R E F L E C T I O N S

“Behold a virgin shall conceive…” The art on the cover is a linocut print by Ruling Elder Ned Bustard. The depiction of the characters—particularly the angel Gabriel—was inspired by Ethiopian icon art. Although the angel dominates the visual space in this piece, it is in an otherworldly and spiritual way. Mary will go from this experience to have to carry a child in a community that did not see an angel and thus would probably have viewed the child as illegitimate.

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

~ Genesis 12:1-3 On the holy mount stands the city he founded; the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God.

~ Psalm 87:1-3 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

~ John 1:14-18 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

~ Philippians 3:12-16 This peace will only become a reality when the nations are willing to submit to the word that goes from Zion where the one, true God has revealed himself. Peace on any other terms is a cruel delusion.

~ Barry Webb

December 1, 2019 | First Sunday of Advent p CONGREGATION STANDS Hearing-assistive headsets are available through the Sound Technician. q CONGREGATION SITS For a large-print edition of the bulletin, please call the church office.

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

q P R E L U D E His Eye is on the Sparrow

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come? Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home? When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

p C A L L T O W O R S H I P The Protoevangelum —the first promise of the Messiah from Genesis 3

LEADER: The LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” MEN: “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” LEADER: “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I

commanded you not to eat from?” MEN: “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the

tree, and I ate it.” LEADER: “What is this you have done?” WOMEN: “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” LEADER: So the LORD God said to the serpent, UNISON: “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all

the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

p Hark! What Mean Those Holy Voices

q C O N F E S S I O N

LEADER: Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God together by praying— UNISON: Father, we humbly pray you would mercifully look on our sins; and for the glory

of your Name, turn from us all those evils that we most justly have deserved; and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in your mercy, and evermore serve you in holiness and pureness of living, to your honor and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Please take a moment to silently confess your individual sins.

q Comfort, Comfort Ye My People

q Assurance of Pardon From Isaiah 1

LEADER: A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

LEFT: The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

RIGHT: He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;

UNISON: but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

p T H A N K S G I V I N G

LEADER: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; PEOPLE: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

p Hark! What Mean Those Holy Voices

4. Hasten, mortals, to adore Him, Learn His name and taste His joy, Till in heaven ye sing before Him, "Glory be to God most high!"

5. Let us learn the wondrous story Of our great Redeemer's birth; Spread the brightness of His glory Till it cover all the earth.

Refrain: Listen to the wondrous story, which they chant in hymns of joy,

“Glory in the highest, glory! Glory be to God most high!”

p C R E E D LEADER: Remembering the promise to reconcile the world to himself, God joined

our humanity in Jesus Christ—the eternal Word made flesh. PEOPLE: He is the long-awaited Messiah, one with us and one with God, LEADER: fully human, PEOPLE: and fully divine, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. LEADER: As the second Adam, Jesus chose the path we had rejected. PEOPLE: Jesus lived a full and righteous human life before us. LEADER: As God’s true Son, he lovingly obeyed the Father and made present in

deed and word the coming rule of God. PEOPLE: Standing in our place he carried God’s judgment on our sin—his sacrifice

removed our guilt. LEADER: God raised him from the dead: PEOPLE: he walked out of the grave, conqueror of Sin and Death. LEADER: Jesus ascended in triumph to the heavenly throne. UNISON: All authority, glory, and sovereign power are given to him. Amen.

q C A N D L E L I G H T I N G ISAIAH 9:2-7 The first candle of the Advent wreath is the candle of Prophecy. It reminds us of how God spoke to His people through the prophets, offering them the hope of a Savior. READER 1: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in

the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.

READER 2: And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

PEOPLE: The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

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p G O S P E L MATTHEW 24:36-44 36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” LEADER: The Gospel of the Lord. PEOPLE: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

p Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor

p Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor

Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor: Frank Houghton, arr. by Charles H. Kitson; Text ©OMF Intl. Ltd. UBP.

q P R A Y E R Adapted from the book “Every Moment Holy” LEADER: Almighty God, as we prepare for the coming Christmas season, we would

also prepare our hearts for the returning Christ. PEOPLE: You came once for your people, O Lord, and you will come for us again. LEADER: Though there was no room at the inn to receive you upon your first arrival, PEOPLE: We would prepare you room here in our hearts, Lord Christ. LEADER: As we decorate our homes, we do so to mark the memory of your

redemptive movement into our broken world, O God. Our glittering ornaments and Christmas trees, our festive carols, our sumptuous feasts—

PEOPLE: By these small tokens we affirm that something amazing has happened in time and space—that God, on a particular night, in a particular place, so many years ago, was born to us, an infant King, our Prince of Peace.

