Christmas Eve -- God Is With Us

Sources:

Book of Alternative Services

thebigandthesmall blog

NRSV

thisischurch website

Bread for the Journey (Ruth Duck)

Anglican Eucharistic Liturgies 1985-2010 (Colin Buchanan)

Christmas Eve Celebration of Eucharist

Click here for Service

Pre-Lude     Ready My Heart

Acknowledgement

Welcome
We are here because we have heard a promise of peace and we have faith its day will come
we have heard a rumour of justice and we have faith its day will come
we have heard a whisper of hope and we have faith its day will come
we have heard a hint of love and we have faith its day will come
we have heard of the birth of the Christ-child and we have faith his day is here.
Welcome to Christmas! Welcome to worship here at St. Paul’s

Gathering Song     O Come all Ye Faithful

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear;
We too will thither bend out joyful footsteps         Refrain

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning,
Jesus to thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing             Refrain


Gathering (inspired by Isaiah 9:2, John 1:1, 14) 

The impossible is about to happen in a stable. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
Those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them has the light shined!

This is the evening when creation stood still and held its breath, for God was doing the most unbelievable, dangerous thing.
This is the evening when God embraced humanity from the inside, as one of us, from birth to death.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. Amen!


WREATH LIGHTING CHRISTMAS DAY/EVE - God is With Us (Based on Psalm 98)

We light our first candle, a symbol of Hope.
Light first candle

We light our second candle, a symbol of Peace.
Light second candle

We light our third candle, a symbol of Joy.
Light third candle

We light our fourth candle, a symbol of Love.
Light fourth candle

We light our Christ candle, a symbol of the long-awaited birth of Jesus.
Light Christ candle

With trumpets and the sound of the horn, make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and all who live in it.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the Lord.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

For born this happy day is Christ our King, come to dwell among us, God with us, Emmanuel.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

We join in the Collect together
Eternal God, this holy night is radiant with the brilliance of your one true light. As we have known the revelation of that light on earth, bring us to see the splendour of your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Candle Lighting Song:         Like a Candle

Like a candle burning wildly,
Raging soft against the night,
Spark that leaps to clear the shadows
Sending warm, disturbing night.

We are called to live the passion,
Hope stands strong against all pain.
For it’s only in the burning
That the candle shows its flame.

Like a river running freely,
Rapids swirl beside our feet,
Swiftly lowing from the highland
Comes to rest, still waters meet.

All our journeys rising, falling,
Making turns we least expect,
When the Spirit churns within us,
Know God’s power through the test.

Like an angel walking lightly
On this fragile earth of clay,
Touching folk with raw compassion,
Laughing, playing on the way.

Freely living every moment
In the mystery of grace.
Giving, dying, living, rising
See the beauty of God’s face.

See the hope that burns in darkness,
Show compassion, strong and kind,
Bind the hurt and broken hearted,
Be God’s hands and voice and eyes.

Sing a new song every sunrise,
Climb to places out of reach,
Walk in freedom of God’s Spirit,
As we die so we shall live.

We are called to live the passion,
Hope stands strong against all pain.
For it’s only in the burning
That the candle shows its flame.

The Proclamation of the Word 

A Reading from the prophet Isaiah (62.6–12)

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Listen for the Leading of the Spirit                  R: Thanks be to God

Psalm 97          Refrain: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him, and consumes his adversaries on every side.
His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.
All worshippers of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Zion hears and is glad, and the towns of Judah rejoice, because of your judgements, O God.
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

The Lord loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

A Reading from the letter of Paul to Titus (3.4–7)

But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Listen for the Leading of the Spirit                  R: Thanks be to God

Gradual Hymn         Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled."
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Chorus
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."

Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail, the incarnate Deity,
pleased as one of us to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!             Chorus

Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings,
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise each child of earth,
born to give us second birth.     Chorus


The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke (2:1-20)
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The Gospel of Christ                          R: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

The Homily

An Affirmation of Faith for Christmas
We believe in God, the creator and giver of life,
who brought all creation to birth,
who mothers us and fathers us,
protecting, nurturing, and cherishing us.

We believe in Jesus Christ:
God born among us as a fragile baby,
embodying both love and the need for love,
and calling us to rest in God as trustingly as a tiny child.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
breathed into us at our birth,
always drawing us on to be born again,
encouraging, exhorting, comforting,
nourishing our growth and inspiring our living.

We believe in the reconciliation of the world to God, through Christ.
Hunted at birth and humiliated at death,
Christ entered our fearful darkness
so that we might enter his glorious light and share the life of his resurrection.

And we believe that each new child
is a glimpse of the face of God,
a sign of the life to come,
and a call to live in peace and celebrate living together.
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God's people on earth. Amen.

Prayer of Intercession for Christmas Eve
Good and gracious God, on this holy night you gave us your Son, the Lord of the universe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, the Saviour of all, lying in a manger. On this holy night draw us into the mystery of your love. Join our voices with the heavenly host, that we may sing your glory on high. Give us a place among the shepherds, that we may find the one for whom we have waited, Jesus Christ, your Word made flesh, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, in the splendour of eternal light, God forever and ever. Amen

On this holy night in which God joins heaven and earth, let us offer our prayers for the church, the world, and all those in need.

Let us pray for the Church around the world as it celebrates the birth of Christ. Bless all those who are entrusted with Christian ministry that your Word might be proclaimed with truth and courage across our world.

Bestow your wisdom on all who govern, that in honouring the earth and its diverse races, cultures, and religions, we may celebrate the light of this holy night.

Grant reconciliation to those surrounded with conflict and violence, that they may live in the peace of this holy night.

Let us pray for all who are cold, hungry, or alone this night. Embrace with your tender care all who wander alone or have no place to lay their head, they may experience the hope of this holy night.

Let us pray for all who are anxious, depressed, or ill. Draw near to those who find this season a source of pain or grief, and to all who are suffering or sick, especially those we remember in our own hearts . . . that they may feel the comfort of this holy night.

