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"THE GET-READY MAN"
A Sermon By
Philip A. C. Clarke
Park Avenue United Methodist Church 106 East 86th Street rJew York, New York 10028 December 16, 1990
"THE GET-READY MAN"
INTRODUCTION James Thurber once told of a thin and lanky prophet in somewhat strange garb who went around his boyhood hometown cry-
ing,
"Get ready! Get readyl The world is coming to an end1"
The cormnunity called this man the "Get Ready Han". That tag could have been applied to John the Baptist. He was a "get-ready man" if ever there was one.
"A voice crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord ••• 11
DEVELOPMENT
Lord's birth.
This is the season of getting ready. That is the purpose of Advent. It is a time to get ready for the celebration of the
A colleague tells of two friends who were visiting over coffee. One of them was very harried. Frazzled, in fact. It was just a few days before Christmas, and she wasn't ready ••• hadn't gotten the cards out; hadn't gotten any presents purchased; didn 1t have a tree yet. In fact, the friend 1vas complaining that Christmas was a terrible time because she vJas never ready!
"But, my dear" her friend commented, in all sincerity and friendship ••• "didn't you know it was coming?"
Advent gives us the opportunity to get ready for the celebration of our Lord's birth.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS This message to "get ready"••• .to pre-pare the way of the Lord ••• is one we
could all take to heart. For one thing, we do not know what the future holds.
Could you have predicted the sequence of world events over the past 18 months - the end of the Cold ~Jar, the destruction of the Berlin Wall, the turmoil in the Mideast? It has been an amazing year. One surprise after another. We simply do not know what tomorrow may bring. The best we can do is be prepared. Life is uncerta.in.
When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor at the start of World War II, Harry Brown, an Air Force pilot had just returned from a late-night celebration early on the morning of December 7th. In an attempt to defend against the attack, he raced to the flight line and took off in a P-36 ••• still wearing his tuxedo trousers and a pajama top. He obviously had not planned to go f~ing that night! He was caught off guard. Life has a v1ay of catching us like that. I'ITe never know. The older we get the more aware we are of life's uncertainty. Some people use that uncertainty to spread fear.
Back in 1831, William Miller - a Baptist farmer from Low Hampton, New York -preached widely that the Lord's Second Coming would occur in 1843-1844. And thousands of people followed him (and became known as "Millerites"). There have been other noted prophets of the end-time.
- 2 -
Dr. Cwmning, a minister of the Scottish Presbyterian Church in London, was alw·ays prophesying the imminent end of the world. His predictions ivere obviously 1Prrong. The dates always slipped by uneventfully. He finally fixed
.'on a date in 1867 for the Great Catastrophe. His influence with his flock, hmrever, diminished greatly when it 1..ras found that he had renewed the lease on his house for 21 years, only two months before the date selected for the end of the world. People are still getting rich playing Chicken Little - "the sky is falling". Religious leaders are not the only ones to exploit such fears.
It was a Sunday evening back in October of 1938, between the hours of eight and nine o 1 clock, when millions of Americans were tuned to CBS radio network. They heard an announcer's voice breaking into the music of an orchestra:
"Ladies and gentlemen ••• we interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special news bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News."
Then, during the next hour, the audience was stunned to hear a series of increasingly hysterical voices narrating an invasion of Martian monsters, landing first on a New Jersey farm, then unleashing poisonous gases over our city.
The broken, anguished voice of an announcer continued,
"Avoid bridges to Long Island. Hopelessly jammed. All communication with Jersey shore closed. No more defenses. Our army wiped out ••• artillery, air force ••• everything wiped out. This may be our last broadcast."
Later on, of course, they learned that they had been tuned in to the Orson Trvelles-Mercury Theatre Production of War of the Worlds. It has been estimated that of the six million people who heard that October 30th broadcast, no fewer than one million experienced serious levels of distress. Thousands were thrown into absolute panic ?.nd their panic is understandable. The future is uncertain.
We simply do not knor,r what lies ahead and what might happen next. Point one.
LIFE IS FRAGILE For another thing, life is fragile.
The furor over the greenhouse effect is most disturbing. There are some scientists who are warning of the possibility of a major catastrophe from global warming in as little as 20 years. The scary thing is that if this catastrophe occurs, there may be no turning back. Chances are these scientists are overly pessimistic. I was encouraged to read that last December a conference on Global Warming was cancelled in i-lashington, D. C. due to a recordbreaking cold wave. Still it is sobering to realize how dependent we are on a thin layer of atmosphere over our heads and a thin layer of soil beneath our feet.
We ~ive in a fragile universe. You may have seen the bumper sticker: "Life is short. Eat dessert first!"
Our individual lives are as fragile as the world we inhabit. Who was not shocked a few months ago by the death of that wonderfully creative man, Jim Henson, master-mind behind the Muppets? A minor infection - or so he thought. It was a weekend. He didn't want to bother his doctor. By the time the seriousness of his condition was apparent, it was too late. Still a young man. The world at his feet. Suddenly gonel
- 3 -
Life is fragile. In fact, everything we own is fleeting. You may have read in the papers a few months ago about a Spring Valley, Illinois man who had his wife's diamonds and rubies mounted in a ring for her 40th birthday. He decided on one final touch. He tied a birthday card and a balloon to the ring and put the whole thing in his car. Arriving at his house, he opened a car door to take out the present. Helium balloon and birthday ring headed for the clouds before he had a chance to catch the string.
