God, I know what it is to love And have nothing else.
I know what it is to be sick for a week, a month, a year and pray and hope for treatment And be stuck with nothing but waiting And illnesses wash over you–and you are stuck with surviving at such a time as this
I know what it is to see your beloved stuck in the throes of psychosis Screaming for you to help them And you are right there But they can’t hear or see your love at such a time as this
I know what it is to be the one talking to estranged family members hearing both sides of the story Knowing that both sides are right in their own way seeing the irony of how similar they and bearing the sadness of their loneliness and hurt during the holidays at such a time as this
I know what it is to worry about your kids getting sick And the dangers of gun violence that seem to be around every corner but that society has deemed that the economy is important, so you send them To school, to the theater, to the shopping center, to activities at such a time as this
I know what it is to act in love To make the best choice one can When there is not right choice Only the best choice at hand- After years of “once in lifetimes” wars, violences, protests, recessions and pandemics, until we learn the truth God at such a time as this
We are in an apocalyptic times: a great revealing of truths. In such a time as this I keep learning the authentic sacrifices of love: communication, doing one’s best, forgiveness, boundaries God, you don’t have to be Queen Esther to live in this advent world at such a time as this
We are all holding each other’s hands And walking each other home In such a time as this– God, I know you understand too I’m hanging onto that with both hands this advent, as I’m waiting at such a time as this
Let’s light a candle of love, especially at such a time as this, light this candle with us I pray Amen
Feel free to use/share/adapt with credit to Pastor Katy Stenta
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Prayer of Confession: God we are thirsty for your presence, because we know when we get it our purpose will become clear, and our need to pursue and accumulate anything and everything will disappear, and we will finally, finally be at peace. But God, we confess, we are not at peace yet, we continue to thirst for more, we continue long for all that we do not yet possess. Forgive us, and help us to see the feast you set before us and to be satisfied, we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Christ’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting, we are already forgiven. Let us glory in the good news; In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Prayer of Dedication/Day: God you are enough. Let us remember and dedicate ourselves to you today and everyday we pray. Amen.
Prelude Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates Gramophone Ghana Chorus
Opening Prayer1
The coming of our Lord is near, And we wait in joyful expectation, Draw close, Lord Jesus Christ, Shed your light on all that is filled with darkness. The coming of our Lord is near, And we wait with hope filled hearts, Draw close, God’s beloved son, Teach us the wonder of your all-embracing love. Amen.
Call to Worship and Advent Candle-lighting2
O God, in this season of waiting, of longing, of looking for you to come into our world. We are seeking light
In our own lives We are seeking light
In our neighborhoods We are seeking light
In our families We are seeking light
In our work and in our homes We are seeking light
In Grace We are seeking light
In our nation We are seeking light
In our world We are seeking light
We seek, Lord, that we may find
We knock, Lord, that you will open the door
We ask, Lord, that it may be given
Light of the world, lighten our darkness. Amen
Hymn Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
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 forever, 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. (interlude)
by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.
Call to Confession (Joel 12:13-14, The Message)
God’s personal Message is that it is not too late. “Come back to me and really mean it! Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!”
13-14 Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to God, your God.
Prayer of Confession
Spirit, you are alive in me.
And sometimes I’m afraid.
Spirit, you nudge me. You whisper in my ear. You blow around me, Urging me to action.
And sometimes I’m afraid.
Spirit, you are alive in me. And you are always here. Always moving, always calling. And I am unaware.
And sometimes I’m afraid.
Afraid of the task. Afraid of caring. Afraid of responsibility. Afraid of myself.
(Silent Confession)
Assurance of Pardon
The Spirit will lead you. You will hear the Spirit call. You will journey with the Spirit, even when you are afraid.
The Spirit is alive in you, and you are alive in the Spirit.
Thanks be to God for the Good News: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
Gloria Patri: (Blue #579) Glory Be to the Father
Prayers of the People/Lord’s Prayer (traditional)
Hymn of Dedication O Little Town of Bethlehem Kaleb Brassee
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above While mortals sleep the angels keep their watch of wondering love Oh morning stars together, proclaim thy holy birth. And praises sing to God the king, and peace to all on earth.
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by (pause) Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
Holy One, this Advent season we wait in hope. And we give in hope: Hope for your coming reign, Hope because of your presence with us even now. Receive and use these gifts and our very lives for your work
of healing and hope in our world.Amen.
Prayer for Illumination Break Thou the Bread of Life
Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me, As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea; Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord; My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word!
Old Testament Reading Joel 2:1-3,12-13, 28-29 (NRSV)
1Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near— 2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come.
3 Fire devours in front of them, and behind them a flame burns. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, but after them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them.
12 Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.
28 Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female slaves,
in those days, I will pour out my spirit.
New Testament Reading Luke 11:5-13
5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
9 “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks fora fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spiritto those who ask him!”
Sermon
Affirmation of Faith(John 1, NRSV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,
and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines
in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Closing HymnIt Came Upon a Midnight Clear
It came upon the midnight clear That glorious song of old From angels bending near the earth To touch their harps of gold Peace on the earth, good will to men From heaven’s all gracious king The world in solemn stillness lay To hear the angels sing
Still through the cloven skies they come With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats O’er all the weary world Above its sad and lowly plains They bend on hovering wing And ever o’er its Babel sounds The blessed angels sing
All ye, beneath life’s crushing load Whose forms are bending low Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow Look, now for glad and golden hours Come swiftly on the wing O rest beside the weary road And hear the angels sing
Charge and Benediction
PostludeIt Came Upon a Midnight Clear Josh Groban
1 Prayer by Christine Sine (2012), posted on GodSpace.
As if it were designed for a prophetic summary of the New Testament, it begins with that which begins the gospels, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness” (ch. xl. 3), and concludes with that which concludes the book of the Revelation, “The new heavens and the new earth,” (ch. lxvi. 22).
“Speak to the heart of Jerusalem (v. 2); speak that which will revive her heart, and be a cordial to her and to all that belong to her and wish her well. Do not whisper it, but cry unto her: cry aloud, to show saints their comforts as well as to show sinners their transgressions; make her hear it:”
We must get into such a frame of spirit as will dispose us to receive Christ and his gospel: “Prepare you the way of the Lord; prepare yourselves for him, and let all that be suppressed which would be an obstruction to his entrance. Make room for Christ: Make straight a highway for him.”
Double imperative: Comfort! Comfort! The people of Jerusalem are not “deserving” of comfort according to the norms of retributive justice, but God insists — no, commands — that they be comforted.
Advent candlelighting; opening prayer; call to worship; rite of confession; hymns; offering prayer; and a confession of faith. Please note **/*** at the end indicating sources and give appropriate credit. If not **/*** then from Barb Hedges-Goettl, please give credit if using/adapting these as well. Thank you.
In the context of Blue Christmas/Longest Night; if you’re not doing a separate service, you could provide for folks in need of this kind of a service this week. See