Tuesday, December 15, 2020

The Regent community gathers for Chapel through Zoom on Tuesdays at 11 am (PDT). You can find Zoom login details in the Weekly Announcements email. If you don’t currently receive our Weekly Announcements email, you can subscribe by clicking the 'Subscribe’ button on this page.

If you are unable to join us at that time the recording of Chapel will be available on Moodle.

Welcome & Announcements

Call to Worship: O Come Let Us Adore Him

Lyrics & Tune (Adeste Fideles) (attributed to): John F. Wade Translation : Frederick Oakeley

Oh come let us adore him, Oh come let us adore him
Oh come let us adore him, Christ the Lord
We'll give him all the glory, we'll give him all the glory
We'll give him all the glory, Christ the Lord
For he alone is worthy, for he alone is worthy
For he alone is worthy, Christ the Lord

Hark the Herald Angels Sing / King of Heaven

Hark the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise! Join the triumph of the skies!
With angelic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored, Christ the Everlasting Lord
Late in time behold him come, offspring of a virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail th'incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel
Hark the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!”

King of heaven come down, King of heaven come now
Let your glory reign, shining like the day, King of heaven come
King of heaven rise up, who can stand against us
You are strong to save, in your mighty name,
King of heaven come

Hail the Heav'n-born Prince of Peace, hail the Son of Righteousness
Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings
Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth
Hark the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King!”

King of heaven come, King of heaven come
King of heaven come, King of heaven come
King of heaven come down, King of heaven come now
Let your glory reign, shining like the day, King of heaven come

Come, Desire of nations, come! Fix in us Thy humble home:
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring seed, Bruise in us the serpent’s head;
Adam’s likeness now efface, Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in Thy love.
Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King!"

Poem | First Coming

Madeleine L’Engle | from The Ordering of Love

He did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace.
He came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.

He did not wait for the perfect time.
He came when the need was deep and great.
He dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine.

He did not wait till hearts were pure.
In joy he came to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame
he came, and his Light would not go out.

He came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.

We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

O Holy Night

Lyrics: Placide Cappeau | Trans: John S. Dwight Tune (“Cantique de Noel”): Adolphe Adam

Oh, holy night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
Oh night divine! Oh night when Christ was born,
Oh night divine! Oh night, oh night divine!

Truly he taught us to love one another
His law is love and his gospel is peace
Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother
And in his name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise his holy name

Christ is the Lord! Oh, praise his name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father,
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

A Year End Prayer

Angels We Have Heard On High

Drew Lewis

Scripture | Luke 1: 26-35 (NRSV)

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.

Scripture | 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (NRSV)

Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Homily | Do Not Be Afraid

Jens Zimmermann – J.I. Packer Professor of Theology

Joy to the World

George Frederic Handel and Isaac Watts | Public Domain

Joy to the world the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room
And heav'n and nature sing
And heav'n and nature sing
And heav'n and heav'n and nature sing

Joy to the earth the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat repeat the sounding joy

No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found
Far as the curse is found
Far as far as the curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders wonders of His love

Benediction

Community Life Update

Jeff Greenman

After the Community Life Update, volunteers are available to pray with you. If you would like someone to join you in prayer, send a private chat message to Claire Perini.

Chapel Online