The Third Sunday of Advent
11 December 2016
The Gathering of the
Community
Gathering Music
Announcements
Opening Hymn
‘People Look East! The Time Is Near!’ Common
Praise #91
Introductory Responses
Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel,
you
have come to your people to set us free,
free to worship you without fear,
holy
and righteous before you,
all
the days of our life.
The Lighting of the Advent Wreath
The
Community sings ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ Common Praise #89 (verse 4 and refrain). As the hymn is sung the appointed person
lights the Advent Wreath. After the
lighting of the Advent Wreath the Collect of the Day is said.
Let us pray.
God
of glory and compassion,
at your touch the wilderness
blossoms.
Grant perseverance and
patience
to all who long for your Son’s
return,
so that we may announce in
word and deed
the good news of the kingdom.
The Proclamation of the Word
The First Reading
A reading from the prophet Isaiah (35.1-10).
35.1
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and
blossom; like the crocus 2 it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice
with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of
Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the
glory of the Lord, the majesty of
our God.
3
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who are of a
fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here
is your God. He will come with
vengeance, with terrible recompense. He
will come and save you.”
5
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then the lame shall leap like a deer, and
the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the
desert; 7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty
ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass
shall become reeds and rushes.
8
A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean
shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even
fools, shall go astray. 9 No
lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not
be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with
singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and
gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks
be to God.
The Psalm
Psalm
146.5-10 (NRSV) with refrain from Songs for the Holy One.
Refrain
(sung twice): Our God keeps faith forever!
Hallelujah!
5 Happy are they who have the
God of Jacob for their help! *
For
their hope is in the Lord their God,
6 who made heaven and earth, the seas,
and all that is in them; *
who keeps promises for ever;
7 who gives justice to those
who are oppressed, *
food
to those who hunger
and
sets the prisoners free.
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind! *
The Lord lifts up those who are
bowed down
and loves the righteous.
9 The Lord cares for the
stranger *
and
sustains the orphan and widow,
but
frustrates the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all
generations.
Hallelujah!
Refrain: Our
God keeps faith forever! Hallelujah!
The Second Reading
A reading from the letter of James (5.7-10).
5.7 Be patient, therefore,
beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The
farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until
it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the
Lord is near. 9 Beloved, do
not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge
is standing at the doors! 10
As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke
in the name of the Lord.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks
be to God.
Hymn before the Gospel
‘Wait for the Lord, Whose Day Is Near’ Common
Praise #94 (sung twice)
The Gospel
The Lord be with you.
And
also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Matthew (11.2-11).
Glory
to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
11.2
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his
disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are
we to wait for another?” 4
Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the
blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes
no offense at me.”
7
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to
look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal
palaces. 9 What then did you
go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it
is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your
way before you.’ 11 Truly I
tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the
Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise
to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Hymn after the Gospel
‘Wait for the Lord, Whose Day Is Near’ Common
Praise #94 (sung twice)
The Homily
The Affirmation of Faith
Sung to Common
Praise #284
We believe in God the Father,
God almighty, by whose plan
earth and heaven sprang to being,
all created things began.
We believe in Christ the Saviour,
Son of God in human frame,
virgin-born, the child of Mary
upon whom the Spirit came.
Christ, who on the cross forsaken,
like a lamb to slaughter led,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
he descended to the dead.
We believe in Jesus risen,
heaven’s king to rule and reign,
to the Father’s side ascended
till as judge he comes again.
We believe in God the Spirit;
in one Church, below, above:
saints of God in one communion,
one in holiness and love.
So by faith, our sins forgiven,
Christ our Saviour, Lord and friend,
we shall rise with him in glory
to the life that knows no end. [ii]
The Prayers of the Community
Intercessions, Petitions and Thanksgivings
The Exchange of the Peace
May the peace of the Lord be always with you.
And
also with you.
The Holy Communion
Offertory Hymn
‘Lamb of God to Thee We Raise’ Common
Praise #270
Prayer over the Gifts
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]
Thanksgiving at the Table
The Lord be with you.
And
also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We
lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It
is right to give our thanks and praise.
It
is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that
we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you,
almighty
and merciful God, through our Saviour Jesus Christ.
You
comforted your people with the promise of the Redeemer,
through
whom you will also make all things new
in
the day when he comes to judge the world in righteousness.
And
so, with all the choirs of angels,
with
the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we
praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy,
holy, holy Lord,
God
of power and might,
heaven
and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna
in the highest.
Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Holy One, the beginning and the end, the
giver of life:
Blessed are you for the birth of creation.
Blessed are you in the darkness and in the
light.
Blessed are you for your promise to your
people.
Blessed are you for the prophets’ hopes and
dreams.
Blessed are you for Mary’s openness to your
will.
Blessed are you for your Son, Jesus, the Word
made flesh.
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples,
saying:
Take and eat; this is my body given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave
thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the
forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ
has died.
Christ
is risen.
Christ
will come again.
With this bread and cup we remember
your Word dwelling among us, full of grace
and truth.
We remember our new birth in his death and
resurrection.
We look with hope for his coming.
Come,
Lord Jesus.
Holy God, we long for your Spirit.
Come among us. Bless this meal.
May your Word take flesh in us.
Awaken your people. Fill us with your light.
Bring the gift of peace on earth.
Come,
Holy Spirit.
All praise and glory are yours, Holy One of Israel,
Word of God incarnate, Power of the Most
High,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. [v]
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 Breaking of the Bread
God of promise,
you prepare a banquet for us in your kingdom.
Happy
are those who are called
to
the supper of the Lamb.
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks
be to God.
The Communion
The Hymn after Communion
‘Creator of the Stars of Night’ Common
Praise #96
The Sending Forth of the
Community
Prayer after Communion
God for whom we wait,
in
this meal you give us a foretaste of that day
when
the hungry will be fed with good things.
Send
us forth to make known your deeds
and
to proclaim the greatness of your name,
through
Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.
Amen. [vii]
Glory to God,
whose
power, working in us,
can
do infinitely more
than
we can ask or imagine.
Glory
to God from generation to generation,
in
the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for
ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn
‘Let Streams of Living Justice’ Common
Praise #575
Dismissal
Let us go forth in the name of Christ who is
coming.
Thanks
be to God.
[i] Liturgy Task Force, ‘Trial
Use Collects for Years A, B & C and Seasonal Prayers over the Gifts and
after Communion’ (2016), 5.
[ii] Common Worship (2000), 146.
[iii] Liturgy Task Force, ‘Trial Use Collects for
Years A, B & C and Seasonal Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion’
(2016), 158.
[iv] Common Praise #689.
[v] Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 110.
[vi] Common Praise #744.
[vii] Liturgy Task Force,
‘Trial Use Collects for Years A, B & C and Seasonal Prayers over the Gifts
and after Communion’ (2016), 161.
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