Welcome and Intimations
Advent Liturgy
- One:
- No matter what troubles overwhelm us today, Isaiah reminds us that in all of our preparation and passionate pursuit of God’s coming kin-dom, we must not forget that God’s salvation has come and is coming. “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). With joy you will remember that God’s salvation is already present among us.
- All:
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Faced with the troubles and the suffering of the world, we choose to live in joyful presence to God and one another. We will not turn away from the pain and the hurt in our world, and we will not stop rejoicing in God, whose salvation fills us to overflowing that God’s love might flow through us and flood our troubled world with hope, peace, and joy.
- One:
- We light this candle of joy as a sign of our commitment to be present to ourselves, our friends, our families, and our neighbours that in sharing our vulnerable lives we might share in the glorious joy of God’s salvation together.
Light the third (pink/rose) candle of the Advent wreath.
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Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory
for ever and ever.
Amen.
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CH4 282 Christmas Is Coming!
(verses 1 - 3)
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The first is for God's promise
to put the wrong things right,
and bring to earth's darkness
the hope of love and light.
Christmas is coming
the Church is glad to sing
and let the advent candles
brightly burn in a ring.
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The second is for the Prophet
Who said that Christ would come.
With good news for many
And angry words for some.
Christmas is coming
the Church is glad to sing
and let the advent candles
brightly burn in a ring.
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The third is for the Baptist,
Who cried ‘Prepare the way,
be ready for Jesus,
Both now and every day’
Christmas is coming
the Church is glad to sing
and let the advent candles
brightly burn in a ring.
WGRG / The Iona Community
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- Zephaniah 3:14-20
- Luke 3:7-18
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CH4 278 Wake, Awake! For Night Is Flying
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Wake, awake! for night is flying',
the watchmen on the heights are crying.
'Awake, Jerusalem, at last!'
Midnight hears the welcome voices,
and at the thrilling cry rejoices:
'Come forth, you virgins, night is past!
The Bridegroom comes; awake,
your lamps with gladness take,
Alleluia!
and for his marriage feast prepare,
for ye must go and meet him there.'
-
Zion hears the watchmen singing,
and all her heart with joy is springing;
she wakes, she rises from her gloom;
for the Lord comes down all-glorious,
the strong in grace, in truth victorious;
her Star is risen, her Light is come!
Now come, O blessèd One,
God's own belovèd Son,
Alleluia!
We follow to the festal hall
to sup with you, the Lord of all.
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All the heavens and earth adore you,
and saints and angels sing before you,
with harp and cymbal's clearest tone;
Zion's gates of pearl before us
resound as angels sing in chorus
and lead us to your dazzling throne.
No mortal eye nor ear
can comprehend or bear
such great glory;
but we rejoice and sing the song,
Alleluia! through ages long.
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Meditation
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CH4 284 Hope Is a Candle
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Hope is a candle, once lit by the prophets,
never consumed, though it burns through the years;
dim in the daylight of power and privilege —
when they are gone, hope will shine on.
-
Peace is a candle to show us a pathway,
threatened by gusts from our rage and our greed.
Friend, feel no envy for those in the shadows —
violence and force their dead-end course.
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Love is a candle whose light makes a circle,
where every face is the face of a friend.
Widen the circle by sharing and giving —
God’s holy dare: love everywhere.
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Joy is a candle of mystery and laughter,
mystery of light that is born in the dark;
laughter at hearing the voice of an angel,
ever so near, casting out fear.
-
Christ is the light that the prophets awaited,
Christ is the lion, the lamb, and the child.
Christ is the love and the mystery and laughter —
candles, make way! Christ is the day.
1998 Selah Publishing Co., Inc.
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Offering
Prayer of Intercession
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CH4 453 Christ, of God Unseen the Image
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Christ, of God unseen the image,
born before creation’s birth;
through whom all things were created,
all that live in heaven and earth —
realms and rulers, thrones, dominions,
powers great and forces small
through and for him made and fashioned —
he is in and over all.
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Christ the firstborn of creation,
Christ in whom all things cohere,
all things’ Maker, seen and unseen,
low and lofty, far and near.
Christ the head of his dear body,
of his Church the living core,
risen from the dead before us —
him we gladly now adore.
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Christ in whom the very fullness
of the living God is found,
Christ who reconciles creation
turning earth to holy ground,
Christ the home of God’s good pleasure
through whose blood is made our peace,
in whose cross, beyond all measure
is our freedom and release.
1986 Thankyou Music
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Blessing