Let us pray for parents, families, and newborn infants. Strengthen families in the bonds of love and commitment, that they may delight in the joy of this holy night.

Let us pray for ourselves and for the blessings of Christmas. Open our hearts to your presence, that we may be transformed by the new birth of this holy night.

Let us give thanks for all the faithful departed who have been bearers of the Word made flesh. Give us grace to follow your holy ones in lives of faith and commitment, that we may we join with the hosts of heaven in singing the praises of this holy night.

All these things and whatever else you see that we need, grant us, O God, for the sake of him who died and rose again, and now lives and reigns with in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

— posted on the thisischurch 

Prayer of Confession (from Bread for the Journey R. Duck)
O God, the Baby has come, and we see that we are waiting for ourselves. We delay changing our lives, in the small ways as well as the large. It is hard to work for systemic change from within the system, and still harder to remain objective in the midst of our struggle. For these and other failings, we are most sorry. We pray for strength and wisdom, that we may better carry out your word.

Assurance
Let us give thanks to God for those who repent are forgiven and strengthened in goodness

The Peace (from the Church of India)
Let there be peace
Peace among nations
Peace among people
Peace among neighbours
Peace among friends
The Peace of Christ above all.

Let us bring our offerings to God – the offering of our hope, talents and gifts and we prepare our offering of bread and wine at home to celebrate together the Lord’s feast

Offering Hymn         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 you, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay
Close by me forever and love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children in your tender care,
And take us to heaven to live with you there.

Prayer over the gifts
Source of light and gladness, accept all we offer on this joyful feast. May we grow up in him who unites our lives to yours; for he is Lord now and for ever. Amen

Setting of the Table
This table stands among us – Christ’s table and our tables.
We gather around our tables as did the first disciples, humble people, who love Jesus
Hopeful people in the power of the Holy Spirit

Little children stand under the holy table, old people hold on to it.
Symbols of our life are placed upon it. With joy we dress it in colour and light.
With joy we bring our gifts. In faith we name it our Holy table as it carries the body of Christ.

The Great Thanksgiving (New Zealand Prayer book)
God is here
We praise God together
Let us say thank you to God
who has done so much for us.

God, you made us, and the world and everything in it.
All the good we see comes from you.
You have always loved us but people have not always loved you.
You sent Jesus to show us how to live and to bring us back to you again.
Amen. We are alive in Jesus

He died for us on the cross so that through your Spirit
we can all be your people.
And so with thanks we praise you.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
God of power and might
Heaven and Earth are full of your glory
Hosanna in the Highest.

Blessed is the one that comes in the name of the Lord 

Hosanna in the Highest

We are here because on the night before he died
Jesus shared a meal with his friends.
There he took some bread and gave thanks to you, God.
He broke it into pieces, and gave it to them.
“This is my body,” he said.
“Do this, and know that I am with you.”
Amen. We are alive in Jesus

Later, he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to you.
He shared it with them, and said
“This is my blood, which brings new life.
Do this, and know that I am with you.”
Amen. We are alive in Jesus

And so, remembering Jesus who died,
was raised to new life by you, and is alive forever,
we are glad to share that life and live in him.
Amen. We are alive in Jesus

Send your Holy Spirit
so that this bread and wine
can be for us the body and blood of Jesus,
and through this food give us strength to live as your people
Amen. We are alive in Jesus

Help us to care for your world and for each other
in the way that Jesus showed us.
Until he comes again with all your people
in every time and every land
we worship you and say:
We praise you.
We thank you.
We bless you. Amen

Anglican Eucharistic Liturgies 1985-2010 (Colin Buchanan)

The Lord’s Prayer

Breaking of the Bread
The bread we break is a sharing of the body of Christ
We who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread

The Invitation
Bread and wine, the gifts of God for the people of God
May we who share these gifts be found in Christ and Christ in us

The Communion 

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear – Arranged by Jim Brickman

Prayer after Communion together 
Thank you,
Scandalous God,
For giving yourself to the world,
Not in the powerful and extraordinary,
But in weakness and the familiar:
In a baby; in bread and wine.

Thank you
For offering, at journey’s end, a new beginning;
For setting, in the poverty of a stable,
The richest jewel of your love;
For revealing, in a particular place,
Your light for all nations.

Thank you
For bringing us to Bethlehem, House of Bread,
Where the empty are filled,
And the filled are emptied;
Where the poor find riches,
And the rich recognize their poverty;
Where all who kneel and hold out their hands

Are unstintingly fed.

Closing Hymn     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.

Joy to the earth! The Saviour reigns:
Let us glad songs employ,
While fields and floods,
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

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.

The Blessing
May the God of the angels, who heralded Christ's birth, bring joy to your hearts this day and always.
May the God of love, who gave his only Son to be born for you, fill your life with love and peace.
May Emmanuel, God with us, be with you in all your doings and all your celebrations, until he brings you into his eternal kingdom.
And may almighty God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, bless you and all whom you love this night and forevermore. Amen.

Dismissal
The Word has become flesh and dwells among us. Let Christ’s light shine in the darkest corner of your life.
Let Christ’s light shine in the darkest corners of our world. God is with us. Alleluia. Amen

Post Lude    Mary's Boy Child

Advent 4 -- Love

                                                

                                            

Sources used
The Book of Alternative services
The NRSV Bible
Liturgies for the Journey of life (By Dorothy McRae-McMahon)
thebigandthesmall (website/blog)

Click Link to the Service Here

Welcome

Here, among our everyday places, here among our ordinary lives, is the emerging of grace. Watch, watch for the signs of the Holy. In this time, in every time, we hold our breath in awe for the wonder of Christ.

Gathering Song

Gathering     (inspired by Psalm 146 and Luke 1:46-56)

Our souls proclaim your greatness, O God.
And our spirits rejoice in you.
We will praise you as long as we live.
We will sing praises to you our whole lives long.
We will not trust in the powerful of this world,
But will trust in you–Creator of heaven and earth,
the One who gives food to the hungry,
the One who enacts justice for the oppressed.
Our souls proclaim your greatness, O God
As we worship you in this place,
As we light these candles in hope, peace, joy and love. 

