Service Sunday November 30, 2025
HIGHLAND HILLS UNITED CHURCH
Minden, Ontario
All are Welcome!
Communion Sunday
First Sunday of Advent - Hope
Worship Leader: Rev. Max Ward
Music Director: Melissa Stephens
Watch a video recording of the whole service using YouTube below.
(For a Printer Friendly PDF version click this link)
The Gathering
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
FOCUSING ON THE LIGHT OF CHRIST:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF LAND:
The territory on which this building sits, and the places where most of us are worshiping today, is territory that has been walked on, hunted on, and lived on for thousands of years. It is the Traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg people, and it is with humility and respect that we give thanks that we are here, in the space where we are in touch with Creator who made it and who made us. May our worship honour the relationships that are celebrated and invited here, and may we always remember the story of this territory, the people who live here, and the call to live with respect and thanksgiving.
THE APPROACH
CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: Come, people of God, let us wait patiently together.
ALL: Let us await the coming of Messiah.
One: Let us listen for God’s word, seeking Gods promise, opening ourselves to it.
ALL: Let us bless and worship God!
One: Let us bless and worship God!
Written by George Allan, Chatham, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 2 2025, p.27. Used with permission
HYMN: “Hope Is a Star” VU #7
1 Hope is a star that shines in the night,
leading us on till the morning is bright.
Refrain When God is a child there's joy in our song.
The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,
and none shall be afraid.
2 Peace is a ribbon that circles the earth,
giving a promise of safety and worth. Refrain
3 Joy is a song that welcomes the dawn,
telling the world that the Saviour is born. Refrain
4 Love is a flame that burns in our heart,
Jesus has come and will never depart. Refrain
ADVENT CANDLE-LIGHTING LITANY:
One: Today is the first Sunday in Advent, and we light the first candle in our Advent wreath, the candle that represents hope. We live in a world where people long for hope: we see it in those who are searching for a home; we see it in those who are lonely; and we see it in those who live in despair.
ALL: Knowing the need for hope in our own lives and in our world, we light this candle as a symbol of the hope promised in the coming of Jesus.
(Candle of Hope is lit.)
ADVENT HYMN: “A Candle Is Burning” VU #6 – verse 1
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.
MINISTRY OF MUSIC
THE WORD
Scripture: Matthew 24:36-44
Leader: Hear and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
MESSAGE:
“The Complicated Joy of Advent: A Message from the Moderator”
by: Right Rev. Kimberley Heath
Watch a video recording of the Moderator’s message below or read it at the bottom of this page.
OUR RESPONSE
COMMUNION HYMN: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” VU #1 v1&4
1 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lowly exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
4 O come, O Rod of Jesse's stem,
from every foe deliver them
that trust your mighty power to save,
and give them victory o'er the grave. Refrain
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
We are waiting, for wrapped boxes to appear beneath lighted trees, for the day to finally arrive when the fancy paper can be ripped from those neatly wrapped presents to discover the gift that is waiting for us. We are waiting, for hope to become a reality, for peace to find anchor in places of violence, for joy to blossom like flowers appearing in the snow, for love in all its forms to unashamedly show itself even in the midst of scorn. We are waiting, for the miracle of life born unto us to kindle the thrill of hope that this weary world most desperately needs. We are waiting, for the babe in swaddling clothes to be the embodiment of hope, peace, joy, and love, that babe in swaddling clothes lying in a borrowed cow trough who is Jesus, the thrill of hope for a weary world.
As Jesus became a man, he never forgot his humble beginning, he never shunned the children, but said, “Let the children come to me.” One child of God inviting all people young and old to discover their worth and their place at the table. Everyone is invited. Yes, you are really invited, for we are all children of God.
One child of God is inviting all children and all adults to discover their worth and their place at the table. Jesus made it a habit to eat with sex workers, tax collectors, skeptics, fisher folks, refugees, those left outside knocking at doors, and even those banished for refusing to give up their true identity.
One child of God is inviting all children and all adults to discover their worth and their place at the table. Everyone is invited, for we are all children of God. This is the table where all are welcome.
