 Fruitland United Methodist Church December 14, 2025 *(Please stand if you are comfortably able.) Prelude: “The First Noel/ O Come, O Come Emmanuel” Welcoming the Light of Christ and inviting the neighborhood to worship. Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship Holly Kerfoot The desert and the parched land will be glad. The dry place will bloom like a garden! Strengthen the weak hands, steady the trembling knees. For God is coming and brings salvation! Let us celebrate with joy, for the Lord is near. *Sharing the peace of Christ. We Light the Third Candle of Advent: The Candle of Joy. Reading: Today, we light the third candle of Advent – the pink candle, the Candle of Joy. In a world where weariness and worry often abound, we remember that God brings renewal, song, and new life. ( 3 candles are lit.) Lord, may Your joy bloom within us. May Your light fill us, and may we shine that light to others. Amen *Sing: “Give Thanks” TFWS 2036 Scripture: Isaiah 35: 1-10 Holly Kerfoot Time With Young Christians – Pastor Jorge (Please write prayer concerns and celebrations on yellow notepads, to be collected.) Time of Community Expressions Hymn: “Holy, Holy, Holy” TFWS 2007 Thanksgiving and Celebration Prayers for Healing and Wholeness, Our Community and the World And now, let us pray in the way Jesus taught us to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name . . . Invitation to Generosity – Pastor Offertory “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” *Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow . . . UMH 95 Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:2-11 Holly K. Pew Bible p. 1512 Hymn: “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” UMH 89 Sermon: “When the Desert Begins to Bloom” Pastor Jorge Isaiah 35:1-10 | Luke 1:46-55 Today is the Third Sunday of Advent; a different Sunday, a special one. We notice it in the pink candle, the candle of joy, a color that seems to whisper: “Don’t forget to smile while you wait.” In the middle of busy schedules, shopping lists, work, exhaustion and worries, this Sunday stands in our path and gently says: Rejoice! But a real question arises: How do we rejoice when life often feels more like a desert than a garden? 1. Isaiah speaks to the weary Isaiah 35 paints a surprising scene: “The desert and the parched land will be glad... it will blossom like the crocus.” “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way. Say to those with fearful hearts: ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come...’ ” Isaiah speaks to a broken people, exiled, tired, a people with more tears than strength. And yet his message is not one of despair but of life in the desert, homecoming for the lost, songs for the sorrowful. The prophet doesn’t deny reality. He transforms it with hope. He looks at dry land and declares flowers. He looks at difficult paths and announces: God is coming. This is Advent: Waiting with joy for what we cannot yet see, but know is coming. 2. Mary responds to the promise... with a song Centuries later, a humble young woman from Nazareth hears the voice of God—and she sings. “My soul magnifies the Lord... He has done great things... He lifts the lowly... He fills the hungry with good things...” Mary does not sing from comfort. She sings from faith. From a difficult place-- young, poor, pregnant, vulnerable-- yet she sings as if the world has already changed. Her song is hope in motion, faith with a melody. Isaiah sees flowers; Mary sings victory. Together they remind us that Christian joy is not denial of reality, but faith that transforms reality. 3. And what about us? Where do we need God to bloom? Maybe someone here today feels tired. Someone is waiting for a miracle, a word of peace, a restored relationship, an answer long prayed for. To that heart the Scripture says today: Do not fear. Strengthen your hands. The Lord is coming. Look around you: In every reconciliation, in every act of kindness, in every smile shared, in every small sprout of hope — God is already blooming. Joy doesn’t always arrive like fireworks. Sometimes it comes like a seed, like a small pink candle, like a quiet song carried in the heart of a believing young woman. Conclusion Today we light the pink candle to remember: The prophet’s promise is still alive. Mary’s song still echoes. Christ is near and that is reason for joy. Advent does not ask us to deny the desert; it invites us to look until we see the garden. It does not ask us to wait in silence; it invites us to sing with Mary, trusting in the God who: • lifts up the humble, • restores the weary, • and opens pathways where none exist. So today we proclaim with faith: Rejoice! God is coming. The desert will bloom. And we will sing with Mary: “My soul rejoices in God my Savior.” Amen. Rev. Jorge Rodriguez [email protected] *AFFIRMATION OF FAITH We believe in God, who brings life where there seems to be none. We believe in Christ, a light that never goes out. We believe in the Holy Spirit, who renews, strengthens, and fills us with joy. Amen. Sing: “The Summons” verses 1 and 2 TFWS 2130 Pastoral Benediction: May the God who makes the desert bloom strengthen your hands. May Christ, who is coming, fill you with joy and hope. May the Holy Spirit guide you today and always. Go in peace and with joy. Amen. *Song of Blessing: “Go Now in Peace” UMH 665 Postlude: “In Dulci Jubilo,” a German carol, arranged by Richard Walters. ******************************************************************************** Wednesday, Dec. 17, 7-7:30 PM Blue Christmas If the holidays are difficult for you, we offer a quiet, peaceful service of reflection and comfort. You are not alone. Sunday, Dec. 21, 5 PM Las Posadas A beautiful Advent tradition which re-enacts the journey of Mary and Joseph searching for a place for Jesus to be born. One group represents the holy couple knocking on doors, while others respond from inside. This simple act invites us to open our hearts, practice hospitality, and make room for Christ in our lives. The evening will conclude with snacks and a pinata.
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