Author: Steve

December 22, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Micah 5.2-5 — Bethlehem, from you shall come a ruler who will feed the people and reign in peace.

Luke 1.46-55 — The Magnificat.

Hebrews 10.5-10 — Quoting Psalm 40 as the voice of Christ: “Sacrifice and offerings you do not desire, but to do your will. See, I have come to do your will.”

Luke 1.39-45 —Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s song: “Blessed are you….

Preaching Thoughts

Luke 1.46-55
       The Magnificat is another song in Luke’s great musical. Mary repeats the common biblical theme that God lifts the lowly and lowers the powerful. That second half is often overlooked, because it’s the traumatic one. We don’t mind the lowly being raised, but for the powerful to come down, well… let’s face it: that threatens us, because in wordily terms most of us are among the powerful. For true justice to come about we ourselves will have to let go of power and privilege, or at least be better stewards of them. We’re more attached to social stratification than we like to think. In society at large and even in our little personal cliques and social networks, consciously or unconsciously. we believe some folks are “beneath us.” There are ways we believe we should have control of things that others shouldn’t have. We deserve certain goods, positions or opportunities that others don’t deserve. We might not profess it, but unconsciously we believe in high and low, superior and inferior, deserving and undeserving. God will not have that.

Luke 1.39-45
       And Elizabeth gets to sing a song. The first verse affirms Mary and her gifts, and all those who follow in her footsteps. “Blessed are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Elizabeth isn’t just talking about biology. Maybe your “womb” is whatever in you creates new life or gives birth. Of course the fruit of Mary’s womb was Jesus. So your “womb” is also whatever ways God is alive in you. Blessed are you, and blessed is the fruit of your heart, the fruit of your love, the fruit of your faith, the fruit of God alive in you.
       Then Elizabeth sings the bridge, in which “as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.” She turns momentarily from blessing Mary to blessing herself. There is something in you that responds to divine presence, even beneath the awareness of your rational mind. Something deep in you knows, and leaps for joy. Sometimes prayer is simply holding still and letting that inner presence in us respond to the presence of God.
       Then Elizabeth returns to the blessing theme of the opening verse. “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what God has spoken.” Again, a blessing for all who follow in Mary’s footsteps of trusting God’s promises in them, trusting the mystery of God at work in them. Part of our Advent anticipation is that while we wait with Joseph and Mary for the birth of their baby, we also tend to how God takes on new life in us. “Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.”

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. [Also may be used as a response/ affirmation.]
Leader: O people of God, rejoice, for God is among you.
All: We give thanks, God, and welcome your presence.
Blessed are you, and blessed is the fruit of your faith,
for God is alive in you.
As we hear the Word
something deep within us leaps for joy,
for God within us rejoices.
Blessed are you who believe that there will be a fulfillment
of what God has spoken.
God, you are coming into our lives in new ways.
In trust, we open the womb of our hearts to you.
Come, God of love, be born in us today.

2.
              READING [Luke 1.26-38 (The Annunciation)]
              RESPONSE
Leader: The Advent candle shines with light,
        All: the same light that shines in us, the light of your love.
On the darkest day of the year, the longest night, your light shines into the world.
        And it shines in our hearts. Bring to life your holy presence in us
        as we worship now and as we live each moment.
        Christ, be born in us, now and always. Amen.

3.
READING (John 1.1-5, 9)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through the Word, without whom not one thing came into being. What has come into being in the Word was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light, which enlightens everyone, is coming into the world.
RESPONSE
Leader: These candles we light shine with the light that comes into the world.
       All: Your presence and your love shine upon us.
Like a child to be born, your light awaits, the light of life.
      Your presence and your love shine within us.
May we await your coming in hope and joy,
and prepare for your life among us in love.
      Your presence and your love shine out from us.
May your love grow in us, shine upon the world,
and bring life to all people.
      Come, O Christ, and shine in us with your grace!

4.
READING (Luke 1.26-38, the Annunciation)
Leader: God of grace, as we light these candles, we remember your promise.
      All: Your light shines within us.
You have chosen us to bear your love into the world.
      Your presence grows within us.
We await the coming of Christ.
      Your Spirit moves within us.
We prepare for your coming in joy and simplicity.
     Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Alleluia!

5.
Leader: Now you, O Bethlehem of Ephratha, who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth from me one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
      All: You have promised a ruler, O God,
     to feed your flock and guide us to live in peace.
      May your peace come to all the earth.
O God, you have scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
You have brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
You have filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty..
      As we light these Advent candles, O God,
      kindle in us your spirit of justice.
      As we prepare for your coming may your love grow in our hearts,
      that by our faithful living
      we may bring peace to all the world. Amen.

