Sunday Bulletin
Celebration Service
Second Sunday of Advent
December 7, 2025 9:30 am
Prelude “Noel” d’Aquin
Introit “Prepare the Way, O Zion”
Welcome & Announcements
Call to Worship Lay Leader: Macalaster Family
As we journey down this Advent road,
Grant us the courage to make peace.
Peace in our hearts,
Peace in our homes,
Peace in our communities. Amen
Today, we light the candle of peace. Please join with me in our prayer:
The light of hope has awakened our spirits. Renew in us your promises, O God, that we may be ready for the dawn of your salvation. We light a second candle to bring light to every darkness, and to guide us in the way of peace. With gratitude for your light, O God, we will prepare to welcome a new birth of your peace. Amen.
Hymn “People, Look East” #142
The Lord’s Prayer #307
Isaiah 11:1-10
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall
grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of
knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what
his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;
But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with
equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod
of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the
belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the
kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall
lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned
child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth
will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples;
the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
The Gloria Patri #35
Anthem “Hail, Jesus, Hope and Light” Voorhaar
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s
son.
May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with
justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in
righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to
the needy, and crush the oppressor.
May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon
throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that
water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the
moon is no more.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous
things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the shole
earth. Amen and Amen.
Prayers of the People
Hymn “Comfort, Comfort You My People” #122
Reading Matthew 3:1-12
Message “A Time for Peace” Rev. Dan Haugh
Offering
Offertory “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come” Gustave Merkel
Doxology* #46
Offertory Prayer*
Communion
Hymn “Let There Be Peace on Earth” #677
Benediction
Closing “Here I Am, Lord” (refrain)
Postlude “Toccata for Organ” Pietro Yon
(Creator alme siderum)
Calendar of Events
Monday, 12/8 Noon AA meeting in Fellowship Hall
Tuesday, 12/9 7:00 zoom meeting with Kyle Robidoux
7:30 AA meeting in Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, 12/10 Noon AA meeting in Fellowship Hall
5:30 Choir Rehearsal in Organ Loft
7:00 Christmas Carol Sing Along in sanctuary
Friday, 12/12 6:00 Youth in Youth Room
Happy Birthday this week to:
Lauretta Haugh on 12/10
Stephen Rhinesmith on 12/13
Happy Anniversary this week to:
Kyle and Megan Little on 12/11
Announcements
The ushers today are the Deacons. Thank you for helping today.
The flowers today are in memory of Priscilla Watson, and Melissa Poole from Anne and Phil Bongiorno.
The Stowe Community Church is sponsoring a grocery drive this holiday season.
Beginning November 30th, we invite the community to bring bags of groceries to church each Sunday in Advent to support the Lamoille Food Share and help local families struggling with food insecurity during this holiday season.
Shovel Brigade! As winter is upon us we are looking to recruit for Shovel Brigade to maintain the front walk and ramps and keep them free from snow and ice. Small time commitment 30 - 45 minutes (depending on snow). Please contact via call or text to Maggy Dunphy 802-505-0552.
Join Pastor Dan Dan each Tuesday at noon during Advent to read the lectionary texts, meditate, pray, and reflect together. People can meet in his office or join via Zoom. The link is provided in the Quest, or email the church office.
The SCC Care Team invites you to share a conversation with Kyle Robidoux, who is the Executive Director with Friendship Works of Greater Boston, a nonprofit network for older adults.
He will lead a conversation around "Creating opportunities for connections and support for older people in Stowe: addressing issues of isolation and loneliness."Stowe Church is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting on December 9, 7:00. See the Quest for the link.
Save the Dates:
12/10/25 at 7pm in the sanctuary. Come for a fun Christmas Carol Sing Along.
12/15/25 at 7pm in the sanctuary the Messiah Sing Along.
12/24/25 Christmas Eve Services at 3:00, 5:00, 8:00 and 11:00.
SPREADING CHRISTMAS CHEER! Missions
This year we have four opportunities for you to share your Christmas Joy with others. We will be putting up the Christmas Tree with tags to start collecting gifts and gift cards beginning November 30th. Your help will provide joy to those in need at the following organizations:
● Department of Children and Families – Gift tags to help buy gifts for kids in need
● Clarina Howard Nichols – Gifts for women escaping domestic abuse
● Lamoille Family Center – Teen gift cards for helping families in need to celebrate
● Stowe Community – Helping families in need with gift cards for the holidays
Here are the details:
Organization: Tags for: Items needed: Instructions: Deliver: Deadline:
DCF Children Gifts Wrapped w/ Under 12/14
tag attached tree
Clarina
Howard Women Gifts Wrapped w/ Under 12/14
Nichols tag attached tree
Lamoille Teens $25 Amazon, Attach tag Collection 12/14
Family Visa, Walmart, plate or
or Target Gift cards church office
Our Families $25 Shaws or Attach tag Collection 12/14
Community Hannaford plate or
Gift cards church office
Musical Notes by Karen Miller
Prelude: Many Baroque (Classical) French organ composers wrote collections of organ music based on the old French carols. Claude Louis d'Aquin (1694-1772) was one of them. He was a child prodigy who played before Louis XIV at age 6. At age 12 he was appointed to the church of Saint-Antoine in Paris. In 1739 he succeeded J. F. Dandrieu as organist to the Chapel Royal. He wrote a great deal of music but only a fraction of it survives. His "Noel" heard today is his set of variations on an old French Carol of the Birds, arranged by American organist/composer Roberta Bitgood.
Anthem: Richard E. Voorhaar served as organist at Trinity Cathedral (Episcopal) in Sacramento, California for 40 years, retiring in November of 2025. His anthem "Hail, Jesus, Hope and Light!" uses a text by Henry Harbaugh (1817-1867). The text reads:
”Hail, Jesus, Israel's hope and light! The prophets, priests prepared your way; Your people through the breaking night with joy foresaw that day.
Your advent, Lord, revives the world, Your life shall waiting people know. The banners of Your truth unfurled shall on the mountain show.
Come, Lord, where darkness lingers last, and brighten with Your holy light, the morning breaks, forever past the fearful reign of night.
Hail glorious advent, heavenly birth! Shout, saints, in triumph Christ appears; Good will to all and peace on earth shall reign through endless years.”
Offertory: Gustav Adolf Merkel (1827-1885) was initially a schoolteacher in Dresden but also a composition pupil of Robert Schumann. He later took up organ studies and so distinguished himself that he became professor of organ at the Dresden Conservatory. He also successively held positions at the Royal Court in Dresden, the Waisenkirche, the Kreuzkirche, and the Catholic Hofkirche. Ill health prevented him from playing after 1873, but he continued to write a large quantity of organ music. His short "Vom Himmel Hoch" (From Heaven Above to Earth I Come) features only the opening phrase of this old chorale, first in the tenor, then the bass, and finally the soprano.
Postlude: Pietro Alessandro Yon (1886-1943) was an assistant organist at the Vatican before moving to the USA in 1907. He was organist of St. Francis Xavier and then St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. He wrote a number of organ pieces, including his "Toccata on 'Creator alme siderum'", the final movement of his Advent Suite. It is based on an old 9th century plainsong that appears in the Chalice Hymnal as Hymn No. 127.