Prayer of the Day together
Holy God of Joy, we rejoice in the reality of who you are. We live within the joy of your love for us. Our contentment comes and goes. Our happiness ebbs and flows. Our feelings depend upon our circumstances, our physical health, our brain chemistry. But our joy is deeply rooted in our identity as your beloved children. And we give you thanks. Amen.

~ written by Joanna Harader, and posted on Spacious Faith 

Candle Lighting ADVENT 4 - LOVE (Based on Psalm 89)

We light our first Advent candle, a symbol of Hope.
Light first candle

We light our second Advent candle, a symbol of Peace.
Light second candle

We light our third Advent candle, a symbol of Joy.
Light third candle

We light our fourth Advent candle, a symbol of Love.
Light fourth candle

Like a fourth candle lit in the darkness, Love increases the more it is shared.
I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever.

In a world where love can sometimes be seen as weakness, and hatred as strength, in a year when we have felt far away from those we love, God, remind us that your steadfast love is established forever.
I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever.

God, we trust that you are with us, that your faithful love is as firm as the heavens.
I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever.

Let our mouths proclaim your faithfulness to all generations, let us proclaim the truth to the ends of the earth, we have love because God is with us!
I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever.

Candle lighting Song

Collect
Heavenly Father, who chose the woman Mary, full of grace, to be the mother of our Lord and Saviour, now fill us with your grace, that we in all things may embrace your will and with her rejoice in your salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

The Proclamation of the Word 

A Reading from the second book of Samuel (7.1–11, 16)

Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church          R: Thanks be to God

Psalm 89.1–4, 19–26          Refrain: I will keep my love for him for ever

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, for ever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
I declare that your steadfast love is established for ever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
You said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David: “I will establish your descendants for ever, and build your throne for all generations.” ’
I will keep my love for him for ever

Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said: ‘I have set the crown on one who is mighty, I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found my servant David; with my holy oil I have anointed him; my hand shall always remain with him; my arm also shall strengthen him.
I will keep my love for him for ever

The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him.
I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him; and in my name his horn shall be exalted.
I will keep my love for him for ever

I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.
He shall cry to me, “You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!”
I will keep my love for him for ever

A Reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans (16.25–27)

Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever! Amen. 

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church             R: Thanks be to God

Gradual Hymn

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke (1.26–38)
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

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, favoured 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 favour 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 for ever, 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.

The Gospel of Christ                      R: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

The Homily

An Affirmation of Faith

We believe in God who lives and speaks in sunsets,
in love wrapped gifts, and fleeting butterflies;
in people weeping softly for stillborn dreams and hopes they never conceived.
We believe in God, indwelling wholly, in suffering and celebration.

We believe in Christ, harbouring our humanness,
who took nourishment from a woman’s breasts;
who climbed trees, skinned knees;
who laughed and cried, loved and wept, bled and died.
We believe in the Christ, sanctifying life and death.

We believe in the Spirit, mystically joining us to peoples everywhere;
who intercedes with sighs and groans too deep for words;
a shared consuming struggle bending our will to God.
We believe in the Holy Spirit incorporating us into Christ.

We believe in the church, being and becoming,
Chosen as God’s presence in the world despite its frailty,
Its foolishness, its failings.
We believe in the church, seeking, however imperfectly,
to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Amen

Prayers of Intercession          A Prayer for use with the Magnificat
(inspired by Luke 1:39-56)

Great God of the prophets and truth-tellers,
Great Voice of Truth who speaks through unexpected voices,
Great Power of the Universe who works mighty deeds from fragile possibilities,
we gather here to know Your presence and to listen for Your truth.
We listen in Your presence. We listen for You.

Let our listening reach to hear the voice of young Mary.
Let us listen for her voice,
the voice of an adolescent girl in an insignificant village
in a marginal province, far from the centers of power.
Extend our listening to hear her where she may be speaking today:
an adolescent girl in a village in rural China
whose parents really wanted a boy;
a girl in a remote native village in Latin America leading the singing in a small church;
a 14-year-old working for a tiny wage in a crowded factory somewhere
making our high-priced running shoes;
a 15-year-old helping her village in West Africa recover from civil war;
a high school student in a U.S. city resisting a culture of violence daily to attend school.
We listen in Your presence. We listen for You.

Extend our listening, God, to hear the song of truth and hope You are putting in their mouths.
Extend our listening, God, to sense the motion of a future You are moving in their midst, a future world put right.
Extend our listening, God,
that we may receive and affirm and listen with the eager ears of elderly Elizabeth, wise with years of waiting.
We listen in Your presence. We listen for You

Let us listen fully and deeply for the hope You are preparing.
Let us greet Your hope with the Elizabeth’s joy greeting Mary.
Let us feel the future moving in us as well.
Let us listen fully and deeply for the hope You are preparing in us.
Let us listen deeply to the truth speaking in us.
Let us listen fully to the hope You place in us.

Extend our listening
to the deepest reaches of our own souls, God of Truth.
Extend our listening through the cares that each of us brings on our hearts this morning.
Extend our listening through the financial worries and the preoccupations with our health,
our concern for loved ones whose lives are straying out of control,
our angers and aggravations, our inundation with activity. 
Extend our listening into all that we bring today to hear there the transforming truth about our lives.
Extend our listening until we listen with all that we are, our whole beings.
Extend our listening until we hear with Your whole voice.
Extend our listening until we become the voice that speaks as Mary to say,
“My soul magnifies God and my spirit rejoices.”

May the listening of our souls enlarge Your listening until we truly hear You from unexpected places
in the farthest reaches of the earth and the most remote territories of our own souls.
Extend our listening that we may magnify You.

~ written by Dr. Susan M. (Elli) Elliott, December 12, 2004. 

Let us bring our offerings to God – the offering of our hope, talents and gifts

Offering Hymn

Prayer over the Gifts
Gracious God, by the power of the Spirit who sanctified the mother of your Son, make holy all we offer you this day. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn

Blessing and Dismissal
Rejoice in Bethlehem, two thousand years ago.

