Sunday 29 November 2020 is the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new Church year.

The Lectionary readings for this week are Isaiah 64:1-9 and Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 and Mark 13:24-37. The reading from Mark’s Gospel is the basis for Geoff’s sermon.

Below you will find the four Lectionary passages in full, prayers, Geoff’s audio sermon and Kath’s musical selection.

A candle is burning, a flame warm and bright,
A candle of HOPE in November’s dark night
While angels sing blessings from heaven’s starry sky,
Our hearts we prepare now for Jesus is nigh

Isaiah 64:1-9 (New International Version)
64 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you!
2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!
3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.
How then can we be saved?
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
7 No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have given us over to our sins.

8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord;
do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
for we are all your people.

Psalm 80:1-7
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
come and save us.

3 Restore us, O God;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.

4 How long, Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
6 You have made us an object of derision to our neighbours,
and our enemies mock us.

7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.

Psalm 80:17-19
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.

19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.

1 Corinthians 1:3-9
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving
4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mark 13:24-37
24 “But in those days, following that distress,

“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Unknown
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Scripture Sentence

Awake sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon you. Ephesians 5:14

Opening Prayer

Lord God, we anticipate your presence with us; a light shining in the darkness, showing us where to go and protecting us on our way. Thank you, Lord God, for the gift of life today. We give thanks that your face shines upon us for you are our salvation. Lead us like a shepherd through this day. Strengthen us for whatever lies ahead. Grant us the spiritual gifts of peace, patience, kindness, and gentleness, for we want to show your love, in word and deed, to others.

Merciful God, we confess that we become distracted, even weary, in our discipleship. We keep busy schedules; we rush about. Captivated by technology, seduced by the lure of consumer goods, we do not remain alert to your divine presence in our lives, in the church, in the world.
Make us better doorkeepers of our lives, watching for you attentively. Awaken us to your surprising power and glory and peace, so we do not miss how near you are to our very own gates. Be gracious toward us, we pray, until we are gathered, from the ends of earth to the ends of heaven, into your embrace.

God of power unexpected, we want you to tear open the heavens and come down; to make mountains quake, water boil, and stars to fall until all nations tremble at your presence! But you, you will not perform according to our wants and whims. Instead you come like the sound of sheer silence: instead you are born among us as an infant. Instead you show us how love is made perfect in weakness. So we will stay alert, or at least we will try, because we are your people and there is no other God besides you. Remain with us, we ask, in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Sermon

NOTE: The above audio is in mp3 format and is also downloadable, if you wish to listen at a time when you may not have a reliable internet connection. Other devices are available but, on a PC, for example, if you right-click on the 3 vertical dots at the right side of the audio player, the drop-down menu should offer the option to “Save as…”

Prayers of Intercession

Faithful God, we thank you that Christ is being revealed in every time and place until he comes again in the fullness of glory. Strengthen our testimony and spiritual gifts; increase generosity in us, as we seek your blessing on what we have given, as we wait for the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God of power and glory, we remember your awesome deeds across the ages—the times you saved us and brought us home. Yet, we also remember times when we felt alone and afraid.
O God, we are your people, the work of your hand. Look upon us with your shining face, especially in the time of need.
We pray for those who look to you for healing
and hope . . . those who are sick or recuperating from illness and injury . . . those who are lonely and need companionship and care . . . those for whom the holidays bring sorrow or pain . . . those whose deep sadness overshadows joy.
Let your face shine upon us, O God.

We pray for people in need of restoration and reconciliation: for those battling addictions and those in recovery . . . for people estranged from those they love . . . for someone lost in grief . . . for someone far from home.
Let your face shine upon us, O God, that we might be saved.

Renew the spirit of a world grown weary with waiting and hoping. Especially we pray for wars to end, for hunger and poverty to be crowded out by abundance. And we pray, too, for the church because we also grow weary in our waiting and watching for your power and glory to be made known. Grant us clarity, passion, and true fellowship so that we are awake to your presence.
Let your face shine upon the church and all this weary world, we pray; in the name of the One born in a manger and coming again on clouds of glory who taught us to pray together…

The Lord’s Prayer
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 debts,
as we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever.

Amen

Note: Prayers of intercession reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press
from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. Copyright 2014 (adapted).

Musical Selection

The lyrics of O Come, O Come Emmanuel can be traced back to the medieval church and it was originally sung in Latin. The text has been translated into many languages and is still a much loved advent hymn today.

In Christ alone my hope is found – Image credit – Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash