Order of Worship
POEM - “Winter Morning” by James Crews
SONG - O Come, All Ye Faithful
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!
[Refrain]:
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!
God of God, Light of Light,
lo, He abhors not the virgin's womb;
very God, begotten not created; [Refrain]
Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation;
sing, all ye citizens of heav'n above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest!
[Refrain]
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv'n!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
[Refrain]
WELCOME
OPENING PRAYER
PASSING OF THE PEACE
Peace be with you.
And also with you.
SCRIPTURE - Isaiah 63:7-9
READING - “Those Who Carry” by Anna Kamienska
SERMON Rev. Vince Amlin
MUSIC FOR REFLECTION - “This Year” by The Mountain Goats (performed by the Hogtown Pickers at the United Church of Gainesville)
SHARING OF JOYS AND CONCERNS
When in the past week did you see God at work? What concerns would you like to turn over to God’s care?
PASTORAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CLOSING SONG - Joy to the World
Joy to the world; the Lord is come;
Let Earth receive its King;
Let ev'ry heart prepare him room,
And heav'n and nature sing.
Joy to the Earth, the Savior reigns;
Our mortal songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy.
God rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of God’s righteousness,
And wonders of God’s love.
BENEDICTION
******
Announcements
Join The Outer Belt Pilgrimage - January 3rd
Join us for the next leg of our Outer Belt Pilgrimage! We’ll be walking together on Saturday January 3rd. Sign up here if you’re planning to join us!
If you can’t make it this time, consider joining us for our next journeys on:
February 21st
March 14th
For more info, reach out Vince at vince@bethanychicago.com and/or go to outerbelt.org
Adult Sunday School - Jan. 4th
There really isn’t much textual evidence for hell in the Bible. And yet, it sometimes seems to be the only thing conservative Christianity cares about. In large part, this is a cultural legacy from the Middle Ages. In this session, we'll look at the biblical references to hell in the Bible, finding that they are muddled, contradictory, and rare. Please join Brett on 1/4 after worship for a discussion!
Faith & Politics Small Group - Jan. 4th
How do we address injustice and how does that relate to our concepts of faith (broadly understood)? Join Dublin-based Susan Burgess on-line and explore how others (e.g., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Harvey Milk, Derek Bell, Dolores Huerta, AOC) have tried to make political change in a way that aligns with their visions of the world. We’ll use their examples to help us reflect upon our own faith journeys in relation to political change. Group members will view documentaries on their own which we will then discuss together as a group in weekly meetings on Zoom on Sunday, January 4, 11, 18, 25 from 2-3 pm. Sign up here if you plan on joining!
Service & Justice Huddle - Jan. 11th
Join us after church, Sunday, Jan 11th for our winter huddle for Service & Justice. Connect with Bethanians leading up work on environmental justice, welcoming and supporting refugees, meeting hunger and housing needs in Chicago.
Kids’ Sunday School - Returns Jan. 11th
Sunday school resumes for Bethany kids on January 11. We meet downstairs during worship with Ms. Judy leading younger group and Ms. Kezia teaching the older class. We will start 2026 with lessons from the life of Jesus.
During worship, kids are invited to go to Sunday school after we pass the peace. Our teachers are professional educators and parents, creating an inclusive experiential learning environment On non-Sunday School weeks, there’s (often) Children’s Time and a kids’ bulletin — plus regular nursery care every week.
Support Alaina on Her Journey to Ordination - Jan. 11th
Our own Alaina Hoffman has been approved for her Ecclesiastical Council, one of the final steps on her journey to becoming an ordained pastor in the United Church of Christ! An Ecclesiastical Council is the step in the process when members of local churches vote to say that Alaina is ready for ordination. Alaina will read a paper about her faith and calling and then answer questions from those gathered. The E Council represents the culmination of years of work on Alaina’s part, and we would love to have you present to support her. The gathering will be on Zoom, Sunday, January 11th at 1pm. You can join at this link!
Give and Get Help
Throughout the holiday season, we will continue to collect canned goods and other non-perishable food items to be delivered to Nourishing Hope. Contact us anytime at bethany.ucc.assistance@gmail.com if you, your family or those close to you have needs that are not being met. We will try to help, or at least point you in the direction of help.