LEADER: As we decorate our trees, and as we feast and laugh and sing together, we are rehearsing our coming joy! We are making ready to receive the one who has already, with open arms, received us.

PEOPLE: We would prepare you room here in our hearts, Lord Christ. LEADER: Now we celebrate your first coming, Immanuel, even as we long for your

return. O Prince of Peace, our elder brother, return soon! UNISON: Amen.

q O F F E R I N G PSALM 4:4-5 In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. Please fill in the pew attendance pad, pass it down the pew and then back.

q Comfort, Comfort Ye My People

Children, ages 4 - 7 years, are dismissed to be walked over to the first floor of the Harvest House for Children’s Worship Training.

q P R O C L A M A T I O N ISAIAH 2:1-5 1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they 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 anymore. 5 O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. LEADER: This is the Word of the Lord. PEOPLE: Thanks be to God.

q The Arrival Rev. Keith A. Winder

Full outlines of the sermon are available on a table in the Narthex.

p Second Advent Scripture MARK 13:26-27, 32-33

LEADER: At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. . . No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

LEFT: Be on guard! RIGHT: Be alert! LEADER: You do not know when that time will come.

p O Come, All Ye Faithful

p O Come, All Ye Faithful

O Come All Ye Faithful: Attr. to John Francis Wade; tr. by Frederick Oakeley.

p B E N E D I C T I O N ROMANS 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Worship leader is Luke Le Duc. Sermon text readers are Dallas Wolgemuth (8am) and Rachel Kiehl (10:45am). Advent Readers are Chris & Julia Hershey (8am) and Samuel & Amber Spatola (10:45). His Eye is on the Sparrow: Words: Civilla Durfee Martin, Music: Charles H. Gabriel, 1905. Hark! What Mean Those Holy Voices: Words, John Cawood; Music: Austria (Haydn), arr. by Franz J. Haydn, 1797. Comfort, Comfort Ye My People: 1551 Genevan Psalter, Johannes Olearius, tr. by Catherine Winkworth. The Advent Song (Come, Jesus, Come): Ned Bustard and Rob Bigley. Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor: Frank Houghton, arr. by Charles H. Kitson; Text ©OMF Intl. Ltd. UBP. O Come All Ye Faithful: Attr. to John Francis Wade; tr. by Frederick Oakeley. Hymns reprinted from Trinity Hymnal (©1990, Great Commission Publ.) UBP. Hymns and Praise Songs printed bulletin are used by permission

through our Church Copyright License #1020404. Scripture is taken from the English Standard Version.

p O Come, All Ye Faithful

O Come All Ye Faithful: Attr. to John Francis Wade; tr. by Frederick Oakeley.

L I F E T O G E T H E R This Week at Wheatland

Sunday, December 1 8:00 & 10:45am Morning Worship 9:30-10:30am Sunday Classes 5:30 Family Advent & Caroling Night 6:30-8:30pm Youth Group at RPC Ephrata

Tuesday, December 3 7:00am Morning Prayer

Wednesday, December 4 9:30-11:00am Women’s Bible Study Brunch 7:00pm ESL Classes

Thursday, December 5 7:30am Morning Prayer (Le Duc’s Home)

Sunday, December 8 8:00 & 10:45am Morning Worship 9:30-10:30am Sunday Classes 12:30 Young Adult Lunch (Spatola’s Home) 6:30-8:30pm Youth Group

Looking Ahead Dec. 15 – 9:30 Fellowship Hour Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve Services 6:00 & 8:00pm

Musical Interlude 7:15-7:45pm

Advent Resource Available Be sure to pick up a copy of the book, The Advent of the Lamb of God, by Russ Ramsey, in the narthex. A description of the book suggests that we, “Rediscover how the purposes of God culminated in the coming of Jesus, in twenty-five readings ideal for Christmas…” Suggested donation of $10. Family Advent Night Wheatland's Family Advent Night is tonight 5:30-8pm, December 1. Join us for a soup and bread meal, cookie decorating, caroling and eating cookies. All ages of Wheatland’s family welcome! Young Adult Group Wheatland is relaunching a young adult group for those ages 18-29(ish). Join us on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 12:30pm at the Spatola's home for food and fellowship and to hear more about the vision for this group. Contact Samuel at SSpatola@wheatlandpca.org if you plan to attend.

