First Sunday after Christmas • December 27, 2020 • 10 a.m.

178 OENOKE RIDGE, NEW CANAAN, CT 06840 • 203-966-0002 • FPCNC.ORG

Please prayerfully allow the silent, sacred space of the sanctuary and the quiet stirrings of the Spirit to prepare your heart and mind for worship.

T he Gat heri ng

Prelude In dulci jubilo Johann Michael Bach Call to Worship Stephan von Jena

Leader: Come, with all the faithful, and worship God. People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace. Leader: Come, with shepherds and wise men, to worship the newborn King. People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace. Leader: Come, with angels and heavenly hosts, and sing praise. People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace. Leader: Come, in joy and wonder to worship God. People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill to all.

Hymn O Come, All Ye Faithful ADESTE FIDELES

Welcome and Announcements The Rev. Mary Marple Thies The Bidding Prayer

Beloved in Christ, at this Christmastide let it be our care and delight to hear again the message of the angels, and in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing, which is come to pass, and the babe lying in a manger. Therefore, let us read and mark in holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first days of our disobedience unto the glorious redemption brought us by this holy Child. But first, let us pray for the needs of the whole world; for peace on earth and goodwill among all his people; for unity and kinship within the church he came to build, and especially in this, our own community. And because this would rejoice Christ’s heart, let us remember, in his name, the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry, and the oppressed; the sick and them that mourn, the lonely and the unloved, the aged and the little children; all those who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not, or who by sin have grieved his heart of love. Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore, and in a greater light, that multitude which no person can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom in the Lord Jesus we are one forevermore. These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of heaven, in the words which Christ himself hath taught us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

T he Ni ne Les s ons

First Lesson: Genesis 3:8-15 Armin Thies God announces in the Garden of Eden that the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head. Carol Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus STUTTGART

Verses 1 and 4

Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in thee. By thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone; by thine all-sufficient merit raise us to thy glorious throne.

Second Lesson: Genesis 22:15–18 Stephan von Jena God promises to faithful Abraham that by his seed shall the nations of the earth be blessed. Carol O Come, O Come, Emmanuel VENI EMMANUEL Verses 1 and 7

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind; bid envy, strife, and discord cease; fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Third Lesson: Isaiah 9:2, 6–7 The Rev. Mary Marple Thies Christ’s birth and kingdom are foretold by the prophet Isaiah. Carol Heiligste Nacht Michael Haydn

Heiligste Nacht! Heiligste Nacht! Holiest night! Holiest night!

Finsternis weichet, es glänzet hienieden. Darkness softens, it shines here.

Harfen verbreiten den süssesten Klang. Harps spread the sweetest sound.

Engel erscheinen, verkünden den Frieden, Angels appear, proclaim peace,

lieblich ertönet ihr froher Gesang. you can hear joyful singing.

Christen, erwachet und kommet geschwind, Christians, awaken and come quickly,

folget den Hirten, die eifriger sind, follow the shepherds who are more zealous,

eilet nach Bethlehem, hurry to Bethlehem,

seht euer Diadem, see your Diadem,

hier liegt das Kind. here lies the child.

Göttliches Kind! Göttliches Kind! Divine child! Divine child!

Nacht ist vergangen, nun strahlt uns ein Morgen. Night has passed, now a morning shines for us.

Gott hat sich unser in Liebe erbarmt. God has mercy on us in love.

Wir sind in Gnade und Güte geborgen, We are safe in grace and goodness

Gott hat die Welt, hat die Menschen umarmt. God has the world, has embraced the people.

Geht nun zur Krippe und sehet das Kind, Now go to the manger and see the child,

sehet die Hirten, wie freudvoll sie sind. see the shepherds how joyful they are.

Jubelt und singt dem Herrn, Rejoice and sing to the Lord,

den Welt und Himmel ehrn. honor the world and heaven.

Halleluja! Hallelujah!

Fourth Lesson: Isaiah 11:1–9 Armin Thies The peace that Christ will bring is foreseen. Carol Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming ES IST EIN’ ROS Verses 1 and 2

Lo, how a rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung, of Jesse’s lineage coming, by faithful prophets sung. It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter, when half spent was the night. Isaiah ‘twas foretold it, the rose I have in mind; with Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind. To show God’s love aright she bore for us a Savior, when half spent was the night.