Believing that Jesus lives among us, we remember Jesus gathered with his friends for supper on the night before he died. Among those friends were one who would doubt him, one who would deny him, one who would betray him, and every one of them would leave him all alone before the night was over. And he knew it.
Still, he sat down and ate with them. If he was ready to eat with them, he’s ready to eat with you: baptized or not, confessed or not, perfect or not, sure or not, saint or sinner or a little of both, all you have to be at this table is hungry.
At this table, we remember that Jesus said, “Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Each time you do this, remember me.” Then, Jesus took a cup, saying, “Drink. This cup is the promise of God, made in my blood. Each time you drink from this cup, remember me.”
Written by Kelly Sprinkle, Mountain Rise United Church of Christ, Fairport, N.Y.
Gathering, Advent 2024, page 74-75. Used with permission.
Communion
Prayer after Communion – In Unison
O God, thank you for the gift of nourishment and life. Just as Jesus invited children, let us, too, invite all humanity to the feast of life. So now, give us the courage and stamina to labour together so that everyone will know that this year, and not in some far-off, distant future, everyone alive will no longer live in fear, hunger, or humiliation, because Love-Embodied reigns and the time is now. Amen.
Written by Kelly Sprinkel, Mountain Rise United Church of Christ, Fairport, N.Y.
Gathering, Advent 2024, page 75. Used with permission.
COMMUNION HYMN: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” VU #1 v 6-7
6 O come, O Dayspring, from on high,
and cheer us by your drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death's dark shadows put to flight. Refrain
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
7 O come, Desire of nations, bind
all peoples in one heart and mind;
O bid our sad divisions cease,
and be for us the Prince of Peace. Refrain
Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and THE LORD’S PRAYER: (sung VU #960)
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
OFFERTORY PRAYER: In Unison
Waken our hearts to know the power we have to make a difference. Give us wisdom to trust your voice, prompting us to act, to risk reaching out in love.
Make us bold: generously offering hot chocolate and cookies and a kind word to a stranger;
discovering you reflected in the joy of dancing in a crowd.
Waken our hearts to know when we have made a difference, Gracious God.
This we ask as we offer our gifts today. Amen.
Written by Wendy MacLean, Brockville, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 2 2025, p.30. Used with permission
SUNG BLESSING: (MV #220)
Hope shines as the solitary star.
Faith is the inner light.
You and I together mirror the Light of Lights,
and illumine the pathway home. ©
SENDING FORTH:
A Time of Fellowship
© Music Reproduced with permission under License number A-605748, Valid for: 26/10/2025 - 25/10/2026; One License - Copyright Cleared Music for Churches
Moderator’s Advent Message 2025
The Complicated Joy of Advent
Transcript of Video Message
Here we are just weeks away from Christmas. The stores are full, the music plays, concerts, cookies, and twinkling lights try to lift our spirits. But the world feels heavy: heartbreaking headlines, personal losses, full highways, and empty bank accounts. Advent is a complicated season.
Mary and Elizabeth knew something about that. Two women, two miracles, two bold yeses to God’s call. But let’s be honest, their stories weren't all sunshine and rainbow unicorn farts. Elizabeth stayed in seclusion for five months. Mary left Galilee maybe to escape the whispers, the stares. Even good news can feel complicated. Joy and fear, hope and weariness, they often show up together.
You know, that’s what I love about Advent. There’s room for all our feelings here. And then—the simple miracle of connection. Mary shows up. Elizabeth’s baby leaps and she cries out in a blessing. And suddenly they know they are not alone. God has given them each other. Their joy multiplies.
So how do we get in the spirit of the season in a world of pain and injustice? We start with connection. Deep spirituality reminds us God is with us. Bold discipleship calls us to say yes even when it’s hard. Daring justice invites us to make space for others, to share joy, to bear burdens, to build hope.
Whatever you’re feeling this Advent—joy, grief, exhaustion, hope—know this. You are not alone. God is growing a miracle in you and in me. Thanks be to God.
