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Christmas Eve 2021

When A Plan Comes Together – Rev. Benjamin Wines

Tonight is the night!
It’s finally here!
Tonight, we celebrate the birth of our Lord.
Tonight, we thank God for the gift of Jesus.
Through songs and prayers we will worship.
We will sit in awe of God’s love.
Tonight, God took on flesh.
Tonight, God became one of us.
The miracle of Christ’s birth,
Proves God’s steadfast love for us all.
The wonder of His birth,
Inspires us all to faith.
(Light the Christ Candle.)
May this light shine in our hearts forever.
May we carry this light to our neighbors.

We invite you to join us in Worship this Christmas Eve. We will be reading from Luke 2:1-20.

Christmas Eve 2021 BulletinDownload
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Arise, Your Light Is Coming

“Arise, Your Light Is Coming” – Rev Benjamin Wines

See, I am sending My messenger to prepare the way before Me,
And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple.
The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—
Indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts.
But who can endure the day of his coming,
And who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap;
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver,
And he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver,
Until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord
As in the days of old and as in former years. Malachi 3:1-4

We will be reading from Luke 1:67-80.

Today’s Ensemble is Michelle Hunt, Mike Dossett, Anne Pokorny, Mike Bunch, John Myers & Leigh Bigger. Thank you for sharing your talents with us today.

Bulletin for Morning Worship, December 19, 2021Download
Children’s Ministry Resources for December 19, 2021Download

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The Joy of the Season

The Joy of the Season – Rev. Benjamin Wines

Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord;
Praise the Name of the Lord.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord
From this time on and forevermore.
Who is like the Lord our God, Who is seated on high,
Who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust,
And lifts the needy from the ash heap,
To make them sit with princes, with the princes of His people.
He gives the barren woman a home,
Making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord! – from Psalm 113

Luke 1:39-56

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary’s Song

46 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

We invite you to join us today in Worship. We will be reading from Luke 1:39-56. Our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 113.

Today’s Ensemble is Anne Pokorny, Mike Bunch, Brenda Doyle, John Myers, Mike Dossett, Michelle Hunt, Julie Stoops & Leigh Bigger. A big thank you to all of the above for sharing their gifts of music with us this morning.

Children’s Ministry Resources for December 12, 2021Download
Bulletin for December 12, 2021Download
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Advent!

Brothers and sisters,

Here we are—Advent! This is a wonderful time in the church year where we take time to actively wait for Jesus. We take time to hope for his arrival once again, to believe that his presence in our world changed our world. Advent is this deeply meaningful season of the church year where take time to contemplate what it means for God to have taken on flesh, to walk among us, to live the kind of life we live. It is a season for reflection and contemplation and anticipation.

Now, the way that typically plays out in American culture is that the lead-up to Christmas is a time of busyness. Commercials on TV tell us how many shopping days are left till Christmas. We see characters in commercials, shows, and holiday specials rushing through crowded malls, desperate to get the right present for their loved one. This season is crowded with Christmas parties and special events within the community. It ends up feeling hectic, as we go from one obligation to another.

This year at Hope Valley, we want to help cut through that busyness. We want to provide services that you are welcome to come to and hear the good news of this season—that Christ is coming, and that is enough! We want to provide services that offer words of hope, peace, joy, and love, in the midst of all the busyness! So, I wanted to take time in this week’s Illuminator to explain what these services are trying to accomplish.

The first of these is the Service of Lament happening on Wednesday, December 15th at 6:30 PM in our sanctuary. Christmas is a time of the year when we are often encouraged to focus only on the joy this season can bring. But some of us are carrying grief into the holidays with us. Perhaps you’ve lost someone this year. Perhaps a relationship has been strained or you’re just not feeling joyful right now. The Service of Lament seeks to create a space for all of us to come together, as a church family, and name those burdens we’re carrying, as well as help others carry theirs. Our second special service this year is called, “Sing We Now of Christmas”, and it will be on Sunday, December 19th at 5:00 PM in our sanctuary. I’m excited for this service! Kathryn and the musicians at our church have planned and prepared a wonderful evening filled with songs and scripture that seek to capture the joy and wonder of the Christmas season. It is a service where you will be able to come and hear the gospel in both word and music, as we prepare for the birth of our Savior.
Finally, we will be having a Christmas Eve Candlelight and Communion Service on Friday, December 24th at 5:00 PM here in our sanctuary. I love this service because it provides an opportunity to see our church family and experience the joy of Christmas together. At this service, we’ll take Communion as a re-minder of God’s love for us and we’ll light candles as a reminder to take the light of Christ into the world, a light which the darkness could not overcome.

