Whoever you are, wherever you are on life’s journey,
you are welcome here.

Service of Worship

December 29, 2024

A Service of Lessons & Laughter

words for the beginning: don’t forget to laugh

. .

*You are invited to stand in body or in spirit

Prelude

Welcome Deacon Kathy Stasser

*Call to Worship

We have named our joy out loud, and it is clear—

God is in our joy.

God is in this room.

We have reason to celebrate.

We have a reason to sing.

Thanks be to God for the bright hope of this day.

*Gathering Hymn #7 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (1, 2, 4)

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,

God of glory, Lord of love;

hearts unfold like flowers before Thee,

opening to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

drive the dark of doubt away;

giver of immortal gladness,

fill us with the light of day!

All thy works with joy surround thee,

Earth and heaven reflect thy rays,

stars and angels sing around thee,

center of unbroken praise.

Field and forest, vale and mountain,

flowery meadow, flashing sea,

chanting bird and flowing fountain,

call us to rejoice in thee.

Mortals, join the happy chorus

which the morning stars began;

God’s own love is reigning o’er us,

joining people hand in hand.

Ever singing, march we onward,

victors in the midst of strife,

joyful music leads us sunward

in the triumph song of life.

Prayers of the People

God in your mercy

Hear our prayer

Hymn Emmanuel, Emmanuel

Emmanuel, Emmanuel,

His name is called Emmanuel.

God with us, revealed in us,

His name is called Emmanuel.

Invitation to Generosity

Through our offerings we choose to love one another.

We acknowledge that our desire is not for personal

wealth but for collective thriving. We delight because

when we let resources flow to where they are needed,

we all have abundance. Let us practice love and solidarity,

bringing what is ours to give.

Offertory

*Gloria (from Angels We Have Heard on High)

Gloria—in excelsis Deo,

Gloria—in excelsis Deo!

*Prayer of Dedication

Hearing & Responding to God’s Word

Prayer for Illumination

Listen for Joy Luke 2:10 & Isaiah 9:2-3 Kathy Stasser

Sing with Joy Hymn #134 Joy to the World

Joy to the world the Lord is come

Let earth receive her king

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing

And heaven and Heaven and nature sing

Joy to the world the savior reigns

Let earth her songs employ

While fields and floods rocks hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

Christ rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The glories of

His righteousness

And wonders of His love

And wonders, wonders of His love

Practice Joy Children’s Moment

Suzy Robertson-Blomberg

Listen for Joy Psalm 126:1-3 & Isaiah 55:12-13

Kathy Stasser

Sing with Joy Hymn #137 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the new-born King;

peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!"

Joyful all ye nations, rise,

join the triumph of the skies;

with the angelic host proclaim,

"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the new-born King!

Christ, by highest heaven adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord!

Late in time behold him come,

offspring of the virgin’s womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

hail the incarnate Deity,

pleased on earth with us to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the new-born King!”

Hail! the heaven-born

Prince of Peace!

Hail! the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

risen with healing in his wings.

Mild he lays his glory by,

born that we no more may die,

born to raise all souls on earth,

born to give us second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the new-born King!"

Practice Joy Joy Found In Prayer

Listen for Joy Matthew 2:10 & Psalm 148 Kathy Stasser

Sing with Joy O Come, All Ye Faithful (refrain only)

O come, let us adore Him;

O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!

Practice Joy Joy Found in Community

*Passing the Peace & Joy

The joy of Christ be with you.

And also with you.

All are invited to share in the passing of joy.

*Sending Hymn #160 Go Tell It On The Mountain

Go, tell it on the mountain,

over the hills and everywhere;

Go, tell it on the mountain,

that Jesus Christ is born!

While shepherds kept their watching

o'er silent flocks by night,

behold throughout the heavens

there shone a holy light.

Go, tell it on the mountain,

over the hills and everywhere;

Go, tell it on the mountain,

that Jesus Christ is born!

The shepherds feared and trembled

when lo! above the earth

rang out the angel chorus

that hailed our Savior's birth.

