The First Sunday of
Advent
3 December 2017
The Gathering of
the Community
The Greeting
Blessed be the
Lord, the God of Israel,
who has come to
set us free,
who has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,
born from the house of David. Amen.
Lighting of the Advent Wreath
Come, O Lord, and set us free.
Maranatha.
Desert and dry land will grow green in praise;
clay will rejoice with full bloom:
showers of flowers given birth in dead earth;
in colours they echo Love’s song.
Come, O Lord, and set us free.
Maranatha.
Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
God of unveiled
truth,
in times of darkened sun and waning moon,
lift up our hearts and waken our love
to announce the coming dawn of unexpected peace;
through Jesus Christ, the one who is to come. Amen.
The Proclamation of
the Word
The First Reading:
Isaiah 64.1-9
A reading from the
prophet Isaiah.
64.1 O that you would
tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your
presence — 2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes
water to boil — to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations
might tremble at your presence! 3
When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains
quaked at your presence. 4
From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God
besides you, who works for those who wait for him. 5 You meet those who gladly do
right, those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we
transgressed. 6 We have all
become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy
cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our
iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take
hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into
the hand of our iniquity. 8
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity
forever. Now consider, we are all your people.
Hear what the
Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
The Psalm: Psalm
80.1-7, 16-18
1 Hear, O
Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned
upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and
Manasseh, *
stir
up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O
God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance,
and we shall be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts, *
how
long will you be angered despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed
them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears
to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our
neighbours, *
and
our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O
God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance,
and we shall be saved.
17 Let your hand be upon the one at your side
in honour, *
the
one you have made so strong for yourself.
18 And so will
we never turn away from you; *
give us life, that we may call upon
your name.
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; *
show
the light of your countenance,
and
we shall be saved.
The Gospel: Mark
13.24-37
The Lord be with
you.
And also with you.
The Gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
13.24 [Jesus said,] “But in
those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and
the moon will not give its light, 25 and
the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be
shaken. 26 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with
great power and glory. 27
Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28 “From the fig tree
learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its
leaves, you know that summer is near. 29
So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at
the very gates. 30 Truly I
tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken
place. 31 Heaven and earth
will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32 “But
about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son,
but only the Father. 33
Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a
journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in
charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the
watch. 35 Therefore, keep
awake —
for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or
at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you
asleep when he comes suddenly. 37 And what I say to you I say to
all: Keep awake.”
The Homily
The Apostles’
Creed
Let us confess the faith of our baptism.
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son,
our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Prayers of the
Community
Intercessions, Thanksgivings and Petitions
Confession and Absolution
Let us pray for
the forgiveness of our sins.
Have mercy upon
us, most merciful God;
in your compassion, forgive us our sins,
known and unknown,
things done and left undone;
and so uphold us by your Spirit
that we may live and serve you in newness of life,
to the honour and glory of your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the God of
love and power
forgive you and
free you from your sins,
heal and
strengthen you by the Holy Spirit
and raise you to
new life in Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Exchange of the Peace
May the peace of
Christ whose day draws near be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Communion
Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray.
God of love and
power,
your word stirs within us the expectation
of the coming of your Son.
Accept all we offer you this day,
and sustain us with your promise of eternal life.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving
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.
Hosanna in the highest.
Holy One, the
beginning and the end, the giver of life:
Blessed are you
for the birth of creation.
Blessed are in the
darkness and in the light.
Blessed are you
for your promise to your people.
Blessed are you in
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 forever.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Awaiting his coming in glory,
let us pray as our Saviour has taught us,
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,
now and for
ever. Amen.
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 Sending Forth
of the Community
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray.
God for whom we
wait,
you have fed us with the bread of eternal life.
Keep us ever watchful,
that we may be ready to stand before the Son of man.
We ask this in the name of Christ the Lord. Amen.
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.
The Dismissal
Go forth in the name of Christ and be watchful,
for the promises of God will be fulfilled.
Thanks be to
God.
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