Service Sunday December 7, 2025

Services

Dec 2

Written By Highland Hills

HIGHLAND HILLS UNITED CHURCH

Minden, Ontario

All are Welcome!

2nd Sunday of Advent - Peace

Worship Leader: Rev. Diane Bennett-Jones

Music Director: Melissa Stephens

(For a Printer Friendly PDF version click this link)

The Gathering

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF LAND:

ALL: As we gather, we acknowledge that this is sacred land. It has been a site of human activity for thousands of years. This church is located on Treaty 20 territory in the traditional lands of the Williams Treaties First Nations. As a community of faith, we respectfully acknowledge this and are grateful for the opportunity to gather and worship here in peace.

THE APPROACH

CALL TO WORSHIP:

One: Advent is a season of waiting.

ALL: But we do not wait alone.

One: God is with us.

ALL: We gather with those who have seen the signs, heard the whispers, felt the tugs in their hearts.

One: God is birthing Peace into this waiting world.

ALL: Let us worship with hearts open to Peace.

(Written by Larry Doyle, Bob Root and Darrow Woods. Gathering Advent-Christmas-Epiphany. Used with permission.)

OPENING HYMN: “There’s a Voice in the Wilderness” VU #18

1 There's a voice in the wilderness crying,

a call from the ways untrod:

prepare in the desert a highway,

a highway for our God!

The valleys shall be exalted,

the lofty hills brought low;

make straight all the crooked places

where God, our God, may go!

2 O Zion, that bringest good tidings,

get thee up to the heights and sing!

Proclaim to a desolate people

the coming of their King.

Like the flowers of the field they perish,

like grass our works decay;

the power and pomp of nations

shall pass, like a dream, away.

3 But the word of our God endureth,

whose arm is ever strong;

God stands in the midst of nations,

and soon will right the wrong.

God shall feed the flock like a shepherd,

the lambs so gently hold;

to pastures of peace will lead them,

and bring them safe to fold.

4 There's a voice in the wilderness crying,

a call from the ways untrod:

prepare in the desert a highway,

a highway for our God!

The valleys shall be exalted,

the lofty hills brought low;

make straight all the crooked places

where God, our God, may go!

OPENING PRAYER: Spoken in Unison

All: God, we live in a world where peace seems like a distant dream.

And so we pray - not just for the absence of violence and conflict,

but for the deep peace of knowing and trusting your will and your way.

As the darkness and coldness of December sets in, we trust that the light and the warmth of your Holy Spirit will enfold us and remind us of the shalom that is to come and the shalom that is already within us. Amen.

(Written by Larry Doyle, Bob Root and Darrow Woods. Gathering Advent-Christmas-Epiphany. Used with permission.)

ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING:

One: Today is the second Sunday in Advent. Last week, we lit the first candle in our Advent wreath, the candle that represents hope.

(Candle of Hope is relit.)

One: Today we light the second candle, the candle that represents peace.

We live in a world longing for peace: a peace that will end wars and the devastation wars leave behind, a peace that will reunite families, a peace that will restore minds and spirits.

All: Knowing the need for peace in our own lives and in our world, we light this candle as a symbol of the peace promised in the coming of Jesus.

(The candle of Peace is lit.)

(Written by Heather McClure. Gatherings Advent-Christmas-Epiphany. Used with permission.)

ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING RESPONSE:

VU#6 “A Candle Is Burning” (Verses 1&2)

1 A candle is burning, a flame warm and bright,

a candle of hope in December's dark night.

While angels sing blessings from heaven's starry sky,

our hearts we prepare now for Jesus is nigh.

2 A candle is burning, a candle of peace,

a candle to signal that conflict must cease:

for Jesus is coming to show us the way;

a message of peace humbly laid in the hay.

A NEW CREED:

All: We are not alone, we live in God’s world.

We believe in God:

who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit.

We trust in God.

We are called to be the Church:
  to celebrate God’s presence, to live with respect in Creation,
  to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil,
  to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,

God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.

MINISTRY OF MUSIC

LEARNING TOGETHER

HYMN: “On Jordan’s Bank” VU #20

1 On Jordan's bank, the Baptist's cry

announces that the Lamb is nigh;

awake and hearken, for he brings

glad tidings of the King of Kings.

2 Then cleansed be every life from sin;

make straight the way for God within;

and let each heart prepare a home

where such a mighty guest may come.

3 In you, we find abundant life,

our refuge in the midst of strife;

without your grace we waste away,

like flowers that wither and decay.

4 Stretch forth your hand, our health restore,

and help us rise to fall no more.

O let your face upon us shine,

and fill the world with love divine.

5 All praise to you, eternal Son,

whose advent has our freedom won;

and praise to God whom we adore,

with Holy Spirit evermore.

THE WORD

Scripture: Matthew 3:1-12

Leader: Hear and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

MESSAGE:

“Preparing The Way”

OUR RESPONSE

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and

THE LORD’S PRAYER: (Sung) VU #960

HYMN: “People, Look East” VU #9

1 People, look east. The time is near

of the crowning of the year.

Make your house fair as you are able,

trim the hearth and set the table.