11/30/25 Bulletin
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UNION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF HANCOCK
We respect tradition — and we welcome inclusive language about people and expansive language about God. Please pray using words most meaningful to you.
Open and Affirming of ALL God’s Children
November 30, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. - HOPE - First Sunday of Advent
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 839 3635 9115
Passcode: 776780
The first pew in front of the pulpit has books and quiet activities for people of all ages.
Please find something that suits you, take it to your pew, and return it after the service.
Silent Prayer
At the beginning of the day / we seek your countenance among us, O God, / in the countless forms of creation all around us / in the sun’s rising glory / in the face of friend and stranger. / Your presence within every presence / your Light within all light / your Heart at the heart of this moment. / May the fresh light of morning wash our sight / that we may see your Life /
in every life this day. ~ John Philip Newell
* Indicates points in the service when we stand in body or spirit
Announcements
Prelude I Wonder as I Wander Appalachian Carol/ John Jacob Niles
Welcome
Lighting the Candle of Hope
Voice One: Today, we light the candle of Hope. We think of Hope as anticipation of something future, but in truth, Hope can be the incarnation of trust.
Voice Two: We trust in our Wonderful Counselor - that when we seek guidance, we will find answers. We trust that when we are exhausted, our Emmanuel will send someone to carry our burdens for a while.
Voice One: We trust our Creator to renew our faith in community, in the goodness of others,
and in the power of our empathy and action.
Voice Two: We trust in our Beloved God, that, when everything around us seems too difficult, too broken, too devastating for us to put to rights on our own, Hope will appear, and we rush forward, arms open wide to receive grace.
*Introit Come, God, Creator, Be Our Shield (all verses) B. #69
Come, God, Creator, be our shield, the One to whom our cares we yield;
And in our worship, faith impart, your grace and calm to every heart.
Come, gracious Jesus, be our guest, our morning joy, our evening rest;
And in our daily lives impart your love and peace to every heart.
Come, Holy Spirit, be our guide, our strength to risk against the tide.
That in God’s world we shall impart your light and hope to every heart.
*Call to Worship
One: As the sun rises on this new season, we turn within and ask God to renew hope in each one of us.
All: For the sake of my relatives and friends, we proclaim with joy, “Let us go to the house of our God and find hope within!”
One: Though the days are hard, and the news, grim, we turn to our siblings here asking them to trust God, as we have so many times in the past.
All: For the sake of my relatives and friends, we proclaim with joy, “Peace be within the walls of this house, that our hope might spread beyond!”
One: In our fears and our desperation, in our exhaustion and our pain, God wraps us in bands of hope, holding us together so we may continue the struggle for justice and peace.
All: For the sake of my relatives and friends, we proclaim with joy, “I will seek all that is good within the house of God, and I will carry it with me wherever I go!”
*Passing the Peace (ASL) and Lighting Peace & Justice Candle
*Hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (sing vs. 1,2,6,7) B. #116
1. O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel / That mourns in lonely exile here, until the Child of God appear. / Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel!
2. O come, O Wisdom from on high, and order all things far and nigh; / To us the path of knowledge show, and help us in that way to go. / Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel!
3. O come, O come, O Adonai, who came to all on Sinai high, / And from its peak a single law proclaimed in majesty and awe. / Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel!
4. O come, O shoot of Jesse, free your own from Satan’s tyranny, / From depths of hell your people save, and give them victory o'er the grave. / Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel!
5. O come, O Key of David, come, and open wide your heavenly home; / Make safe the path to endless day, to hell’s destruction close the way. / Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel!
6. O come, O Day-spring, come and cheer our spirits by your Advent here; / Love stir within the womb of night, and death’s own shadows put to flight. / Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel!
7. O come, Desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind; / Make envy, strife, and quarrels cease; fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. / Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel!
*Invocation (spoken in unison)
Emmanuel, we come here today to renew ourselves in the generosity of God’s hope. We will climb the mountain hand in hand so that we may learn again of God’s promise to be with us, both in the valley and on the peaks. Let us set down our despair and rest in the light of God until we are renewed!