We invite you to come to any and all of these services. They are designed to help each of us reconnect with God as we move through Advent together. They are meant to be times of respite in the busyness of the holidays. At these services, you will hear about the love of God, the presence of God, and the miraculous grace of God. You will not hear how many shop-ping days till Christmas or that if you order over $100 worth of stuff you can get FREE SHIPPING, but only if you order right now! You will hear a good word from a good God—thanks be to God!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben

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Peaceful Faith

Peaceful Faith – Rev. Benjamin Wines

I will sing of Your steadfast love, O Lord, forever;
With my mouth I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations.
I declare that Your steadfast love is established forever;
Your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to my servant David:
‘I will establish your descendants forever,
And build your throne for all generations.’
My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;
People: And in My Name his horn shall be exalted.” – from Psalm 89

We invite you to join us in Worship today. We will be reading from Luke 1:26-38. Today’s message, “Peaceful Faith”, is brought to us by Rev. Benjamin Wines. Our Ensemble is Anne Pokorny, Mike Bunch, Brenda Doyle, John Myers, Mike Dossett & Mary Summerlin. We are grateful that you have shared your gifts of music with us!

Worship Service will be livestreamed beginning at 10:45AM and can be accessed by clicking on the video link above.

Bulletin for December 5, 2021Download
Children’s Ministry Resources for December 5, 2021Download
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“If”

“If” – Rev. Benjamin Wines

The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which He will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.
If your sons keep My covenant and My decrees that I shall teach them,
Their sons also, forevermore, shall sit on your throne.”
For the Lord has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His habitation:
“This is My resting place forever;
Here I will reside, for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless its provisions;
I will satisfy its poor with bread.
Its priests I will clothe with salvation,
And its faithful will shout for joy.
There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;
I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.
His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,
But on him, his crown will gleam.” – Psalm 132:11-18

We invite you to join us in Worship today. We will be reading from John 18:33-38a. Today’s message, “If”, is brought to us by Rev. Benjamin Wines. Today’s Ensemble includes Brenda Doyle, Anne Pokorny, Michelle Hunt, Mike Bunch, Mike Dossett and John Myers.; we are thankful that you have shared your gifts of music with us.

Worship Service will be livestreamed beginning at 10:45AM and can be accessed by clicking on the video link above.

Bulletin for November 21, 2021Download
Children’s Ministry Resources, November 21, 2021Download
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Brothers and sisters,

Believe it or not, we are less than three weeks away from the beginning of Advent! It amazes me how, each year, November just seems to melt away. Regardless, we’ve got a lot of really exciting services coming up throughout the rest of the year. This coming Sunday, November 14, will be the close of our sermon series, “We Are How We Eat.” Then the next Sunday, November 21, will be Christ the King Sunday, a day on which we celebrate the royal, regal nature of Christ’s character. The Sunday after that, November 28, is the First Sunday of Advent—the Sunday of Hope—and our Hanging of the Greens Service. I’m excited for this Advent season. I’m excited for this season of preparation as we await the celebration of Christ’s birth. I’m excited for the simple fact that this is our first Advent together! In another part of the Illuminator we’ve printed the schedule of services for the Advent season with times so everyone can be sure to make plans to be here for those services.

As we move closer to the season of Advent, I did want to go on and tell you all about our Advent and Christmas sermon series, “Incredible”. I know that may sound like an underwhelming title for a series, but as I sat here and thought about the different passages we’re going to look at, the different people we’ll meet, and the way that God brings it all together, the only word that kept coming to mind was, “Incredible.” And for this sermon series, I want us to think of the word incredible in all its different meanings. Most of the time, when you hear the word in-credible you think of something being great, right? Krispy Kreme Doughnuts? Incredible! The Sound of Music? Incredible! Spending time with loved ones? Incredible! And I do think that applies to the season of Advent as well. The Savior of the world is coming? Incredible!

But the word incredible also means, “difficult or impossible to believe; too extraordinary and improbable to be believed.” And as we read through the passages I’ve chosen for this sermon series, I think you’ll find that the people in these stories believed that what they were hearing was incredible too. It was impossible to think that this was happening. The plan God was setting in motion was too improbable, too unlikely to work. And yet, time and again, we see the people have faith. We see people trust in God. And, of course, we know that doing incredible things—that’s God’s specialty. So I want us to take some time this Advent to think of the incredible things God has done for humanity. I also want us to take some time to think of the incredible things God has done for each of us.

This will be the last Illuminator before Thanksgiving, so I would encourage you to think about these things over the Thanksgiving holiday as well. What are the things you’re thankful for? What are the things God has done that amaze you? How can you do something incredible for your friends, your family, your neighbors?

Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben