December 14th

Third Sunday of Advent

JOy - Ugly Christmas Sweater/PJ Gathering

WELCOME AND LITURGY OF GATHERING

Leader: **Reading of Psalm 146.5-10 (FNV). This is the word of the Lord.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

Trinity is fostering a haven of belonging where wanderers and wonderers 

gather to discover and embody the love of Jesus in the world.

COMMUNAL SINGING
Joy to the World

Joy to the World! The Lord is come

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare him room 

And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing, 

And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

No more let sins and sorrows grow

Nor thorns infest the ground

He comes to make his blessings flow

Far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as the curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The glories of his righteousness 

And wonders of his love, And wonders of his love

And wonders, wonders of his love!

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

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.

Israel's strength and consolation, 

Hope of all the earth thou art;

Dear desire of every nation, 

Joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver, 

Born a child and yet a king.

Born to reign in us forever, 

Now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal spirit, 

Rule in all our hearts alone; 

By thine all sufficient merit, 

Raise us to thy glorious throne. 

COMMUNITY CONFESSION AND ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING

Leader: Today marks the third Sunday of Advent, the season in which we anticipate celebrating the birth of Jesus. For unto us, a child is born - the presence of God With Us -  will show us the way.  This Advent, we pause. We breathe. We pray. We dig deep. We reach out. We rise up. We remember. We vision. We sit with the pain. We stay with the trouble. We wait, expectant. We light candles. We labor. We open to You, and to one another, and to the Sacred Mystery that is Emmanuel, God-With-Us, Love Incarnate, Divinity Enfleshed.

Reading - James 5:7-10 and Luke 1:46b-55 (FNV)

Prayer & Candle Lighting: The Joy of God-With-Us does not come as naïve optimism, or surface level feel-good-ness. Joy cannot be imposed from on high. Joy cannot be commanded.The Joy of God-With-Us is mingled with grief, exists side by side with mourning, knows that pain and death are all too real, but do not have the final word.This joy tends tenderly to beauty, and softness, and the gladness that comes from paying attention to what matters.The Joy of God- With-Us is collective, liberating us from deadly despair. Joy is gestating in darkness; it comes unexpectedly. Joy invites our expectation, and demands our participation. Prepare the way, for joy with sorrow. May Joy be birthed among, within, and through us, this Advent. 

ALL: Forgive us, Emmanuel. Called to lives of gentleness, too often we are filled with anger and hurt. Invited to be generous, we tighten our grips on our clothes, our food, and even our love. Called to be just with everyone, it is all too easy to turn away from those who are different from us. 

Leader: Friends, hear the good news: despite our failures, God rejoices over us, calming our fears with love.

ALL: Thanks be to God! Freed from fear, we will embrace everyone with the love of God and proclaim the good news with joy for all people!

BLESSING AND PASSING THE PEACE 

Adults: The Lord be with you!

Children and Kids Ministry Leader: And also with you! 

During this time we greet one another, recognizing that we are all a part of the body, as PreK-5th grade children are led to their ministry space. Younger children and youth remain, and are welcome, in the Gathering. Materials for toddlers are available and we understand that their presence means they will be heard, no need to worry about their vocal contributions.

ADVENT REFLECTION

Resilient Advent - Blooming Joy

Isaiah 35.1-10

-Reread the text for the week. Where does resilience show up? 

-Consider the Advent theme for this week. How are you or might you need to experience hope, faith/peace, joy, love, or Christ this week?

-In what ways might you/we need to make space to receive the healing gift of God coming to dwell with us?

-As Advent sets the pattern for the year ahead - as the Church - how are you being empowered for the journey ahead?

-In new or old ways, how might you celebrate Jesus’ birth this year?

*For discussion prompts visit the series page here.

LORD’S TABLE LITURGY

Leader: During this season of waiting, at the Table, we remember the mystery of the One who died that we might live forever. 

ALL: As your Spirit moves upon the gifts of the bread and the cup, may she touch us with unexpected hope and the power of patience, that we might fully rejoice in your coming to dwell among us. As we wait for Christ’s return, we would fill the empty dreams of the world with your vision for peace and wholeness; we would feed the lost with the bread of hope; we would gently lead the 

exiled back to your Kin(g)dom. 

Leader: The Table of the Lord is open for all who seek the presence of Christ.

*communion elements are gluten free, not allergen free

RESPONSE & OFFERING OF WORSHIP                                                                                                                                    

The Offering Basket 

Prayer requests may be posted in the Zoom chat (Zoom participants) or written and placed in the offering basket.

Away in a Manger 

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed

The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head

The stars in the sky looked down where he lay

The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, 

But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes

I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky

And stay by my side until morning is nigh

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay 

Close by me forever, and love me, I pray

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care

Prepare us for heaven, to live with thee there.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Advent. The Advent season is here! You may access the Advent series page here, along with other resources. 

