Advent
Also: Advent-theme sermons in the 'End Times' section
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Advent Candle lighting: Joy
Come, light of the world, come live in our hearts, come move in-between us, come shine in the darkness. This candle shines for joy, for joy is needed now in our world. Joy is a hunger and hope is a gift, a gift of the Christ child, born in the night Come, light of the world be our joy, we pray. |
Download three entire sets of Advent Candle lighting prayers HERE
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Light and peace to you from Jesus Christ
Thanks be to God This is the first Sunday in Advent, and we light the candle of hope. We claim a hope we do not feel. We choose to trust despite our fear. The flame is small and the winds are strong. But Christ will come, the promise stands from dawn of time, that Christ will come a baby born, a world undone, remade by hope and peace and love. Come, Lord Jesus, Lord of hope. You are welcome here. Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7
Prayers for others The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Dear God, we pray for all people who feel lost in the dark in this life. Be near to those who feel sad, heal those who are sick. Give light to those who cry out to you, Lord Jesus, we pray. You have given your people great joy; they rejoice in what you have done. Dear God, we pray for families everywhere this Christmas time, that there will be real joy in every home No matter how much money or food or how many presents, may there be joy in belonging in family May every child feel that they are loved this Christmas, and every old person feel that they are loved. For a child is born to us! A son is given. Dear God, we pray for little babies, and for those not yet born Bring them safe into this world Make us a society where every child is cared for. He will be called, “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Eternal Father,” “Prince of Peace.” Dear God, we pray for peace for our world, peace in our time May people everywhere find true peace from knowing you, Mighty God and Eternal Father. His authority shall grow continually and there shall be endless peace This we pray, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen. We light the candle … for Christmas Eve night
We light the candle of Hope In hope we are born, and sustained by hope this light shines despite everything. A candle seems such a fragile thing, a flickering in the dark. May hope splutter into life in us again and again. God of new beginnings and new possibilities, be born in us this night, we pray. Amen. We light the candle of Peace When fear prowls the night and anxieties crowd the day peace is a half-remembered gentleness, of kinder times. We light this candle for peace, peace in our minds, peace in our homes, peace in our world. God of grace, make us safe in ourselves that we might be safe space for others. Be born in us this night, we pray. Amen. We light the candle of Joy Ah, joy! Come with lightness, come with laughter! Tickle us until we forget how important we are. Pounce on us, surprise us, lift us out of worry and gloom. Generous God, give us joy this Christmas, joy for the giving away; be born in us this night, we pray. Amen We light the candle of Love Love comes, as love always comes, where a heart opens to another where I see you and a connection sparks in the space between us. Love is our daily bread and our festive cake Love is who you are, Father of Jesus Be born in us, more space for love. We light the Christ candle In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Come, light of the world. Come, live in our hearts, Come, live in between us. Jesus Christ, be born in us, we pray, this night. Be our light. Amen. |
Advent Blessing
Be alert, be awake, be ready, for the Lord is coming! Be watchful, take note; open your eyes for the Lord is here! Listen carefully for his voice in the crowd and in the stillness. Be on the lookout for his hand at work, for God is at work. Look and you will see his love in action. Be ready to notice God’s grace making space for hope, and his peace shimmering on the water. O Emmanuel
by Malcolm Guite O come, O come, and be our God-with-us O long-sought With-ness for a world without, O secret seed, O hidden spring of light. Come to us Wisdom, come unspoken Name, Come Root, and Key, and King, and holy Flame. O quickened little wick so tightly curled, Be folded with us into time and place, Unfold for us the mystery of grace And make a womb of all this wounded world. O heart of heaven beating in the earth, O tiny hope within our hopelessness Come to be born, to bear us to our birth, To touch a dying world with new-made hands And make these rags of time our swaddling bands. |
Holy Communion from Jeremiah’s vision of restoration
- Jeremiah 33
Jeremiah looked around at a ruined city, and prophesied restoration and rebuilding
“Once again” he declared, “there will be sounds of joy and gladness.
Once again there will be weddings and celebration.
Gratitude will flow once again after the desolation.”
And the people responded:
Give thanks to the Lord, to the Lord of hosts
for the Lord is good!
God’s love endures forever!
Jeremiah spoke the word of the Lord:
“The days are coming when I will fulfill the promise I made to my people.
In those days a branch will sprout from King David’s line
He will do what is right and the land will be saved
the people will live in safety.
He will be called True Saviour, the Righteous One.”
We are the people of this branch, the people who follow Jesus Christ.
We live with faith for he has come and he has shown us the Father.
