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*Call to Worship | Luke 2:14 | Blake Arnoult
God invites and calls us into his presence to worship him.
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
*Song of Adoration | Angels We Have Heard On High
We begin by responding with praise to God for who he is and for what he does.
Angels we have on heard high,
Sweetly singing ore the plains
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Come to Bethlehem and see,
Christ whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord the newborn King
Chorus
See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: Edward S. Barnes
*Confession of Faith | John 1:1-5, 14
With the church in history we confess a basic statement of what Christians believe.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
*Song of Confession | O Holy Night
Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs are simply prayers that are sung. We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
O holy night the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine
O night when Christ was born
Oh night divine, oh night, oh night divine
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains He shall break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy Name
Christ is the Lord!
Oh, praise His Name forever
His power and glory evermore proclaim
Oh night divine, oh night, oh night divine
Music and Lyrics: Placide Cappeau, John S. Dwight
Confession of Sin | 1 John 1:5-6, 8, 10
We fight the temptation to hide our sin and instead acknowledge it openly to God, but we do so in light of the grace offered in Jesus.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth...8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us…10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Assurance of Pardon | 1 John 1:7, 9 | Blake Arnoult
The good news of the gospel is that we are forgiven in Jesus Christ. This assurance is based on God’s words of promise and it is therefore certain.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin…9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
*Song of Response | Go Tell It On The Mountain
We respond in repentance and praise for God’s redemptive work in Christ.
Go, tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born
While shepherds kept their watching
O'er silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a Holy light
Chorus
The shepherds feared and trembled
When, lo! Above the Earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior's birth
Chorus
Down in a lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born
And brought us all salvation
That blessed Christmas morn
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: John W. Work Jr.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We offer our gratitude to God in prayer in response to his gifts and blessings to his people and ask that he make us faithful managers of these gifts.
Song of Thanks | O Come All Ye Faithful
As we offer our prayers so we also offer up our thanks in song.
O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all ye citizens of Heaven above
Glory to God, glory in the highest;
Chorus
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
Chorus
Music and Lyrics: John Francis Wade
Prayer for Christ’s Church
We lift up our requests to God knowing that he hears us when we pray.
*Reading of Scripture | Isaiah 9:2; 6-7 | Blake Arnoult
God reveals himself and his work and speaks to us his people through his Word.
2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Pastor: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
The Preaching of the Word | Blake Arnoult
“The Beauty of the Light”
Isaiah 9: The Advent of a Great Light
Pastoral Prayer
Sacrament of Communion
Sacraments are visible signs of the invisible grace of God - what Christ does by his Holy Spirit within us. Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist), as the distribution of the elements of bread and wine, symbolizes a meal. Communion is a sign of fellowship. That sign signifies more than just the future heavenly fellowship that is to come. The outward sign signifies the inner reality that sinners already experience fellowship with God in the Spirit because of Jesus. Communion is not a meal for good people. It functions as a renewing seal to desperate sinners of that fellowship we have with our holy and gracious God.
You will be invited to come forward. If you are not a Christian we encourage you to spend this time in reflection on what you’ve seen and heard in the worship. Children who have not received their first communion are welcome and encouraged to come forward with their families to witness their partaking. We invite children who are ready to make a public profession of faith in Christ to arrange a meeting with the elders, and thus become “communicants” at the Lord’s Table.
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts!
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Words of Institution
Pastor: Let us proclaim the mystery of the faith:
People: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Hallelujah!
Pastor: Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us. Hallelujah!
People: Therefore, let us keep the feast.
Pastor: The gifts of God for the people of God.
Please let an usher know if it is difficult for you to come forward. We would be happy to serve you at your seat. All communion bread is gluten-free. All communion wine is made from grape juice.
A communion prayer for those searching for the truth:
Lord Jesus, you claim to be the way, the truth and the life. If what you claim is true, please guide me, teach me, and open to me the reality of who you are. Give me the ability to follow you no matter what it might cost me. Give me an understanding for you that is coherent, convincing, and leads to the life that you promise. Amen.
Communion Song | It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
We celebrate our communion in faith and song.
It came up-on 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.
Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world
A-bove its sad and lowly plains
Old echoes plaintive ring
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
O ye, be-neath life's crushing load
Whose forms are bending low
Who toil a-long the climbing way
With painful steps and slow
Look now for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing
O rest be-side the weary road
And hear the angels sing.
Music and Lyrics: Edmund Sears
Departing Song | Joy To The World
We begin to end in faith and song.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven and nature sing
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let all their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders, of His love
Music and Lyrics: Isaac Watts, Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, Matt Gilder
*Benediction | Isaiah 60:1-3 | Blake Arnoult
God sends us out with his blessing. A benediction is not a prayer. We don’t bow our heads. We lift them up and even lift up our hands to receive his blessing as we are sent out as participants in his mission to the city of man.
1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
2022 Giving Update
Visit our website to give online or scan the code below!
2022 Giving Target: $705,000
Giving Received as of 12/20/22: $586,153
Difference as of 12/20/22: $(118,847)
Please prayerfully consider giving to Cornerstone by December 31st to help us reach our 2022 giving target! All gifts must be dated and sent by 12/31/22 to count towards our 2022 giving target.
New Year’s Day Service
January 1, 10am
Kick off the new year and gather with us for Cornerstone’s first worship service of 2023! Yes, we are gathering on New Year’s Day at 10am! Don’t worry, we’ll have coffee! Please note, our nursery will be unavailable during this service.
Nursery Unavailable New Year's Day
Spring Calendar is Up!
Check out our spring calendar at cornerstonehouston.com!