The First Sunday of Advent
27 November 2016
The Gathering of the Community
Thanksgiving
for the Light
The Deacon begins the liturgy
by reading the following.
1.1 In the beginning when God created the
heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness
covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the
waters. 3 Then God said, Let
there be light; and there was light.
A single candle is lit in the
midst of the Advent Garden. After the
candle is lit, the Deacon continues as follows.
4 And God saw that the light was good; and
God separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called
Night. And there was evening and there
was morning, the first day.
The Presider then begins the
Thanksgiving for the Light.
Arise,
shine, our light is coming;
the glory of the Lord is
rising upon us.
Though
night still covers the earth
and darkness covers the
nations,
over
us with the Lord arise,
over us will the glory of God
appear.
Let
us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks
and praise.
Blessed
are you, O Lord our God,
ruler
of the universe, creator of light and darkness.
In
this holy season,
when
the sun’s light is swallowed up
by
the growing darkness of the night,
you
renew your promise to reveal among us
the
splendour of your glory,
enfleshed
and visible to us in Jesus Christ your Son.
Through
the prophets
you
teach us to hope for his reign of peace.
Through
the outpouring of his Spirit,
you
open our blindness to the glory of his presence.
Strengthen
us in our weakness.
Support
us in our stumbling efforts to do your will
and
free our tongues to sing your praise.
For
to you all honour and blessing are due,
now
and for ever. Amen.
After the Thanksgiving the
Community is invited to lit their own candles to bring light into the space as
they walk the Labyrinth. During the
lighting of the candles appropriate music will be played. When all are finished, the Hymn is sung.
Hymn
of Light
‘O
Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ Common Praise #89 vv. 1, 2, 3
Opening
Prayer
The Presider leads the
Community in the following prayer.
Let us pray.
Almighty God,
as
your kingdom dawns,
turn
us from the darkness of sin
to
the light of holiness,
so
that we may be ready to meet you
in
our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen. [i]
The Proclamation of the Word
The
First Reading
A reading from the prophet Isaiah (2.1-5).
2.1
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 In days to come the mountain of
the Lord’s house shall be
established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the
hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
3 Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the
mountain of the Lord, to the house
of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his
paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth
instruction, and the word of the Lord
from Jerusalem. 4 He shall
judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall
beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more. 5 O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks
be to God.
The
Psalm
Psalm 122 with refrain from Songs for the Holy One
Refrain (sung twice): We pray for peace in Jerusalem and in our
world.
1 I was glad when they said to
me, *
“Let
us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Now our feet are standing *
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built as a city
*
that
is at unity with itself.
4 To which the tribes go up,
the
tribes of the Lord, *
the assembly of Israel,
to praise the name of the Lord.
Refrain: We pray for peace in Jerusalem and in our
world.
5 For there are the thrones of
judgement, *
the
thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: *
“May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls *
and
quietness within your towers.
8 For my kindred and companions’ sake, *
I pray for your prosperity.
9 Because of the house of the
Lord our God, *
I will seek to do you good.”
Refrain: We pray for peace in Jerusalem and in our
world.
The
Second Reading
A
Reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans (13.11-14).
13.11 Besides this, you
know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we
became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light; 13 let us live honourably as in the
day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness,
not in quarrelling and jealousy. 14
Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to
gratify its desires.
Hear
what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn
of the Day
‘Lo,
He Comes with Clouds Descending’ Common Praise #114
The Prayers of the Community
Intercessions,
Petitions and Thanksgivings
The appointed person leads the
following intercessions, petitions and thanksgivings.
Let
us offer our intercessions, petitions and thanksgivings, saying,
‘O
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.’
O
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
pray for the peace of the world,
that
our instruments of war may be transformed into instruments of peace,
and
that nations shall cease to learn war any more.
O
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
pray for the church,
that
we may become more and more a means of grace and peace in the world.
O
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
pray for all people of good will who seek to cast off the works of darkness,
that
we may be enlightened through our service of others in the name of Christ.
O
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
pray for all who are in need [especially . . . .],
that
we may be alert to the presence of Christ in them and ready to reach out in
love.
O
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
pray for those who are assembled here today,
that
we may be clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ
and
go forth from the place to be Christ in the world.
O
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
pray for all who have asked for our prayer [especially . . . .],
that
we may faithfully wait upon God with confidence
in
that love which sustains us in every moment of our lives.
O
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We
praise you, Lord our God,
that
you have called us to be your people
and
the instruments of your presence in the world.
Grant
us grace to discern your will and the strength to do it,
through
Christ our Lord. Amen. [ii]
Offertory
Hymn
‘Awake! Awake!
Fling Off the Night’ Common Praise #599
Prayer
over the Gifts
After the Gifts have been
collected, the Presider leads the Community in the following prayer.
Let
us pray.
God of abundance,
we
bring before you
the
precious fruits of your creation
and
with them our very lives.
Teach
us patience and hope
as
we care for all those in need
until
the coming of your Son,
our
Saviour and Lord. Amen. [iii]
The
Lord’s Prayer
As
our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin
against us.
Save us from the time of
trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
The Sending Forth of the Community
The
Exchange of the Peace
The Deacon sends the Community
with these words.
The
peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
The Community exchanges the
Peace with one another.
[i] Liturgy Task Force, ‘Trial Use Collects for
Years A, B & C and Seasonal Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion’
(2016), 4.
[ii] Intercessions
for the Christian People (1998), 3.
[iii]
Liturgy Task Force, ‘Trial Use Collects for Years A, B & C and
Seasonal Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion’ (2016), 158.
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