It's that beautiful, peaceful time of year! Below is the Advent Season Worship Service schedule featuring Rev. Alison Boden, Ph.D., Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel, and Rev. Dr. Theresa Thames, Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel, and includes wonderful guest preachers as well.

The Worship Service is held every Sunday at 11am in the University Chapel. The services are also live streamed on the ORL YouTube page each week.

The bulletin for this week's service is below:

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Princeton University Chapel, December 18, 2022 – the fourth Sunday of Advent

You are invited to rise, in body or spirit, for those parts of the service marked with an asterisk (*)

Invitatory: Four Settings of “Veni, Veni Emmanuel” by Charles Callahan (b. 1951), Paul Manz (1919-2009), Margaret Vardell Sandresky (b. 1921), and Adolphus Hailstork (b. 1941)

Welcome and Announcements by Dean Thames

*Hymn No. 107: Awake! Awake, and Greet the New Morn, Rejoice, Rejoice

*Call to Worship by Dean Boden

Leader: We have lit a fourth candle as a sign of the coming light of Christ.

Advent means coming.

We are preparing ourselves for the days

When the nations shall beat their swords into plowshares,

And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

Neither shall they learn war any more.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

The leopard shall lie down with the kid,

The calf and the lion and the fatling together,

And a little child shall lead them.

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,

The desert shall rejoice and blossom;

Like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,

And rejoice with joy and singing.

God will give you a sign.

Look, the young woman is with child

And shall bear a son,

And shall name him Emmanuel (God is with us).

(All sing)

O come, o come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

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! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O Dayspring, 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! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

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! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

*Confession                                                                                                                               
 Leader Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

All: Have mercy on us, most merciful Creator;

in your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone; and so uphold us by your Spirit that we may serve you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

All: Have mercy on us, most merciful Creator; in your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone; and so uphold us by your Spirit that we may serve you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

*Assurance of Pardon

Friends, hear the Good News of Advent. God's love is known across time, in Jesus Christ, and at this very moment. Hear these words of assurance that God, who makes all things new, also covers us with grace, love, and forgiveness. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Reading: Isaiah 7:10-16

Again God spoke to Ahaz, saying, “Ask a sign of your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put God to the test.” Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Almighty will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”

 Anthem: Advent Lullaby by John Bell (b. 1949) The composer imagines Mary singing this lullaby to her unborn child.

Lullaby, lullaby, wait till tomorrow.

Lullaby, lullaby, wait till tomorrow;

Your time will come.

Your time will come.

Lullaby, lullaby, God comes tomorrow.

Lullaby, lullaby, God comes tomorrow;

and God is here.

And God is here.

Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of God appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will

save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by God through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Sermon: “Signs and Wonders” by Dean Boden

*Hymn No. 105: Gentle Joseph, Joseph Dear

Prayers of the People by Becky Schad. (If there are prayer requests that you would like to share, please raise your hand.) 

After each petition:               

One: God of love and mercy,

All: Hear our prayer.

Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Choral Response: He Came Down, Traditional Cameroon

He came down that we might have love, Hallelujah forevermore. He came down that we might have light… He came down that we might have peace… He came down that we might have joy…

*Exchange of the Peace

One: The peace of God be always with you.

All: And also with you.

(The people may exchange the peace with one another.)   

Offertory Sentence

Music at the Offering: Gabriel’s Message, Basque Carol arr. Robert Grogan. tr. Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924)

The angel Gabriel from heaven came

His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame

"All hail" said he "thou lowly maiden Mary

Most highly favored lady,” gloria!

"For known a blessed mother thou shalt be

All generations laud and honor thee           

Thy Son shall be Emanuel by seers foretold

Most highly favored lady," gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head

"To me be as it pleaseth God, " she said,

"My soul shall laud and magnify His holy name."

Most highly favored lady, gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born

in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,

and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say,

Most highly favoured Lady, gloria!

*Doxology: Sung to the tune of hymn no. 27, Lasst uns erfreuen

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God all creatures here below, alleluia, alleluia. Praise God above ye heavenly hosts, Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

*Prayer for Princeton: to be said by all: O Eternal God, the source of life and light for all peoples, we pray you would endow this University with your grace and wisdom: give inspiration and understanding to those who teach and to those who learn; grant vision to its trustees and administrators; to all who work here and to all who bear her name give your guiding Spirit of sacrificial courage and loving service.  Amen.

*Hymn No. 122: Come, O Long-Expected Jesus, Stuttgart

*Benediction      

Voluntary: Toccata on “Veni, Veni Emmanuel” by Andrew Carter (b.1939)

University Chapel Staff: The Rev. Alison L. Boden, Ph.D., Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel; The Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames, Associate Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel; Dr. Nicole Aldrich, Director of Chapel Music; Eric Plutz, University Organist; Elizabeth Powers, Chapel Administrator; Natalie Harvey and Becky Schad, Seminary Interns; Edgar Gomez, Sexton; Lisa McGurr, Sexton

The University Chapel is a welcoming community of faith.  We gather to sing God's praises, to hear God's living Word, to seek justice, and to proclaim God's love for all people. If you are interested in making a contribution toward Sunday flowers in the chapel as a memorial please contact Liz Powers for details at 258-3048.

Every Sunday of every month the congregation is invited to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to Arm in Arm.

The offering this morning will go to the American Indian College Fund.  The money raised by the American Indian College Fund is used to support student scholarships and other developmental needs at 34 tribal colleges across the United States.

If you will be attending the service on Christmas Eve and would like to help out by ushering, please speak to Dean Boden.

Singers!  Join the Christmas Eve Chorus at Princeton University chapel.  The service will be on Saturday, December 24th at 8:00 p.m.  Rehearsals: Thursday, 12/22 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. and Friday, 12/23 from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.  Contact Nicole Aldrich 609-258-3654, [email protected] if you are interested.           

Calendar:

Today, December 18, 2022—1:30 p.m. Hallelujah Church @ Princeton, Murray-Dodge Hall, Room 104 — A service of exciting worship, inspiring music, and a place of grace where love, hope and faith come alive.  

Saturday, December 24, 2022—8:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service—The prelude starts at 7:30 with organ, oboe, strings, and vocalists.  The preacher will be Dean Boden.

Sunday, December 25, 2022—11:00 a.m.  Christmas Day Service with celebration of Holy Communion.  The preacher will be Dean Thames.