WORD for the Week for December 16, 2018
Third Sunday of Advent
COME & WORSHIP
Sabbath Beginnings - Sacred Journey - Traditional Worship
WORD for Sabbath Beginnings 8am

Worship Leader:  Rev. Dwight Haberman

Holy Communion : Some of Christmas can be experienced in the mind. Will you also experience God's coming with/in your heart?

WORD for Sacred Journey 8:30am

The Story:   Jan Bucher

Reflection:     The third week of Advent, we continue to find meaning in the lyrics of the familiar Christmas song, “Do You Hear What I Hear?”  Jan Bucher shares The Story and invites us to  take a deep dive into the question of  knowledge . How do we know (or come to know) the joy and beauty of faith?  Is our experience the end and total of our knowledge or must we move beyond what we can see to truly know spiritual wholeness and joy?  Are we willing to take the time required to know what one hymn writer described as the “fightings and fears, within, without?” What practices and habits can we use to develop our capacity to see, hear, and know God’s presence in our life and in the world around us? How can our renewal prepare us to be healing presence for others?  All worthy questions to hold in our hearts as we anticipate the arrival of another Christmas Day and celebrate Communion. Join friends and fellow pilgrims in the Art Gallery at 8:30 for Sacred Journey and stay after for discussion in Seeds of Celebration. All are welcome !
 
WORD for Traditional Worship 10am
Scripture Text: Zephaniah 3:14-20 (NRSV)

Preaching:  Rev. Judy Zabel

Third Sunday of Advent

Reflection: Joy, Joy and more joy! Our Sanctuary Choir will be singing from  Handel's Messiah  this week. And the message of Zephaniah 3 includes exuberance too.  In the midst of the darkest days of the year, the prophet Zephaniah brings words of hope.  Where do you find hope in these days? Email your comments to me at  [email protected] . I'm looking for stories of hope to share! You will also hear choruses from Handel's Messiah this week! Tis the season to invite your friends to worship with you.

  For the Children and the Adults in Their Lives: Mary and Joseph are on their journey to Bethlehem. Wow, this is taking a long time. There are so many steps to take along this journey, I wonder how many they'll take to get there. What's the longest you've ever walked? What's the longest you've ever driven? Some people say life is a journey filled with steps we take with God. What have been some of the biggest "steps" you've taken with God?

WORSHIP BULLETIN ARCHIVE

The Bible In Your Hands

You're invited to "dig deeper." Here are a handful of resources:

Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church resources:
Worship Bulletins   | online archive of HAUMC worship bulletins
Sermon Recordings  | HAUMC Sacred Journey and Traditional Worship sermon recordings
Devotional Ministry  | HAUMC seasonal daily devotional ministry

Scripture exegesis and commentary resources:
Bible Gateway  | the Bible in hundreds of translations (NRSV, CEB, The Message, etc.)
BibleHub  | parse out the original Hebrew (OT) and Greek (NT)
Enter the Bible  | historical/cultural context for each book of the Bible from Luther Seminary
Oxford Biblical Studies  | historical/cultural context for each book of the Bible from Oxford
Working Preacher  | read and listen to lectionary commentary from Luther Seminary faculty

Art and Music resources:
Art in the Christian Tradition  | The Jean and Alexander Heard Divinity Library at Vanderbilt
Hymnary  | a resource for both modern and traditional worship music and hymns
Sing for Joy  | a worship music and hymn resource from St. Olaf College
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WORD for the Week is a ministry of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church.