Thanksgiving Offering Our Thanksgiving offering will be going towards Wheatland’s ESL Ministry. On Wednesday evenings we regularly serve about 75 adults and 35 children with English language lessons, Bible devotions and prayer, and refreshments. The classes are free, and each student receives a $30 workbook at no charge. Please write “Thanksgiving Offering” on the memo line of your check to Wheatland or on your “Special Offering” envelope. Donate online at wheatlandpca.org, by writing "Thanksgiving Offering" in your general fund gift. Offering Envelopes If you would like to begin using weekly offering envelopes, please contact Barb Smith at bsmith@wheatlandpca.org to request them. Sets of offering envelopes will be available in the narthex on December 8 and 15. The Row House Forum The Row House Forum’s final 2019 event is Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7pm in The Square Halo Gallery, 37 N. Market St. Lancaster. “Every Body Matters: Movement as Medicine” features physical therapist Justin Geissinger. Bring a friend to hear a Christian perspective on wellness from a passionate runner, husband, and father of four. Tickets are $10 in advance; $15 at the door; Row House Members and one guest are free with reservation. For more information, talk to Tom Becker or visit www.therowhouse.org. Music Event On Monday, December 16 at 7:00pm, please join Matthew Wilhelm and Delaney Bigley for an evening of art songs, arias, and musical theater pieces here at Wheatland. Matthew and Delaney are traveling to Ireland in March with the Lancaster Bible College Chorale. A free-will offering will be taken and all proceeds will go to support their fund-raising efforts for this mission trip.

L I F E T O G E T H E R ESL Need Our ESL ministry is looking for a Teacher Assistant for our newly opened Level 4 class. Contact Betsy at esl@wheatlandpca.org. Wheatland Family Camping Weekend Yes, it's Fall, but it is time to think about going camping next summer! In order to get sites together we need to reserve them now. We will be returning to Gifford Pinchot State Park north of York from June 4-7. You can come for 1, 2, or 3 nights. Reservation sheets are in the narthex. Contact Deb Kreider at phkiii@verizon.net with questions. Return reservation forms to Deb by today, December 1. Poinsettia Order Please help us adorn the sanctuary with lovely poinsettias as part of the celebration of Christ's birth. The flower team relies on donations to buy poinsettias to decorate for the Christmas Eve service. You can help by donating $6 for a poinsettia with 5-8 blooms by December 15. Please note ‘Poinsettia’ on the memo line of your check and place it in the offering plate or in Betsy’s mail slot folder. You may pick up your poinsettia(s) after the last Christmas Eve service. Contact Louise at lsbrewer@gmail.com or 717-406-8284 with any questions. Bulletin Online We have begun to post the coming Sunday’s bulletin on the Wheatland website each Thursday. If you’re interested in viewing it, visit Wheatlandpca.org and click on the link under “Services” called “View this week’s order of worship”. Directory Access Instructions Instructions for accessing Wheatland’s electronic directory are available in the narthex. If you aren’t already using the directory, we strongly encourage you to begin using it as a means of being connected with others in our congregation.

Men’s Ministry Jethro Group meets every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at Bob Evans (3000 Hempland Rd, Lanc) at 7:30am. All retired men are welcome. Bruce Mawhinney is leading a study of the Westminster Confession.

Men’s Bible Study meets every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at the Park City Diner (884 Plaza Blvd., Lanc) at 6:30am. Steve Osborne leads the study in the book of Proverbs. Contact Steve at harborwoodssteve@gmail.com. Women’s Ministry Wednesday Morning Bible Study is taking a closer look at some of the Psalms. This weekly study is held from 9:30-11am in the fellowship hall.

Saturday morning Bible Study is studying the books of Daniel and Esther. We meet twice per month from 7:30-9:00am at Kathy Landreth’s home (1313 Clayton Rd, Lancaster). For more info, contact Catherine Achor at kitkatvt85@gmail.com. Wheatland Diaconate The Diaconate at Wheatland (deacons and deaconesses) work to manage the upkeep of the property and to facilitate mercy ministries of sympathy and service among our members and regular attenders. If you have a concern about the property, a mercy-need, or want to get in touch with a deacon or deaconess, you can reach out personally (names are in the back of the bulletin and contact information is in Elexio) or email Diaconate@WheatlandPCA.org. Food Bank We are collecting food on the 2nd Sunday of each month (Communion Sunday) for the local food bank. Bring non-perishable household/food items next Sunday and place them in the box in the lobby.

