Hampstead Congregational Church UCC

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Hampstead Congregational Church

December 14, 2025

Third Sunday of Advent

No Matter Who You Are or Where You Are on Life’s Journey,

You are Welcome Here!

Order of Worship

Prelude                                                                                                      Herb Tardiff  

Greetings and Announcements                                                                   

Call to Worship (responsive)                                                                    Linda Tilden

Leader:  On this third Sunday of Advent we speak of Joy–

People:  Our excitement increases:  Christ is coming!

Leader:  Those desert places in our lives, like wilting flowers, will bloom again.

People:  We will be made strong.  We will not be fearful.  God remembers us.  Sorrow and sighs will end; Joy and gladness blossom.

Leader:  May our worship remind us that our journey toward the promise continues:

People:  Come, Lord Jesus!

Gathering Prayer   (unison)                                                                      Linda Tilden

God of Glory, we rejoice in the good news of your promises.  Come into our parched world and shower us with your gushing, abundant water of life.  Enter into our brokenness, and renew us with the strength of your love. Be born anew in our hearts and in our world.  Come, Jesus; come. We are ready! Amen. 

Passing of the Peace of Christ 

(Feel free to pass the peace by shaking hands, offering hugs or waves.  Those who would like to share peace without physical contact are invited to place their hands over their hearts in greeting.)

*Opening Hymn:  

Lighting the Advent Candles                                                                  Terri Malcolm                                       

      Congregational Response:  Ch #132 When God is a Child (Verse 3)

Joy is a song that welcomes the dawn;

Telling the world that the savior is born;

When God is a child there’s joy in our song;

The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong;

And none shall be afraid.

Scripture Readings: Isaiah 35: 1-10, Luke 1: 46b – 55   (NRSVUE)     Linda Tilden

Isaiah 35: 1-10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
    the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus ² it shall blossom abundantly
    and rejoice with joy and shouting.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
    the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
    the majesty of our God.]]

³ Strengthen the weak hands
    and make firm the feeble knees.
⁴ Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
    “Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
    He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
    He will come and save you.”

⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf shall be opened;
⁶ then the lame shall leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness
    and streams in the desert;
⁷ the burning sand shall become a pool
    and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp;
    the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

⁸ A highway shall be there,
    and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
    but it shall be for God’s people;
    no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
⁹ No lion shall be there,
    nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
    but the redeemed shall walk there.
¹⁰ And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
    and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain joy and gladness,
    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Luke 1: 46b – 55

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
    Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name;
⁵⁰ indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
⁵² He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
    and lifted up the lowly;
⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵ according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Children’s Message

Sermon:  “Listening for God’s Heartbeat”                      Rev. Paige Besse-Rankin

Special Music

Call for Concerns & Celebrations

Pastoral Prayer                                                                Rev. Paige Besse-Rankin

     The Lord’s Prayer:

     Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.

Call to Offering

*Doxology:        Praise God for gifts of hope and peace;
                           Praise God for gifts of joy and love;
                           Praise God for sending Christ to dwell: 
                           On earth for us – Emmanuel.  Amen.

*Prayer of Dedication                                                          Rev. Paige Besse-Rankin

        Generous God, you have given us all that we have and all that we are.  We thank you for the opportunity to respond to your love and generosity by sharing our gifts with others. Our hearts sing with joy as we work with you to bring true peace and justice to our world.  As we prepare for the coming of your Son, may our lives proclaim your good news for all throughout the earth. Amen.

*Hymn of Going Forth:

*Benediction                                                                              Rev. Paige Besse-Rankin

      Let the love of God flow into your hearts. Believe in the power of God to change your life. Behold the goodness of God in creation and in others. Be at peace and celebrate God’s good news. AMEN.

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December 15^th Church Weekly Calendar

Steeple Lighting

December 8^th to December 14^th

Steeple Lit

In loving memory of

Ellen Cronin Little

Love, Her Family

December 8th to December 22nd 

Steeple Lit

In loving memory of

Harry Mildonian Jr.

From Marcy