Readings
BARUCH 5:1-9; CANTICLE 19 (LUKE 1:68-79); PHILIPPIANS 1:3-11; LUKE 3:1-6A
PROCESSIONAL: On Jordan’s Bank – #391
On Jordan’s bank, the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of kings.
Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
Make straight the way for God within;
Prepare we in our hearts a home,
Where such a mighty guest may come.
For Thou art our salvation, Lord,
Our refuge and our great reward;
Without Thy grace we waste away,
Like flowers that wither and decay.
To heal the sick stretch out Thine hand,
And bid the fallen sinner stand;
Shine forth and let Thy light restore
Earth’s own true loveliness once more.
All praise, eternal Son, to Thee
Whose advent doth Thy people free,
Whom with the Father we adore
And Holy Ghost for evermore.
Lighting Of The Advent Candle (PEACE)
Leader: Light and peace, in Jesus Christ our Lord
All: Thanks be to God
Leader: Today is the Second Sunday of Advent and we will light the Candle of Peace. Last Sunday we lit the First Candle in our Advent Wreath, and celebrated the patriarchs, this First Candle reminded us of our hope in Christ.
Leader: We light it again as we remember our Saviour, born a king in the line of King David. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and we believe that he will come again to fulfill all of God’s promises to us, to rule the world wisely and bless all nations.
Leader: Today we light the Second Candle of Advent, the Candle of Peace. We remember the prophets who spoke of the coming of Christ, of how a Saviour would be born, a king in the line of King David.
Leader: The prophet Isaiah called Christ “the Prince of Peace”. They told us how he would rule the world wisely and bless all the nations.
Leader: When Jesus came he taught people the importance of being peace-makers. He said that those who make peace shall be called the children of God. When Christ comes to us he brings us peace and he will
Leader: bring everlasting peace when he comes again. We light the Candle of Peace to remind us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and that through him peace is found.
(A person lights Second Candle, the Candle of Peace)
Leader: Peace is like a light shining in a dark place. As we look at this candle we celebrate the peace we find in Jesus Christ.
Leader: Let us pray.
All: Lord Jesus, Light of the World, the prophets said you would bring peace and save your people from trouble. Give peace in our hearts at
Christmastide. We ask that as we wait for you to come again, that you would remain present with us. Help us today, and everyday to worship you, to hear your word, and to do your will by sharing
your peace with each other. We ask it in the name of the one who was born in Bethlehem. Amen
HYMN: Light One Candle!
Light one candle for hope, one bright candle for hope,
He brings hope to ev’ry heart, He comes! He comes!
Light one candle for peace, one bright candle for peace,
He brings peace to ev’ry heart, He Comes! He Comes!
Light one candle for joy, one bright candle for joy,
Ev’ry nation will find salvation in Bethl’em’s baby boy.
Light one candle for love, one bright candle for love,
He brings love to ev’ry heart, He comes! He Comes!
Collect
Almighty God,
who sent your servant John the Baptist
to prepare your people to welcome the Messiah,
inspire us, the ministers and stewards of your truth,
to turn our disobedient hearts to you,
that when the Christ shall come again to be our judge,
we may stand with confidence before his glory;
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
First Reading
READING FROM THE BOOK OF BARUCH
Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God. Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God; put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting; for God will show your splendour everywhere under heaven. For God will give you evermore the name, Righteous Peace, Godly Glory.” Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height; look toward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them. For they went out from you on foot, led away by their enemies; but God will bring them back to you, carried in glory, as on a royal throne. For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God. The woods and every fragrant tree have shaded Israel at God’s command. For God will lead Israel with joy, in the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.
BARUCH 5:1-9
Psalm
CANTICLE
REFRAIN The dawn from on high shall break upon us.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. R
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. R
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. R
In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. R
CANTICLE 19, BAS (LUKE 1:68-79)
Second Reading
A READING FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS
I thank my God every time I remember you, -constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, -because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. -I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. -It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel. -For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight -to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, -having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. –
PHILIPPIANS 1:3-11
GRADUAL: Hark a Herald Voice – #392
Hark, a herald voice is sounding:
“Christ is nigh,” it seems to say
‘Cast away the dreams of darkness, O ye children of the day!’
Wakened by the solemn warning let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ her sun, all sloth dispelling, shines upon the morning skies.
Lo, the Lamb, so long expected, comes with pardon down from heaven;
let us all, with tears of sorrow, pray that we may be forgiven,
That when next he comes with glory, and the world is wrapped in fear,
with his mercy he may shield us, and with words of love draw near.
Honour, glory, might and blessing to the Father and the Son,
with the everlasting Spirit, while eternal ages run.
Gospel
THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO LUKE
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, -as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; -and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'”
LUKE 3:1-6
OFFERTORY: There’s a voice in the wilderness #153R
There’s a voice in the wilderness crying,
a call from the ways untrod:
Prepare in the desert a highway,
a highway for our God!
The valleys shall be exalted,
the lofty hills brought low;
make straight all the crooked places
where the Lord, our God, may go!
O Christians, you bring good tidings;
get up to the heights and sing!
Proclaim to a desolate people
the coming of their King.
Like the flow’rs of the field they perish;
like grass our works decay.
The pow’r and pomp of nations
shall pass like a dream away.
But the Word of our God is eternal;
the arm of our God is strong.
He stands in the midst of the nations,
and he shall right the wrong.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd,
the lambs shall gently hold,
to pastures of peace shall lead them,
and bring them to his fold.
Prayer over the Gifts
God our strength,
we are nothing without you.
Receive all we offer you this day
as you sustain us with your mercy;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
COMMUNION: More Love to Thee – #634
More love to Thee, O Christ,
More love to Thee!
Hear Thou the prayer I make On bended knee.
This is my earnest plea:
Chorus:
More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee,
More love to Thee!
Once earthly joy I craved, Sought peace and rest;
Now Thee alone I seek;
Give what is best.
This all my prayer shall be:
Then shall my latest breath whisper Thy praise;
This be the parting cry my heart shall raise;
This still its prayer shall be:
ABLUTION:
Prayer After Communion
Faithful God,
we thank you for feeding us with this heavenly banquet.
Help us always to hear the prophet’s call
to turn our hearts to you;
in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.
RECESSIONAL: Soon & Very Soon – #757
Soon and very soon,
We are going to see the King! (x 3)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
We are going to see the King!
No more crying there –
We are going to see the King! (x 3)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
We are going to see the King!
No more dying there –
We are going to see the King! (x 3)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
We are going to see the King!
Soon and very soon,
We are going to see the King! (x 3)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
We are going to see the King!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!