Now most of us won't lose our possessions to a helium balloon, but they still are no less fleeting than that ring. That's the way life is. We never know. None of us. Life is fragile as 1..;rell as uncertain.
SET THINGS RIGHT All of us have things in our lives that need to be set right. Best we do this while there's time.
At dinner one evening a nine year old boy told his parents there was to be a small PTA meeting at school the next afternoon. "Well, if it 1 s a small one, do you think it's necessary for us to go" his mother asked. "I think so" said the boy in a low voice. "It's just you, me and the principal". All of us have things in our life that need to be set right after being reviewed.
A Sunday School teacher asked a little girl, "1rJhat are the sins of omission ?11 And thoughtfully, she replied,
"They're the sins we ought to have committed, but haven 1 t thought of ••• 11
Most of us have sins of omission and commission. There is that dark side to our character and our human nature that Tllfe can hide from everyone -.but Godl
I was reading recently about how fish get caught in some parts of the world. Somebody ~owers a wooden cage into the sea and leaves it so fish can m..;rim freely through its slatted rails to feed. The cage remains for days or weeks, until full and satisfied fish grm-1 too wide to work their way out.
And that is the way that sin works in our lives. It sneaks up on us. No one ever sets out to be an addict or an adulterer. No one sets out deliberately to be cruel and uncaring. Like the proverbial frog in the pan of lukewarm water, we are lulled into a false sense of security as the temperature rises. Soon, we are in hot water, indeed!
An old limerick comes to mind:
"There was a young lady from Niger, who rode, with a smile on a tiger.
They came back from the ride, with the lady inside •••• And the smile on the face of the tiger 11
That is the way that sin comes into our lives. Or, here's a modern version of the same limerick:
"There was a young lady from Kent, who said she knew what it meant,
- 4 -
When men took her to dine, gave her cocktails and wine, She knew what it meant - but she went."
Our intent is that we be loving and disciplined people fashioned in the image of Jesus. But we are not Jesus and the words of John the Baptist calling us to repentance are words we all need to hear. We don't know what the future may bring. Life is fragile. All of us have preparations to make. Get with itl
A MESSAGE OF HOPE One final word. This message to "get ready" is a message of hope. We've touched briefly in these moments
on the uncertainty of life as well as its fragileness. We need to face that uncertainty. However, no follower of Jesus Christ can ultimately be a pessimist. He is in control. For He is "Immanuel - God with us1"
In a recent issue of The Christian Ministry, Ben Garrison tells about a computerized chess game his wife gave him last year for Christmas. One night he found himself shouting at this amazing scientific toy.
"All right, you idiot. If you 1re going to cheat, I won't play with you any longer 11
•
But this computerized chess game had not cheated. It had simply made a decisive and game-challenging move several minutes before - a move that Garrison had not caught. It let him go on making his moves, some rather good, others not quite so good, all the while edging toward its own inevitable victory.
Garrison goes on to write:
"This is quite like what God had done in the serious game of life and salvation. Sometime back - nearly 20 centuries ago - God made the decisive but mostly unnoticed move, in sending Christ into the world. That move secured the fUture. That move guaranteed the outcome.
Meanwhile we are free to go on making our moves on the chess board of life, some rather good, other unbelievably bad. Yet, all the while God is edging us toward the inevitable triumph - not over us, but in us."
CLOSING To me, this is the message of Advent and Christmas. God has not forgotten His people. And in this uncertain and fragile world,
there is one thing we can be certain of. God is still in charge of His universe and He is closer than any of us can imagine.
It was 1854 and a Cavalry Officer by the name of J. E. B. Stuart graduated from West Point and was sent to his first assignment down in Texas. He boarded a steamboat in New Orleans and immediately found himself in the middle of a terrible storm on the Gulf of Mexico. Stuart was violently seasick and 1qy helplessly in a bunk while the ship pitched and rolled and rolled and pitched.
When Stuart finally managed to raise his head from his bunk, he discovered to his astonishment that the boat was docked and had been for all this time at Galveston. And while he thought he was going to die from seasickness, he could have walked a few feet to land at any time during that 12 hour period. And that, dear friend, is how close God's help is to us ••• whether we take advantage of it or not.
- 5 -
Listen to the words of that 11 G.et Ready Man" from the wilderness of Judea in the time of Jesus:
"Prepare the Way of the Lord. Make straight His paths. Repent and believe the Gospel".
For the future is uncertain for each of us and life is so very fragile. And all of us have preparations 111e need to be making. Do not delay, but do not be afraid, for the God of the Bethlehem Star, of the angels singing of "peace on earth and goodwill to men", the God of the humble shepherds and the Child born in a stable is still in control of this universe. Get ready and prepare to receive once again the blessings of His coming.
PRAYER "How silently, hmr silently, the wondrrous gift is given; so God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this l¥orld of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him, still the dear Christ
enters in."