6.
We praise you, O God, for this victory wreath
that marks our days of preparation for Christ’s advent.
      As we light these candles on the wreath,
      awaken our hearts to your light growing about us
     and within us, as our Savior draws near.
Enlighten us with your grace,
and prepare our hearts to welcome you with joy.
      Kindle within us the gift of love through Christ the Beloved,
     whose coming is certain and whose day draws near. Amen.

7.
READING (from Micah 5.2-5)
Now you, O Bethlehem, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. God’s chosen one shall stand and feed God’s flock in the strength of God, in the majesty of the name of the Holy One our God. And the people shall live secure, for their ruler shall be great to the ends of the earth, the one of peace.
RESPONSE
Leader: God of love, you promise our salvation, coming from among us.
      All: Grace stirs within us. Love lives among us.
Christ is near. We waken to the light of your presence.
      We rise in the dawning of the mystery of love made flesh.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of love, you promise your presence, and you pledge to us your mercy and grace. Open our eyes to see the dawning of your light within us and among us. Open our hearts to your Word, that we might trust in what you have spoken to us. Speak to us again, that we may live in the light of your coming. Amen.

2.
God of love, your presence grows within us. Open our hearts to receive, to honor and to nourish the holy child, that Christ may be born in us by your grace. Amen.

3.
Holy One, Promise of Life, Mystery of light, your grace comes to us; your Word grows within us. In the stillness of the morning we open our hearts to you, to receive your Word, to embrace your love, that your grace may be conceived in us and among us. May it be for us according to your Word. Amen.

4.
God of love, as your Word came to Mary long ago, it comes to us nows. You are present for us, and we have only to listen with our hearts to know your desire for us. We want to be open to your Word. We want to hear your promises. May it be for us according to your Word. Amen.

5.
Gracious God, your angel spoke to Mary long ago, calling her your Beloved, and showing her your blessing that grew within her. Speak to us now; call us as your Beloved, and help us see the blessing that grows within us. Grant us 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.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

God of life,
something in us leaps for joy
when we sense you near.
Blessed are we, and blessed is the fruit of our hearts
when we listen.
In the silence, and in the Word, speak to us.
Come to us.
Be born in us.

Prayer of Confession

1.
God, we confess our sin, and what diminishes life in us.
And we confess the life within us yet to be born,
the holy presence yet to be affirmed,
the divine presence in us that leaps with joy.
Forgive our sin, heal our fear,
and bring to life the light within.
Give us the courage of Mary and Elizabeth
to believe you will fulfill what you have spoken.
Amen.

2.
God of love, you who are born in us, we thank you.
And we confess the times
we leave no room in the inn of our hearts
for you to be born in us.
Forgive our being closed off to your gift of Life;
grant us open minds and spacious hearts,
that your love may find new life in our lives.

Eucharistic Prayer

Beloved, God is with you.
     And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
     We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Faithful One, our God.
     It is good to give God thanks and praise.

How blessed we are that our life-giver and savior has come to us!
      Our hearts within us leap for joy at the sound of your voice.
We praise you, God, for you birth us in love.
     You promise yourself to us, and you are faithfully present.
You defeat the forces of oppression, set us free,
and call us to join you in building a world of mercy and justice.      
      You leave the rich wanting and feed the hungry with good things.
      Therefore with all Creation we sing your praise.

            [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:i
      in him you were incarnate among us and live with us always.
He taught and healed, he embodied forgiveness and reconciliation;
      he recognized the divine in each of us and called it to life.

                  […The Blessing and Covenant…] *

Whenever we break this bread and share this cup we remember his incarnation,
his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
       Remembering your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
       we offer ourselves, with praise and thanksgiving,
       as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
       as we proclaim the mystery at the heart 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,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of the Holy One Jesus Christ.
       Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
       that we may trust what you have spoken to us,
       and conceive in our souls
       and bring forth your love made flesh,
      that by the grace of your Spirit in us
      may we be for the world the Body of Christ.

     [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 after Communion

Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. In your Spirit you live within us; your presence accompanies us; your love flows from us. May Christ be born in us in this holy season and all the days of our lives, by your grace, to your eternal glory. Amen

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page.)

Blessed Child of Bethlehem      (Original song)

Blessed child of Bethlehem, waiting to be born,
some will bring you incense, and some a crown of thorns.
Yet you bear so gently all our joys and harms.
How I long to greet you, and hold you in my arms!

Blessed child of heaven, waiting to be born,
joy of all Creation, delight of those who mourn:
teach us how to worship, teach us how to love,
living in the presence of angels from above.

Blessed child among us, waiting to be born,
in whom we are healed and all our sorrows borne:
help us live with love, in peace and reconciled.
By your birth in us, everyone’s a holy child.

Blessed child within me, waiting to be born,
bringing gifts and wonders with the light of morn,
heaven springing in me, new life yet to grow:
child of holy promise, oh how I love you so!



