For December 19, 2010 -- 4th Sunday of Advent

CALL TO WORSHIP/OPENING PRAYER
Less than a week till Christmas. Are you ready?
Maybe. Maybe not.
In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season we have gathered here,
for a time of peace, for a break in the rush.
In the midst of the noise of the season we come together
for some quiet time, for a reminder of what it's all about.
We come to hear stories passed down through the centuries.
God, invite us into the story this day. Amid the hustle and bustle, help us to remember what the season is about.
God open our hearts,
and fill them with the true gifts of Christmas: peace, hope, joy and love.
May this time of worship refresh and energize us,
so that we can be beacons of Christmas light a world that so sorely needs it.
We pray in the name of the baby whose birth is just around the corner, and who would later teach his friends to pray saying...

COMMISSIONING:
We have heard the story again, maybe from a different perspective
but it remains the same story.
And now we go back into the busy world,
where we do the most of our service and ministry.
In this Christmas week, go out to share the gifts of God with the world around you.
And may God bless us, everyone.