"THE GET-READY HAN"
A Sermon By
Philip A. C. Clarke
Park Avenue United Methodist Church 106 East 86th Street NeH York, New York 10028 December 16, 1990
II THE GET -READY MAN"
INTRODUCTION James Thurber once told of a thin and lanky prophet in some>-rhat strange garb who '.-lent around his boyhood hometown cry-
ing,
"Get ready! Get ready! The world is coming to an end!"
The community called this man the "Get Ready Han". That tag could have been applied to .John the Baptist. He was a "get-ready man 11 if ever there was one.
"A voice crying in the wilderness, 'PrPpare the wa.y of the Lord ••• :r
DEVELOPi"lENT
Lord 's birth.
This is the season of getting ready. That is the purpose of Advent. It is a time to get ready for the celebration of the
A colleague tells of two friends 'tiho 1-~·ere visiting over coffee. One of them t..ras very harried. Frazzled, in fact. It lvas just a fe1.., days before Christmas, and she ~.;asn't ready ••• hadn't gotten the cards out; hadn't gotten any presents purchased; d idn 1 t have a tree yet. In fact, the friend \-'aS complaining that Christmas r..;as a terrible time because she -ras never readyl
"But, my dear" her friend commented, in all sincerity and friendship ••• "didn't you know it was coming?"
Advent gives us the opportunity to get ready for the celebration of our Lord 1 s birth.
\VE DON'T KNOW \VHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS This message to "get ready" •••• to pre-pare the way of the Lord ••• is one we
could all take to heart. For one thing, we do not know \·That the future holds.
Could you have predicted the sequence of world events over the past 18 months - the end of the Cold 'tlar, the destruction of the .Berlin Wall, the turmoil in the Mideast? It has been an amazing year. One surprise after another. T,'fe simply do not know what tomorrow may bring. The best T.-J'e can do is be prepared. Life is uncertain.
'4hen the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor at the start of ':lorld ';{ar II, Harry Brown, an Air Force oilot had just returned from a late-night celebration earlv on the morning of December 7th. In an attempt to defend against the attack, he raced to the flight line and took off in a P-36 ••• still wearing his tuxedo trousers and a oajama too. He obviously had not olanned to go flying that nightl He was caught off guard. Life has a •·ray of catching us like that. ~ve never know. The older we get the more aware we are of life's uncertainty. Some peoole use th'lt uncertainty to spread fear.
Back in 1831, '>Tilliam Miller - a Baptist farmer from Low Hampton, New York -orer:ched widely that the :Sord 's Second Coming ,.,ould occur in 1843-lBuh. And thousands of people followed him (and became known as "Hillerites 11 ). There have been other noted prophets of the end-time.
- 2 -
Dr. Cwmning, a minister of the Scottish Presbyterian Church in London, ~..ras ahrays pronhesying the imminent end of the c-1orld. His predictions 1-1ere obviously ·,rrong. The dates ahrays slipped by uneventfully. He finally fixed on a d3.te in 186? for the Great Catastrophe. His influence ·.vith his flock, horrever, rliminished greatly •r~hen it r..ras found that he had renerr~ed the lease on his house for 21 years, only two months before the date selected for the end of the c.rorld. People are still gettL"lg rich playing Chicken Little - "the sky is falling". Religious leaders are not the 'Jnly ones to exploit such fears.
It was a Sunday evening back in October of 1938, between the hours of eight and !line o'clock, when millions of Americans were tuned to CBS radio net·nork. They heard an announcer's voice breaking into the music of an orchestra:
"Ladies a.YJ.d gentlemen ••• we interrupt our program of dance music to bring ~rou a special news bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News."
Then, during the next hour, the audience was stunned to hear a series of increasingly hysterical voices narrating an invasion of Martian monsters, landing first on a New Jersey farm, then unleashing poisonous gases over our city.
The broken, anguished voice of an announcer continued,
"Avoid bridges to Long Island. Hopelessly jammed. All communication with Jersey shore closed. No more defenses. Our army wiped out ••• artillery, air force ••• everything rr~iped out. This may be our last broadcast."
Later on, of course, they learned that they had been tuned in to the Orson Helles-Mercury Theatre Production of 1Ifar of the ~vorlds. It has been estL"Tlated that of the six million people who heard that October 30th broadcast, no fewer than one million experienced serious levels of distress. Thousands were thrown into absolute panic "'nd their panic is understandable. The future is uncertain.
vJe simply do not kncN what lies ahead and what might happen next. Point one.
LIFE IS FRAGILE For another thing, life is fragile.
The furor over the greenhouse effect is most disturbi:lg. There are some scientists who are warning of the possibility of a major catastrophe from global warming in as little as 20 years. The scary thing is that if this catastrophe occurs, there may be no turning back. Chances are these scientists are overly pessimistic. I was encouraged to read that last December a conference on Global \varmL"lg was cancelled in ;vashington, D. C. dlle to a recordbreaking cold wave. Still it is sobering to realize how dependent we are on a thin layer of atmosphere over our heads and a thin layer o~ soil beneath our feet.
We ~ive in a fragile universe. You may have seen the bumper sticker: "Life is short. Eat dessert first!"