We live in hope for he will come again and bring all things to himself.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
We are people who wait upon the Lord,
in prayer and in hope, in fellowship, in mission and service,
in all things depending on the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus
who is alive and present with us now;
by whose power these elements of bread and grape juice
become for us the body and blood of Christ.
We are people who remember Jesus,
how he was born, babe in a lowly manger
how he lived, how he taught, how he prophesied, how he suffered.
We remember mostly how he loved
and how, on the night before he died,
he gathered those he loved most dearly close to him
at the Passover meal, and how he took bread and broke it
and gave it to them saying
‘This is my body, which is broken for you.’
And after the meal he took a cup of wine
and he gave thanks to this Father in heaven,
and gave it to them to share, saying
‘This is my blood, sign of a new covenant,
poured out for all for the forgiveness of sin.’
Friends, on this Advent Sunday we share together in holy Communion
with Jesus Christ, True Saviour, Righteous One
who has chosen us, called us, blessed us and made us new.
Take and eat, take and drink, in memory of him.
More Advent Communion litanies HERE
- Jeremiah 33
Jeremiah looked around at a ruined city, and prophesied restoration and rebuilding
“Once again” he declared, “there will be sounds of joy and gladness.
Once again there will be weddings and celebration.
Gratitude will flow once again after the desolation.”
And the people responded:
Give thanks to the Lord, to the Lord of hosts
for the Lord is good!
God’s love endures forever!
Jeremiah spoke the word of the Lord:
“The days are coming when I will fulfill the promise I made to my people.
In those days a branch will sprout from King David’s line
He will do what is right and the land will be saved
the people will live in safety.
He will be called True Saviour, the Righteous One.”
We are the people of this branch, the people who follow Jesus Christ.
We live with faith for he has come and he has shown us the Father.
We live in hope for he will come again and bring all things to himself.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
We are people who wait upon the Lord,
in prayer and in hope, in fellowship, in mission and service,
in all things depending on the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus
who is alive and present with us now;
by whose power these elements of bread and grape juice
become for us the body and blood of Christ.
We are people who remember Jesus,
how he was born, babe in a lowly manger
how he lived, how he taught, how he prophesied, how he suffered.
We remember mostly how he loved
and how, on the night before he died,
he gathered those he loved most dearly close to him
at the Passover meal, and how he took bread and broke it
and gave it to them saying
‘This is my body, which is broken for you.’
And after the meal he took a cup of wine
and he gave thanks to this Father in heaven,
and gave it to them to share, saying
‘This is my blood, sign of a new covenant,
poured out for all for the forgiveness of sin.’
Friends, on this Advent Sunday we share together in holy Communion
with Jesus Christ, True Saviour, Righteous One
who has chosen us, called us, blessed us and made us new.
Take and eat, take and drink, in memory of him.
More Advent Communion litanies HERE
Christmas & Advent PsalmsLooking for a Call to Worship during December? ... look no further!
The Lectionary Psalms this year are 80, 85, 126, 89, 97 & 98. These (plus a little extra) are paraphrased and formatted here for use in worship. Click HERE for the page in this website. Click HERE to download the pdf. |
An Advent Psalm: 130,
formated for congregational response Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord – Hear my voice, Lord I call to you for mercy - Open your ears, Lord If you keep count of all our sins, Who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, and so we honour you. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope. More than watchmen wait for the morning my soul waits for the Lord. Here is our hope – in the steadfast love of the Lord, and his great saving power. God alone will save us from all our failings. |
Make room
In this busiest of seasons, it is up to each of us to make space for Christ.
There is plenty that will crowd out God, even as God is coming to us.
Time: What’s a good time in your day when you can sit and be still for a moment?
Place: What’s a comfy seat, in bed, by the window, in the garden? Prepare a space, make a cup of tea, get your Bible, pen and paper ready. Sit and rest with God a while.
We all need some solitude, but you can also sit with a child or a friend and read and pray together.
A Welcome Place for Jesus
Find a spot in your home to lay out a ‘welcome place for Jesus’. Lay down a pretty cloth. Set out your nativity set. Add Christmas cards as they come. Each day, find a small simple thing to place there. Maybe a single flower, or a stone, or a treasured gift from the past. Maybe light a candle.
Noticing the little things
Take your camera out for a walk in the park. Look for small beautiful things, take close-up photos.
Slow down and notice.
In this busiest of seasons, it is up to each of us to make space for Christ.
There is plenty that will crowd out God, even as God is coming to us.
Time: What’s a good time in your day when you can sit and be still for a moment?
Place: What’s a comfy seat, in bed, by the window, in the garden? Prepare a space, make a cup of tea, get your Bible, pen and paper ready. Sit and rest with God a while.
We all need some solitude, but you can also sit with a child or a friend and read and pray together.