Fifth Lesson: Luke 1:26–38 Stephan von Jena The angel Gabriel salutes the virgin Mary. Carol The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came GABRIEL’S MESSAGE

The angel Gabriel from heaven came, His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame; “All hail,” said he, “O lowly maiden Mary." Most highly favored lady, Gloria! Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head, “To me be as it pleases God,” she said, “My soul shall laud and magnify God's holy name.” Most highly favored lady, Gloria!

Sixth Lesson: Matthew 1:18–23 The Rev. Mary Marple Thies Matthew tells of the birth of Jesus. Carol Come Sing and Dance Herbert Howells

From far the Angels draw near, Eia, Eia, Sweet is the Day Spring that heals our fear; Come sing and dance, Come pipe and play, Alleluia, alléluia, Sing Jesus Christ and Mary dear. A child this day to us is born, Eia, Sing all ye shepherds proclaim the morn. Come sing and dance, Come pipe and play, Alleluia, alléluia, Sing Jesus Christ and Mary dear. Now all mankind doth say and sing, Eia! This is the day of Christ and King. Come sing and dance, Come pipe and play! Alleluia, alléluia, Sing Jesus Christ and Mary dear, Eia! Alleluia, Alleluia, Eia!

Seventh Lesson: Luke 2:8–16 Armin Thies The shepherds go to the manger. Carol While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks WINCHESTER OLD Verses 1 and 4

While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, the angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone around. “The heavenly babe you there shall find to human view displayed, all humbly wrapped in swathing bands, and in a manger laid.”

Eighth Lesson: Matthew 2:1–11 Stephan von Jena The wise men are led by the star to Jesus. Carol Somewhere a Star is Shining Michael Minard

Somewhere a star is shining Noel Noel Somewhere a star is shining Noel Sweet rays of joy and comfort Shine down upon us here And we will live within your light Throughout the year Somewhere a choir is singing Noel Noel Somewhere a choir is singing Noel Oh let their voices reach us And teach us harmony That we may be the instruments Of lasting peace Somewhere a child is waiting Noel Noel Somewhere a child is waiting Noel Dear child please come among us And show your tranquil face So we may open up our hearts And know your grace

The Offering Armin Thies The Prayer and Blessing

Like the shepherds and wise men, we come in celebration of your great gift to the world, O God. We come in awe of your great love. We come in gratitude for your generosity. We come with these gifts that represent our time and energy, but we also come with gifts that represent our thanks and love, for we bring you our hearts. Accept, we pray, all that we bring and by your blessing, use it to announce the coming of Emmanuel. Amen.

Ninth Lesson: John 1:1–14 The Rev. Mary Marple Thies John unfolds the great mystery of the incarnation.

T he Sendi ng Carol Joy to the World! ANTIOCH

Charge and Benediction Ringing of the Church Bell Postlude Sortie sur Adeste Fidelis Pierre Cochereau

CCLI #1120652 / ONE LICENSE, License A-734274

Welcome! The service this morning is a traditional Festival of Lessons and Carols, a service of Scripture and song that dates to the late 19th century and originated in England. In this service, we listen to nine Scripture lessons that recount the Fall of Humankind, the promise of a Messiah, the Incarnation, and the Great Commission to preach the Good News.

Sunday School is Here! While you are watching the live stream of Sunday's service, there is a Sunday School bulletin for your children to do when the family gathers together to worship. Please visit our website: www.fpcnc@org. Look for the Sunday School links in the December 27 Sunday’s Service blog. To download the children’s bulletin, click on: Children of God.

Announcing Courtney Steininger as our Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries. After receiving over 50 applications for the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries position, and after two rounds of interviewing final candidates, the Search Committee headed up by Randy Ferguson, and including Megan Wunderlich, Mark Magnusen, Laurel Carlson, Lisa Gifford, Christine Mangone, Julie Reeves, Vivi Reeves, Alexandra Gillespie, and Rev. Herr unanimously and with enthusiasm recommended to the FPCNC Session, that Courtney be hired to serve and begin this coming January. The Session,