Our individual lives are as fragile as the world we inhabit. Who was not shocked a few months ago by the death of that wonderfully creative man, Jim Henson, master-mind behind the Huppets? A minor L"lfection - or so he thought. It was a weekend. He didn't want to bother his doctor. By the time the seriousness of his condition was apparent, it was too late. Still a young man. The '-world at his feet. Suddenly gone!
- 3 -
Life is fragile. In fact, everything we ryNn is fleeting. You may have re~d in the papers a few months ago about a Spring Valley, Illinois man who had his wife's diamonds and rubies mounted in a ring for her uOth birthday. qe decided on one final touch. He tied a birthday card and a balloon to the ring and put the whole thing in his c'3.r. Arriving at his house, he opened a car door to take out the present. Helium balloon and birthday ring headed for the clouds before he had a chance to catch the string.
Now most of us won't lose Oil!' possessions to a helium balloon, but they still are no less fleeting than that ring. That's the way life is. We never know. None of us. Life is fragile as r.;ell as uncertain.
SET THINGS RIGHT All of us have things in our lives that need to oe set right. Best we do this while there's time.
At dinner one evening a nine year old boy told his parents there was to be a small PTA meeting at school the next afternoon. "Well, if it 1 s a small one, do you think it 1 s necessary for us to go" his mother asked. "I think so" said the boy in a low voice. 11 It 1 s just you, me and the principal" • All of us have things in our life that need to be set right after being reviewed.
A Sunday School teacher asked a little girl, "~·Jhat are the sins of om iss ion ?11 And thoughtfully, she replied,
"They're the sins we ought to have committed, but haven 1 t thought of ••• 11
Nost of us have sins of omission and commission. There is that dark side to aur character and O!Jr human nature that r.re can hide from everyone -.but God!
I '"as reading recent l.v about how fish get caught in some parts of the world. Somebody lmvers a wooden cage into the sea and leaves it so fish can ~Nim freely through its slatted rails to feed. The cage remains for days or weeks, until full and satisfied fish grow too wide to tvork their !~Yay out.
And that is the way that sin works in our lives. It sneaks up on us. No one ever sets out to be an addict or an adulterer. No one sets out deliberately to be cruel and uncaring. Like the proverbial frog in the pan of lukewarm water, we are lulled into a false sense of security as the temperature rises. Soon, we are in hot water, indeed!
An old limerick comes t~ mind:
"There was a young lady from Niger, who rode, with a smile on a tiger.
They came back from the ride, with the lady inside •••• And the smile on the face of the tiger"
That is the way that sin comes into our lives. Or, here's a modern version of the same limerick:
"There was a young lady from Kent, who said she knew what it !Tleant,
- 4 -
lNben men took her to dine, gave her cocktails and wine, She knew r,rhat it meant - but she went."
Our intent is that ;.ve be loving and disciplined people fashioned in the image of Jesus. But we are not Jesus and the words of John the Baptist calling US tO repentance are r,rordS r,re all need tO ~ear • r,Ve don It knOW \vhat the future may bring. Life is fragile. All of us have preparations to make. Get Tlfith it1
A MESSAGE OF nOPE One final r,.ord. This message to "get ready" is a message of hope. 'lJe've touched briefly in these moments
on the uncertainty of life as well as its fragileness. \ve need to face that uncertainty. However, no follower of Jesus Christ can ultimately be a pessimist. He is in control. For He is "Immanuel - God with us~~~
In a recent issue of The Christian ~inistry, Ben Garrison tells about a computerized chess game his wife gave him last year for Christmas. One night he found himself shouting at this amazing scientific toy.
"All right, you idiot. If you're going to cheat, I won't play with you any longer 11 .
But this computerized chess game had not cheated. It had simply made a decisive and game-challenging move several minutes before - a move that Garrison had not caught. It let him go on making his moves, some rather good, others not quite so good, all the while edging toward its own inevitable victory.
Garrison goes on to write:
"This is quite like what God had done in the serious game of life and salvation. Sometime back - nearly 20 centuries ago - God made the decisive but mostly unnoticed move, in sending Christ into the world. That move secured the future. That move guaranteed the outcome.
Meanr.rhile we are free to go on making our moves on the chess board of life, some rather good, other unbelievably bad. Yet, all the while God is edging us toward the inevitable triumph - not over us, but in us. 11
CLOSING To me, this is the message of Advent and Christmas. God has not forgotten His people. And in this uncertain and fragile world,
there is one thing we can be certain of. God is still in charge of His universe and He is closer than any of us can imagine.
It was 1854 and a Cavalry Officer by the name of J. E. B. Stuart graduated :ram West Point and was sent to his first assignment down in Texas. He boarded a steamboat in New Orleans and immediately found himself in the middle of a terrible storm on the Gulf of Mexico. Stuart was violently seasick and lay helplessly in a bunk while the ship pitched and rolled and rolled and pitched.
Hhen Stuart finally rranaged to raise his head from his bunk, he discovered to his astonishment that the boat was docked and had been for all this time at Galveston. And while he thought he was going to die from seasickness, he could have walked a few feet to land at a~ time during that 12 hour period. And that, dear friend, is how close God's help is to us ••• whether we take advantage of it or not.