Magnificat (Tune: Greensleeves- What Child Is This)

My soul sings out in joy to God, who’s favored me, so lowly.
The Mighty One has kindly done great things, for God is holy.
This, this is grace outlaid, God’s mercy in the promise made,
Praise, praise, the Faithful One, and magnify our savior!

God brings the powerful down from thrones while lifting up the lowly.
God feeds the poor, and the rich no more receive, but the hungry solely.
Praise! Praise the Mighty one for all the things that God has done
Love, love will honor God, who promises mercy forever.

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.

December 8, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Malachi 3. 1-4 — I am sending my messenger, like a refiner’s fire.

Luke 1. 68-79 — Zechariah’s song. God has raised up a savior…that we might serve God without fear… and you, child, shall be a prophet, preparing a way… God’s dawn will break upon us, leading us into peace

Philippians 1.3-11 — The One who began a good work in you will bring it to completion… May your love overflow…

Luke 3.1-6 — John the Baptist: “Prepare the way.” The crooked made straight, the rough made smooth.

Preaching Thoughts

Malachi
       The fire of God is never a destroying fire, but a refining fire. Even the “consuming flames” we most fear consume only what we need to be rid of but can’t let go of ourselves. It sounds awful, but it’s a gift. We don’t have to be “pure” to be acceptable to God: God purifies us! So much of the spiritual life is not about achieving anything or attaining or acquiring anything, but letting go. Shedding. Allowing all that is not the pure gold of our souls to be burned away. Letting go can be painful, but the freedom it affords is worth it.

Luke 1
       Sometimes I think Luke is a musical. He’s got songs in every scene, often in the style of those good old Broadway shows—that is, the Hebrew Bible. Here’s Zechariah’s song at the birth of John, in the style of the prophets. It’s sort of an overture, introducing all the themes Luke will hit in his Gospel. The first is that God has sent salvation, as promised in the Covenant, to rescue us from our enemies. We might think of our enemies as political enemies; Luke and his audience surely thought of Roman occupation. But I think of our enemies as whatever diminishes life. We are oppressed by a web of interlocking powers that enslave us, powers that include inner forces of guilt, shame, fear, attachments and desires, as well as all kinds of political, cultural and even religious forces that manipulate us, that inhibit our love and freedom, that diminish the life of Spirit in us, and that keep us from God. It’s these enemies that Jesus comes to save us from. In his loving self-giving, in his forgiveness and healing, we see God’s love poured out for us, that sets us free from all that crap that oppresses us. Salvation is a living relationship with God that sets us free, free to trust God and love profoundly like Jesus. Luke never defines salvation, but he’ll sing about it here, and at the nativity, and then not mention it again until we’ve seen it in action, and Jesus will proclaim that “salvation has come to this house” with Zacchaeus (Lk. 19.9). The point of salvation is not to get our sins “paid for” or to go to heaven but to “serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness before God all our days” (1.75). This is the life Jesus makes possible and invites us into. That’s what we anticipate in Advent: the coming of the One who can set us free.
       The second part of Zechariah’s song is addressed to John—and us: Prepare a way for God by showing people forgiveness. The dawn of God’s grace is coming, to save those who live in the shadow of death, and to guide us in the way of peace. Zechariah sings for us the promise of Advent.

Philippians
       Some people talk about having “been saved,” as if it happened one day. But salvation is a life-long relationship. It’s something that God has already begun in us, but is still being brought to completion. The hope of Advent is looking toward this ongoing process, the unknown but reliable future that awaits us because God is at work in us and for us. Our love will increasingly overflow (1.9), and this will not only prepare us for the day of the coming of Christ—the overflowing of our love is the coming of Christ into the world.

Luke 3
       Luke takes pains to identify the political power structure of Judea and Galilee and then makes it clear: the Word of God came to someone outside that power structure, a nobody in the wilderness. Luke sets the scene in his musical, and then lets loose with another song: Isaiah steps on stage and sings his “Prepare the Way” song. That song has a theme Mary will repeat in her song: that God raises the lowly and brings down the powerful, that the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth. The message in Isaiah was a word of hope to people who were in exile: a broad, smooth road through the wilderness, on which God would come to bring them home! It’s a lovely image for travelers who welcome road improvements, but like any highway project, there’s a mess first. It’s disrupting work for the crooked to be made straight. There’s a lot of demo involved before the remodel. It’s a mess to interrupt unjust systems and replace them with justice. It’s disrupting for us to go through repentance and make our lives straight when we’ve gone crooked. For all those rough places in the world to be smoothed out, there will be a lot of upheaval, resistance, conflict, and letting go. Crisis, even. But that’s the world-changing promise we hold in our hearts in Advent: that God will change things, including us. The change, as hard as it may be, will give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and guide our feet into the way of peace. That’s the welcome, awful, awesome, death-and-resurrection change that we anticipate and prepare for in Advent.

