Worship Gathering Advent 1 – The Jesse Tree

Edited to add songs and details changed from original post.

For Advent this year, our worship gatherings will be focused on the Jesse Tree. We will still do the regular advent reading / lighting of the candle, and then we will be meandering through the Bible hanging up ornaments that represent each of the stories on our Jesse Tree. Also following each Scripture and story will be a responsive reading / prayer done by the congregation.

Call to Worship / Prayer for another congregation in our city

• It Is You (Newsboys one)
• You’re Worthy of My Praise

Isaiah 9: 2-7

• A Gift of Promise (written by a girl in our church specifically for the Advent theme – we will add a verse each week for the different themes)

Lighting of Advent Candle

Introduction of Jesse Tree

• Indescribable

The Creation (done by the kids)

The Fall (done by the kids)

• Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

• Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Noah ( music will continue playing through this for the sake of continuity)

• Your Love Oh Lord (Psalm 36:5-10)

Abraham and Sarah, God’s promise of a nation

Sacrifice of Isaac – (this will be a drama by one of the guys in our church)

• Enough

Jacob’s Ladder

• He Is Here

Joseph

A Gift of Promise

Isaiah 9: 2-7 (read kind of as the benediction )

There will be responsive prayer after each of the stories. Each Bible story, presented by a different person in the congregation, will be represented by Scripture, a short application type of paragraph or two that points to Christ and will help tie each story together. The hanging of a symbolic ornament concludes each story as we move on.

It looks like it might be choppy, but I don’t think it will be. It helps that we are small and the room is small, so there is no LONG aisles to tromp up for transitions!!

If it is choppy… well… we’ll change it next week! We have four weeks to get it right!