Children’s Message All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings - Black Bear
Scriptures Isaiah 2:1-5 and Matthew 3:1-12
Special Music Rejoice, Rejoice Arr. Thomas Mack
Message Rev. TJ Mack
*Hymn O How Shall I Receive You B. #102
O how shall I receive you, how meet you on your way, / blessed hope of every people, my soul’s delight and stay? / O Jesus, Jesus, give me now by your own pure light, / to know what-e’er is pleasing and welcome in your sight.
Love caused your incarnation; love brought you unto me; / your thirst for my salvation procured my liberty. / O love beyond all telling, that led you to embrace /in love, all love excelling, our lost and fallen race.
You come, O Christ, with gladness, in mercy and goodwill, / to bring an end to sadness and bid our fears be still. / In patient expectation we live for that great day /when a renewed creation your glory shall display.
Prayers of the People – Sharing Joys & Concerns
Our Father (Creator, Mother) 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen
Lead me Lord, lead me in thy righteousness, make thy way plain before my face.
For it is thou Lord, thou Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety.
Invitation to Offering - Hope is not only fuel that sustains our spirits. Hope lives within the tangible gifts we give each week to support the most vulnerable among us. In our generosity, we act on God’s behalf, ensuring the needs of our community are met.
Offertory Picardy Arr. Paul Taylor
*The Doxology
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God for all that love has done; Creator, Christ, and Spirit, One. Amen
*Prayer of Dedication (spoken in unison)
Beloved Creator, we offer these gifts to you in the spirit of Hope. We place our trust in you and in those who faithfully care for your people, that these gifts will be used to protect and uplift those who are in need. Help us to remember our role to act as agents of your grace each and every day. Amen
*Hymn O Christ, How Shall I Meet You R. #130
O Christ, how shall I meet you, how welcome you a-right?Your people long to greet you, my hope, my heart’s delight!O kindle, Lord most holy, a lamp within my breast,to do in spirit lowly all that may please you best.
Love caused your incarnation; love brought you down to me;your thirst for my salvation procured my liberty:O love beyond all telling, that led you to embracein love all love excelling our lost and fallen race.
A heav’nly hope you give me, a treasure safe on high,
That will not fail nor leave me as earthly riches fly.
My heart shall bloom forever with joyful praises new,
And from your name shall never with-hold the honor due.
*Benediction
*Sung Benediction May the Blessing of God R. #346
May the blessing of God go before you. May her grace and peace abound.
May her Spirit live with-in you. May her love wrap you ‘round.
May her blessing remain with you always. May you walk on holy ground.
Postlude People, Look East Basancon/ Robert Lau
(Please remain seated for the Postlude)
If you are visiting with us today, please sign our Guest Book in the back of the sanctuary.
Support our Church Financially
Please visit Hancock (Maine) UCC on Facebook or our webpage www.hancockucc.com
or visit this link to our PayPal account: paypal.me/hancockucc
or mail offerings to:
Union Congregational Church, PO Box 443, Hancock, ME 04640 (Attention: Treasurer)
Contact Us
Vicky Jennifer TJ
207.422.3100 207.323.6743
Resources: Raised Above: Service Prayers for the First Sunday of Advent Year A was written by Maria Mankin. All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings, written by Gayle Boss, illustrated by David G. Klein
Many thanks to those who make this service possible –
in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Music Minister – Debbie Riley
Deacons – Mary Angela & Nick Davis
Liturgist – Peggy Karns
Audio-Video Support – Mike Summerer
Office Administrator – Vicky Espling
Settled Minister – Rev. TJ Mack
The Body of Christ – You
The New Century Hymnal (B.) Hymns of Truth and Light (R.)
Copyright © 1995 The Pilgrim Press Copyright © 1998 First Congregational
Church of Huston, Texas
"Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE,
License #A-738532. All rights reserved.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Words and Music - ©1818 Willow Publishing Pty Ltd
Contributors: John Neale, Thomas Helmore
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