- 5 -
Listen to the words of that "Gat Ready Man" from the wilderness of Judea in the time of Jesus:
"Prepare the Wa,y of the Lord. Make straight His paths. Repent and believe the Gospel".
For the futu~e is uncertain for each of us and life is so very fragile. And all of us have preparations t,re need to be making. Do not delay, but do not be afraid, for the God of the Bethlehem Star, of the angels singing of "peace on earth and goodwill to men", the God of the humble shepherds and the Child born in a stable is still in control of this universe. Get ready and prepare to receive once again the blessings of His coming.
PRAYER "How silently, hovr silently, the wondrrous gift is given; so God imparts to human hearts, tl~e blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, vihere meek sotlls will receive Him, still the dear Christ
enters in."
PASTCRAL PRAYER: f,e cember 16, 1990
HELP US, 0 GOD, in these days of Advent, to prepare ourselves so that 1rmen the star shines over a stable and the- angels sing the Good Nev-rs, we may be rea.dy to receive it because our hearts are open and our spirits are receptive to Your leading.
FCRGIVE our absorption with the glitter and tinself of life; v-lith things that are superficial, and lift our minds to the hope, the peace and the presence of Your healinc tou_cho
IN THIS GLA.D AND JOYOUS SEASON t-rhen we prepare for the coming of the Christ ·child refresh us anew with a vision of His way.
GnE US the childlike spirit of trust in Your care. of joy in Your gifts. of wonder at the mystery of life.
DR.At>J Tl-1£ weak and the lonely into the circle of Your strength and care.
Insnire us to share Hi th others the gifts You have given us. :··iajr each of ns know the laYing snirit of Christ in the
shadows as well as in the radiance of each day. Tv1ay this Holy Season be sanctified for us by the sirtrole
thinss that Christ has touched -
The hanpiness of ~hildren. The care of the aged. The restoring of friendship. The lift of good•1ill and harmony -v-rith others.
SEND YOUR LIGHT into the darkened corners of our city, that fears may be abated, hatreds melted, violence curbed in the name of the Child of Bethlehem.
SEl-ID EAC:-1 OF US bacl:: to our daily tasks reflecting something of
His love, His concern, :-ris sincleness of ourpose.
GO BEFOftE US, 0 God, dra1-<ing us into the future of c. new year that You have arenared for us.
In the name of Christ we pray.
ANNOUNCEI,!ENTS: Sunday, December 16, 1990
I. VISITORS I GH.EETING
A. ~le ,.relcome the visitors in the congregation and :-re invite you to have a cup of coffee :-1ith us following the service ••• on the third floor that <;-Je may 5-et to know you better.
B. Fill out a visitor card ••• sign a guest book ••• be free in the sharing of 70ur name <..rith llS. ':lorship c-1ith us on other Sundays. ~iork with us, too, in the various outre::1ch concerns •••
c. ';fe minister here in the name of Christ ••• doing so since 1837. And it is in His loving spirit that 1re greet you on •• •••
II. PARISH CONCERNS
A. Listed for :ou in the bulletin ••• reviB".v them on your own noting the word about the Christmas pageant of the children, and the Adult Fellowship Carolling party for later today.
B. Our GhrL::tmas Eve service will be at eight o'clock next Monday evening ••• and if you're here in the city, do come and bring a friend alon~ with you. Ushers and hostesses for that service are needed. lend a hand? Be in touch. Jane Chaney, coordinator.,
C. The canvass is "winding down". It will be on the back burner now for a couple of weeks ••• still have some distance to go to make the goal of 225 pledges and $140,000. Pledge cards are available in the narthex. If you're one of the church members who has not yet turned in a pledge, may we invite you to do so today. Be a "giving ••• contributing" member ••• not a "taking member". Terrific response •• .,most grateful.
III. PAGEANT
A. A 'mDd about the pageant •••• comes .following the last hymn ••• about 12 minutes in length. And following onr coffee hour, do plan to ~OMe to the party downstairs ••• lunch will be available. Santa will be present ••• sing carols ~nd have a good time together. All are invited - young and old alike ••• to ~om.e!
IV. OFFERTI-IG
A •. Jesus said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive". L"1 this spirit, let us worship God -.;-rith our :norning offering -tithes and gifts.
SUNDAY SCHOOL OF
PARK AVENUE METHODIST CHURCH PRESENTS
NATIVITY PAGEANT 1990
Luke 2:1-7
"0 Little Town of Bethlehem" 230*
Luke 2:8-12, 15
"The First Noel" 245*
Matthew 2:1-11
"We Three Kings" 254*
Luke 2:13, 14
"Angels We Have Heard On High" 238*
"What Can I Bring to Jesus?" "Go Tell It On the Mountain"
"Joy to the World" 246*
*The audience is invited to join in singing
~-~~~~~~~-----------------------
···-- ·-...._,_ ---
.
~ No_o~ \tt0U
ANTHEM: "A Gladsome Hymn of Praise"
"A gladsome hymn of praise we sing, and thankfully we gather to bless the love of God above, our everlasting Father. From shades of night He calls the light, and from the sod the flower; from every cloud His blessings break in sunshine or in shower. Full in His sight children stand, by His strong arm defended; and He, whose wisdom guides the world, our footsteps hath attended. For nothing falls unknown to Him or care, or joy, or sorrow; and He whose mercy ruled the past, will be our stay tomorrow.