Advent Morning Prayer. Each weekday morning during Advent we will be participating in the morning prayers reflecting on poems and writings of familiar and new authors, and listening to music that Trinity Church is sharing throughout this season. ⁠Join us weekday mornings at 7am on Zoom or catch up throughout the day on Facebook or YouTube. Questions? email joel@indytrinity.org

Holiday Schedule.

• Ugly Christmas Sweater/PJ Sunday - December 14th

• Christmas Eve Gathering @ 5:30pm

• NO Gathering Sunday, December 28th - enjoy gathering with friends and family

• January 4th - Brunch Gathering

Please join the Youth Group in collecting food items and funding to support IYG's food pantry. This is an ongoing need that IYG has, but with the lack of SNAP benefits, there is a higher need than the typical season. We will run the food drive through Christmas, no matter the status of SNAP benefits and encourage folks to keep IYG in their thoughts during their regular grocery shopping! Bring items to the building or send funds for the youth group to shop via Venmo @britney-yount.

2026 Budget. The 2026 Budget has been made available via email and in Church Documents on the website. If you need access to either of these, please let us know (contact@indytrinity.org). If you have any questions about this year’s budget, please contact Brenda Howard (brenda@indytrinity.org) or Steve Edinger (steve@indytrinity.org). If you have any questions about our Foundation Fund (previously called our Investment Accounts), please contact Jay Howard (jay@indytrinity.org).

THE BENEDICTION

Leader: God sends us forth with songs of joy in our hearts.

ALL: We will go to sing of wonder to all who are empty of life

even as we gather them close to our hearts.

Leader: Jesus calls us to step out of our fears into lives of witness.

ALL: We will go to breathe peace into all the broken places around us.

Leader: The Spirit teaches us new dance steps of grace.

ALL: We will go to take our siblings by the hand

to dance in the streets of the kin(g)dom.

Leader: Go with joy!

(Some liturgies adapted from lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.com and enfleshed.com)

Remain in the Gathering space for general connection and prayer.

GATHERING RESOURCES AND INFORMATION

**Throughout Advent we are introducing the First Nations Version of Psalms in our liturgy. We understand that the Spirit has no gender. While the FNV does use the word “Grandfather” for the Great Spirit, and we at Trinity might more naturally gravitate toward a feminine or gender-inclusive term for the Spirit, we have chosen to read from this version to open ourselves to the diverse humanlike depictions of Creator and hear these sacred texts in new ways. No translation is perfect. If you’d like to read what the translators of the FNV have to say about their choice regarding gender and the Great Spirit, you are welcome to read the excerpt at the front of this Trinity Gathering copy (it is marked). 

Land Acknowledgement. We acknowledge that the land on which we gather for worship was stolen from Native peoples, who were driven out of the area and of their native lands by genocide, force (through broken treaties and laws imposed upon their nation), and systematic disposession.  The Myaamiaki, Kaskaskia, and Kickapoo peoples* and their sovereign Nations have cared for, and are deeply a part of, this land - past, present, and future. (ref: Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, Trinity Church)

Gathering Hosting Schedule. As an act of service and care, please join staff, leaders, and others from your parish in hosting Sunday Gatherings. These are great times to connect and welcome others to converse while serving as well. Arrival at 9:45am is great, 9:30am is super helpful for assisting with audio equipment and/or indoor set up. Cleaning up on the back end should only take 10-15 minutes. The hosting checklist is in the Trinity office. Thank you!

December

7th: Broad Ripple

14th: North/Carmel

21st: Midtown/Downtown

24th/Christmas Eve: Leadership Team

28th: No Gathering

January 

4th/New Year Brunch: Fishers

11th: Broad Ripple

18th: North/Carmel

25th: Midtown/Downtown

Guide and Service Dog Training. As we welcome Guide/Service Dogs at Gatherings, please familiarize yourself with resources under on these two websites https://www.guidedogs.com/resources/blindness-and-guide-dog-etiquette and https://www.guidedogsofamerica.org/best-practices-when-around-a-service-dog/  and discuss main points with those in your household. If you or anyone in your household has severe allergies or any fear of dogs, etc. please contact us (contact@indytrinity.org) so we can do our best to keep Gathering spaces welcoming for all. 

Health Guidelines. Gatherings can look differently according to the needs of our leaders and community if health concerns take effect. We ask that everyone remain flexible if and/or when this is the case. If a Gathering is going to be virtual, we will send an email by 8am on Sunday, or earlier. If you have experienced fever, coughs, or other clear signs of illness in the last 48 hours, please remain home and join the Gathering via Zoom. If your symptoms are not highly contagious or you are unsure about exposing others, please wear a mask.