Advent 2,
December 5, 2021
PEACE
Prelude: Come O Lord and Set Us Free. CP 113
Refrain
Come, O Lord, and set us free. Maranatha.
Desert and dry land will grow green in praise;
clay will rejoice with full bloom:
showers and flowers given birth in dead earth;
in colours they echo Love’s song.
Come, O Lord, and set us free. Maranatha.
Strengthen the hearts of the fearful and weak;
be strong; fear not, God is near,
coming in power and loosing our bonds,
setting the captives free.
Come, O Lord, and set us free. Maranatha.
We have been waiting and longing for light,
watching for signs of the Lord.
“Promised of ages,” “Messiah to come,”
hear us, we beg you: “Come save!”
Come, O Lord, and set us free. Maranatha.
Give us a star in the sky day and night,
sign of your promise to save.
Over the mountains we follow its light,
hoping for sign of your life.
Come, O Lord, and set us free. Maranatha.
Acknowledgement
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: O Come Divine Messiah. CP 95
O come, divine Messiah; the world in silence waits the day when hope shall sing its triumph and sadness flee away.
Dear Saviour, haste! Come, come to earth. Dispel the night and show your face, and bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, divine Messiah; the world in silence waits the day when hope shall sing its triumph and sadness flee away.
O Christ, whom nations sigh for whom priest and prophet long foretold, come, break the captives’ fetters, redeem the long-lost fold.
Dear Saviour, haste! Come, come to earth. Dispel the night and show your face, and bid us hail the dawn of grace.
You come in peace and meekness
and lowly will your cradle be;
all clothed in human weakness
shall we your Godhead see.
Dear Saviour, haste! Come, come to earth. Dispel the night and show your face, and bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, divine Messiah! the world in silence waits the day when hope shall sing its triumph and sadness flee away.
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)
from thebigandthesmall (website/blog)
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: Hope Shines. MV220. Week 2.
Hope shines as the solitary star, faith is the inner light. You and I together mirror the Light of Lights, and illuminate the pathway home.
Peace shines as the solitary star, faith is the inner light. You and I together mirror the Light of Lights, and illuminate the pathway home.
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 Malachi 3:1-4 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight--indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church Thanks be to God Canticle 19B (Sung)
Bless’d be the God of Israel,
the ever-living Lord,
who comes in pow’r to save his own,
his people Israel.
For Israel he raises up
salvation’s tow’r on high
in David’s house who reigned as king
and servant of the Lord.
Through holy prophets did he speak
his word in days of old,
that he would save us from our foes
and all who bear us ill.
To our ancestors did he give
his covenant of love;
so with us all he keeps his word
in love that knows no end.
Of old he gave his solemn oath
to Father Abraham;
his seed a mighty race should be
and bless’d for evermore.
He vowed to set his people free
from fear of ev’ry foe
that we might serve him all our days
in goodness, love, and peace.
O tiny child, your name shall be
the prophet of the Lord;
the way of God you shall prepare
to make his coming known.
You shall proclaim to Israel
salvation’s dawning day
when God shall wipe away all sins
in his redeeming love.
The rising sun shall shine on us
to bring the light of day
to all who sit in darkest night
and shadow of the grave.
Our footsteps God shall safely guide
to walk the ways of peace.
His name for evermore be bless’d
who lives and loves and saves.
A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians 1:3-11
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church R: Thanks be to God
Gradual Hymn: There's a Voice in the Wilderness Crying. CP 106
There's a voice in the wilderness crying, a call from the ways untrod: prepare in the desert a highway, a highway for our God! The valleys shall be exalted, the lofty hills brought low; make straight all the crooked places where the Lord our God may go! O Zion, give voice to good tidings, ascend to the heights and sing! Proclaim to a desolate people the coming of their King. The works of pride all perish, like flowers they shall decay, the power and pomp of nations shall pass like a dream away. But the word, O God, is faithful, your arm, O Lord, is strong; You stand in the midst of nations, and you will right the wrong. You will feed your flock like a shepherd, and fold the lambs to your breast; in pastures of peace you’ll lead them, and give to the weary rest.
There’s a voice in wilderness crying,
a call from the ways untrod:
prepare in the desert a highway,
a highway of our God!
The valley’s shall be exalted,
the lofty hills brought low;
make straight all crooked places
where the Lord our God may go!
The Gospel The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke 3:1-6
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
The Gospel of Christ R: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
An Affirmation of Faith (Liturgies for the Journey of life D. McRae-McMahon)
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 them 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)
Anglican Eucharistic Liturgies 1985-2010 (Colin Buchanan) Let there be peace Peace among nations Peace among people Peace among neighbours Peace among friends The Peace of Christ above all.
Offering Hymn: Comfort Comfort Ye My People. CP100
Comfort, comfort ye my people; speak ye peace: thus says your God. Comfort those who sit in darkness bowed beneath opression’s load;
speak ye to Jerusalem of the peace that waits for them: tell them that their sins I cover, and their warfare now is over.
Hark! The herald’s voice is calling
in the desert far and near,
calling is to new repentance
since the reign of God is here.
Oh, the warning call obey!
Now prepare for Christ a way;
Let the valleys rise to meet him
And the hills bow down to greet him.
Make ye straight what long was crooked;
make the rougher places plain.
Let your hearts be true and humble
as befits Messiah’s reign.
For the glory of the Lord
now o’er earth is shed abroad,
and all flesh shall see the token
that God’s Word is never broken.
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 of your glory are full Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest. Blessed is one that comes in the name of the Lord
Blessed is one that come in the name of the Lord
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of power and might Heaven and Earth of your glory are full Hosanna, Hosanna, 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 (Sung) As our Saviour taught us, let us pray, 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 and 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 forever. Amen.
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: Instrumental by Rachel C.
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
Announcements Closing Hymn: People, Look East! The Time is Near. CP 91
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.
The Dismissal (Rev. Gord’s Worship Offerings (blog))
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: Emmanuel bySteve Angrisanno
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 lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.
Come, come, Emmanuel! Son of God, appear. Heaven and earth, rejoice! Salvation is drawing near. Salvation is drawing near.
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.
Come, come, Emmanuel! Son of God, appear. Heaven and earth, rejoice! Salvation is drawing near. Salvation is drawing near.
O come, O Rod of Jesse’s stem; from ev’ry foe deliver them That trust your mighty pow’r to save, And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Come, come, Emmanuel! Son of God, appear. Heaven and earth, rejoice! Salvation is drawing near. Salvation is drawing near.
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.
Come, come, Emmanuel!
Son of God, appear.
Heaven and earth, rejoice!