The Second Sunday
of Advent
10 December 2017
The Gathering of
the Community
Gathering Music
Announcements
Entrance Hymn
‘Prepare the Way,
O Zion’ Common Praise #102
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,
Lighting of the Advent Wreath [ii]
Come, O Lord, and set us free.
Maranatha.
Strengthen the hearts of the fearful and weak;
be strong; fear not, God is near,
coming in power and loosing our bonds,
setting the captives free.
Come, O Lord, and set us free.
Maranatha.
Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
God of timeless
grace,
you fill us with joyful expectation.
Make us ready for the message that prepares the way,
so that with uprightness of heart and holy joy
we may eagerly await the coming of Christ,
who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever.
Amen. [iii]
The Proclamation of
the Word
The First Reading:
Isaiah 40.1-11
A reading from the
prophet Isaiah.
40.1 Comfort, O comfort
my people, says your God. 2
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that
her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a
highway for our God. 4 Every
valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven
ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people
shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord
has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Cry
out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like
the flower of the field. 7
The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people
are grass. 8 The grass
withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. 9 Get you up to a high mountain, O
Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald
of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is
your God!” 10 See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules
for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will feed his flock like a
shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and
gently lead the mother sheep.
Hear what the
Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
The Psalm: Psalm 85.1-2,
8-13 from Songs for the Holy One
Refrain (sung twice): Holy One, help us to
listen and follow your teachings.
Holy One, you were
once gracious to your land
and restored the
fortunes of Jacob.
You took away your people’s guilt
and blotted out all their sin.
Refrain: Holy One, help us to
listen and follow your teachings.
I will listen to
what God says.
You surely speak of well-being
for loving and loyal people
who do not turn again to foolish ways.
Your saving help
is near for those who revere you,
that your glory may dwell in our land.
Refrain: Holy One, help us to
listen and follow your teachings.
Faithful love and
truth have met together;
true justice and well-being have kissed each other.
Truth springs from
the earth;
true justice looks down from heaven.
Holy One, you will
indeed grant prosperity
and our land will
yield her harvests.
True justice goes before you
and prepares a pathway for your footsteps.
Refrain: Holy One, help us to
listen and follow your teachings.
The Second Reading:
2 Peter 3.8-15a
A reading from the
Second Letter of Peter.
3.8 But do not ignore
this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years,
and a thousand years are like one day. 9
The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is
patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to
repentance. 10 But the day of
the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a
loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything
that is done on it will be disclosed.
11 Since all these things
are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in
leading lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and
hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be
set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? 13 But, in accordance with his
promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at
home.
14 Therefore, beloved,
while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace,
without spot or blemish; 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as
salvation.
Hear what the
Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn before the Gospel
‘Prepare the
Way’ Common
Praise #107 (sung twice)
The Gospel: Mark
1.1-8
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.
1.1 The beginning of the
good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in the
prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare
your way; 3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight,’”
4 John the baptizer
appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins. 5 And
people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were
going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing
their sins. 6 Now John was
clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate
locusts and wild honey. 7 He
proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not
worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water;
but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
The Gospel of
Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Hymn after the
Gospel
‘Prepare the
Way’ Common
Praise #107 (sung once)
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
Offertory Hymn
‘Lamb of God, to
Thee We Raise’ Common Praise #270
Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray.
God our strength,
we are nothing without you.
Receive all we offer you this day
as you sustain us with your mercy;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [iv]
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.
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 (said)
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
Hymn during Communion
‘Wait for the
Lord, Whose Day Is Near’ Common Praise #94
The Sending Forth
of the Community
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray.
Faithful God,
we thank you for feeding us with this heavenly
banquet.
Help us always to hear the prophet’s call
to turn our hearts to you;
in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen. [vi]
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 Closing Hymn
‘Tell Out, My Soul’ Common Praise #362
The Dismissal
Go forth in the name of Christ and speak comfort to all peoples,
for the promises of God will be fulfilled.
Thanks be to
God.
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