Rejoice in the life that was conceived, lived and given for us.
Go in peace to love and serve the world. And may your waiting be in hope,
Each day lived in faith and the love in Christmas be moving toward you. Amen

Advent 3 -- Joy

 

Sources
https://www.faithandworship.com/Advent/Advent_Celtic_Christian_Celebration.htm#gsc.tab=0
Copyright © John Birch, 2016

Bread for the Journey (Ruth Duck)

Advent 3 

Link to Service

Symbols: A candle and in front of it a stone (A rock is often used as a symbol for Christ. In the wilderness, Moses struck a rock and it poured forth water to refresh the people. A rock can also symbolize obedience to Christ. St. Peter, whose name means "rock," is sometimes thus represented)

The candle is lit

'You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. '

Luke 1:31-33 

Prelude

Welcome

Gathering Sentences

Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice before the God of all peoples,
For God comes in power to judge the earth
Let us open our hearts in worship and trust, and offer our lives in willing service
For God shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with truth

A Canticle Reflection

There were safer places more comfortable places
palaces and wealthy places
Yet you chose a daughter of the soil
Who would have otherwise lived a good and honest life
grown and harvested crops, cooked and washed and cared for others
and been forgotten
to be your temporary home
to be exalted for all time

My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed

When does an ordinary life
Become extraordinary
A mundane day
Become revolutionary
A moment in time
Change history?
When God enters in
Forgives sin
Allows us to
Begin again
When we repeat
Those words of Mary

‘May it be to me
As you say’

'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.'

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered.
"May it be to me as you have said." Luke 1:35-38


(A moment of silence - During the silence, you may like to read and reflect on the words that have been read, gaze at the lantern - or simply enjoy the peace and calm)

I was there to hear Borning Cry will play quietly in the background

Advent Wreath Candle Lighting     ADVENT 3 - JOY (Based on Psalm 126)

We light our first Advent candle, a symbol of Hope.
Light first candle

We light our second Advent candle, a symbol of Peace.
Light second candle

We light our third Advent candle, a symbol of Joy.
Light third candle

Like a third candle lit in the darkness, joy shines brighter and brighter, and dances in the wind.
The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
In a world that sometimes feels devoid of joy, in a year when we have missed out on expected, routine joys, God, help us to find the joy in the unexpected, in the disruption, in the silver linings.
The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
God, we trust that you are with us, and that those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.
The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
Let our mouths be filled with laughter and our tongues with shouts of joy, let us proclaim the truth to the ends of the earth, we have joy because God is with us!
The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.

An Advent Reflection

Into the daily cycle of our lives
When all seems well
With us and with the world
When our yoke is easy
And the burden light
You break in
And scatter our complacency

Into the daily cycle of our lives
When we are comfortable
And at our ease
When the fire is lit
But eyes are closed
You break in
And challenge our dependency

You break into
Our daily prayers
Humble hearts
Lay souls bare
You break in
You break in

You break in
When defences are down
With an Angel's shout
Or the quietest sound
You break in
You break in
And we change
And all things change
When you break in

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come again and with us ever dwell

Music    Magnificat (Taize)

Scripture reading John 1:6-28

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

(John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Time of Reflection/Homily

Reflection Song     Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

Intercessions - A circle prayer

Imagine throwing a pebble into the centre of a pond, and the circles of ripples that move out from the centre.

We pray firstly for those closest to us, our immediate family and closest friends - for their health, needs, joys and fears.
Time of  Silent prayer
God of creation, God of Salvation
Hear the prayers of our hearts

We pray for our extended family and friends who we might not see each week - for their love and concern, for their wellbeing.
Time of  Silent prayer
God of creation, God of Salvation
Hear the prayers of our hearts 

As the ripples reach out toward the land we pray for those who we only have contact with annually or less - for a blessing this Advent-time
Time of  Silent prayer
God of creation, God of Salvation
Hear the prayers of our hearts

And as the ripples reach their furthest point we pray for this world and its people - for the needs of this week and the future.
Time of  Silent prayer

God of creation, God of Salvation
Who speaks to us through thunder and whisper
Who loves us as if there were but one of us to love
Hear the prayers of our hearts

Collect of the Day
God of power and mercy, you call us once again to celebrate the coming of your Son. Remove those things which hinder love of you, that when he comes, he may find us waiting in awe and wonder for him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

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 for ever. Amen

May God the Father bless us;
may Christ take care of us;
the Holy Ghost enlighten us all the days of our life.
The Lord be our defender and keeper of body and soul,
both now and for ever, to the ages of ages.

Postlude     Joyful, Joyful

Advent 2 -- Peace

Sources used
The Book of Alternative services
Liturgies for the Journey of life (By Dorothy McRae-McMahon)
Anglican Eucharistic Liturgies 1985-2010 (Colin Buchanan)
thebigandthesmall (website/blog)

Rev. Gord’s Worship Offerings (blog)

Prelude     Prepare, Prepare    (by Stephen Pishner)
Welcome

Here, among our everyday places, here among our ordinary lives, is the emerging of grace. Watch, watch for the signs of the Holy. In this time, in every time, we hold our breath in awe for the wonder of Christ.

Gathering Song     Emmanuel    (by Steve Angrisano)

Chorus
Come, come, Emmanuel! Son of God, appear.
Heaven and earth, rejoice!
Salvation is drawing near. Salvation is drawing near.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lovely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Chorus

O come, O Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.

Chorus

O come, O Rod of Jesse’s stem
From every foe deliver them
That trust your mighty power to save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.

Chorus

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of humankind;
Make all our sad divisions cease,
And be for us the King of Peace.

Chorus

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

Gathering

The prophet stands on the banks of Jordan calling to all to prepare
We are busy preparing, but are we preparing for the message of this season
John calls for people to prepare their lives, the very essence of who they are to receive the ultimate gift
A gift of hope and peace offered with grace
The gift that culminates with the light of Christ entering into our lives, our world
We allow our own lights to shine in hope and with peace

Peace is a gracious and cherished gift. We give thanks for the promise of peace and in turn we share the peace in this faith community. Peace is a challenging gift and we give thanks for the opportunity to share peace in our wider community.

