Fourth Sunday of Advent - A

For August 9, 2026:

• Battered and Afraid by Chris Keating.

“...and he cried out, “Lord save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and saved him.” (30b, 31a)

Good morning boys and girls,

How are you today? Thinking about school yet? For some of you it will soon be time for going back to classes, seeing your friends and having new experiences, won't it?

I am happy to see you here at worship this morning.

Good morning! Today I want to talk about beauty. I have with me a beauty kit that people use to make themselves more attractive. Many people put this on themselves. Have you seen people put on lipstick before? (Let them answer.) What part of the body gets the beauty treatment? (Let them answer.) The face gets most of the attention. When we look at people, we usually look at their faces. Our faces are important.

Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Griselda had a turbulent life. She always blamed her name. For as long as she could remember, Griselda had been called Grizzy. Griselda wasn't sure whether this sounded like a bear or just a really miserable person, so she was generally a cross between the two. Sometimes she was angry for no particular reason, so she snarled and roared like a bear. At other times she felt so miserable her mouth would drag down at the corners, and she felt like crying for no particular reason. Whichever it was, everybody kept their distance.

Contents
What's Up This Week
"Where's Your Jesus Now?" by Sandra Herrmann
"God Is Still Speaking, But Are We Listening?" by Alex Gondola


What's Up This Week

Contents
"My Sisters Were Saints" by C. David McKirachan
"Why Do You Preach?" by C. David McKirachan
"Against the Wind" by Keith Wagner
"Grateful and Gracious" by Keith Wagner


* * * * * * *


My Sisters Were Saints
by C. David McKirachan
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28

Theme For The Day
Faith always involves an element of risk.

Old Testament Lesson
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
Joseph Is Sold Into Slavery

COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 (C)

They said it couldn't be done. People for decades had said it was impossible for a human being to run a mile in less than four minutes. The great American miler Glenn Cunningham had held the world standard of 4:06.4 in 1934, but it was a Swedish runner, Gunder Haag, who clocked an amazing time of 4:01.4 in 1945, a record which stood for nearly a decade.

Grandparents are some of the most well-balanced people on the face of the earth. They have to be. After all, they have to spend the same amount of time with each grandchild. They have to get something for every grandchild on every trip. And, of course, Christmas gifts must at least look like they cost exactly the same. Jacob has a long way to go in mastering that finesse. He picked a favorite wife and he chose a favorite son. Joseph was the special son who got extravagant gifts and extra attention. He got to stay at home when the brothers had to travel with the herd.

Introduction
Have you ever done anything that you thought was risky? To some degree we are all risk takers. Everything we do for the first time is a risk. For instance, some risks that most of us have taken are learning to walk, to ride a bike, to swim, to hit a ball, and to drive a car. Bigger risks which some of us have taken are getting married, having children, starting a business, inventing something, or moving across the country. These are risks because we don't know for sure what will happen. If we didn't take them, we could also be missing out on a lot of life.

It's art class. The student potter, under the watchful eye of the artist--instructor, carefully fashions, spins, and shapes a lump of green clay into a beautiful Grecian chalice. The clay figurine is then fired, soon to be painted and glazed. The potter and the mentor watch through the glass door of the oven as the fire heats the new creation toward a hardy sturdiness - durable and strong.

Hymns
Sing Praise To God (NCH6, CBH59, UM126, PH483)
Immortal Love, Forever Full (NCH166, CBH629)
Here, O God, Your Servants Gather/Sekai No Tomo (NCH72, CBH7, PH465)
When The Storms Of Life Are Raging (CBH558, UM512)
O Sing A Song Of Bethlehem (NCH51, UM179, PH308)
Precious Lord, Take My Hand (CBH575, NCH472, UM474, PH404)
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (CBH582, NCH18, 19, UM127, PH281)
O Day Of God, Draw Nigh (PH452)

Anthems

Call To Worship (Psalm 105:1-4)

One: O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.

All: Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.

One: Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

All: Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.


Collect

I grew up as a football-and-basketball guy, but the girl I married came from more of a tennis-and-golf family. The only golf I had played prior to vacationing with her family was the kind of golf that features windmills, bumpers, and loops.

Never having played on a real golf course before, I found it quite intimidating. As I tried to do what I had never done before, however, I gained a new appreciation for the skill of the people who were good at it.

The longer I go in life the more I become fascinated with words: how we use them, where they come from, how their use changes over the years. The Christmas carol, "Deck The Halls" now takes me to a different place when we get to the line, "Don we now our gay apparel." I don't mean to be overly cute, rude, or crass but it is an example of how language can go off in directions that we never anticipated.