December 15, 2024
Lectionary Texts
Zephaniah 3. 14-20 — Rejoice! God is in your midst, rejoicing over you. “I will bring you home.”
Isaiah 12.2-6 — God, you were angry, but you comforted me. We will draw water from the well of salvation.
Philippians 4.4-7 — Rejoice always. Let your gentleness show. Don’t worry, but pray. The peace of God will guard your hearts.
Luke 3. 7-18 John the Baptist: Bear fruits worthy of repentance…. The ax at the root of the trees…. Advice to live justly… One is coming, winnowing fork in his hand
Preaching Thoughts
Zephaniah
The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally “joy” Sunday. Here’s your joy. We rejoice in God—who rejoices in us! The reason for joy is that exiles are being promised freedom from oppression, freedom to go home. The promise is to us as well. We are oppressed by a complex of powers that enslave us: the grip of our ego, the power of our sin, inner powers of fear, guilt, shame, despair, and our addictions and attachments, and external forces of cultural, economic, racial, political and even religious manipulation and control. And we are in exile, alienated from our true lives, our true selves, and distanced from God. The good news Christ brings us is that God sets us free from all that and brings us “home“ to God, home to ourselves. So, yeah, we have reason to rejoice.
Isaiah
This is a pretty huge turnaround, an amazing unexpected gift, in fourteen words: “Though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me.” Wow. There’s some cause for joy.
“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” We get our sustenance from God’s love. Our prayer, our faith, our life, is water from the well of God’s grace. Go back to that well. Over and over, go there. The more you draw, the purer the water gets.
Philippians
Notice how joy, gentleness and prayer are intertwined. We rejoice in God’s grace. And because we trust that grace, instead of worrying we pray. We are not troubled. And because we trust God’s grace, we don’t gel selfish, defensive, competitive or manipulative. We can dare to be gentle because God has been gentle with us.
Luke
The tradition is “joy” this Sunday, but this passage doesn’t seem very happy. It’s all about repentance, axes and broods of vipers and unquenchable fire. Yikes. John really knows how to party, huh? But maybe the problem is that we’re so afraid repentance is difficult, unpleasant and gloomy. Actually repentance is joyful. If we really trust God’s grace, if we really rejoice because God has turned anger at us into comfort for us, then repentance is a joyful return from exile, a return to God, return to our true, deep selves. It isn’t gruesome for a gardener to trim flowers, for an orchardist to prune trees to bear greater fruit. Repentance is pruning—or rather allowing God to prune— the dead stuff in our lives, the unfruitful things that inhibit our bearing the fruit of love. Pruning our sin liberates us. We become more truly ourselves by letting God take away fear, shame, desire for power, and all that stuff. So the ax at the root of the trees is welcome. The unquenchable fire is a gift. God brings us to the threshing floor and gathers our grain into God’s grace, and the chaff of our lives God burns away. It is indeed “good news.”
People question John about what they should do, and John is clear: it’s not about piety. It’s not ”just between me and God.” It has everything to do with how we treat other people, especially the poor and people with less power than we have. Preparing for the Coming One is about justice.
“I baptize you with water… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” In Advent we’re not awaiting a cute little baby. We’re awaiting someone who will upend our lives and set our hearts on fire. Advent is a season of transformation. Which is also what repentance is. While we are crying with the prophet to prepare the way in the wilderness, God’s is preparing a way in us.
Call to Worship / Lighting the Advent Candle
See Advent Resources for Advent Candle prayers, Advent wreath prayers, and music, including Eucharistic prayers and responses and weekly litanies.
1.
Leader: Eternal God, Timeless One, come into this time.
All: Loving Christ, you who are coming,
enter in with your grace.
Holy Spirit, Flame of Life, baptize us in your mystery.
Burn in us with love and justice.
Prepare your way in us. Amen.
2.
Reader: Reads Philippians 4.4-7
Leader: We pray that this Advent candle may shine in our hearts with joy.
All: Even in the darkness we shine with joy, for the Light is coming.
