We gather in the Hall which has been darkened. In the centre of the hall is a labyrinth made of cedar and fir boughs. At the centre of the labyrinth is a single candle on a stand.
After the liturgy begins, the community is invited to walk the labyrinth with a votive candle. At any point on their journey they may leave the candle. By the end the room is filled with light.
The First Sunday of Advent
3 December 2017
The Advent Garden
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 will 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 walk the
Labyrinth. As they walk the Labyrinth
they may light their own candles to bring light into the space. During the walking of the Labyrinth and the
lighting of the candles appropriate music will be played. When all are finished, the following 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.
God of unveiled
truth,
in times od 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 from Songs for the Holy One
Refrain (sung twice): O Holy
One restore us. Reveal your radiance so
we can be freed.
Israel’s Shepherd,
please, oh please listen!
Joseph’s Guide,
enthroned on cherubim,
flash forth in
splendour on your people!
Rouse your
boundless powers!
Come, set us free!
Refrain:
O Holy One restore us. Reveal your radiance so we can be freed.
Sovereign God, how
long?
How long will you
fume at your people’s prayers?
You fed us misery
for bread;
you made us drink
overflowing tears.
You made us fair
game for our neighbours;
our enemies sneer
in our faces.
Refrain:
O Holy One restore us. Reveal your radiance so we can be freed.
You plucked a vine
out of Egypt;
you drove out the
peoples,
planted the vine.
May your arms
support the people of your right hand,
those you have
made strong for yourself.
Then we will never
desert you.
Give us life!
We will always
call upon you.
Refrain:
O Holy One restore us. Reveal your radiance so we can be freed.
The Second Reading:
Mark 13.24-37
The Lord be with
you.
And also with you.
The Holy 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 Gospel of
Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Hymn of the Day
‘When the King
Shall Come Again’ 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 way 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 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
this place to be Christ in the world.
O God, in your
mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all
who have asked for our prayers [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.
O God, in your
mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant us grace to
discern your will and the strength to do it,
through Christ our
Lord. Amen.
The Offertory Hymn
‘Blessed Be the
God of Israel’ Common Praise #11
Prayer over the Gifts
After the gifts have been received, the Presider leads the Community
in the following prayer.
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 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 Sending Forth
of the Community
The Exchange of the Peace
The Deacon sends the Community forth with these words.
May the peace of
Christ whose day draws near be with you.
And also with you.
The Community exchanges the Peace with one another.
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