VERDUGO COMMUNITY CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE DECEMBER 10, 2023

We begin our service with song. Pastor Gail Linstrom opens the service by welcoming all to worship and to participate in the life of our church family. The lighting of the Advent Candles begins with Pastor Gail reading from Psalm 85, and Albert Ramseyer opens us in prayer. Nick Baltazar and Ed Manacop lead us in our praise singing. Greg Hart takes up the praises and concerns of the church and our world in the Prayers of the People.

 

In her sermon, “The Unexpected Power of Peace,” Pastor Gail continues our Advent studies by looking at the promises of God set out in Isaiah 40 that he will comfort and send his peace to his people living in exile. God surprised everyone when he sent his Son Jesus as a baby, not the warrior or king that was expected. However, each year we come to this season changed by our experiences. Some of these experiences are hard to reconcile with the joyous expectations we have had for Christmas. We need to remember that God sent his Son to be with those that mourn, are sick and discouraged, not just those that celebrate. Our experience of Christmas is to find the love and solace in God’s presence, and to carry that love and concern to others.

 

Pastor Gail then leads us in the sacrament of communion, and you are invited to participate as well.

 

Verdugo makes its Sunday sermons available to you on Facebook and posts audio copies of the service and sermon at https://verdugochurch.podbean.com.

 

Prayers of the People have been edited to respect the privacy and confidentiality of those participating or mentioned. All CCLI songs are performed under Verdugo Community Church’s license with CCLI.

 

Verdugo Community Church is a Free Methodist congregation serving the Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, and Glendale areas in Los Angeles. It is located at 4300 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Our email address is verdugofmc@gmail.com. Contact Pastor Gail at (323) 500-3343.

 

Worship service copyright 2023 by Verdugo Community Church. Sermon copyright 2023 by Gail Whitcome Linstrom and Verdugo Community Church.