Praise the Lord with one accord, to His name give glory. In Him rejoice with heart and voice, whose glory fadeth never, our defence, who lives and loves for ever".
ANTHEM: "Springs In the Desert"
"'Say to them that are of a fearful heart: be strong, fear not; behold, your God will come and save you!'"
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. For in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams flow in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool and the thirsty land springs of water.
A Highway shall be there, and it shall be called the way of Holiness. The redeemed shall walk there and the ransomed of the Lord shall return with songs and everlasting joy. And sorrow and sighing shall flee away".
FOR THOSE WHO SING
New members are always welcome to audition to sing in the Choir. Rehearsals are held on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am.
THE ADVENT WREATH
The Advent Wreath with its four red candles is one of the traditions of the Christmas Season. Our Advent Wreath - made possible through the kindness of one of our members - is on the third chancel step.
Today, on the third Sunday of Advent, we light the third candle - the Candle of Joy. Today's candle lighters are Alanna Val Hackett, Rosie Kinchen and Mary Joyce.
CHRISTMAS FLOWERS AND DECORATIONS
Those wishing to give to the fund for Christmas flowers are invited to use the envelope in the pew.
"HOUNDS OF HEAVEN"
The "Hounds of Heaven" meet on Tuesday evening at 6:30 in Fellowship Hall. The "Hounds" have started a new study based on No Man Is An Island by Thomas Merton. George Leopold is the class leader. New friends are always welcome.
ALDERSGATE CLASS
The Aldersgate Class meets on Wednesday evening at 7:30pm in Fellowship Hall. Anna Delson is leading the class in a study of Methodist Beliefs. New friends are always welcome; old ones, too.
THIS. MONDAY
The Oratorio Society of New York under the direction of Lyndon Woodside will present Handel's Messiah on Monday evening at 8 pm at Carnegie Hall. Include this performance as a part of your Christmas.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE OF CAROLS AND CANDLES
Our traditional Service of Carols and Candles will be held on Christmas Eve at eight o'clock. If you're here in the city on Christmas Eve, we invite you to come and share in this lovely service. The sanctuary is usually comfortably filled for it. If you're free to lend a hand with the Fellowship Hour that follows, share word with Jane Chaney.
PLEDGE CARDS STILL BEING RECEIVED
The 1991 Financial Canvass continues. Pledge cards are still being received in the Church office. To date, 168 pledges totalling $116,644 have been gratefully received. Our goal is 225 pledges and $140,000. The Canvass Committee would like to "wrap up" the canvass as soon as possible. We need your help and count on your support!
ORGAN POSTLUDE
The organ postlude - a final offering of our praise to God - is played after the Benediction. Time permitting, we invite you to share in the beauty of it.
A GIFT FROM THE CHILDREN
The children of our Church will offer their interpretation of the Nativity today at the end of our worship service. We invite you to stay to receive this lovely gift. If you cannot stay for it, may we suggest that you leave during the singing of the last verse of the closing hymn.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY
The Children's Christmas Party will be held in the downstairs Russell Room. It will begin around twelve-thirty and extend through two o'clock. Carols will be sung and young and old alike are invited to come down for it following the regular coffee hour which will be held in Fellowship Hall (third floor).
ADULT FELLOWSHIP CHRISTMAS CAROLLING
Members of the Adult Fellowship are inviting you to come carolling this evening. Meet at the Church at five and add your voice to the group that is going out to sing in the neighborhood. Then come back to the parsonage at 21 East 87th for some hot chocolate
---------~~ --~------
SUNDAY SCHOOL OF
PARK AVENUE METHODIST CHURCH PRESENTS
NATIVITY PAGEANT 1990
Luke 2:1-7
"0 Little Town of Bethlehem" 230*
Luke 2:8-12, 15
"The First Noel" 245*
Matthew 2:1-11
"We Three Kings" 254*
Luke 2:13, 14
"Angels We Have Heard On High" 238*
"What Can I Bring to Jesus?" "Go Tell It On the Mountair.''
"Joy to the World" 246"·
*The audience is invited to join in singing
I.
'
ANTHEM: "A Gladsome Hymn of Praise"
"A gladsome hymn of praise we sing, and thankfully we gather to bless the love of God above, our everlasting Father. From shades of night He calls the light, and from the sod the flower: from every cloud His blessings break in sunshine or in shower. Full in His sight children stand, by His strong arm defended; and He, whose wisdom guides the world, our footsteps hath attended. For nothing falls unknown to Him or care, or joy, or sorrow; and He whose mercy ruled the past, will be our stay tomorrow.
Praise the Lord with one accord, to His name give glory. In Him rejoice with heart and voice, whose glory fadeth never, our defence, who lives and loves for ever".
ANTHEM: "Springs In the Desert"
"'Say to them that are of a fearful heart: be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come and save you!'"
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. For in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams flow in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool and the thirsty land springs of water.
