Dayton United Methodist Church

Call to worship: L: Christ shall come, God’s gift to the world:  P: That desperate should find hope -  L: That the persecuted should find peace -    P: That the lonely should find love - L: That the dejected should find joy. A: O Christ of the world, your time is now! We wait, we watch, we wonder! Come! Opening Hymn:   O Come, O Come, Emmanuel   #211 1 O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. (Refrain) Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. 2 O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, Who orderest all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain 3 O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny; From depths of hell Thy people save, And give them victory over the grave. Refrain 4 O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And...

Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love: We are already about one candle into the Advent season at Dayton and Harcourt United Methodist Churches. I know that it doesn’t seem like it; what with not being able to go into the church building on Sunday mornings and hearing the readings for each Sunday, which then lead us towards that magical and wonderful Silent Night where we sing by the light of candles. Believe me; I am painfully aware that the situation stinks. But just for a minute, let’s turn our thoughts in a different direction. As I prepare for each and every sermon, I purposely focus on what is good or working or just plain pleasant. It’s not as if the other stuff isn’t valid or that I won’t talk about it when I’m needed to do so, but I will not focus on problems, rather I focus on solutions. While it seems like not being able to gather inside the church building would be a problem, and granted, it is not the best scenario; the solution is simple. The building, while lovely and grand, is not ...

Call to worship : L: From dying day to living dawn - P: Our God can be everything to every one! L: From hungering bodies to thirsting minds - P: Our God can be everything to every one! L: O sing to heaven! Our God is great! P: O people, shout and praise God’s name! A: Our God is everything to every one! Opening Hymn:   All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name   #154 1. All hail the power of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all. Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all. 2. Ye chosen seed of Israel's race, ye ransomed from the fall, hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all. Hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all. 3. Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget the wormwood and the gall, go spread your trophies at his feet, and crown him Lord of all. Go spread your trophies at his feet, and crown him Lord of all. 4. Let every kindred, every tribe on this terrestrial ...

November 20, 2020 Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Grace and peace in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we approach Christ the King Sunday, I am reflecting on how this marks the end of the Christian year. Alongside the Thanksgiving holiday, this last Sunday of the liturgical year encourages us to pause and be thankful for the blessings we have known, even in the midst of this most troubling time.  As you know, COVID-19 infections remain high in Iowa. In Governor Reynolds’ daily briefing yesterday, she mentioned that over the past seven days, there have been 22,000 new COVID cases in the state, with a 17.5% average positivity rate. Reynolds warned, “While we may be cautiously optimistic, we have a whole lot of work to do to bring the numbers down to a level where we can safely manage the virus while getting life back to normal.”  As of this writing, six of our 99 counties are below 15% positivity, 21 counties are between 15% and 20% positivity, and 76 of our ...

  Call to worship: L: Trust in the Lord at all times, O peoples of the earth!  P: We will pour out our hearts before our God! L: God is your refuge and your strength, a very present help in trouble!  P: We will trust and not be afraid! Opening Hymn:   O God, Our Help in Ages Past   #117 1. O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home! 2. Under the shadow of thy throne, still may we dwell secure; sufficient is thine arm alone, and our defense is sure. 3. Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame, from everlasting, thou art God, to endless years the same. 4. A thousand ages, in thy sight, are like an evening gone; short as the watch that ends the night, before the rising sun. 5. Time, like an ever rolling stream, bears all who breathe away; they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the opening day. 6. O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come; be thou our ...

Call to worship: L: Put your oil in your lamp! Keep it burning! P: We’ll put oil in our lamps today! L: Salvation’s at the door! Greet its coming! P: Turn the wick up high and lead the way! Opening Hymn: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling #384 1. Love divine, all loves excelling,  joy of heaven, to earth come down;  fix in us thy humble dwelling;  all thy faithful mercies crown!  Jesus, thou art all compassion,  pure, unbounded love thou art;  visit us with thy salvation;  enter every trembling heart.  2. Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit  into every troubled breast!  Let us all in thee inherit;  let us find that second rest.  Take away our bent to sinning;  Alpha and Omega be;  end of faith, as its beginning,  set our hearts at liberty.  3. Come, Almighty to deliver,  let us all thy life receive;  suddenly return and never,  nevermore thy temples leave.  Thee we would be always ble...

Call to worship: L: We are children of one God! P: One God has created us! L: Therefore we will be faithful to one another, P: And we will honor the covenant of our ancestors. A: Come, sisters! Come, brothers! Great is our God, and greatly to be praised! Opening Hymn: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing #57 1. O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace! 2. My gracious Master and my God, assist me to proclaim, to spread through all the earth abroad the honors of thy name. 3. Jesus! the name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease; 'tis music in the sinner's ears, 'tis life, and health, and peace. 4. He breaks the power of canceled sin, he sets the prisoner free; his blood can make the foulest clean; his blood availed for me. 5. He speaks, and listening to his voice, new life the dead receive; the mournful, broken hearts rejoice, the humble poor believe. 6. Hear him, ye deaf; his prais...