after reviewing Courtney’s resume and considering the recommendation of the Search Committee, unanimously voted to approve hiring Courtney. We are therefore thrilled to announce that she has accepted the position to come and serve our congregation! She is a lifetime Presbyterian from Darnestown, Maryland; completed a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature (with a minor in Religious Studies) at the University of Maryland, College Park; is currently a senior at Princeton Theological Seminary and will graduate in May of 2021. She is an intern at Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church. She served in Children’s Ministry at Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, and was a student intern in Religion and International Affairs at the Ecumenical Office of the United Nations. She served as a member of and liaison to the General Assembly of the PCUSA for the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns. She was a representative of the PCUSA at the World Council of Churches Global Consultation for the Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Decade of the Churches in Solidarity with Women; served as a Young Adult Advisory Delegate to the General Assembly PCUSA. Because her last class next semester is online, she can join us in January, and so pray for her to find an apartment! Please keep the following people in your hearts. New Concerns: Norma Collier; family of Bettyann Murphy. Continued concerns: Catherine Armstrong; Frank Banko; Gloria Bridgman; Dr. Charlotte Brown; John Edwards; Denise Lynch; Joan Trefts; Debbie Murphy Williams; The Abo Noktah family (our Syrian refugees): father Khaldoun, mother Khawla Alzob, daughters Hanin, Zain and Hayat, and sons Yaman and Ahmed, and Khaldoun’s mother, Nam Abo Noktah.

FPCNC Men’s Fellowship - 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. FPCNC will be starting a Men’s Fellowship in the new year. It will be a great opportunity for the men to get to know each other a little better and do some bible study together. It will be held twice a month from 6:45 to 8 am, on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, beginning on Epiphany, January 6th. The meetings will start on Zoom due to the pandemic, but we anticipate meeting in person at the church as soon as we’re able to.

The format (subject to change) is: 6:45 - 7:00 Arrival, Mingling & Opening Prayer 7:00 - 7:30 Featured Guest - Background and Reflections 7:30 - 7:50 Meditation by Rev Herr followed by small group discussions 7:50 - 8:00 Wrap-up and Closing Prayer The featured guest for the first meeting will be our own Rev Scott Herr. All men are welcome and feel free to invite any friends. We look forward to seeing you there! https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89635063375?pwd=U3pPYUV6NCtockgrYmJSYTFWdkFIUT09 Meeting ID: 896 3506 3375 /Passcode: Fellowship

Musical Musings is on holiday and will resume on Wednesday, January 6th! Wednesdays at 2! Musical Musings: Stories about Sunday’s Music. Join Victoria to learn about the music for the upcoming Sunday! We’ll learn the hymns and their stories, learn about the special music and how everything ties together in the Sunday service. So, if you’ve ever found yourself saying “I wonder where that came from” or “I don’t know this hymn,” then join us on Wednesdays so you are in the know before Sunday’s service! Contact Victoria@fpcnc.org, if you are interested and for the Zoom link. New Canaan Food Pantry is open! Non-perishable food items can be dropped off at St. Mark's, by the food pantry

door on Mondays 8:30-10:30 AM. The items most needed are Coffee (regular or decaf, drip or instant), apple juice, pancake mix, cereal (sweet or healthy), oatmeal, syrup, chicken, tuna, pasta sauce, vegetables, fruit, chili, soup, tortilla chips, salsa, crackers, salad dressing, applesauce, peanut butter, jelly, packaged potato dish, rice (white or brown), toothpaste, toothbrushes, dishwashing detergent, laundry detergent, ketchup, mustard, white vinegar.

Please consider volunteering to help with our Sunday service. We at First Presbyterian of New Canaan are always eager to share our talents and get to know one another better by participating in our services of worship. Please utilize this link to see all of the volunteer opportunities over the next couple months. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b4aaaad2aa31-sunday

THIS WEEK at FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH of NEW CANAAN

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27: 1st Sunday after Christmas 10 a.m. Worship Service via LocalLive Rev. Mary Marple Thies 11 a.m. Virtual Coffee Hour, via Zoom Password is Joy! FRIDAY, JANUARY 1: New Year’s Day

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3: 2nd Sunday after Christmas 10 a.m. Worship Service via LocalLive Rev. Shannon Vance-Ocampo 11 a.m. Virtual Coffee Hour, via Zoom Password is Joy!

First Sunday after Christmas Worship Service, December 27 at 10 am At 10:00 a.m., we will be offering a traditional Lessons and Carols service,

with the Rev. Mary Marple Thies, via LocalLive.