Call to Worship

Click here for Advent Resources: Advent Candle Lighting prayers (two series), Advent Wreath prayers, and music including Eucharistic prayers & responses, weekly litanies and more.

1. [from Malachi 3.1-4]
Reading: “See, I will send my messenger,
who will prepare the way before me.
Then suddenly the One you are seeking will come to the temple;
the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,”
says God Almighty.
But who can endure the day of that coming?
Who can stand when the Messenger appears?
For God’s chosen will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap,
and will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;
and will purify the people and refine them like gold and silver.
RESPONSE
Leader: God of love, purify us in the refining fire of your Spirit.
       All: Set us free from all that does not help us serve you.
       Remove from us all that is not love.
       By your Spirit living in us, help us prepare a way for your coming.
       Alleluia! Come, O Jesus, come!

2. [Philippians 1.6, 9-11]
Reading: I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 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.
+
CANDLE SONG The Promises of God (2 Peter 1.19)

RESPONSE
Leader: Holy One, light of our peace, this Advent candle shines to prepare your way.
       All: Prepare a way to come to us; redeem us in our darkness.
Prepare your way around us, that the crooked be made straight.
       Prepare your way within us, that our rough places be made smooth.
       God of grace and love, may all flesh see your salvation. Alleluia!

3.
READING: [Luke 1.78-79]
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
RESPONSE
Leader: God of mercy, your light dawns upon us.
       All: We open our hearts in joy.
Your grace gives light in our darkness.
       We rise from the shadow of death.
You lead us into a new day.
      Guide us into the way of peace.


4.
Leader: God of promise, God of Mystery,
you have sent a messenger to awaken us.
      All: May the promise of your dawn awaken our hearts and minds.
      May the light of your promise guide our steps and lead us toward you.
      May the joy of your coming sustain us and uplift us.
God of Love, God of Presence,
you have given us a message for the world.
      May the light of your coming shine within us.
      May your Spirit, alive in us, make us signs of your coming.
      O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and dawn within and among us now.

5.
Leader: We light this candle as an act of hope.
All: In the darkness and gloom the light of your coming rises.
Even in the mysterious darkness,
the light of your healing moves along roads and rivers and nerves,
deep within silent places.
In the darkness you are here.
Come, O Light, and make us whole.
Dear Child, prophet of the most high, grant us healing and forgiveness.
By your tender mercy, may your dawn from on high break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
As we prepare our homes for the holidays let us also prepare our hearts. Let every decoration, card and cookie be an act of readiness for your coming. God of love, help us prepare a room for Christ to be born in us this holy season. Speak the Word to us that will make room in our hearts for love. Amen.

2.
God of love, your prophet cries to prepare a way for you. In the wilderness of our hearts, in the rough places of our society, prepare your way with your life-changing Word. Speak to us, and make the crooked straight, for the sake of your mercy. Amen.

3.
God of life, the prophet cries that a way be made for the coming of the Holy One. Make a way into our hearts. Speak to us and re-create us. We throw open the windows of our souls, that we may hear you, that the light of your dawning may flood our hearts. O come, thou Dayspring, enlighten us, who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.

4.
Holy One, you send your prophets among us to speak to us. You send messengers to awaken us, to alert us, to attract us to your light. In Scripture now you speak to us, and call us to new lives. Help us to listen and hear, to receive and be transformed. This is the news we have been waiting for. Speak to us; we want to hear. Amen.

5.
Stir up our hearts, O God, and prepare us for your coming. May the mountains and valleys of our hearts be leveled out, the rough places be made smooth by the healing power of your Word in us. Speak your Word, and we shall be healed. Amen.

6.
Gracious God, through all our doubt and despair prepare a way for hope.
Through our selfishness and fear, prepare a way for love.
Through our resistance and control, prepare a way for grace.
Through our anger and enmity, prepare a way for peace.
O You Who Are Coming, prepare your way in us. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(Suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, confession, or invitation to prayer)

1.
Creator God, World-Maker,
World-Changer, Heart-Changer,
prepare your way in me.
Make the crooked straight,
the rough places smooth.
Prepare your way in me.

2.
God, we are in exile
from peace, from justice,
from our hope, from our true selves.
Prepare a way for our return.
Bring to completion what you have begun in us.
Prepare your way into us;
enter our hearts, and refine them,
that our love may overflow.
Guide our feet into the way of peace.

Prayer of Confession

The grace of God be 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 darkness and cold in our lives.
       We have not lived at peace with you, with our neighbors,
       or even with our own souls.
       Forgive our sin, heal our hearts,
       and grant us your peace.
       Be born in us again,
       that by your grace we may live in your light.
       O come to us, Beloved, and save us! Amen.

