift their hearts in timeless hymns of worship, including the beloved United Methodist hymns Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Sing We Now of Christmas, and Silent Night, Holy Night. There will be a collection of special music including, Musicians: Ryan Donohue, cello Morrigan O’Brien, flute, Maddie Davis, Soloist and Megan Schneider, soloist. The advent wreath will be lit by Kent & Maureen Smith. A special thank you to our greeters,Jim and Molly Barber. This multi-faceted celebration of praise and reverence will undoubtedly fill the hearts of all in attendance with a profound sense of gratitude and connection to the divine.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined… 6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Great will be his authority, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
-Isaiah 9:3, 6-7
THANK YOU FOR SHARING IN WORSHIP TODAY!
The dedicated production team of Armstrong Youth, Alex K, Kashena Rhoill, and Shanon Rice play a vital role in ensuring today's worship service was a seamless, engaging experience for all in attendance. Elevating the worship experience and ensuring the pastor's words, the choir's harmonies, and the community's prayers are shared far beyond the walls of the sanctuary. Be sure to show your appreciation by liking the church's YouTube channel and following our social media pages to stay connected!