The Celebration of the Gospel
December 10, 2017 —Second Sunday of Advent
Prepare the way of God.
—Mark 1.3
________We Gather as the Body of Christ______
GREETING
PRELUDE
Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor French Melody, arr: Stephen Nielson
CALL TO WORSHIP (Isaiah 40.1-5)
Cantor:
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem that her suffering is ended.
In the wilderness prepare a way for God.
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Response: O come to us, O come, Emmanuel,
come and bring your light into our darkened world.
Every valley shall be lifted up;
every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The uneven ground shall be made a level path;
and the rough places shall be made smooth.
Then the glory of God shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together.
Response
LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLE from 2 Peter 3.10-15
[2 Peter was written to people who thought Jesus would return, and he hadn’t. It assures them God is giving more time for us to be ready. How shall we prepare? By leading lives of holiness and godliness, we both await and also hasten the day.]
The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be changed in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be? Lead lives of holiness and godliness— in this way we not only wait for the coming of the day of God, we hasten it. In accordance with God’s promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, live at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.
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* SONG All Earth Is Waiting Blue hymnal # 210
(10:30) CHILDREN’S TIME
____________ We Attend to the Word__________
(10:30) THE WORD IN SONG Veni, veni Emmanuel Zoltan Kodaly
PRAYER
God of grace and mercy, you prepare a way to come into this world, many ways that we do not see. Prepare a way to enter our hearts now. In word and silence, in song and prayer and meal, make your way into our hearts and make within us and among us a new heaven and earth, in the Spirit and the Body of Christ. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 40.1-11
[The prophet speaks with tender comfort to people who are in exile. God proclaims, “Prepare a way in the wilderness” for God’s people to come home. God is coming with power to save and lovingly shepherd the people.]
Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from God’s hand
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of God,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
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.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Look!, the Lord God comes with might,
whose arm is strong, who brings blessing,
who restores what is right .
She will feed her flock like a shepherd;
she will gather the lambs in her arms,
and carry them in her bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.
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GOSPEL Mark 1.1-8
[This story echoes Isaiah’s cry, “Prepare a way!” In the wilderness John the Baptist preaches repentance in preparation for “one more powerful” who is yet to come.]
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight a path for God.’
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 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. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 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. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
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SERMON
SONG Prepare Your Way in Me Steve G-H
Prepare your way in me, God, prepare your way in me.
- Make my rough places smooth, the crooked make straight, my God.
2. Lay your hand at my root, that I may bear fruit, ,my God.
3. Come and empty my heart of all things but you, my God.
4. Guide my feet in your Way. Fill me with your peace, my God.
ADVENT SILENCE
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
THE PRAYER OF JESUS.
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
____________We Share at Christ’s Table ________
OFFERING OUR GIFTS
8:15: People, Look East “BESANÇON”, arr: James Mansfield
10:30: Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
* COMMUNION SONG (Tune: Sing We Now of Christmas)
Jesus, you have called us to your table here.
By your invitation all are blest and dear.
Bringing our gifts, we meet each other here.
Christ we come rejoicing! Come, O Christ, appear!
In this feast of mercy, Christ, we thirst for you.
Open wide our hearts to what your love will do.
Make us your Cup, the Manger where you lay.
Love made flesh among us, Christ be born anew.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Beloved, God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Faithful One, our God.
It is good to give God thanks and praise.
We thank you, for in the beginning you made all things,
and still you are creating, making all things new.
You call us as your people and make Covenant to be our God.
You continually re-create us, and call us to new life.
You judge the forces of injustice
and set us free from all that oppresses.
You walk with us to new life: walking with Israel across the Red Sea,
walking with Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem,
walking with Jesus the journey of death and resurrection.
So we thank you and with all Creation sing your praise.
Holy, holy, holy Mystery, God of mercy, God of light,
all Creation gleams with your presence, shining with your glory bright.
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,
who confronted the powers of oppression and hierarchy
and prepared a way for your Empire of Grace.
He raised up the lowly and brought down the powerful,
transformed all who were open, and loved us into new lives.
In the mystery of the incarnation of your Word made flesh,
and in the baptism of his death and resurrection, you gave birth to your church
and set us free from the power of sin and 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.
Prepare the way of your Holy Spirit in these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
prepare the way of your Holy Spirit in us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
In this meal you have prepared a way to enter us;
through us, enter into the world.
Being made new, may we bring comfort
to those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death;
may we make smooth the rough places,
that by your grace, through our faith, your glory will be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together.
Amen. Amen. Hosanna! Hosanna! 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 this meal you have made us new, and fashioned us as living promises of the world to come. Send us into the world to prepare a way for you in love and justice, in the power of your Spirit and the loving presence of the Beloved, Jesus Christ. Amen.
______We Are Sent in Ministry to the World_____
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG O Little Town of Bethlehem Blue hymnal #230, v. 1, 3, 4
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE Please stand and sing to your neighbors: (Tune: In the Bleak Midwinter)
Go in peace, Beloved, waiting for the dawn.
May the grace of Jesus bless and bear you on.
Go and share God’s blessing. Trust that Christ is near.
Mercy will go with you, till the Day is here.
POSTLUDE
“Prepare Thyself, Zion” from Christmas Oratorio J. S. Bach, arr: H. Robert James