Reading

CANTICLE (Luke 1. 68-79)

Sung Response: O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel.

Blessed be God, the God of Israel,
who has visited us as God’s own people, and redeemed us.
        God has raised up a mighty savior fur us
        in the house of God’s servant David.
So God spoke through the holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of those who hate us.
       Thus God has shown the mercy
        that God promised to our ancestors.
God has remembered God’s holy Covenant,
the promise God made to Abraham:
        that being rescued from the powers that destroy us,
        we might serve God without fear,
        in holiness and righteousness,
        in God’s presence all our days.
               Response

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the most high:
you will go before the Holy One to prepare God’s ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to God’s people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
        By the tender mercy of God,
        the dawn from on high will break upon us
        to give light to those who sit in darkness
        and in the shadow of death,
        to guide our feet into the way of peace.
               Response

Eucharistic Prayer

Note: Even though it’s Advent people are eager to jump ahead and sing Christmas Carols. I’ve addressed this with Advent service music to familiar carol tunes: Advent Table Songs (invitation to communion) four whole Eucharistic Prayers and 24 sets of Eucharistic Responses (Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and Amen).

1.
Beloved, God is with you.
       And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
      We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Faithful One, our God.
      It is good to give God thanks and praise.

We thank you, God, for in the beginning in the darkness and void,
you brought forth light. You prepared Creation for us.
      With the light of love, in the image of love, you created us.
In the darkness and chaos of our brokenness you have sent us a savior
who has set us free from all that diminishes life.
      You judge the forces of oppression and set all your beloved free.
      You level the ridges and fill in the canyons,
      and make a way smooth for your people.
You prepare for us a way toward justice,
and walk with us on that path, and guide our feet in the way of peace.
      We long for such peace in our lives.
      So at your invitation we come to this table you have prepared for us
      to feast in celebration of our freedom, and to sing your praise:
                  [Sanctus]

Blessed is the one who comes in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ, who embodied your love.
      He made room for the poor and outcast,
      and held a sacred space for those who were broken.
He died and rose again,
and promised to prepare a place for us.       
      In his love he showed us how to live, and prepared a way for us to follow.               [The Blessing and Covenant…]

Jesus said “Do this in remembrance of me.”
As often as 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 praise and thanksgiving
      as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
      as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
               [Memorial Acclamation]

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 for the world the Body of Christ.
In this meal prepare in us a place for your love,
that we may go before you, proclaiming forgiveness,
and bearing your light to those who dwell in darkness
and in the shadow of death.      
       In this meal, may your mercy dawn upon us,
      and lead us in the way of peace.
                         [Amen]

                         _______________

2.
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.

We thank you, God, for you create us in the image of your love.
      You make Covenant with us to be our God,
      and to set us free from oppression.
You guide us in creating a new realm of justice and mercy.
      You give us Jesus: to proclaim our forgiveness,
      to change our hearts, to guide our feet in the way of peace,
      to give us your Spirit, to heal your world.
Therefore with all creation we sing your praise.            
                       [Sanctus]

We thank you for the gift of Jesus, your Christ, who came among us in your love.
      He loved and healed, he taught with prophetic power.
He was crucified, but you raised him from the dead.
      He lives among us, refining our hearts,
      that our love may overflow..

         […The Blessing and Covenant…]

With gratitude we remember your mighty acts in Jesus Christ.
      In praise and thanksgiving we offer ourselves
      as a living and holy sacrifice,
      in union with Christ’s gift for us.
We proclaim with joy the mystery at the heart of our faith.
                [Memorial Acclamation]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of the Beloved, Jesus Christ.
      Pour out your Holy Spirit on us, that we may be the Body of Christ,
      refined by the fire of your grace, overflowing with your love,
      and joining you in smoothing out the rough places in this world.
      By your Spirit in us, prepare the way of justice and peace.
                            [Amen]
                         _______________
3.
Blessed be God, the God of Israel,
who has visited us and redeemed us.
       God spoke through the holy prophets from of old,
       that we would be saved from our enemies,
       and from the hand of those who hate us.
Thus God has shown the mercy
that God promised to our ancestors.
       God has remembered God’s holy Covenant,
       the promise God made to Abraham.
        Therefore with one voice we sing God’s praise.
                       [Sanctus]

Blessed are all who come in God’s name,
and blessed is Jesus, who enfleshed God’s Covenant with us.
        God has raised up a mighty savior fur us
        in the house of God’s servant David.
        that being rescued from the powers that destroy us,
        we might serve God without fear,
        in holiness and righteousness,
        in God’s presence all our days.