L I F E T O G E T H E R Wheatland Communications Are you receiving email communications from the church about upcoming events, prayer concerns, needs within our congregation or elsewhere, etc.? If not, and you would like to, please email your contact information to the church office and we will put you on the distribution list. Send your information to Betsy at office@wheatlandpca.org. Worship Service Recordings Recordings of the sermons are available on the church website, www.wheatlandpca.org. Recordings of the personal testimonies given during the worship service as well as the Sunday class held in the sanctuary are also on the website. For CD copies of the worship service, please contact the office at office@wheatlandpca.org. Also, please tell us if you know of someone who would benefit from receiving CD’s of the worship service in the mail. Prayer Chain If you would like to be part of Wheatland’s Prayer Chain, please contact Sue Seevers at seseevers49@gmail.com. Sunday Classes & Locations Children & Youth [Ages 3 to Grade 3 begin in Harvest House, Rm 2] Ages 3-4: Harvest House, 2nd floor, Rm. 4 Kindergarten – Grade 1: Harvest House, 1st floor,

Rm. 2 Grades 2-3: Harvest House, 1st floor, Rm. 1 Grades 4-5: Harvest House, 2nd floor, Rm. 5 Grades 6-8: Office, 2nd floor, Rm. 6 Grades 9-12: Office, 2nd floor, Rm. 8 Adults Decisions and the Will of God: Sanctuary Galatians: Harvest House Augustine Room New Members Class: Fellowship Hall

Care Groups Our congregation is organized by geographical lines into Care Groups. These groups meet twice a month to share meals and deepen fellowship with each other. Care Groups are organized as follows: East End (Lancaster City)—Craig & Brooke Forbes, brookeforbes@me.com. Lampeter Strasburg—Paul & Deb Kreider, phkiii@verizon.net. Leola—Glyn & Betsy Boone, glynboone@outlook.com. Lititz Area/Manheim Township—Dan & Tara Spanjer, dspanjer@lbc.edu. Hempfield—Bill & Catherine Achor, kitkatvt85@gmail.com. Mountville/Millersville—Dallas & Diane Wolgemuth, dallasdiane@embarqmail.com. School Lane Hills—Keith & Melanie Winder kwinder@wheatlandpca.org. West End (Lancaster City)—Tom and Becky Becker, idelette.becky@gmail.com.

Ruling Elders Deacons Bill Achor Mark Broomell Jeff Barrall Jon Bush Ned Bustard Jeremy Detweiler Bruce Etter Ben Gerlach Joshua Kiehl Chuck Heath Steve Osborne Joe Hunter Dan Spanjer Kevin Martin Jesse Sanders

Deaconesses Catherine Achor Jess Bagge Joy Beans Louise Brewer Cheryl Broomell Lisa Cutler Beth Slough

Wheatland

Presbyterian Church exists to glorify God

by equipping the community of believers

to lovingly confront our generation

with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Luke Le Duc | SENIOR PASTOR lleduc@wheatlandpca.org Keith Winder | ASSOCIATE PASTOR kwinder@wheatlandpca.org Samuel Spatola | DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MINISTRIES & OUTREACH sspatola@wheatlandpca.org Bruce Mawhinney | PASTOR EMERITUS bmawhinney@wheatlandpca.org Trip Beans | CAMPUS PASTOR trip.beans@ruf.org Betsy Boone | ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT bboone@wheatlandpca.org & DIRECTOR OF ESL MINISTRY esl@wheatlandpca.org George Yellak | MUSIC DIRECTOR geo.yellak@gmail.com Barb Smith | FINANCIAL ASSISTANT bsmith@wheatlandpca.org Kristen Zimmerman | DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRY kzimmerman@wheatlandpca.org Joel Ansel | SEXTON sexton@wheatlandpca.org Diaconate | diaconate@wheatlandpca.org

1125 Columbia Avenue Lancaster, PA 17603

717.392.5909 www.WheatlandPCA.org