28 November 2023 – Chapel – Drew Theo Chapel

Gathering Music

“Camina, Pueblo De Dios” – Words and Music: Cesareo Gabarain, 1987
trans. by George Lockwood

[Refrain]
Camina, pueblo de Dios, camina, pueblo de Dios.
Nueva ley, nueva alianza, en la nueva creacion.
Camina, pueblo de Dios, camina, pueblo de Dios.
Look on Calvary’s summit; on the rock there towers a cross,
death that gives birth to new living, a new people, a new light.
Christ has brought us salvation with his death and rising again.
Ev’rything comes to new birthing, all creation is reborn.

[Refrain]
Christ takes into his body all our sin, enslavement, and pain;
as he destroys them he brings us life’s abundance, life’s new joy.
Christ brings reconciliation to all things and people with God.
Nature bursts into new flow’ring, all creation is reborn.

[Refrain]
Heav’n and earth are embracing, and our souls find pardon at last.
Now heaven’s gates are reopened to the sinner, to us all.
Israel walks a journey; now we live, salvation’s our song;
Christ’s resurrection has freed us. There are new worlds to explore.

[Refrain]

Call to Worship

Natalie Palacio

Leader: Welcome to the church of Jesus Christ!
People: We are of different cultures, colors, and tongues.
Leader: All are invited into the doors of our sanctuary.
People: We are students of life, disciples in the ministry, and children of God.
Leader: All are invited to the altar of our church.
People: We experience God in many ways.
Leader: All are invited to share with us in fellowship.
People: We come, Lord, we come.
Leader: Welcome, all of you!

Opening Song

“Cantemos Al Señor” – Carlos Rosas

1 To you, O God, we sing
A hymn of jubilation,
Rejoicing in your love,
Ev’ry day a new creation.
You made the earth and sea,
The sun and stars in splendor,
And saw that they were good,
full of beauty and of wonder.

1 Cantemos al Señor
Un himno de alegría,
Un cántico de amor
Al nacer el nuevo día.
Él hizo el cielo, el mar,
el sol, y las estrellas,
Y en ellos vio bondad,
pues sus obras eran bellas.
Refrain:
¡Aleluya! ¡Aleluya!
Cantemos al Señor
¡Aleluya! ¡Aleluya!
Cantemos al Señor ¡Aleluya!
2 Cantemos al Señor
Un himno de alabanza
Que exprese nuestro amor,
Nuestra fe, y nuestra esperanza.
Toda la creación
pregona su grandeza.
Así nuestro cantar
va anunciando su belleza. Refrain.

Opening Prayer

Kenia Vanessa Mendoza

Dios de Sanación y Transformación,
tenemos hambre y sed de tu vida abundante.
Traemos nuestro dolor y pedimos el pan de la alegría;
Traemos nuestra desesperación y pedimos el pan de la esperanza;
Traemos nuestro cansancio y Pedimos el pan de la inspiración.

Encuéntranos aquí.
Necesitamos el pan del cielo para sustentarnos
mientras viajamos para encontrar nuestro camino,
para que seamos uno contigo.
En el nombre de Jesús, oramos. Amén

God of Healing and Transformation,
we hunger and thirst for your abundant life.
We bring you our sorrow and ask for the bread of joy;
we bring you our despair and ask for the bread of hope;
we bring you our weariness and ask for the bread of inspiration.

Meet us here.
We need the bread of heaven to sustain us
as we journey to find our way,
that we may be one with you.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

Scripture Reading – Isaiah 40:1-11

40 Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”6 A voice says, “Cry out!”
And I said,[a] “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass;
their constancy is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers; the flower fades,
when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers; the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
9 Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 See, the Lord God comes with might,
and God’s arm rules for him;
God’s reward is with him
and God’s recompense before him.
11 God will feed his flock like a shepherd;
God will gather the lambs in his arms
and carry them in his bosom
and gently lead the mother sheep.

Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.

Sermon

“Lifting Our Voices in the Wilderness”

Rev. Sammy Arroyo

Musical Response

“Pues Si Vivimos” – Words: Roberto Escamilla. Elise S. Eslinger, George Lockwood, translators.

Pues si vivimos, para Él vivimos
y si morimos para Él morimos.
Sea que vivamos o que muramos,
Somos del Señor, somos del Señor.
Somos del Señor, somos del Señor.
When we are living, it is in Christ Jesus,
and when we’re dying, it is in the Lord.
Both in our living and in our dying,
we belong to God; we belong to God.
En la tristeza y en el dolor,
en la belleza y en el amor,
sea que suframos o que gocemos,
Somos del Señor, somos del Señor.
‘Mid times of sorrow
and in times of pain,
when sensing beauty
or in love’s embrace,
whether we suffer, or sing rejoicing,
Somos del Señor, somos del Señor.
Somos del Señor, somos del Señor.