Candle Lighting ADVENT 2 - PEACE (Based on Psalm 85)

We light our first Advent candle, a symbol of Hope.
Light first candle

We light our second Advent candle, a symbol of Peace.
Light second candle

Like a second candle lit in the darkness, peace can sometimes be found in the small, still moments, if we pause and listen.
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people.

In a world that often feels chaotic, in a year when every single aspect of our lives has been upended, God, we long to feel your peace.
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people.

God, we trust that you are with us, sowing peace among your people, even when it seems out of reach.
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people.

Let us be faithful and turn to you in our hearts,
let us proclaim the truth to the ends of the earth,
we have peace because God is with us!
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people.

Candle Lighting Song:     When the Wind of Winter Blows     More Voices 71

When the wind of winter blows,
Bringing times of solitude,
Fill the silent icy night;
Be our hearts’ compassion.

Chorus
Holy light, warm our night;
Warm the time of winter.
Holy light, warm our night;
Warm the time of winter.

When we shiver in despair,
When the chill of death comes near,
Hold us, Spirit, calm our fear,
While the evening deepens.

Chorus

When in days of fallen snow,
Change confounds or love burns low,
From the ashes may there rise
Phoenix of our growing.

Chorus 

 
Collect
Almighty God, who sent your servant John the Baptist to prepare your people to welcome the Messiah, inspire us, the ministers and stewards of your truth, to turn our disobedient hearts to you, that when the Christ shall come again to be our judge, we may stand with confidence before his glory; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

The Proclamation of the Word

A Reading from the prophet Isaiah 40:1-11

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.

Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church          R: Thanks be to God


Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin.
The Lord speaks peace to his people

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
The Lord speaks peace to his people

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord speaks peace to his people

The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.
The Lord speaks peace to his people

A Reading from the second letter of Peter (3:8-15)

But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church              R: Thanks be to God


Gradual Hymn     Every Valley        Glory and Praise 297

Chorus
Every valley shall be exalted and every hill made low.
And all God’s people shall see together the glory of the Lord.

A voice cries out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord.
Make straight in the desert a highway, a highway for our God.”

Chorus

Comfort all my people. The time for war is gone.
The blind shall see, the deaf shall hear, the lamp shall leap for joy.

Chorus

Stand up on the mountaintop, lift up your voice to the world.
Sing joyfully, Jerusalem: “Behold, behold your God.”

Chorus

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark (1:1-8)
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Gospel of Christ                  R: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

An Affirmation of Faith

We believe in God who lives and speaks in sunsets,
in love wrapped gifts, and fleeting butterflies;
in people weeping softly for stillborn dreams and hopes they never conceived.
We believe in God, indwelling wholly, in suffering and celebration.

We believe in Christ, harbouring our humanness,
who took nourishment from a woman’s breasts;
who climbed trees, skinned knees;
who laughed and cried, loved and wept, bled and died.
We believe in the Christ, sanctifying life and death.

We believe in the Spirit, mystically joining us to peoples everywhere;
who intercedes with sighs and groans too deep for words;
a shared consuming struggle bending our will to God.
We believe in the Holy Spirit incorporating us into Christ.

We believe in the church, being and becoming,
Chosen as God’s presence in the world despite its frailty,
Its foolishness, its failings.
We believe in the church, seeking, however imperfectly,
to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Amen

Prayers of Intercession

In lonely places, in the wildernesses of life, when we stand forlorn, alone and battered
Your voice calls out
Prepare a way for the Lord

In the shadows where we try to hide our fears, in our dark places where we embrace our tears
Your voice calls out
Prepare a way for the Lord

St. Luke writes “Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace. (1:78-79)

We trust that each new dawn will bring light into our lives and we pray that it will shine upon those who live in darkness. Help then to know and to find peace in their moments of despair and longing
Your voice calls out
Prepare a way for the Lord

For the desert places in which we walk, the streets we roam, the paths we cross
Guide our feet and take us to places where you would go

Give us words that you would use that in this Advent season of promise and preparation
We might point the way with John the Baptist
Your voice calls out
Prepare a way for the Lord

Prayer of Confession
Holy and loving God, we have dwelt in darkness and preferred it to the light;
we have been proud of our accomplishments and despaired over our shortcomings.
Smooth down the mountains of our pride, and lift up the valleys of our doubts.
Open a path in the wilderness of our lives that we might find our way to you again.
Refine us and prepare us once again for life in your kingdom.
Hear our prayer, O Lord. Amen.
~ from First Sunday of Advent Prayers and Litanies, posted on the Ministry Matters website


The Peace (from the Church of India)

Let there be peace
Peace among nations
Peace among people
Peace among neighbours
Peace among friends
The Peace of Christ above all.

Let us bring our offerings to God – the offering of our hope, talents and gifts and we prepare our offering of bread and wine at home to celebrate together the Lord’s feast

Offering Hymn     Song for John        Common Cup Company, Gordon Light

Like a flower in the desert, where a flower rarely grows,
Such an unexpected pleasure, strange and lovely, lonely rose.
Wild flower hidden by the river, filled with the dew of holy dreams;
Seeking life within the water, turning, turning in the wind,
A sturdy reed that will not bend.

Like a melody that rises in the darkest hours of night;
A song of infinite surprises, and still more infinite delight.
Voice crying in the wilderness, a carol carried on the wind,
Song announcing that God’s presence will dwell within the barren land,
And fashion new life from the sand.

Like a childhood memory wakens unbidden, deep within the soul;
And sets our broken hearts to aching, for the time when we were whole.
Wake us, Herald of the morning, tell us our broken hearts are free;
And that the morning we have longed for, is the morning that shall be;
Will come the morning that shall be.