                     [The Blessing sand Covenant]

Remembering your mighty acts in Jesus,
we offer ourselves as we proclaim the mystery at the heart of our faith:
                     [Memorial Acclamation]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts,
that they may be for us the Body of Christ.
       Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
       that we may be the Body of Christ for the world.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the most high:
you will go before the Holy One to prepare God’s ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to God’s people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
        By the tender mercy of God,
        the dawn from on high will break upon us
        to give light to those who sit in darkness
        and in the shadow of death,
        to guide our feet into the way of peace.
               [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 after Communion

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You have visited and redeemed us, according to your promise in Christ. You have saved us from all that would diminish our lives, so that we may serve you without fear, in holiness, in your presence, all our days. Send us into the world now to go before you to prepare your ways. By your tender mercy, may your dawn break upon us and within us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Amen.

2.
Leader: We bless you, God, for you have visited and redeemed your people.
     You have raised up a savior for us,
     and saved us from all that diminishes life,
     so that we may serve you in holiness without fear.
And you, children, will be called the prophets of the Most High;
for you will go before our God
to prepare the ways of the Promised One,
to give knowledge of salvation to God’s people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
     By the tender mercy of our God,
     the dawn from on high will break upon us,
     to give light to those who sit in darkness
      and in the shadow of death,
      to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Benediction

[Luke 1.78-79]
Leader: By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
All: to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Suggested Songs

(Click titles to view songs and hear audio clips on the Music page.)

All songs with “Advent” tag, especially:

Benedictus (Song of Zechariah) [Luke 1.68-79]
        (Tune Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us)

Bles-sed be the God of Is-ra-el! You
came among us to redeem.
You have raised a mighty savior for us,
as the prophets used to dream.
As you promised, you have saved us,
so that we may serve with grace,
unafraid, with holy spirits,
in your presence all our days.

You, child, go before our God as prophet:
show the people mercy’s way,
so they know they are forgiven, saved and
brought into a brand new day.
Day is dawning—tender mercy!
Grace and light of God, increase!
Come to those in death and shadows.
Guide us in the ways of peace.

Blessed Be Our God [Luke 1.68-79] (Original song)

Blessed be our God, who’s come to us,
raising a mighty savior for us,
as of old God promised,
to save us from the enemies of life,
freeing us to serve in holiness.

Serve, child as a prophet of our God,
going before to make a way:
go to all the people;
show them their salvation from God,
show them the forgiveness of their sin.

By the tender mercy of our God,
dawn from on high will break upon us,
giving light to people
who sit in darkness and the shade of death,
guiding us into the way of peace.


Prepare Your Way in Me   [Luke 3.1-6]   (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.

The Promises of God [1 Peter 1.19] (Original song)

Pay attention my friends, to the promises of God,
like a candle shining in a dark place,
’till the morning star rises brightly in your hearts,
so that even in the darkness you may walk in the light of God.

December 1, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Jeremiah 33.14-16 — A righteous branch

Psalm 25.1-10 — Teach me your paths… do not remember the sins of my youth…consider my troubles ad deliver me

1 Thessalonians 3.9-13 — May God strengthen your love, for the coming of Christ.

Luke 21.25-36 — Signs in the heavens… as with the fig tree you know: the Coming is near. Be alert.

Preaching Thoughts

       Popular culture thinks Christmas is the weekend after Thanksgiving till Dec. 25. So it’s jarring for people steeped in that culture to hear on this Sunday scriptures so un-Christmas-like. But jarring is what we need. Our longing for a sentimental Christmas, saturated with tradition and pleasant memories of the past, masks our deeper yearning for a new world. In a world of war and violence, suffering and injustice, climate change and environmental suicide, we long for God to break in and change things. Jarring indeed.
       Jesus was talking about our own times. “Signs in the heavens and the roaring of the waves” sounds a lot like climate change. This is a time of “fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world.” People may whine about it some, but we tend to bury our deepest dread for the world and not talk about it. Well, Advent is a time to talk about it. Bring our fears out and put them on the table. In the light of our unacknowledged thoughts about the future, we need Jesus and his strange predictions. Because he’s not talking about some dramatic Hollywood Second Coming loaded with CGI special effects. He’s talking about the radical change love can bring about in the world, if we let it. Advent is a time to be honest about “the hopes and fears of all the years,” and allow for the possibility of God’s grace breaking in on that and changing it. It’s a time to practice hope.
       We’re accustomed to thinking of hope as wanting something. We hope our team wins. We hope it doesn’t rain. But true hope isn’t wanting something that isn’t there, it’s trusting in something that is here, right now, thought mostly unseen, something whose outcome is not yet seeable. So I hope the sun will rise. People say to me, “What do you mean you hope? Of course the sun will rise.” Exactly. That’s what hope is. Trust in what is at work unseen. Sure, I also have wishes on top of my hope. I wish for a sunny day. But I hope in the coming of day. We wish for world peace, but our hope is in the power of peace that is already at work in the world. To sustain our hope we just have to keep our eyes open to watch for signs. So hope is less about dreaming than about paying attention.
       That’s what Jesus is talking about. An as alternative to the world’s despair at the storms of life and our power struggles— “signs in the heavens”— Jesus commends a spirit of inner watchfulness, being alert for signs of God’s presence like we watch for spring. Be alert. You know that the realm of God is near. So watch for it. Watch for little signs, like tiny spring leaves of the fig tree. Little outbursts of love and peace, of healing and justice, of courage and beauty. There is evidence of the grace of God, the power of love, the basic energy of unity and peace that holds the universe together. It’s our confidence in these things that helps us “escape all these things that will take place.” It’s the knowledge that God is already here that gives us hope that God is yet coming in new ways. Stay open. Be alert. God is not done with us yet. So we enter into Advent watching, waiting, expecting, preparing.