Even in the cold our hearts are warm with joy, for you are with us.
Even amidst evil and cruelty we bear joy and not despair into the world.
God, we open our hearts to your grace. Fill us with the light of your joy.
3. [Philippians 4.4-7]
Reader: Loving God, we light this candle as a prayer of hope in your coming.
All: Kindle your spirit in us, that we may always be prayerful.
We light this candle as an invitation to the Prince of Peace.
Kindle your grace in us, that we may always be gentle.
We light this candle in joy for your coming among us.
Kindle your love in us, that we may always be joyful.
Come, O Sovereign of Joy, and rejoice with us!
4.
READING [from Zephaniah 3.14-18]
Rejoice, O Israel! Do not fear,
God, the Holy One is in your midst.
God says, “I will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in my love;
I will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.”
RESPONSE
Leader: We light a candle of joy in this wreath of life,
as a sign of God’s joy in us, and our hope in God.
All: With joy and hope we await the coming of Christ.
The prophet calls us to repentance as we prepare.
We gladly repent, that like this candle
we may be baptized with the Holy Sprit, and with fire.
5.
READING [from Zephaniah 3.14-18]
Rejoice, O Israel! Do not fear,
God, the Holy One is in your midst.
God says, “I will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in my love;
I will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.”
RESPONSE
Leader:, As you look upon us, God, kindle in us the light of your love.
All: As we await the coming of Christ open our hearts to your joy.
Grant us a spirit of repentance, that we may prepare in faith and confidence.
As we await the coming of the light,
kindle in us the courage to be transformed by hope and joy.
We worship with gladness in the light of your coming.
6. [Philippians 4.4-7]
READING: Rejoice in God always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Beloved is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
RESPONSE
Leader: Kindle your joy in us, O God.
All: By the grace of your nearness, instill your gentleness in us.
Heal our worries, lift our hopes, and hear our prayers.
Receive our thanksgiving, and our silent supplications.
Friends, in the light of the One who is coming,
may the peace that passes all understanding
guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Collect / Prayer of the Day
1.
God of love and abundance, you come to us so that your joy may be in us, and our joy may be full. Fill us with your Spirit, that we may know your delight and rejoice in your presence and your grace. Speak your Word to us and bless us that we may always be joyful, gentle and prayerful, in the spirit of Christ. Amen.
2.
Gracious and ever-present God, we await the coming of your Anointed One, and we worship in the company of the One who is always with us. We await your Word, and yet your Word is within us. We long for your Realm of Grace, and yet even now it is hidden among us. Open our hearts to your Word, to your grace, to your Presence. Amen.
3.
Gracious God, John the Baptist calls us to repentance in preparation for the coming of your Messiah. As the people came to hear him, so we come now to hear your Word. Bless us with open hearts and minds, that as the scriptures are read and your good news proclaimed we may hear with joy what you are saying to us today. Amen.
4.
God of love, prepare your way in us. You set us free from all that enslaves us; help us to claim our freedom. You who bring back exiles, return us to our true live sin you. You who call us to bear fruit, prune away whatever is fruitless in us, whatever inhibits our love. God, you who delight in us, set free our joy. God of love, prepare your way in us. Amen.
Listening Prayer
(Suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)
1.
Among the weeds and brambles of our thoughts
is the fruit of your truth.
Clear away what is not life-giving,
that we may hear.
Prepare your way into our hearts.
2.
Surely God is our salvation.
We will trust and not be afraid.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
With joy we come to the well.
Thirsting for your grace, we lower our prayers
into the deep, clear waters of your Word.
Sing for joy, for God is in your midst.
We come with joy to the well.
Prayer of Confession
1.
The grace of God is with you.
And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
Gracious God,
We confess the the dead and fruitless branches in our lives,
shriveled by the wintery storms of our fears and desires.
Prune the branches of our hearts,
that we may bear fruit in your Spirit.
Forgive our sin, heal our hearts,
and be born in us again,
that by your grace we may bear your light.
