Tidings of Comfort and Joy Advent
Feel free to use/share/adapt with attribution to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
For a doc version for easy formatting email Katyandtheword at Gmail and title the email “Advent”
Included: Breath Prayers, Call to Worship (either of which could can be used for Candle Liturgy), Candles, Two Song verse options for Candle Lighting, Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon
Additional Psalm Option
Hope: When the Lions Come at Night
Daniel 6:6-27
Luke 23:1-5
Psalm 57 all or v. 4-10
Breath Prayer
Breathe in: Holy Spirit we need you
Breathe out: comfort us
Call to Worship (Based on Psalm 57)
In God my soul takes refuge my soul takes refuge and comfort, God is my hope.
God will send forth steadfast love and faithfulness.
Even if I lie down among lions, with teeth as sharp as spears, and tongues like sharp spears, my heart is steadfast and I will sing and make melody.
I know I will awake at God.
My hope is in God, for your steadfast love is high as the heavens, and your faithfulness extends to the clouds
Come let awaken our souls to God in song.
Advent Candle: Hope
Hope of the World, we light this candle because we feel like we are surrounded by Lions
Hope of the World Comfort us
Hope of the World, we light this candle, because we are an apocalyptic people, overwhelmed with too many uncovering of knowledge
Hope of the World Comfort us
Hope of the World, we light this candle, because we await the moment that Justice reigns, and your truth is magnified
Hope of the World, Comfort us
Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we do not always understand hope. Is its meant to inspire us? Or to comfort us? Awaken us to the condition of the world? Too often we feel too surrounded by Lions to hope in these apocalyptic times. Teach us how to understand hope as promise that you give balanced against our responsibility to act, and give us the tools we need to walk with Jesus along the way we pray. Amen
Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good news, Jesus is our Hope, so we do not have to hope alone. So know the Good news and proclaim it to one another: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen
(Verse 1) God rest you merry, gentlemen/folk
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Another Optional Hymn verse 1 O Come, O Come Emmanuel Magnificat (less political, substitutionary atonement version) https://katyandtheword.com/2023/11/08/o-come-o-come-emmanuel-magnificat-version/
Peace: Binding up the Brokenhearted
Joel 2:12-13, 28-29
Luke 11:(9-12) 13
Psalm 147:1-6 (7-11)
Breath Prayer
Breathe in: God you are peace
Breathe out: Bind our brokenhearted
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 147)
God you are Good, you build us up as community
God binds up our wounds: caring for us, healing our brokenhearts
Great is our God, powerful, because God sows peace and mercy
We recognize our God, because our God is the one lifting up the downtrodden, and knowing everything by name from the farthest star, to every person from the mighty to the meek.
Let us sing to the Divine who grants Peace
Come let us sing to God’s steadfast love
Advent Candle: Peace
Purveyor of Peace, we pray for the day that we shall learn war no more
We are seeing visions and dream dreams of peace together
We feel in our bones, that we need peace. We light this candle because we are hungering for it.
God, we will envision peace together
Purveyor of Peace, we light this candle because we know peace is your way, and you will bind our brokenhearts to make it possible.
God, we will envision peace together
Prayer of Confession: Divine One, at times it feels like the world is full of war and brokenness. Peace seems impossible. Comfort us, teach us to be peacemakers, so that we can catch glimpses of your kin(g)dom, we pray. And remind us that we are not doing this work alone. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon. Hear the good news, the Prince of Peace is coming. It is promised. Let us proclaim the the truth in our hearts: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Magnificat Version V. 3 or V. 7 (or Both) https://katyandtheword.com/2023/11/08/o-come-o-come-emmanuel-magnificat-version/
(Verse 7) Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood/siblinghood/Kindomhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Joy: Comfort and Joy
Isaiah 61:1-11
Luke 4:16-21
Alt. Isaiah 40:1-8
Psalm 27: 13-14
Breath Prayer
Breathe in: Comfort your people
Breathe Out: God teach us Comfort and Joy
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 27)
God is our stronghold
With God as our comfort and salvation, who shall we fear?
God who comes out of the holy creative darkness
You come and show us the way, so we are not afraid
You shelter us under your wings, and comfort us
Come, let us rejoice with God that Jesus is coming.
Advent Candle: Joy
Holy Comforter, speak tenderly to us, so that we have the seeds of joy planted in us.
Holy Comforter, Send your Spirit of Joy to us.
We light this candle so that you can teach us joy
Holy Comforter, Send Your Spirit of joy to us
Send your Spirit to us, Prepare the way for us, light the candle with us.
Holy Comforter, Send Your Spirit of joy to us
Prayer of Confession: God, I confess it is hard to feel joyful when I feel afraid. I sometimes feel like I want to hide under the covers, or turn off the news, or quit. Please send us your Holy Spirit, Shelter us under your wings, and teach us where to find joy, so that we can remember that you are walking with us. Give us threads of joy even in the long waiting season of Advent we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: God is with us, even as we wait, understanding us, loving us and comforting us. Thus we know the Good News: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen.
(Verse 3) God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Another Optional Hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel Magnificat Version verse 5 https://katyandtheword.com/2023/11/08/o-come-o-come-emmanuel-magnificat-version/
Week 4 Love: Love: Fear Not, Love’s comfort and empowering work
Luke 1:26-45 [46-56]
Psalm 113
Psalm 27:1-4
Call to Worship
Give Thanks to the Lord
God’s Love endures Forever
God is Divine always
They have made a Covenant with all the World
They have made the sun, the moon the stars, and all the earth
God’s steadfast Love endures forever
We can tell stories of God’s love, and who God is, and still not fully understand God’s love
Come Let us sing of God’s love together.
Advent Candle: Love
God shows God’s love and favor by being with us
Divine Love, Be with us now
We light this candle remembering God’s promise to be with us, Sending Jesus as that promise.
Divine Love, Be with us now
Beloved God, we long to magnify your promises, for they are full of love, so we light a candle of love together.
Divine Love, Be with us now
Prayer of Confession: God we confess that Love is a struggle. It takes work to love humans. It is not an easy thing to practice. Help us to lean into our own belovedness, when I struggle imperfections—my own or others. God we desperately need to remember that you are love. Help us with that we pray.
Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News, God loves us. We can sink into God’s love, and thus we can say with confidence the echo of God’s promise to us: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Amen
(Verse 4) God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
“Fear not then,” said the Angel,
“Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Saviour
Of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan’s power and might.”
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Another Optional Hymn verse 4 or 6 (or Both) O Come, O Come Emmanuel Magnificat Version https://katyandtheword.com/2023/11/08/o-come-o-come-emmanuel-magnificat-version/
Full Directory of Advent and Christmas Resources Here
Feel free to use/share/adapt with attribution to Pastor Katy Stenta aka “KatyandtheWord”
For a doc version for easy formatting email Katyandtheword at Gmail and title the email “Advent”
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