The First Sunday of Advent
1 December 2013
The Gathering of the Community
Thanksgiving for the Light
The Deacon
begins the liturgy by reading the following.
In the beginning when God
created the heavens and the earth, 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. 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.
And God saw that the light was good; and God
separated the light from the darkness. 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.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of
God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with
you.
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
‘God, Whose Almighty Word’ Common
Praise #560
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 Isaiah (2.1-5).
The
word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
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.
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.
He
shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they
shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
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.
Refrain: We pray for peace in
Jerusalem and in our world.
4 To which
the tribes go up,
the tribes of the
Lord, *
the
assembly of Israel,
to praise the name
of the Lord.
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.
Refrain: We pray for peace in
Jerusalem and in our world.
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 Romans (13.11-14).
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; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in
reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in
quarreling and jealousy. 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.
The Gradual Hymn
‘La ténèbre n’est point ténèbre’ Common
Praise #549 (sung three times in English)
The Gospel
The Lord be with you.
And also with
you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according
to Matthew (24.36-44).
Glory to you,
Lord Jesus Christ.
[Jesus said,] “But about that day and hour no one
knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the
coming of the Son of Man. For as in
those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving
in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until
the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of
Man. Then two will be in the field; one
will be taken and one will be left. Two
women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on
what day your Lord is coming. But
understand this: if the owner of the
house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have
stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son
of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to
you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Hymn of the Day
‘Awake!
Awake! Fling Off the Night’ Common
Praise #599
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, ‘God of Jacob, be our light and our salvation.’
God of Jacob, be
our light and our salvation.
God of peace, transform our instruments of war into
instruments of peace so that nations cease to learn war any more.
God of Jacob,
be our light and our salvation.
May the church become more and more a means of
grace and peace in the world.
God of Jacob,
be our light and our salvation.
Enlighten all people of good will who seek to cast
off the works of darkness so that we may serve others in the name of Christ.
God of Jacob,
be our light and our salvation.
Give us an awareness of those who are need so that
we may reach out in love to them.
God of Jacob,
be our light and our salvation.
May we who are assembled here today be clothed in
Christ and go forth from here to be his presence in the world.
God of Jacob,
be our light and our salvation.
Sustain all those for whom we pray with your
ever-present love.
God of Jacob,
be our light and our salvation. [ii]
Give us ears to hear, O God,
and eyes to watch,
so that we may know your presence in our midst
during this holy season of joy
as we anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ. Amen.
[iii]
Offertory Hymn
‘Eternal God, Lord of All Space and Time’ Common
Praise 3472 (sung to #362)
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. [iv]
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
Closing Hymn
‘Singing Songs of Expectation’ Common
Praise #536
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.
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