The Celebration of the Gospel
December 4, 2016 —2nd Sunday of Advent
Repent, for the Realm of God has drawn near.
— Matthew 3.1
________We Gather as the Body of Christ______
CALL TO WORSHIP
Cantor: Alleluia. Alleluia. Make ready your hearts for the Coming One. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Response:
In our deepest longing night, dawn upon us, God of light.
- Make straight the way for the Promised One. Watch, repent, and bear good fruit. R.
- God shall come to rule with grace. Wolf and lamb shall dwell in peace. R.
GREETING
LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLE Romans 15.4, 13.12
CENTERING MUSIC O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Arr: Mark Hayes
* SONG Prepare the Way of the Lord Blue hymnal # 207
(10:30) CHILDREN’S TIME
___________We Attend to the Word___________
(10:30) THE WORD IN SONG Amid the Cold of Winter Arr. Brett Rhoades
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of mercy, your Realm has drawn near.
Help us prepare a Way for you to enter our minds and hearts,
a way for you to enter the world with might
for the sake of justice, mercy and peace.
Help us repent. Grant us hearts of faith. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 11.1-19
[The prophet imagines a ruler from Jesse’s family tree who shows us how to live: with a spirit of wisdom, judging not by appearances, but by the spirit; providing justice for the poor, until nonviolence prevails over the entire world. Even all Creation will reflect it: the lion and lamb will live in peace, and a child shall lead them. ]
You are shoots from the root of God;
you shall sprout and blossom.
The spirit of the Blessed One shall rest on you,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of mindfulness and reverence for God.
Your delight shall be in obedience of the Holy One.
You will not judge by appearances,
or make decisions according to hearsay;
but act with respect toward the poor,
and choose for the well-being of the powerless.
With a word you will disarm tyrants,
and you will blow away all oppression.
Justice shall be the belt around your waist,
and faithfulness the coat around your shoulders.
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion together,
and a little child shall lead them.
No one will harm or destroy on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Beloved
as the waters cover the sea.
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GOSPEL Matthew 3.1-12
[John the Baptist tells of one who is coming, and exhorts us to prepare the way in repentance. He criticizes the Pharisees who rely on religious trappings without living changed lives. His images of trees cut down and wheat threshed are not warnings of the fires of hell, but images of working with growing plants to produce and harvest abundant crops: images of change and growth in our lives. ]
John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for God’s Realm has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make a straight path for God.’ ”
Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear the fruit that comes from repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Sarah and Abraham as our ancestors;’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham and Sarah. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. The Coming One will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. God’s Chosen One already holds the winnowing fork, ready to clear the threshing floor. The wheat will be gathered into the granary; and the chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire.”
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SERMON
SONG Prepare Your Way in Me Steve G-H
Refrain:
Prepare your way in me, Lord, prepare your way in me.
1. Make my rough places smooth, the crooked make straight, my Lord.
2. Lay your hand at my root, that I may bear fruit, my Lord.
3. Come and empty my heart of all things but you, my Lord.
4. Guide my feet in your way; fill me with your peace, my Lord.
ADVENT SILENCE
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer concern at the microphone.]
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
___________We Share at Christ’s Table _________
OFFERING OUR GIFTS How Lovely Shines The Morning Star Joseph Cristoph Bach
* COMMUNION SONG
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence Blue hymnal #626 vv. 1,2
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Beloved be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to our God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One our God.
It is good to give God thanks and praise.
It is our delight to give you thanks and praise, God of love,
for you create us in your image, call us as your people,
and make Covenant to be our God.
When we are oppressed and enslaved
you condemn the forces of injustice and set us free.
When we wander in despairing wilderness and live in lonely exile
you bring us home.
When we betray your image in us
you call us to repent and become again the people you create us to be.
As you have promised, you came to be with us in Jesus.
For this grace we praise you, together with all Creation:
Holy, holy, holy One,
all Creation shines with your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in your name.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed are all who come in your name, and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He taught and healed with love, and called us to repentance and faith.
He gave us his love, love that defies empires and defeats death.
[The Blessing and Covenant…]
Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
As often as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again in love.
Pour out your holy Spirit on these gifts of food,
that those who receive them may experience your love and grace.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
Transformed by your grace, may we repent and bear the fruit of your love,
for the sake of the world, in the name and Spirit of Christ.
All glory and honor is yours, mighty and merciful God, now and forever.
Amen. Amen. Alleluia. Amen.
THE PRAYER OF JESUS
Our Mother, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
SHARING THE HOLY MEAL [Everyone is welcome at the table of Christ’s self-giving love.
The bread is wheat-, soy- and dairy free. We dip the bread in the juice.]
PRAYER OF BLESSING
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. In your living Word, in this meal, in our communion with you and each other, your Realm of Grace has drawn near. May your grace work in us, that we may repent and bear the fruit of your love, for the sake of the world, in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.
______We Are Sent in Ministry to the World_____
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG Come, Thu Long-Expected Jesus Blue hymnal #196
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH Romans 15.5-7, 13
Leader: Dearly Beloved, accept one another, just as Christ has accepted you,
for the glory of God.
Congregation: May God, the source of all of strength and encouragement,
grant us to live in harmony with one another,
in accordance with Christ Jesus,
so that together with one voice
we may glorify the God of our savior Jesus Christ.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
RESPONSE We stand and sing to our neighbors:
Now go in peace, my dearest friends, as God prepares the way.
God will embrace our lives with grace and bring a brand new day:
a day of love and healing, and in our darkness, light.
With grace divine you are a sign, a candle in the night.
POSTLUDE
Prepare Thyself, Zion from Christmas Oratorio J. S. Bach, arr: H. Robert James
[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]
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