First Sunday of Advent
Call to worship
Gathered here today,
we light a candle of hope,
knowing that in dark times
there is always a light that can be lit.
Let us, people in dusk and dawn,
light the light of vigilance,
knowing that God is always calling us
to justice, mercy and humility –
at this time of year,
and all times of the year.
Amen.
Hymn: Light A Candle Flame (StF 176)
Like a candle flame,
flickering small in our darkness.
Uncreated light shines through infant eyes.
God is with us, alleluia.
God is with us, alleluia.
Come to save us, alleluia.
Come to save us.
Alleluia!
Stars and angels sing,
yet the earth sleeps in shadows;
can this tiny spark set a world on fire?
God is with us, alleluia.
God is with us, alleluia.
Come to save us, alleluia.
Come to save us.
Alleluia!
Yet his light shall shine
from our lives, Spirit blazing,
as we touch the flame
of his holy fire.
God is with us, alleluia.
God is with us, alleluia.
Come to save us, alleluia.
Come to save us.
Alleluia!
Graham Kendrick (b. 1950)
A prayer of approach
We come to your house, God,
sometimes aware, and sometimes not aware.
Sometimes aware of our need, sometimes ignoring others’ needs.
You wait for us, O God, and as you wait,
you call us to wait for you, too.
As we gather to hear your Word,
may we remember how you have helped us –
in the kindness of a stranger,
in the comfort of a friend,
in the call for justice,
in the shout for mercy.
And make us, who wait for you,
approach you and each other
with new vigilance, and with new hope.
Your name is Love, and in your great love
you have called us into community with each other.
With you and in you and because of you,
we are nurtured in love.
Yours is the name that lasts for ever.
Your love reaches into all corners,
confirming those who wait for you –
that they wait in the name of Great Love.
Amen
Prayer of confession
We have turned our face from you, O God,
whose face is always turned towards us.
We have forsaken what we know is just.
We have ignored what we understand is true.
We have refused to believe what should be believed.
We have deceived ourselves in word and deed.
For this, we humbly repent,
and we turn our face towards you –
who waits for us, and makes us ever new.
Make us ever new now, O restoring God.
Amen.
Prayers adapted from Roots on the Web.
Reading: Mark 13: 24-3724
“But in those days, following that distress, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. 28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it[b] is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert[c]! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
Hymn: Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending (StF 177)
Lo, he comes with clouds descending,
once for favoured sinners slain;
thousand thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia!
God appears on earth to reign.
Every eye shall now behold him
robed in glorious majesty;
we who set at nought and sold him,
pierced and nailed him to the tree,
deeply wailing,
shall the true Messiah see.
Those dear tokens of his passion
still his dazzling body bears;
cause of endless exultation
to his ransomed worshippers:
with what rapture
gaze we on those glorious scars.
Sing, amen, let all adore thee,
high on thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and glory,
claim the kingdom for thine own:
come, Lord Jesus!
Everlasting God, come down!
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 177
Reflection
Advent is a season of anticipation and preparation for the “coming” of Jesus. But mostly during Advent we do strange and ridiculous things. We put up a tree in our living room. Not too long ago our ancestors even used to light the tree with burning candles, which burned many houses down. We decorate the whole house as though it was one huge present. We blow our electric bill through the roof with outdoor lighting. We start buying stuff and wrapping stuff and baking stuff and preparing stuff. All to what end? So that when Jesus finally arrives our Christmas celebration will be special and memorable.
Advent is the church’s annual adventure in being astounded by something new, not in Tescos but in a manger. And yet the gospel reading we have heard today is not “something new.” Instead it recalls a prediction from the old as recorded by the prophet Daniel. Daniel 7:13 evokes the vision of a “son of man coming with the clouds of heaven.” It describes this heavenly figure as one who will “gather his elect,” a message that suggests that those not “elected” are in fact “rejected.” It is a grand vision of a heavenly empowered divine “son of man” coming to earth to extend judgment. This “son of man” is a historic figure of heavenly origin, a divine being who becomes human and will change the course of human history. The final word in this week’s gospel text from Mark is to “keep watch,” to “watch out” for the signs that will reveal that the approach of this “son of man” is imminent…
When you were in primary school did you ever– do you remember– did you ever have your teacher say, “I have to go down to the head teacher’s office for two minutes. I’m going to leave the door open and Mrs. Hagen across the hall will be listening. You be good and quiet and do your work. I’ll be right back!” Sometimes we were reasonably quiet. Sometimes maybe we weren’t.
