The Fourth sunday of Advent
21 December 2014
The Gathering of the Community
Introductory Responses
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 will the Lord arise,
over us will the
glory of God appear.
Seasonal Processional Hymn
‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’
Common Praise #89 vv. 1, 6, 7
Collect
During the Collect
the Advent Wreath is lit.
Let us pray.
O God of Elizabeth and Mary,
you visited your
servants with news
of the world’s
redemption in the coming of the Saviour.
Make our hearts
leap with joy
and fill our mouths
with songs of praise,
so that we may
announce glad tidings of peace
and welcome your
Christ in our midst. Amen. [i]
The Proclamation of the Word
First Reading
A reading from Second Samuel (7.1-11).
Now when the
king was settled in his house, and the Lord
had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the
prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God
stays in a tent.” Nathan said to the
king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.”
But that same night the
word of the Lord came to
Nathan: Go and tell my servant
David: Thus says the Lord:
Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I
brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving
about in a tent and a tabernacle.
Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever
speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to
shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of
cedar?” Now therefore thus you shall say
to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following
the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever
you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make
for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people
Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be
disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the
time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest
from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.
The Psalm
Psalm 89.1-4, 19-26
with refrain from Songs for the Holy One
Refrain (sung
twice): May
we ever be faithful to your covenant, O Holy One.
1
Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing; *
from
age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
2
For I am persuaded that your love is
established for ever; *
you have set your faithfulness
firmly in the heavens.
3
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one; *
I
have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4
‘I will establish your line for ever, *
and preserve your throne for all
generations.’”
Refrain: May we ever be faithful to your
covenant, O Holy One.
19
You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people: *
“I have set the crown upon a warrior
and have exalted one chosen out of
the people.
20
I have found David my servant; *
with
my holy oil have I anointed him.
21
My hand will hold him fast *
and my arm will make him strong.
22
No enemy shall deceive him, *
nor
any wicked one bring him down.
23
I will crush his foes before him *
and strike down those who hate him.
Refrain: May we ever be faithful to your
covenant, O Holy One.
24
My faithfulness and love shall be with him, *
and
he shall be victorious through my name.
25
I shall make his dominion extend *
from the Great Sea to the River.
26
He will say to me, ’You are my Father, *
my God, and the rock of my salvation’”
Refrain: May we ever be faithful to your
covenant, O Holy One.
The Second Reading
A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans (16.25-27).
Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel
and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through
the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the
command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith — to the only
wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.
The Gradual Hymn
‘The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came’ Evangelical
Lutheran Worship #265
The Gospel
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke
(1.26-38).
Glory to you, Lord
Jesus Christ.
In the sixth
month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favoured
one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and
pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,
Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and
bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son
of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor
David. He will reign over the house of
Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be,
since I am a virgin?” The angel said to
her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called
Son of God. And now, your relative
Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month
for her who was said to be barren. For
nothing will be impossible with God.” Then
Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to
your word.” Then the angel departed from
her.
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord
Jesus Christ.
The Homily
An Affirmation of Faith
We are called to proclaim the truth
and let us believe:
It is not true that this world
and its people are doomed to die and to be lost.
This is true: I have come that they may have life
in all its abundance.
It is not true that we must accept
inhumanity and discrimination, hunger
and poverty,
death and destruction.
This is true: The deaf hear, the dead are raised to life,
the poor are hearing the good news.
It is not true that violence and
hatred should have the last
word
and that war and destruction have
come to stay forever.
This is true: Death shall be no more,
neither shall there be mourning nor crying
nor pain any more.
It is not true that we are simply
victims
of the powers of evil who seek to
rule the world.
This is true: The Lord whom we seek
will suddenly come to the temple;
and the Lord is like a refining fire.
It is not true that our dreams of
liberation, of human dignity,
are not meant for this earth and for
this history.
This is true: It is already time for us to wake from sleep.
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
The Offertory Hymn
‘We, the Lord’s People’ Common Praise #10
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.
Blessed are you, gracious God,
creator of heaven and earth;
we give you thanks and praise
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who in the fullness of time came among us in our flesh,
and opened to us the way of salvation.
Now we watch for the day when he will come again
in power and great triumph to judge this world,
so that we, without shame or fear,
may rejoice to behold his appearing.
Therefore we praise you,
joining our voices with angels and archangels
and with all the company of heaven,
who for ever sing this hymn
to proclaim the glory of your name. [iv]
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. [vi]
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. [viii]
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
The Communion
Communion Hymn
‘From East to West, from Shore to Shore’ Common Praise #155 vv. 1,
2, 4
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. [ix]
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
‘The People That in Darkness Sat’ Common
Praise #156
Dismissal
The Deacon sends the
People forth with an appropriate Dismissal.
[i]
Liturgy Task Force, ‘Trial Use Collects for Advent 1 to the Baptism of Christ’
(Year B), 2.
[ii]
Alan Boesak as quoted by Janet Morley, ed., Bread
for Tomorrow: Prayers for the Church
Year (1992), 31.
[iii] Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 64
alt.
[iv] The Book or Alternative Services (1985),
219 alt.
[v] Common Praise
#722.
[vi] Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006),
110.
[vii] Common Praise
#744.
[viii]
The Book of Alternative Services
(1985), 212.
[ix] Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 65
alt.
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