Prayer over the Gifts
God our strength, we are nothing without you. Receive all we offer you this day as you sustain us with your mercy; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Setting of the Table

This table stands among us – Christ’s table and our table.
We gather around our tables as did the first disciples, humble people, who love Jesus
Hopeful people in the power of the Holy Spirit

Little children stand under the holy table, old people hold on to it.
Symbols of our life are placed upon it. With joy we dress it in colour and light.
With joy we bring our gifts. In faith we name it our Holy table as it carries the body of Christ.


The Great Thanksgiving (New Zealand Prayer book)
God is here
We praise God together
Let us say thank you to God
who has done so much for us.

God, you made us, and the world and everything in it.
All the good we see comes from you.
You have always loved us but people have not always loved you.
You sent Jesus to show us how to live and to bring us back to you again.
Amen. We are alive in Jesus


He died for us on the cross so that through your Spirit
we can all be your people.
And so with thanks we praise you.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
God of power and might
Heaven and Earth are full of your glory
Hosanna in the Highest.

Blessed is the one that comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the Highest

We are here because on the night before he died
Jesus shared a meal with his friends.
There he took some bread and gave thanks to you, God.
He broke it into pieces, and gave it to them.
“This is my body,” he said.
“Do this, and know that I am with you.”
Amen. We are alive in Jesus

Later, he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to you.
He shared it with them, and said
“This is my blood, which brings new life.
Do this, and know that I am with you.”
Amen. We are alive in Jesus

And so, remembering Jesus who died,
was raised to new life by you, and is alive forever,
we are glad to share that life and live in him.
Amen. We are alive in Jesus

Send your Holy Spirit
so that this bread and wine
can be for us the body and blood of Jesus,
and through this food give us strength to live as your people
Amen. We are alive in Jesus

Help us to care for your world and for each other
in the way that Jesus showed us.
Until he comes again with all your people
in every time and every land
we worship you and say:
We praise you.
We thank you.
We bless you. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Breaking of the Bread
The bread we break is a sharing of the body of Christ
We who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread

The Invitation
Bread and wine, the gifts of God for the people of God
May we who share these gifts be found in Christ and Christ in us

Communion Song    Comfort, Comfort Ye my People    CP 100
The Communion

Prayer after communion
All your works praise you, O Lord.

And your faithful servants bless you.
Gracious God we thank you for feeding us
with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ.
May we, who share his body,
live his risen life; we, who drink his cup, bring life to others;
we, whom the Spirit lights, give light to the world.
Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,
so that we and all your children shall be free,
and the whole earth live to praise your name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen

The Blessing

Closing Hymn   Sing Till Sundown         Voices United 78

Sing till sundown, hum your joy, dress in starlight, girl and boy.
Man and woman climb the hill, warmed beyond December’s chill,
Reeling, clapping, touch the air: is that fragrant music there?
Come the glory, gone the gloom: in a wondrous huddled room.
Christ the Word we’ve longed to know calls us dancing through the snow.

Gladness deepens into grace, weaves its light on every face.
Let us wake the sleeping earth, celebrate the sweetest birth,
Pierce the night with festive cry, bloom in colours of the sky.
Bring the flute, the tambourine, wave the branch of evergreen.
Lost we were a grief ago, now we’re dancing through the now.

Closing Commissioning 

Can you be a voice crying in the wilderness?
Can you proclaim that God is active in the world?
Maybe?

The time is near, of the crowning of the year.
We sing with angels,
setting the roadways and the buildings humming

As people who are being changed,
we go into a world that is being changed.
Ready to share the Good News
that the long expected Jesus is coming,
that we are being freed from whatever binds us.

Glory be to God!
Who walks with us, sings with us, and struggles with us,
each and every day. Amen


Postlude        Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella        Old French, arranged by John Ness Beck

Advent 1 -- HOPE

 

Find the Youtube channel Here

Sources used for the Service:
Liturgies for the Journey of Life (Dorothy McRae-McMahon) 

thebigandthesmall.com
NRSV Bible
Book of Alternative Services of the Anglican Church of Canada



Pre-lude Music/Song         Come Thou Long Expected Jesus


Welcome

It doesn’t matter whether or not you have faith; whether or not you are cynical or despairing, hope-filled or hope-less: what matters to God is simply that you are here.

In the church we are entering the time of Advent. Advent reminds us that if God is to be born again in the most ordinary parts of our world and our lives that we need prepare for it.

We need to make space in our lives where love might be born.

Welcome to this tiny corner of a harsh and dark world a corner where we find hope together. And together we practice getting ready to be receptive to the message of God, practice our faith with the hope that better days are coming. That amidst the uncertainty and fear Christ will come. We enter our Advent celebrations with HOPE

Gathering Song     In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there;
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But his mother only in her maiden bliss
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wiseman, I would do my part;
Yet what I can, I give him – give my heart.

Gathering

Among us the Spirit of God conceives new life,
and we feel that life within us.

In our history the Christ makes gentle entry,
and we see the light before us.

Within our dreams the truth of God is revealed;
We await the hope of the world.


Wreath Lighting
ADVENT 1 - HOPE     (Based on Psalm 80) (from the bigandthesmall.com)

We light our first Advent candle, a symbol of Hope.      Light first candle

Like a single candle lit in the darkness, hope can sometimes be a fragile, flickering thing…
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

In a world that sometimes feels like there is no hope, in a year that sometimes feels like all hope has been lost, stir up your might, O God, and come to save us!
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

God, we trust that you are with us, fanning our flicker of hope into a flame that can light up the whole world.
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Let us never turn away from you, let us proclaim the truth to the ends of the earth, we have hope because God is with us!
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Candle lighting Song.         Like a Candle

Like a candle burning wildly,
Raging soft against the night,
Spark that leaps to clear the shadows
Sending warm, disturbing night.

We are called to live the passion,
Hope stands strong against all pain.
For it’s only in the burning
That the candle shows its flame.

Like a river running freely,
Rapids swirl beside our feet,
Swiftly lowing from the highland
Comes to rest, still waters meet.

All our journeys rising, falling,
Making turns we least expect,
When the Spirit churns within us,
Know God’s power through the test.