A Highway shall be there, and it shall be called the way of Holiness. The redeemed shall walk there and the ransomed of the Lord shall return with songs and everlasting joy. And sorrow and sighing shall flee away".
FOR THOSE WHO SING
New members are always welcome to audition to sing in the Choir. Rehearsals are held on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am.
THE ADVENT WREATH
The Advent Wreath with its four red candles is one of the traditions of the Christmas Season. Our Advent Wreath - made possible through the kindness of one of our members - is on the third chancel step.
Today, on the third Sunday of Advent, we light the third candle - the Candle of Joy. Today's candle lighters are Alanna Val Hackett, Rosie Kinchen and Mary Joyce.
CHRISTMAS FLOWERS AND DECORATIONS
Those wishing to give to the fund for Christmas flowers are invited to use the envelope in the pew.
"HOUNDS OF HEAVEN"
The "Hounds of Heaven" meet on Tuesday evening at 6:30 in Fellowship Hall. The "Hounds" have started a new study based on No Man Is An Island by Thomas Merton. George Leopold is the class leader. New friends are always welcome.
ALDERSGATE CLASS
The Aldersgate Class meets on Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Anna Delson is leading the class in a study of Methodist Beliefs. New friends are always welcome; old ones, too.
THIS MONDAY
The Oratorio Society of New York under the direction of Lyndon Woodside will present Handel's Messiah on Monday evening at 8 pm at Carnegie Hall. Include this performance as a part of your Christmas.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE OF.CAROLS AND CANDLES
Our traditional Service of Carols and Candles will be held on Christmas Eve at eight o'clock. If you're here in the city on Christmas Eve, we invite you to come and share in this lovely service. The sanctuary is usually comfortably filled for it. If you're free to lend a hand with the Fellowship Hour that follows, share word with Jahe Chaney.
PLEDGE CARDS STILL BEING RECEIVED
The 1991 Financial Canvass continues. Pledge cards are still being received in the Church office. To date, 168 pledges totalling $116,644 have been gratefully received. Our goal is 225 pledges and $140,000. The Canvass Committee would like to "wrap up" the canvass as soon as possible. We need your help and count on your support!
ORGAN POSTLUDE
The organ postlude - a final offering of our praise to God - is played after the Benediction. Time permitting, we invite you to share in the beauty of it.
A GIFT FROM THE CHILDREN
The children of our Church will offer their interpretation of the Nativity today at the end of our worship service. We invite you to stay to receive this lovely gift. If you cannot stay for it, may we suggest that you leave during the singing of the last verse of the closing hymn.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY
The Children's Christmas Party will be held in the downstairs Russell Room. It will begin around twelve-thirty and extend through two o'clock. Carols will be sung and young and old alike are invited to come down for it following the regular coffee hour which will be held in Fellowship Hall (third floor).
ADULT FELLOWSHIP CHRISTMAS CAROLLING
Members of the Adult Fellowship are inviting you to come carolling this evening. Meet at the Church at five and add your voice to the group that is going out to sing in the neighborhood. Then come back to the parsonage at 21 East 87th for some hot chocolate.
PARK AVENUE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
106 East 86th Street
New York, N.Y. 10028
289-6997
MINISTER
Rev. Philip A. C. Clarke
ORGANIST-CHOIR DIRECTOR
Mr. Lyndon Woodside
BUSINESS MANAGER
Mr. Jack Schmidt
CHURCH SECRET ARIES
Mrs. Judy Ferland
Mrs. Linda Predmore
DAY SCHOOL DIRECTOR
Mrs. Judith Keisman
Mr. Roberto Meriles CUSTODIAN
Cover Text: lsa. 40:3 KJV Cover Photo : Dennis Carney ICN 036003 Copyright t!:l 1990 by Abingdon Press . Litho In U.S.A.
ORGAN CALL TO WORSHIP
THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT December 16, 1990
ORDER OF WORSHIP 11 A. M.
"Pastorale"
HYMN NO. 220 "Angels from the Realms of Glory" PRAYER OF CONFESSION (seate d)
Guilmont
We confess before You now, 0 God, our poor stewardship of life. We have squandered time, under used our opportunities, mis-directed our loyalties, resisted growth, and grievously wasted the gift of love. In secret we have worshipped the works of our minds and hands. The applause of the world has mattered more to us than fidelty to You. Make us duly penitent for these and all our sins. And l e t the me r c y of Christ inspire us to humbler, purer ways in this time of worship. In His spirit, we offer now this prayer. Amen.
SILENT MEDITATION - WORDS OF ASSUARANCE - LORD'S PRAYER
** * A SONG BY THE CHILDREN "The New Little Baby Boy" THE LIGHTING OF THE THIRD ADVENT CANDLE A PRAYER AND A CAROL
*** ANTHEM "A Gladsome Hymn of Praise" SCRIPTURE Mark 1: 1-8; II Peter 3: 8-14 PASTORAL PRAYER PARISH CONCERNS
Lovelace Pages 867
ANTHEM "Springs in the Desert" Jennings PRESENTATION OF THE OFFERI NG WITH THE DOXOLOGY HYMN NO. 237 "Sing We Now of Christmas" SERMON "The Get-Ready Man" Mr. Clarke HYMN NO. 236 "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" A GIFT FROM THE CHILDREN BENEDICTION ORGAN "Psalm 19"
*** Interval for Ushering
Marcello
LAY READER
We welcome George Leopold to the lectern today. A native New Yorker, a graduate of Buchnell University and Syracuse Law School, George is Assistant General Counsel at McGraw Hill. Here in the church, George is Chairperson of the Administrative Council and serves on the Finance Committee, and is leader of the "Hounds of Heaven".