              Click here for Advent Candle lighting prayers, Advent Wreath prayers,                and music including Eucharist and other resources.

Call to Worship / Lighting the Advent Candle

Note: For musical responses to the lighting of the Advent candle see The Promises of God and Sleeper, Awake, Advent Blessing Songs and Awaken Us, a collection of responsorial verses. (Click on titles to view the songs.)

1.
SCRIPTURE (Jeremiah 33.14-16)
The days are surely coming, says the Holy One, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up from David’s line; a ruler who shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “God is our justice.”
SONG The Promises of God
RESPONSE
Leader: A new world is coming, according to the promises of God.
The time is coming.
        All: We light a candle in hope, watching the clock.
We cannot hasten the future. But we wait with intention.
        Deepen our longing, God, and bless our waiting.


2.
[Luke 21.29-31; 1 Thessalonians 3.12-13]
Leader: Look to the leaves of the fig tree. When they sprout and begin to grow,
you know that summer is already near.
       This Advent wreath is a sign of hope for us, O God,
       For like a tree that is bare in winter, we await the coming of your grace.
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all,
and strengthen your hearts that you may be confident at the coming of our Lord.
       As we light this candle, kindle in our hearts the hope in your coming
       that bears fruit in love and joy.
       Come, Lord Jesus, come! Amen.


3.
Leader: A righteous branch will spring up from David,
a ruler who will bring justice and peace to God’s people.
       All: We await your peace, O God, according to the promise of your prophets.
       May the peace of Christ transform our hearts,
       as we prepare for his coming.
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
       As we light these Advent candles, Lord,
       kindle in us your spirit of peace.
       Grant that we may prepare for his coming
       in simplicity and joy,
       in peace and reconciliation with all. Amen.

4. (Jeremiah 29.11-14)
Reader: Surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile

Leader: Gracious God, hope of the world, as we light this Advent candle,
waken our minds to your Word.
      All: Waken our hearts to your promise.
Open our eyes to your coming.
      Open our arms to your presence.
      O come, O Come, Emmanuel. Alleluia!


5. (Revelation 21.22-24, 22.5, 7a)
Reader: I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Holy One, God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the rulers of the earth will bring their glory into it. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. And he said to me, “See, I am coming soon!”

Leader: God of light, as we light this candle in this season of darkness,
our hearts ache for your presence.
     All: Dawn upon us and be our light.
Spirit of hope, in this season of waiting we turn to you.
     Bless us with your patience, and grant us your hope.
O Loving Christ, we pray for one another, for your church, and for all Creation.
     Come, Lord Jesus, come, and grant us your love. Amen.

6.
We praise you, O God, for this circle of light
that marks our days of preparation for Christ’s advent.
     As we light the first candle on the wreath,
     rouse us from sleep, that we may be ready to greet our Christ
     coming like spring with hands of healing.
Enlighten us with your grace,
and prepare our hearts to welcome Christ with joy.
     Kindle within us the gift of hope through Christ our Beloved,
     whose coming is certain and whose day draws near. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of light, in the darkness of this world your dawn is rising. Your love is at work. Waken our hearts. Keep us ready to see you. Open the ears of our hearts, ready to hear you. Speak, for in the dark, we are watching. We are listening. Amen.

2.
In this dark time of year, God, we long for your coming. When darkness falls upon the world, we long for your peace. For healing, we wait. For justice, we hope. Strengthen our hearts, that we may be steadfast in faith, constant in love, and radiant with hope even when times are dark. In the name of Christ, who is coming, and who is always with us, we pray. Amen.

3.
Loving God, you promise more than we see. You intend more than we know. You lead us more than we trust. Awaken our hearts with your Word. Stir up your Spirit in us to wait for the dawning of your delight among us with grace and faith. Amen.