Like an angel walking lightly
On this fragile earth of clay,
Touching folk with raw compassion,
Laughing, playing on the way.

Freely living every moment
In the mystery of grace.
Giving, dying, living, rising
See the beauty of God’s face.

See the hope that burns in darkness,
Show compassion, strong and kind,
Bind the hurt and broken hearted,
Be God’s hands and voice and eyes.

Sing a new song every sunrise,
Climb to places out of reach,
Walk in freedom of God’s Spirit,
As we die so we shall live.

We are called to live the passion,
Hope stands strong against all pain.
For it’s only in the burning
That the candle shows its flame.

Collect for the first Sunday of Advent
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility, that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Proclaiming the Word

A Reading from the prophet Isaiah (64:1-9)

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity for ever. Now consider, we are all your people.

Listen for the leading of the Spirit              R: Thanks be to God


Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 Refrain: Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us!
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbours; our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

A Reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1:3-9)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Listen for the leading of the Spirit                  R: Thanks be to God

Gradual Hymn     Drawing Nearer

Even in the midst of all of this,
Trouble on the news, no peace within,
Still there is a light in the distance
Drawing nearer, drawing nearer.

So, open up our eyes to see your light,
Open up our arms, they’re clenched so tightly,
Come in like a thief and steal our hearts
Like a baby, like a baby.

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark (13:24-37)
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

‘But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’

The Gospel of Christ                  R: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

The Homily

An Affirmation of Faith

We believe in God who lives and speaks in sunsets,
in love wrapped gifts, and fleeting butterflies;
in people weeping softly for stillborn dreams and hopes they never conceived.
We believe in God, indwelling wholly, in suffering and celebration.

We believe in Christ, harbouring our humanness,
who took nourishment from a woman’s breasts;
who climbed trees, skinned knees;
who laughed and cried, loved and wept, bled and died.
We believe in the Christ, sanctifying life and death.

We believe in the Spirit, mystically joining us to peoples everywhere;
who intercedes with sighs and groans too deep for words;
a shared consuming struggle bending our will to God.
We believe in the Holy Spirit incorporating us into Christ.

We believe in the church, being and becoming,
Chosen as God’s presence in the world despite its frailty,
Its foolishness, its failings.
We believe in the church, seeking, however imperfectly,
to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Amen

Prayers of Intercession
Let us join together in our prayers of intercession.

Our loving Parent, grant us the ability to be constantly aware that we are always in your presence.
You are the Ground of our Being

We thank you for your presence in the world that in our pain and anguish, dance and song, you are there.
You are the Ground of our Being. Everything that is.

We remember those for whom life seems unbearable; for those whose spirit weighs them down near death. May they find in you a hope that will sustain them.
You are the Ground of our Being. Everything that is-is because of you.

We thank you for the gift which enables us to see and hear to think and feel – the suffering, the poverty and oppression of our brothers and our sisters everywhere. May your Spirit ever move us to bring their lives before you in love, in action, and in prayer
You are the Ground of our Being. Everything that is-is because of you. May we ever be the expression of your presence in the world.

And now, let those who will, life up their prayers for the church and the world (People offer their prayers)

O God, we have come before you bringing our hopes and our fears. We have come because you have called us that we might experience afresh your grace and peace. Amen

Let us bring our offering before God – the offering of our hope, talents and gifts

Offering Hymn         Northern Advent

November feels so final – the trees so bleak and stark,
The land so cold and silent, our hearts November dark.
Like land that waits for sunrise, shivering till the dawn,
Keeping watch this Northern Advent, we sing out life’s true song.

Chorus
We are not the morning, we are not the dawn.
We are just the land that waits the first light of the sun.

Winter holds us in her pocket, snow covers life in drifts,
The frost shapes patterns on the glass showing every human rift.
The poor, the frail, the lonely wait in winter’s deep despair,
Keeping watch this Northern Advent for the birthcry of your care.

Chorus
We are not the morning, we are not the dawn.
We are just the land that waits the first light of the sun.

In our November ending, winter fears of grief and loss,
Keep all that’s human, holy, through your Advent, Birth and Cross.
Sun’s low on the horizon, our nights outlast our days,
Keeping watch this Northern Advent, we await your coming Grace.

Chorus
We are not the morning, we are not the dawn.
We are just the land that waits the first light of the sun.


Dedication of our Gifts
As Mary offered herself in her humanness, we offer our gifts to you, O God. We brin them in faith. We bring them in gratitude for all that we have received. Amen

Prayer of Hospitality for the Sending of Mary, Joseph and their Donkey

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn     People Look East

People look east! The time is near of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able, trim the hearth and set the table.
People look east and sing today: Love, the guest, is on the way.

Furrows, be glad! Though earth is bare, one more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish, that in course the flower may flourish.
People look east and sing today: Love, the rose, is on the way.

Birds, though you long have ceased to build, guard the nest that must be filled;
Even the hour when wings are frozen God for fledging time has chosen.
People look east and sing today: Love, the bird, is on the way.

Stars, keep the watch: when night is dim one more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather, bright as sun and moon together.
People look east and sing today: Love, the star, is on the way.

Angels, announce with shouts of mirth Christ who brings new life to earth.
Set every peak and valley humming with the word, the Lord is coming.
People look east and sing today: Love, the Lord, is on the way.

Blessing and Dismissal
Rejoice in Bethlehem, two thousand years ago.
Rejoice in the life that was conceived, lived and given for us.
Go in peace to love and serve the world. And may your waiting be in hope,
Each day lived in faith and the love in Christmas be moving toward you. Amen

Postlude   The Trumpet Child

The Trumpet Child will blow His horn, will blast the sky til it’s reborn.
With Gabriel’s power and Satchmo’s grace, He will surprise the human race.
The trumpet He will use to blow is being fashion out of fire:
The mouthpiece is a glowing coal, the bell a burst of wild desire.