ALTAR FLOWERS
The flowers on the altar today are given by Julie Hymen in memory of a longtime friend, Jane Yackel.
GREETERS AND USHERS
The greeters today are Julie Jetton. The ushers are Lili and Richmond Bates, Michele Barton, Jennifer Karim, John Moore, Larry Morales and Tom Weickert.
AN INVITATION
Coffee and tea will be served in Fellowship Hall on the t ·hird floor following the service. Members and friends are invited to share in these moments of warmth made possible for us today by Debbie Cox-Riches Needham, Margaret Brown, Susan Goodwin, Cheryl Kinchen, Jaya Melwani and Melissa Shaw.
CHURCH SCHOOL AND NURSERY CARE
Sessions of Church School for children are offered Sunday mornin~s from ten- thirty to twelve. Nursery eare for infants is available on the fourth floor.
ADULT BIBLE CLASS
The Adult Bible Class meets on Sunday morning at 9:30 in Fellowship Hall. Duane Thompson is leading the class in a study of I Corinthians. Doughnuts and coffee are available. All are welcome.
PARK AVENUE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
106 East 86th Street
New York, N.Y. 10028
289-6997
MINISTER
Rev. Philip A. C. Clarke
ORGANIST-CHOIR DIRECTOR
Mr. Lyndon Woodside
BUSINESS MANAGER
Mr. Jack Schmidt
CHURCH SECRET ARIES
Mrs. Judy Ferland
Mrs. Linda Predmore
DAY SCHOOL DIRECTOR
Mrs. Judith Keisman
Mr. Roberto Meriles CUSTODIAN
Cover Text: lsa. 40:3 KJV Cover Photo: Dennis Carney ICN 036003 Copyright ICI 1990 by Abingdon Press. Utho In U.S.A.
ORGAN CALL TO WORSHIP
THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT December 16, 1990
ORDER OF WORSHIP 11 A. M.
"Pastorale"
HYMN NO. 220 "Angels from the Realms of Glory" PRAYER OF CONFESS I ON (seated)
Guilmont
We confess before You now, 0 God, our poor stewardship of life . We have squandered time, under used our opportunities, mis - directed our loyalties, resisted growth, and grievously wasted the gift of love. In secret we have worshipped the works of our minds and hands. The applause of the world has mattered more to us than fidelty to You. Make us duly penitent for these and all our sins. And l e t the mercy of Christ inspire us to humbler, purer ways in this time of worsh i p. In His spirit, we offer now this prayer. Amen.
SILENT MEDITATION - WORDS OF ASSUARANCE - LORD'S PRAYER ***
A SONG BY THE CHILDREN "The New Little Baby Boy" THE LIGHTING OF THE THIRD ADVENT CANDLE A PRAYER AND A CAROL
*** ANTHEM "A Gladsome Hymn of Praise" SCRIPTURE Mark 1: 1-8; II Peter 3: 8-14 PASTORAL PRAYER PARISH CONCERNS
Lovelace Pages 867
ANTHEM "Springs in the Desert" Jennings pRESENTATION OF THE OFFERING WITH THE DOXOLOGY HYMN NO. 237 "Sing We Now of Christmas" SERMON "The Get-Ready Man" Mr. Clarke HYMN NO. 236 "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" A GIFT FROM THE CHILDREN BENEDICTION ORGAN "Psalm 19" Marcello
*** Interval for Ushering
LAY READER
We welcome George Le opold to the lectern today. A native New Yorker, a graduate of Buchnell University and Syracuse Law School, George is Assistant General Counsel at McGraw Hill. Here in the church, George is Chairperson of the Administrative Council and serves on the Finance Committee, and is leader of the "Hounds of Heaven".
ALTAR FLOWERS
The flowers on the altar today are given by Julie Hymen in memory of a longtime friend, Jane Yackel.
GREETERS AND USHERS
The greeters today are Julie Jetton. The ushers are Lili and Richmond Bates, Michele Barton, Jennifer Karim, John Moore, Larry Morales and Tom Weickert .
AN INVITATION
Coffee and tea will be served in Fellowship Hall on the third floor following the service. Members and friends are invited to share in these moments of warmth made possible for us today by Debbie Cox-Riches Needham, Margaret Brown, Susan Goodwin, Cheryl Kinchen, Jaya Melwani and Melissa Shaw.
CHURCH SCHOOL AND NURSERY CARE
Sessions of Church School for children are offered Sunda y mor n i ngs from ten-thirty to twelve. Nursery care for infants is available on the fourth floor.
ADULT BIBLE CLASS
The Adult Bible Class meets on Sunday morning at 9:30 in Fellowship Hall. Duane Thompson is leading the class in a study of I Corinthians. Doughnuts and coffee are available. All are welcome.