Second Sunday after Christmas Holy Communion Service, January 3 at 10 am

At 10:00 a.m., we will be offering a service produced by the Presbytery of Southern New England,

with the Rev. Shannan Vance-Ocampo preaching, via LocalLive

Participating in today’s service: Armin Thies, Stephan von Jena Musician: The Flanagan Family

MINISTERS

The Entire Congregation

OUR PASTORS

The Rev. Dr. R. Scott Herr, Senior Pastor • The Rev. Mary Marple Thies, Parish Associate

OUR STAFF

Victoria Shields, Director of Music and Arts • Sherry Tate, Cherub Choir Director Courtney Steininger, Director of Youth and Children Ministries

Jim Riehl, Interim Church Administrator • Tina St. Armand, Office Manager Edgar Torres, Day Sexton • Kate Stringfellow, Operations Manager

Safe Connect: This is a difficult time of year, exacerbated by the pandemic and political and economic stressors. We want our community to be aware of help for our families and our neighbors. Please be aware there is a 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline 888–774–2900 to text or call. There is also email or chat available in any language. People contact Safe Connect for themselves or someone else they care about. Some have questions about their relationships and just want to talk. We take your lead, offering information, options, and possible outcomes. Also, tune in to the community podcast and latest Ep 8: Helping Friends in Abusive Relationships with DVCC's Suzanne Adam, Executive Director, at https://www.talkingaboutit.org/

New Adult Class begins in January 2021: The Enneagram Journey

WHAT? The Enneagram Journey is a curriculum designed to help participants learn about the Enneagram, a powerful ancient tool for understanding motivation, behavior, and experience. This video-based curriculum is led by Suzanne Stabile, a master teacher and guide and founder of “Life in the Trinity Ministry.” This course was created to help participants experience new self-awareness and spiritual transformation as a community for those who participate. According to the curriculum, this class is “not just to teach an intellectual understanding of the Enneagram, although you will get a good grounding in its basic concepts. Knowing your Enneagram

Number and learning about the Enneagram are not enough to help you work with your personality and promote spiritual growth. Transformation and growth take place as a community of people experiences the Enneagram together. That is why we have called this curriculum The Enneagram Journey—it’s a shared experience designed to help you connect with other members of your group and learn with and from each other.” For more information about the Enneagram and Suzanne Stabile, go to: https://www.theenneagramjourney.org/about Each participant will receive a hard copy Participants Guide which can be picked up on Sunday, January 10th at the church after 11:00.

WHO? Any member or friend of the FPCNC who wants to learn together using the ancient tool of the Enneagram. This is mainly for adults, but older teens might also benefit from this course. The class is limited to 20 participants and requires pre-registration. The deadline for registration is January 8.

WHEN? This 12-week class will begin on Wednesday, January 13, and meet weekly through March 31. The class will meet “virtually” using Zoom each Wednesday evening from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. There will be a one-hour video presentation followed by a half hour of interactive conversation.

WHERE? The course moderated by Rev. Scott Herr using Zoom technology. HOW MUCH? There is a $20.00 registration fee to cover the cost of the Participant Guide. HOW DO I REGISTER?

Please sign up by contacting Tina at: tina@fpcnc.org and send a check for $20.00 to First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, with Enneagram printed in the memo line by January 10. Sign up today, as this class will fill up!

This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Person-to-Person Dove Program relied solely on monetary donations to purchase gift cards for holiday meals for their current clients as well as 120 additional families requesting help. Thanks to the generosity of our congregation, our collective gifts of $5,000 will support 100 Person to Person families! Thank you so much for your continued support towards ending food insecurity in our community! A special thank you to The Rev. Dr. R. Scott Herr, Tina St. Armand, and Jim Beall for their assistance in promoting the program! Jim Ely, Donna Hill, Bob Spangler, co-coordinators.

Thank you to the following people who made financial contributions to Person-to-Person’s Dove Program.

Jim & Barbara Beall* Sue Benko George Benington* Anna Mae Bondor Gloria Bridgman Anne Brownley Peg & Sherman Bull Koo Chung Carole Clarkson Jim & Lis Ely* Linda & Randy Ferguson* Mary Findlay* Ted Foster Jennifer Frazer* Serena Gillespie* Cindy & Len Graziano* Jen Gulden* Nick & Gigi Guthrie Karen Hanson* Scott & Kim Herr* Donna & David Hill* Peggy Jay Elsbeth Johnson Paul & Angela Johnson* John & Ruth Laird Janet & John Lanaway*

Jim & Marylee Lesko* Jim & Jan Lucie* Denise Lynch Linda & Paul Martin* Sandy Mills* Jo Ann Nerenburg Mary Elizabeth O’Connor* Anne & Howard Palmer* George Post Julie & Michael Reeves* Judy Schurman* Carolyn Scott Sue Sherwood* Roger & Nell Smith* Bob Spangler* Sherry Tate* Mary & Armin Thies Carolyn & Mike Turpin Jen & Steve Van de Graaf* Homero Villarreal* Gretchen Watkins Barbara Wentzel Michael Wind* Eva Wingate Megan Wunderlich* * more than one Dove purchased