The Trumpet Child will riff on love Thelonious notes from up above,
He’ll improvise a kingdom come, accompanied by a different drum.
The Trumpet Child will banquet here until the lost are truly found;
A thousand days, a thousand years- nobody knows for sure how long.

The rich forget about their gold; the meek and mild are strangely bold;
A lion lies beside a lamb, and licks a murderer’s outstretched hand.
The Trumpet Child will lift a glass, His bride now leaning in at last;
His final aim, to fill with joy the earth that Man all but destroyed.

November 22 -- The Reign of Christ

Find the YouTube link here 

  
Opening Hymn: King of Glory, King of Peace

King of glory, King of peace, I will love thee;
And that love may never cease, I will move thee.
Thou hast granted my request, thou hast heard me;
Thou didst note my working breast, thou has spared me.

Wherefore with my utmost art I will sing thee,
And the cream of all my heart I will bring thee.
Though my sins against me cried, thou didst clear me;
And alone, when they replied, thou didst hear me.

Seven whole days, not one in seven, I will praise thee;
In my heart, though not in heaven, I can raise thee.
Small it is, in this poor sort to enrol thee:
Even eternity’s too short to extol thee.   

Opening Responses:

Among the poor, among the proud, among the persecuted, among the privileged,
Christ is coming to make all things new.
In the private house, in the public place, in the wedding feast, in the judgement hall,
Christ is coming to make all things new.
With a gentle touch, with an angry word, with a clear conscience, with a burning love,
Christ is coming to make all things new.
That the kingdom might come, that the world might believe, that the powerful might stumble, that the hidden might be seen, 
Christ is coming to make all things new.

Collect (Said together)
Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, our Lord and King, grant that the peoples of the earth, now divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his gentle and loving rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

First Reading A reading from the Book of Ezekiel 34:11-16

For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord
All ye, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord, the Lord with gladness
Come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the Lord is God,
It is God that hath made us,
And not we, we ourselves,
We are the people and the sheep of God’s pastures.

Enter into God’s gates with thanksgiving
And into God’s courts with praise.
Be thankful unto God
And bless God’s holy name, and bless God’s holy name.

For the Lord, the Lord is good,
And God’s mercy is everlasting.
God’s truth, God’s truth endureth
Endureth to all generations.

Hallelujah, glory hallelujah
Hallelujah, glory hallelujah
Hallelujah, glory hallelujah
Hallelujah, glory hallelujah
Amen.

Second Reading A reading of the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians, 1:15-23

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Gradual Hymn: Whatsoever You Do

Chorus
Whatsoever you do to the least of my people
That you do unto me.

When I was hungry, you sent me your grain;
Sick or in prison, you soften my pain.
Now enter into the home of Creator.                Chorus

When I was lonely and in a strange land,
Looking for kindness, you held out your hand.
Now enter into the home of Creator.                Chorus

When I was little, you played for a-while;
When old and shut-in; you listened and smiled.
Now enter into the home of Creator.                Chorus

When I was weary you helped me find rest;
Supported and cheered me, when I was depressed.
Now enter into the home of Creator.                Chorus

Bereaved in sorrow, you shared in my loss;
Mocked or insulted, you shouldered my cross.
Now enter into the home of Creator.                Chorus

Gospel: The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew: 25:31-46

Jesus said, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."


Homily: The Nations Gather before the Son of God

Offertory     Are You a Shepherd

Are you a shepherd, good shepherd who leads us
Safely through danger, while calming our fears?
Are you a father who shelters and feeds us,
Shares in our laughter and wipes away tears?

Chorus
Yes, you are shepherd, parent and teacher,
But you are greater than all that we know.
Holy and living, loving and giving,
God, you are with us wherever we go.

Are you a mother, good mother who bears us,
Comforts, protects us and helps us to rest?
Are you a teacher who daily prepares us,
Challenging students to offer their best?        Chorus

Great, gentle shepherd, forever beside us,
Lead all your children in paths that are right.
Great, loving parent, wise teacher, you guide us.
We want to love you and bring you delight.        Chorus

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

In trust let us pray to the one coming into our hearts to awaken holiness in our midst...

Let us offer thanksgiving for all the blessings of this life...      (Silence)

Let us pray for the world, especially where there is conflict, poverty, hunger.      (Silence)

Let us pray for those who suffer in mind or body, for prisoners, for those in despair, for those who mourn and for those who wait.      (Silence)

Let us pray for the transformation of systems and bureaucracies, of gender relations, of race relations, of class divisions, of age and ability stereotypes.      (Silence)

Let us pray for ourselves, opening ourselves to healing and risk, to the power to let go and the courage to take on. (Silence)

And let us pray together,

God our Mother, Living Water, River of Mercy, Source of Life.
In whom we live and move and have our being.
Who quenches our thirst, refreshes our weariness,
Bathes and washes and cleanses our wounds.
Be for always a fountain of life and for all the world, a river of hope
Springing up in the midst of the deserts of despair.
Honour and blessing, glory and praise to you forever.   Amen         (Miriam Therese Winter, 1987)

The Lord’s Prayer (Cameron)

Blessing and Dismissal

As we have been gathered, so must we be sown back into the world to witness to the power of God's transforming love, to support and challenge each other,  to bring healing and justice to the world around us.

And now may the God who shakes heaven and earth,
Whom death could not contain,
Who lives to disturb and heal us,
Bless us with the power to go forth and proclaim the gospel.   Amen.

Closing Hymn     When I Needed a Neighbour

When I needed a neighbour, were you there, were you there?
When I needed a neighbour, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter, were you there?

I was hungry and thirsty, were you there, were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter, were you there?

I was cold, I was naked, were you there, were you there?
I was cold, I was naked, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter, were you there?

When I needed a healer, were you there, were you there?
When I needed a healer, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter, were you there?

Wherever you travel I’ll be there, I’ll be there,
Wherever you travel I’ll be there.
And the creed and the colour and the name won’t matter, I’ll be there.

Special thanks to all those who made today’s service possible, our readers, Rachel and Doug and Rick, And the wonderful technology of ZOOM and You Tube!