A Welcome Place for Jesus
Find a spot in your home to lay out a ‘welcome place for Jesus’. Lay down a pretty cloth. Set out your nativity set. Add Christmas cards as they come. Each day, find a small simple thing to place there. Maybe a single flower, or a stone, or a treasured gift from the past. Maybe light a candle.
Noticing the little things
Take your camera out for a walk in the park. Look for small beautiful things, take close-up photos.
Slow down and notice.
Advent Communion LiturgyDownload three Advent Communion liturgies HERE
(based on Isaiah 64:1-9. Also quoting from James K Baxter’s ‘Song to the Holy Spirit. Written by Silvia Purdie.) O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, The mountains will quake at your presence. May your name be made known through all the earth The nations will tremble at your presence. No ear has heard, no eye has seen but you meet us when we walk in your ways. In our sin we were cut off from you In our failings we fade away like dead leaves. Even our best is worthless when you hide your face from us. Deliver us from our sins for you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our potter remember us, your people! Father of all, Lord of all creation to you be all praise and glory and thanks for you remembered your people, you came to us. You spoke to your people through your prophets and through your angels in dreams and visions. For those with eyes to see and ears to hear you announced the coming of your Son and the in-breaking of your kingdom. In Jesus, born of Mary, born in a manger, you came to us, came to be one of us came to be one with us. In Jesus, teacher and friend, you walked as one of us In Jesus you showed your power and your love for those with eyes to see and ears to hear. In Jesus you showed your power and your love as all was stripped away and he died on the cross. We want to close our eyes to your pain but we turn again to you. Open the eyes of our hearts that we might see you in your risen glory. O come, O come Emmanuel. With the people of God through every age, in every nation we praise you: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Open our hearts as we share in this Communion with Christ together with God’s people through all the world. Come Holy Spirit, be in these gifts of bread and juice may they be to us the body and blood of Christ. Strengthen your love in us as we gather as friends around your table. Build a new house in our midst, build your kingdom O come, O come Emmanuel. Heaven is with us when you are with us. Guide us, wound us, heal us. Amen. |
Advent ConfessionLord forgive our impatience.
We get quickly frustrated when problems arise We confess our expectations that our lives should be easy and free of pain Lord be patient with us, and teach us patience. Christ have mercy Christ have mercy Lord forgive our impatience with the people closest to us. We confess that our love gets crowded with frustrations and conditions as we try to change each other before we change ourselves. Teach us to love as you love us. Christ have mercy Christ have mercy Lord forgive our impatience with our own bodies. We confess our daily limitations, our aches and complaints Forgive us for pushing ourselves too far Teach us, Lord, to be kind to ourselves, to speak gently to ourselves and to rest. Christ have mercy Christ have mercy Lord forgive our impatience with the world around us and those who make decisions that affect us. We confess that we want things to suit us, and we struggle to see things from different perspectives. Forgive our pre-judgements and quick condemnations. Lord enlarge our view that we might see the world as you see it. Christ have mercy Christ have mercy Lord, we pray, give us holy impatience with the world as it is. Stir us for mission. Inspire us to be your change agents. We confess that we have settled for what is and dropped our eyes from the vision of your kingdom. Christ have mercy Christ have mercy Words of assurance In Christ you are forgiven. In Christ you are lifted up out of the darkness that surrounds us on every side into the light and love of eternity. In Christ you are loved more than you can know. Be at peace. Amen. |
A Celtic Christmas
I found this lovely article: A Celtic Christmas
Written by Mary Earle, www.explorefaith.org
Historically, at this time of the year, the peoples of the Celtic lands (Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, Isle of Man, Galicia) marked the natural rhythm as autumn turned to winter. This was a time for watching for the light’s return, even in the midst of darkness. This was a time for pondering endings and beginnings. As Christianity came to these lands, perhaps as early as the first century, there was a ready embracing of the proclamation that Jesus was the Son of God.
The Celtic peoples celebrated the natural world as shot through with divine presence. For them, the divine becoming human was plausible, welcome and true. Incarnation was not a stumbling block as it was to the Greeks. This faith that had a central story of a man who came from God and returned to God, a man who was God’s Son, did not seem so far-fetched to the Celtic mind.
In every Welsh nativity scene, a washerwoman accompanies Mary, Joseph and Jesus at the manger. For the Welsh tradition, if Jesus isn’t born daily into the common household, then there’s really no point of celebrating the birth at Bethlehem. Jesus’ birth, singular as it is, also shows us the sacredness of each child, knit together in the mother’s womb by God’s own Spirit. Jesus’ birth reminds us that each household is dear to God.
We celebrate the deep compatibility of the divine and the human as we rejoice in the Incarnation—in God’s life being revealed to us in the baby boy born at Bethlehem, God being birthed into human life, taking on human nature from the inside out.