4.
Holy One, we come to you full of hopes and fears. We bear in our hearts deep longing for you, that you would come and be with us. We ask your blessing on our deepest yearnings that are not even known to us, but only faint stirrings in the darkness. Loving God, we are homesick for you. Come to us; speak to us; bring us into the light and warmth of the home that is your Word. Amen.

5.
Stir up your power, O Christ, and come. By your merciful grace, may the light of your presence dawn upon us, that we may see the signs of your coming, and live in hope; for you live and reign with the Creator and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Holy Mystery,
You who are coming and yet here,
You who are our hope,
longed for yet unimaginable,
waken us.
Open our hearts to hold space for you
to hope in us.
We are alert; we are waiting.

Prayer of Confession

The grace of God be 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 darkness and cold in our lives.
       Like barren trees in winter,
       we do not bear the fruits of love
       as you would have us.
       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, Lord, and save us! Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

Note: Even though it’s Advent people are eager to jump ahead and sing Christmas Carols. I’ve addressed this by putting four whole Eucharistic Prayers and 24 Eucharistic Prayer responses to familiar carol tunes. See also Advent Table Songs for invitation to communion. (Click on titles to view them).

1.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Beloved, God is with you.
       And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
       We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Faithful One, our God.
       It is good to give God thanks and praise.

We thank you, God, for you create us in your image.
You judge the forces of evil and set us free from all that oppresses,
calling us to justice and freedom.
       You promise a new world, dawning just beyond our imagination.
You walk with us through the dark toward the light;
and we rejoice that your presence is the light.
       Therefore we sing your praise with all Creation:
                      [Sanctus]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ, who embodied among us the Realm to Come.
       The light of that Realm began to dawn in his teaching and healing,
       in his witness for justice, in the community he gathered,
       in his death and resurrection.

                  [The Blessing and Covenant…]*

Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
As often as 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 praise and thanksgiving
       as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
       as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
                    [Memorial Acclamation]

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 for the world the Body of Christ,
       in our speaking and praying and acting, living signs of Christ’s coming.

                     [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 after Communion

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You have placed within us the sign of your coming, your covenant to be with us in faithful love. Send us into the world to live and to serve as those who believe in your coming, that in our transformation others may see signs of the transformation of the world, for the sake of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
In the Word, the bread, and the community we have seen signs of your presence. Guide and sustain us by these gifts that we may always live in hope of your coming, and confidence in your presence. Send us into the world, increasing and abounding in love for one another and for all, that they may see in us signs of your coming. Amen

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view and hear audio samples on the music page.)

        All songs with “Advent” tags, especially:

Child of Promise (Original song)

Child of promise, oh, child of hope, prophets spoke of you:
visions treasured but unfulfilled. Shall our dreams come true?
Help us wait for you.

Child of woman, oh, child of God, birthing us anew,
make a room, oh, make a womb, in our hearts for you.
Help us wait for you.

Child of patience, oh, child of pain, suffering ills we do,
heal, forgive and help us be gentle child, like you.
Help us wait for you.

Child of wonder, oh, child of joy, you make all things new.
Re-create us, come again like the morning dew.
Help us wait for you.


Psalm 25.1-10 (Tune: What Child Is This)

To you, O God, I lift my soul; in you, my trust abiding.
O lead my feet with mercy sweet: my only path your guiding.
Love, make me know your ways, that I may follow all my days.
You, you will save me, God. For you my heart is waiting.

Be mindful of your mercy, God, your love, here from the beginning.
Now set me free and deliver me from wayward fear and sinning.
Love, make me know your ways, that I may follow all my days.
You, you will save me, God. For you my heart is waiting.

How loving and how good you are: you teach the humble and feed them,
and turn their face with steadfast grace toward life, and faithfully lead them.
Love, make me know your ways, that I may follow all my days.
You, you will save me, God. For you my heart is waiting.

         Songs with weekly responses through Advent:

God, We Are Waiting (Original song)
A dialogue between cantor and congregation.

Congregation:
God, we are waiting, watching and hoping.
Come to us and save us and bring us peace.

Cantor, Week 1:
In the face of fear and the world’s distress
look for signs that God is here to bless.
Let your heart not be weighed down with fear:
your redemption’s drawing near.

Tree of Life (Original song)
A dialogue between cantor and congregation.

Week 1:
Look to the leaves of the fig tree:
when they bud, you know summer is near.
So take heart, the Beloved is coming,
healing our sin and our fear.

Tree of life in winter,
stir our hearts with cheer.
The healing of the nations comes.
The one who is coming, coming, is near.

Like a tree in the dead of winter
whose life is a secret within,
God’s hidden grace will appear
to save us from death and sin.

Advent Blessing Songs are ideal for the closing of worship, for the congregation to sing to each other.

For the Hanging of the Greens, Adorning Your House.