O come to us, Beloved, and save us! Amen.
SILENT PRAYER… THE WORD OF GRACE
2.
[May be read responsively or by the pastor alone:]
Dearly Beloved, the ax lying at the root of the trees
is not for punishment, but pruning.
Therefore, trusting in God’s tender mercy, we examine ourselves,
that we may see ourselves clearly through the eyes of love.
Grateful for your goodness, we reflect on those parts of our lives
that bear good fruit, and we give thanks.
…Silent reflection…
Trusting in your mercy, we reflect on the dead branches of our lives,
the barren or hurtful parts, the parts that do not bear good fruit,
and we seek your grace.
…Silent reflection…
O God, prune the branches of our hearts according to your grace,
that we may flourish in doing your will.
Draw from the well of our salvation and water the trees of our souls,
that we may faithfully bear fruit,
and delight in your love, in the grace of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Reading
[Isaiah 12. 2-6]
Leader: Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid.
All: For God, the Holy One, is my strength and my might;
God has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
And you will say in that day:
Give thanks to the Holy One, call on God’s name
make known God’s deeds among the nations;
proclaim that God’s name is exalted.
Sing praises to God, for God has done gloriously;
let this be known in all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Response / Creed / Affirmation
Leader: God of justice, we await your coming.
All: Prepare your way in us.Prepare a way of justice.
Prepare a way of love.Prune what is fruitless, burn away what is dead.
Thresh what is unneeded out of our souls.
Lay your ax at the root of all that enslaves us.
Set us free to hope boldly, to serve faithfully, to love deeply.
Set free our souls. Set free our joy.
Come, cleansing fire of God,
and prepare your way in us. Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer
May God be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Beloved.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One our God.
It is good to give God thanks and praise.
Gracious God, we rejoice, for you are in our midst.
You rejoice over us with gladness and renew us in your love.
By your Covenant you have taken us as your own.
You set us free and ask us to put the axe to the roots
of all oppression and injustice.
You have prepared the way for us in Jesus, your Christ.
Therefore at his invitation we come to this feast
to draw water from the well of our salvation,
singing your praise with all Creation.
[Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
Hosanna in the highest.
[or alternate version]
Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who loved and taught, who fed the hungry and healed the broken.
His gentleness was known to everyone,
and he granted to us a peace that surpasses understanding.
For his prophetic love he was crucified,
but you raised him from the dead,
and he comes among us and invites us to this feast of joy.
[The Blessing and Covenant] *
As long was we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in joy, in union with his offering for us,
proclaiming the mystery of our faith.
[Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
—or—
Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
Christ will come again in glory.
[or alternative]
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be the Body of Christ for the world,
fearless in repentance, and courageous in justice.
Baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire,
that we may bear fruit, the fruit of your love and joy in us,
for the sake of the healing of the world.
[Spoken or sung]
Amen.
_________________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]
On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Prayer of Dedication / Sending or after Communion
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You have filled us with the joy of your love, the taste of your delight in us. Send us into the world to share your joy, to serve you in love for one another, and to wait for your coming in gentleness, confidence, patience and joy, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.
2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Even as we await your coming, you have fed us with your presence. Send us into the world, confident to live in your promised Realm until it is fulfilled, as signs of your coming, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.
3. (Benediction- Philippians 4.)
Beloved, rejoice in the Beloved always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Suggested Songs
(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page.)
Drink from the Wells (Original song)
[May be used as a repeating chant.]
Drink with joy from the wells of salvation.
Trust and do not be afraid.
God, your strength, has become your salvation.
Trust, and do not be afraid.
Prepare Your Way in Me (Original song)
Prepare your way in me, Love, prepare your way in me.
Prepare your way in me, Love, prepare your way in me, my Love.
1. Make my rough places smooth, the crooked make straight, my Love.
2. Lay your hand at my root, that I may bear fruit, my Love.
3. Come and empty my heart of all things but you, my Love.
4. Guide my feet in your way; fill me with your peace, my Love.