As an old Welsh poem states
Mary nurtures a Son in her womb:
His birth a blessing to those who discover him.
He goes forth like the sun,
great is the number of his company.
Written by Mary Earle, www.explorefaith.org
Historically, at this time of the year, the peoples of the Celtic lands (Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, Isle of Man, Galicia) marked the natural rhythm as autumn turned to winter. This was a time for watching for the light’s return, even in the midst of darkness. This was a time for pondering endings and beginnings. As Christianity came to these lands, perhaps as early as the first century, there was a ready embracing of the proclamation that Jesus was the Son of God.
The Celtic peoples celebrated the natural world as shot through with divine presence. For them, the divine becoming human was plausible, welcome and true. Incarnation was not a stumbling block as it was to the Greeks. This faith that had a central story of a man who came from God and returned to God, a man who was God’s Son, did not seem so far-fetched to the Celtic mind.
In every Welsh nativity scene, a washerwoman accompanies Mary, Joseph and Jesus at the manger. For the Welsh tradition, if Jesus isn’t born daily into the common household, then there’s really no point of celebrating the birth at Bethlehem. Jesus’ birth, singular as it is, also shows us the sacredness of each child, knit together in the mother’s womb by God’s own Spirit. Jesus’ birth reminds us that each household is dear to God.
We celebrate the deep compatibility of the divine and the human as we rejoice in the Incarnation—in God’s life being revealed to us in the baby boy born at Bethlehem, God being birthed into human life, taking on human nature from the inside out.
As an old Welsh poem states
Mary nurtures a Son in her womb:
His birth a blessing to those who discover him.
He goes forth like the sun,
great is the number of his company.
Daily Bible Readings
These are short readings from all around the Bible. If you have time, read the whole chapter. In your journal, write out the key words that intrigue you. Choose one verse to remember; write it all out 2 or 3 times. Use a word or image from the reading in your prayer. (from the Catholic.org website)
Sunday 26 November: Romans 13:11-14
Monday: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Tuesday: Mark 13:33-37
Wednesday: John 1:1-5
Thursday: John 1:6-9
Friday: Jeremiah 33:14-16
Saturday: Isaiah 6
Sunday 3 December: 1 John 4:7-12
Monday: Psalm 43:3-6
Tuesday: Psalm 27:1-4
Wednesday: Psalm 119:105-106
Thursday: John 12:35-36
Friday: Ephesians 5:6-14
Saturday: 1 Peter 2:5-9
Sunday 10 December: Romans 15:4-13
Monday: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Tuesday: 1 John 1:1-7
Wednesday: John 3:16-21
Thursday: Isaiah 40:1-11
Friday: John 9:1-7
Saturday: Luke 3:1-6
Sunday 17 December: Isaiah 60:1-3
Monday: Zephaniah 3:14-17
Tuesday: Matthew 1:18-25
Wednesday: Luke 2:8-20
Thursday: Matthew 4:14-16
Friday: Isaiah 2:1-5
Saturday: Luke 2:25-33
Sunday 24 December: Isaiah 11:1-10
These are short readings from all around the Bible. If you have time, read the whole chapter. In your journal, write out the key words that intrigue you. Choose one verse to remember; write it all out 2 or 3 times. Use a word or image from the reading in your prayer. (from the Catholic.org website)
Sunday 26 November: Romans 13:11-14
Monday: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Tuesday: Mark 13:33-37
Wednesday: John 1:1-5
Thursday: John 1:6-9
Friday: Jeremiah 33:14-16
Saturday: Isaiah 6
Sunday 3 December: 1 John 4:7-12
Monday: Psalm 43:3-6
Tuesday: Psalm 27:1-4
Wednesday: Psalm 119:105-106
Thursday: John 12:35-36
Friday: Ephesians 5:6-14
Saturday: 1 Peter 2:5-9
Sunday 10 December: Romans 15:4-13
Monday: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Tuesday: 1 John 1:1-7
Wednesday: John 3:16-21
Thursday: Isaiah 40:1-11
Friday: John 9:1-7
Saturday: Luke 3:1-6
Sunday 17 December: Isaiah 60:1-3
Monday: Zephaniah 3:14-17
Tuesday: Matthew 1:18-25
Wednesday: Luke 2:8-20
Thursday: Matthew 4:14-16
Friday: Isaiah 2:1-5
Saturday: Luke 2:25-33
Sunday 24 December: Isaiah 11:1-10
Growing faith at home this Christmas
A letter to families, with suggestions for how to deepen faith through the Christmas season.
A letter to families, with suggestions for how to deepen faith through the Christmas season.