Join us for worship on Sunday, December 13, 2020 with Lisa Marie Bowens, Ph.D., Associate Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary. This is the third Sunday of Advent. The service will have music from guest musicians Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin, soloist, Phillip Orr, pianist, and Laura Robin-Simone, bassist.

The recorded service is available at 8am here Chapel Sunday Service and  at 10am  A zoom discussion with our preacher will be held.All are invited to reflect further with Professor Bowen on her sermon’s themes. The link is: https://princeton.zoom.us/j/92171840688?pwd=OTRxcGJPd0Yyb0Q2OFJ2b2ZJbFdEQT09.

This service will remain archived after the premiere (along with concerts and other amazing programs), and we encourage you to return to them whenever you might find that to be helpful. The bulletin for this service is below.

Bulletin for Sunday, December 13, 2020 – Third Sunday of Advent

Gathering Music: Jesus, What a Wonderful Child by Sister Margaret Allison (1921-2008) with guest musicians Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin, soloist, Phillip Orr, pianist and Laura-Simone Martin, bassist

Welcome and Announcements: Dean Boden

Call to Worship: Alexandra Miller-Knaack

Leader: We have lit a third 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.

Hymn: O Come, O Come (Veni Emmanuel)

Lyrics: 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, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here; disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death's dark 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; bid envy, strife and sorrow cease; fill the whole world with heaven's peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Confession: Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. 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

Reading: Isaiah 61:1-4

The spirit of God is upon me, because God has anointed me; God has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of God’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion—to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of God, to display God’s glory.  They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

Solo: Mary, Did You Know? by Buddy Greene (b. 1953)

Reading: Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies God, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for God has looked with favor on the lowliness of God’s servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is God’s name. God’s mercy is for those who fear God from generation to generation. God has shown strength with God’s arm; God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. God has helped God’s servant Israel, in remembrance of God’s mercy, according to the promise God made to our ancestors, to Abraham, and to his descendants forever.”

Reading: Luke 3:1-16

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”’ John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’ And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’

Sermon: “Waiting as Resistance” by Lisa Marie Bowens, Ph.D.

Hymn: We Hail You God’s Anointed (Ellacombe)

Lyrics: We hail you God’s anointed, the long-awaited One! Hail in the time appointed, your reign on earth begun! You come to break oppression, to set the captive free; to take away transgression, and rule in equity.

O’er every foe victorious, you on your throne shall rest; from age to age more glorious, all-blessing and all-blessed; The tide of time shall never your covenant remove; your name shall stand forever, your changeless name of Love.

Pastoral Prayer

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

Prayer for Princeton: 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.

Solo: Brown Baby by Oscar Brown, Jr. (1926-2005)

Benediction

Voluntary: Chorale Prelude on “Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland,” BWV 661 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Lisa Marie Bowens is associate professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. She earned a BS (cum laude), MSBE, and MLIS from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and an MTS and ThM from Duke Divinity School. She received her PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary. Her research interests include Paul and apocalyptic literature, Pauline anthropology, Pauline epistemology, discipleship in the gospels, African American Pauline Hermeneutics, and New Testament exegesis and interpretation. Her first book, An Apostle in Battle: Paul and Spiritual Warfare in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (Mohr Siebeck), examines Paul’s ascent to the third heaven through a cosmic/apocalyptic lens, traces martial imagery in the letter, and explores how this imagery facilitates understanding Paul’s journey as an example of spiritual warfare. Her newest book, African American Readings of Paul: Reception, Resistance, and Transformation (Eerdmans) is the first book to investigate a historical trajectory of how African Americans have understood Paul and utilized his work to resist and protest injustice and racism in their own writings from the 1700s to the mid-twentieth century.

Calendar: Today - December 13, 2020, 10:00 a.m. eastern time.  A zoom discussion with our preacher will be held.All are invited to reflect further with Professor Bowen on her sermon’s themes. The link is:

https://princeton.zoom.us/j/92171840688?pwd=OTRxcGJPd0Yyb0Q2OFJ2b2ZJbFdEQT09.

Sunday, December 20, 2020 - University Chapel Service. The preacher will be Dean Boden.

For additional information please visit chapel.princeton.edu or call 609-258-3047.