A Light on the Hill

Order of Service – 7th December 2025

The Order of Service follows below.

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Brougham Place Uniting Church
Kardlayirdi Karnungga
A Light on the Hill

December 7, 2025
Preacher: Rev Linda Driver
Advent 2. Purple.

Welcome to Brougham Place Uniting Church.
We acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional carers of the land on which our church is built.

As you wait for worship to begin, please turn your phone to silent.

Prelude

Welcome and Acknowledgment of Country

Naa marni?  (Are you all good?)
Marni Ai!     (Good I am)

Call to Worship

God of our waiting,
God of our anticipation,
God of peace,
we await the coming of Christ.
Help us to be aware of your presence—
surrounding, embracing, and inspiring—
in our time of worship together.
Amen.

Lighting of the Advent Candle

We sing: Angels from God

  1. Angels bringing, Angels giving
    peace to us from our God who cares.
    Angels bringing, Angels giving
    peace to us from our God who cares.

Angels are around us –
Let us be aware
Angels sent to comfort
from a God who cares.

  1. Angels bringing, Angels giving
    peace to us from our God who cares.
    Angels bringing, Angels giving
    peace to us from our God who cares.

Prayer of Confession

Courageous God,
you invite us to live into our call.
You invite us to act, to serve, and to trust.
Instead of responding with a resounding “yes,”
we often hide our face.
We dig our heels in.
We look for someone else to volunteer.

Spark courage in us.
Remind us that every person is capable of making a difference.
Remind us that even when we’re scared, we are not alone.

You invite us forward.
With baby steps,
we hope,
we pray,
amen.

Words of Grace

Family of faith,
no matter where your path has led you in the past, today is a new day. So join me in declaring this good news:
We are known.
We are forgiven!
We are sent to serve.
May we step forward in faith,
always moving closer to God’s call.
Amen.

We sing: Look Toward Christmas

  1. Look toward Christmas!
        Advent is here:
    welcome December
        changing the year,
    whistle up, shepherds!
        saddle up, kings!
    chorus up, angels,
        flexing your wings,

Refrain:
sing, sing alleluia! sing, sing alleluia!
sing, sing out the Story,
sing about hope and peace!

  1. Set the world singing,
        make the world glad!
    Angels bring tidings:
        be not afraid!
    Mary is chosen
        to carry the Babe.
    Jesus is coming:
        Bringer of peace

Refrain:
sing, sing alleluia! sing, sing alleluia!
sing, sing out the Story,
sing about hope and peace!

Passing of the Peace

The peace of our God be with you.
And also with you.

Community News and Notices

You can sign up to receive BP E-news by email and read past issues on our website: www.bpuc.org

Act for Peace: Christmas Bowl

Speaker: Lyn Bray

Children’s Time (Exploring the Theme)

Communion

The children are invited to sit with their families.

Invitation

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

May God be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts!
We lift them up to our God.
Let us give thanks to God our Creator.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Let us pray:
Creator of heaven and earth,
In the beginning you set everything in motion.
With bold ingenuity you splashed the sky with light and stars, sun and moon; wind and clouds, rainbows and winged ones.
With a word you brought forth the waters, the waves, the mountains and valleys.
And you called forth our lives from the dust and called it good.
And so we proclaim this ancient song
with all of the saints and angels:
Holy, holy, holy God of all that is,
All that was and all that will be.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory,
Hosanna in the highest.

Words of Institution

… And so as we anticipate the birth of hope anew, we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

… Make us one in your Son Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray:

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be Your name,

your Kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours

now and forever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

The Communion

Prayer After Communion

Children and Young People may go downstairs for Sunday School and Youth. Parents, you are welcome to join your child in Sunday School if you feel your child may need your assistance. Alternatively, you may wish for your child to remain with you for the duration of worship. Activity packs are available at the entrances.

We sing: It Came Upon The Midnight Clear

  1. It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
    from angels bending near the earth, to touch their harps of gold:
    “Peace on earth, good will to all, from heaven’s all gracious king,”
    The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.

  2. Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled,
    and still their heavenly music floats o’er the weary world;
    above its sad and lowly plains, they bend on hovering wing,
    and ever o’er its Babel sounds the blessed angels sing.

  3. For lo! The days are hastening on, by prophet seen of old,
    when with the ever circling years shall come the time foretold
    when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling,
    and the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing.

Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

From this shines forth the Word of God.
Thanks be to God.

Message #morepeace

Nativity © 2006, Brian T. Kershisnik, used with permission

We sing: Come, thou long-expected Jesus

  1. 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.

  2. Israel’s strength and consolation,
    hope of all the earth thou art;
    dear desire of every nation,
    joy of every longing heart.

  3. Born thy people to deliver,
    born a child and yet a king,
    born to reign in us for ever,
    now thy gracious kingdom bring.

  4. By thine own eternal Spirit
    rule in all our hearts alone;
    by thine all-sufficient merit
    raise us to thy glorious throne.

Prayers of the People

Offering

To give electronically please go to bpuc.org/give

Alternatively, there is an offering bowl near the lectern on the left-hand side as you exit the church.

Offering Prayer

God of peace and possibility,
we offer these gifts so that they may be transformed into your good news
for the sake of the world. Amen.

We sing: Tell Out My Soul

Together in Song 161

  1. Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
    Unnumbered blessings, give my spirit voice;
    tender to me the promise of his word;
    in God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.

  2. Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name!
    Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
    his mercy sure, from age to age the same;
    his holy name – the Lord, the Mighty One.

  3. Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!
    Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.
    Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
    to children’s children and for evermore!

Congregation Meeting Announcement

Musical Interlude

#BPUCChristmas #CallingAllAngels #morepeace

Congregation Meeting

We Sing: Doxology

Tune: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise God, all Spirit messengers below.
Praise God, the source of all our gifts!
Praise Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts!

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Sending Forth and Final Benediction

As you go into this week, remember:
When you feel anxious or afraid,
may you look for God’s spirit,
may you reach for each other’s hands,
may you choose courage whenever you can.
And in all things, may you remember
that good news is louder than fear.

In the name of the one who calls,
the one who sends,
and the one who journeys with—
go in peace and
be not afraid.
Amen.

Come and share morning tea together, in the basement. There are stairs behind the organ and a ramp between the church and the car park. All are welcome!

Thank you for joining us for worship!
If you would like to get in touch or request a prayer, please make use of the Contact Cards in the pews and next to the Offering Bowl. Alternately, you can email our Minister, Rev Linda Driver: lindad@bpuc.org

This service has been prepared with assistance from

Advent Candle Lighting
Melissa Neumann
“Joy to the World” Centre for Music, Liturgy and the Arts

Liturgy, Learning, & (Purposeful) Life (L3)
Rev. Dr Cathie Lambert
© 2025, Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of South Australia

Words for Worship
for advent–epiphany
Prayers by Rev. Sarah (Are) Speed | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org

“Angels Among Us”
Worship Design Studio

Bible Readings are from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Congregation Hymns/Songs:

Angels From God
Copyright words and music: Doris Henderson March 2004
Used with Permission.

Look Towards Christmas
Words By Shirley Erena Murray
Words © 1996 Hope Publishing Company
Verse 2 adapted by Rev Linda Driver

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
Words: Edmund H Sears 1849, Music: Richard Storrs Willis, 1850. Public domain.

Come, thou long-expected Jesus
Together in Song 272
Charles Wesley 1707-88. Public Domain.

Tell Out My Soul
Together in Song 161.
Words © 1962 Timothy Dudley-Smith 1926

Doxology
Words: Dr M. McFee. Worship Design Studio.
Angels Among Us resource

www.bpuc.org