Go, tell it on the mountain,

over the hills and everywhere;

Go, tell it on the mountain,

that Jesus Christ is born!

Down in a lowly manger

the humble Christ was born,

and God sent us salvation

that blessed Christmas morn.

Go, tell it on the mountain,

over the hills and everywhere;

Go, tell it on the mountain,

that Jesus Christ is born!

*Benediction

*Postlude

Ministers to the World The Congregation

Senior Pastor Melinda Keenan Wood

Director of Christian Felicia Flanders
Education / Formation

Duke Divinity Intern Ashtyn Adams

Choir Director Ali Carnes

Accompanist Kyle Ballantine

Trustee of the Month Mindy Neale

Deacon Kathy Stasser

Acolyte Anna Robertson-Blomberg

Scripture Reader Kathy Stasser

Nursery Teachers Leo Street & Gabriel Chapman

Tech Team Ami Nagle & Rob Wildermann

Fellowship Ellen & Rob Wildermann

Recycler of the Month Tom Harris

Administrator Hannah Hansard

Thank you to all who contribute to worship.

Events At a Glance

December 29: A Service of Lessons & Laughter; Urban Ministries Prep

December 31: Urban Ministries Meal Service; *Office Closed*

January 1: Creation Justice Hike (2:00pm); *Office Closed*

January 6: Pilgrim Auxiliary Meeting

January 8 & 22: Group on Ageing

January 19: Meditation by Ashtyn Adams

CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK

Sunday, December 29

9:30 am Labyrinth Meditation

10:30 am A Service of Lessons & Laughter

11:45 am Fellowship

1:00 pm Urban Ministries Kitchen Prep

Monday, December 30

4:00 pm Meditation Group (online)

7:00 pm Pub Theology @Namu

Tuesday, December 31

*Office Closed*

Wednesday, January 1

*Office Closed*

2:00 pm Creation Justice NYD Hike

Sunday, January 5

10:30 am Worship Service

11:45 am Fellowship

11:45 am Board of Christian Education Meeting

11:45 am Board of Christian Service Meeting

New Year’s Day Hike

Join Pilgrim's Creation Justice Team on a New Year's Day Nature Hike at Horton Grove Natural Preserve, near Stagville Plantation Historical Site in Northern Durham.

Please note the start time of the hike will now be at 2:00 pm instead of in the morning, as previously announced, so we can hike under clear skies in the warmest part of the day. The hike will last approximately one hour. All are welcome, especially children. Please contact Tom Harris at (919) 812-6871 if you are planning to come.

Meet Our New Nursery Teacher

The new year will bring a new face to the nursery! We welcome Jessica Irvine as our new nursery teacher starting in January.

Jessica lives in Durham with her husband, cat, and son Elliot. She enjoys volunteering within her community and the majority of her

volunteer work has been with children, including facilitating programming in afterschool and weekend programs for children with neurodivergent needs. She finds herself privileged to be a Big Sister to a Little Sister through Big Brothers Big Sisters and also works as a Program Coordinator at Kidzu Children’s Museum.

We'll hope you'll stop by the nursery next month to say hi!

New Classes Offered: OWL (Our Whole Lives)

Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate sexuality curriculum being offered to Kindergarten-1st/2nd graders this spring.

The workshops are based on the values of Respect, Relationships, and Responsibility, and will be offered during worship time two Sundays a month this spring!

We support caregivers and parents as the primary educators of sexuality, gender, bodies, and relationships. The OWL program seeks to support parents in this journey with their children by providing families with a comprehensive curriculum and resources, in order to help lay a foundation of communication and trust on these topics as children develop.

A short informational session will be offered at 11:45am on

Sunday, January 12. We invite you to come and check out what we have to offer! For questions, please contact our co-facilitators, Carol Rawls at carol.rawls1@gmail.com, or Suzy Robertson-Blomberg at suzyrobertson900@gmail.com.

Bulletin Art: Let All Creation Dance

Ink dyes and gold resist on silk, with digital collage.

Lisle Gwynn Garrity, SanctifiedArt.org