In secondary school it was a little different. It could be that when a teacher left the room it would get noisy, or things might be thrown around the room, maybe someone’s lunch or a somebody’s books.
Usually when classes changed and students filed into a classroom the teacher would be there waiting, because the class would be in her home room. But sometimes we would have to wait for the teacher to come. It could get very interesting if the teacher’s coming was delayed more than a minute or two. We would think, “Maybe he or she isn’t coming at all!”
Sometimes the whole affair got organised – one or two pupils would stand near the door, listening for the teacher’s return, while others were doing things they shouldn’t. Well right now the teacher is away -we are living between times, in the times between Christ’s first coming -as a babe in the manger and his second coming – as Lord and Judge.
We live between beginnings. And the question that advent poses for us today, while we are in this state is quite simply: are we going to pass the test set for us by our teacher’s absence? Or are we going to fail that test – just as so many of us did back when we were in school?
It is a little frightening– these passages about the Lord’s Coming. God has said, “I’ll be right back– you be good and do your work!” And he has left the room in charge of the learners. The actual words from the Gospel are: “It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work (to do)..(Mark 13:34).”
From the Master’s point of view, do you think He ever wonders how faithful we will be? Do you think He has made a mistake to trust us so much?
Hymn: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (StF 169)
Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free,
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art,
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a king,
born to reign in us for ever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all-sufficient merit
raise us to thy glorious throne.
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 169
Prayers of intercession
Let us pray for light in dark places.
We pray for those who are in danger today:
for those who live in war zones, and those who are refugees; for those who work in the emergency services, the NHS and for our armed services.
We pray for light in dark places.
Lord, bring light.
We pray for those who are vulnerable today:
for those who will go hungry today;
for those who are imprisoned for their faith;
for the very young and the very old.
We pray for light in dark places.
Lord, bring light.
We pray for those who are in need today:
for those who are ill and those in pain; for those fighting covid and their loved ones,
for the bereaved and those who are mourning;
and those who those who dread the coming of morning.
We pray for light in dark places.
Lord, bring light.
We pray for our community today:
for the misunderstandings that separate us for one another;
for the tiredness we feel;
for hope we have lost.
We pray for light in dark places.
Lord, bring light.
We pray for ourselves and those we love:
for the things that trouble us;
for the things we long for;
for our hidden fears.
We pray for light in dark places.
Lord, bring light.
We thank you, God,
for light of the Christ child in the dark places of our world,
our community, our church and our lives;
help us to shine your light
and to bring your peace,
your love and your hope this Christmastide.
Amen.
Adapted from Rootsontheweb
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father…..
Hymn: Sing We The King Who Is Coming To Reign (StF 185)
Sing we the King who is coming to reign;
glory to Jesus, the Lamb that was slain!
Life and salvation his empire shall bring,
joy to the nations when Jesus is King:
Come let us sing: praise to our King,
Jesus our King, Jesus our King:
this is our song, who to Jesus belong:
glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.
All shall be well in his kingdom of peace;
freedom shall flourish and wisdom increase;
justice and truth from his sceptre shall spring;
wrong shall be ended when Jesus is King:
Come let us sing: praise to our King,
Jesus our King, Jesus our King:
this is our song, who to Jesus belong:
glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.
Souls shall be saved from the burden of sin;
doubt shall not darken his witness within;
hell has no terrors, and death has no sting;
love is victorious when Jesus is King:
Come let us sing: praise to our King,
Jesus our King, Jesus our King:
this is our song, who to Jesus belong:
glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.
Kingdom of Christ, for your coming we pray;
hasten, O Father, the dawn of the day
when this new song your creation shall sing;
Satan is vanquished and Jesus is King:
Come let us sing: praise to our King,
Jesus our King, Jesus our King:
this is our song, who to Jesus belong:
glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.
Charles Silvester Horne (1865–1914)
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 185
Blessing
We have been called in,
to be renewed in the name of the one who is love.
Even in the darkest night,
even when there is only one small candle lit,
your power and love restore us.
Let your light shine on us as we go from here,
so that we may be warmed and strengthened
to light your light all around.
Amen.