The Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 18, 2016

The Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 18, 2016

Welcome and Announcements

One:As we enter, eager and expectant, into this solemn season of Advent,

looking forward to the birth of the Christ child,

All:let us renew in ourselves that vision of God’s perfect kingdom

which is the end of all our strivings and the consummation

of God’s loving purposes for us. Amen.

We stand to sing:

29‘Hark the Glad Sound’in the Red Hymnbook

Seated we prepare to light Mary’s Candle:

One:Blessed are you, sovereign Lord, merciful and gentle:

to you be praise and glory for ever.

Your light has shone in our darkened world

through the child-bearing of blessed Mary.

All:Grant that we who have seen your glory

may daily be renewed in your image

and prepared like her for the coming of your Christ,

who is the Lord and Saviour of all.

We light Mary`sCandle, then pray together:

All:Lord Jesus, light of the world

blessed is Gabriel, who brought good news;

blessed is Mary, your mother and ours.

Bless your Church preparing for Christmas;

and bless us your children, who long for your coming. Amen.

One:Through a dream Joseph received the assurance

that the child Mary carried was of the Holy Spirit

and would save the people from their sins.

All:With that assurance let us confess our sins

that they may no longer have power over us.

One:God, our Creator,

you exalted the humble and meek:

give us humble and contrite hearts.

Lord have mercy.

All:Lord have mercy.

One:Lord Jesus,

you grew towards birth in a young woman’s womb:

be planted also in our hearts and lives.

Christ have mercy.

All:Christ have mercy.

One:Holy Spirit,

you overshadowed Mary,

that she might become the God-bearer:

fill us with your heavenly gifts.

Lord have mercy.

All:Lord have mercy.

One:God, our Creator,

in Jesus the Christ you have given us

a commonwealth that cannot be destroyed.

All:Forgive us our sins,

open our eyes to your truth,

strengthen us to do your will,

and give us the joy of your loving rule. Amen.

One:In the tender mercy of our God,

the dayspring from on high shall break upon us,

All:to give light to those who dwell in darkness

and in the shadow of death

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

One:The Peace of Christ be with you.

All:And also with you.

(VU 48 v. 3)Hail, the heavenborn Prince of Peace!

Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

risen with healing in his wings.

Mild he lays his glory by,

born that we no more may die,

born to raise us from the earth,

born to give us second birth.

Hark! the heralds angels sing,

‘Glory to the newborn King!’

Ministry of Music –Mid Winter—Bob Chilcott

Trinity Youth Singers, Mark Milner piano

One:Let us present our offerings with prayer and with praise.

Let us pray:

All:As we give, Holy One,

help us also to receive –

to receive the truth of others’ lives

to receive the wisdom which confounds

to receive the hope which opens wide

to receive the birth and rebirth of promise

to receive and give back, again and again,

the gift of love, in Bethlehem’s child. Amen

As the offering is brought to the front we stand and sing:

(tune VU 217)Hope in the God who reigns above,

who holds us all in perfect love.

Sing praises, hallelujah!

God’s Spirit blows across the earth,

preparing us for second birth.

Sing praises, hallelujah!

Sing praises, hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

We hear a Reading from the Prophets:

Isaiah 9.2-7 (The Inclusive Bible)

Observing Jewish tradition, the Divine Name ‘Yhwh” is not spoken; the words ‘the Lord’ are read instead

The people walking in darkness

are seeing a brilliant light—

upon those who dwell in a land of deep shadows

light is shining!

God, you have made the nation greater—

you have brought them abundant joy!

They celebrate in your presence

as with the harvest celebrations,

or as warriors celebrate when dividing spoils.

For the yoke that burdened them,

the weight on their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressors—

you have shattered it, as you did at the defeat of Midian.

For every boot that tramped in battle,

every cloak that was dragged through blood,

is now used as fuel for the fire.

For a child is born to us,

an heir is given us,

upon whose shoulders

dominion will rest.

This One shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, the Strength of God,

Eternal Protector, Champion of Peace.

This dominion, and this peace,

will grow without end,

with David’s throne and realm

sustained with justice and fairness,

now and forever.

The zeal of YHWH Omnipotent

will accomplish it!”

Ministry of Music –Streets of London—McTell/Lewis arr.

Trinity Youth Singers, Mark Milner piano

We hear a Reading from the Gospels – the Good News of Jesus:

Luke 1.26b-46a (The Inclusive Bible)

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a young woman named Mary; she was engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. Upon arriving, the angel said to Mary, “Rejoice, highly favored one! God is with you! blessed are you among women!”

Mary was deeply troubled by these words and wondered what the angel’s greeting meant. The angel went on to say to her, “don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God. You’ll conceive and bear a son, and give him the name Jesus—‘deliverance.’ His dignity will be great, and he will be called the only begotten of God. God will give Jesus the judgment seat of David, his ancestor, to rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his reign will never end.” Mary said to the angel, “how can this be, since I have never been with a man?”

The angel answered her, “the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you—hence the offspring to be born will be called the holy one of God. Know too that Elizabeth, your kinswoman, has conceived a child in her old age; she who was thought to be infertile is now in her sixth month. Nothing is impossible with God.” Mary said, “I am the servant of God. Let it be done to me as you say.”

With that the angel left her.

Within a few days Mary set out and hurried to the hill country to a town of Judah, Where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.

As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why am I so favored, that the mother of the Messiah should come to me? The moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who believed that what our God said to her would be accomplished!” Mary sang:

We stand to sing Mary’s Song – Luke 1.46b-55

We hear a Reading from the Gospels – the Good News of Jesus

Matthew 1.18-24 (The Inclusive Bible)

This is how the birth of Jesus came about. When Jesus’ mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her husband, an upright person unwilling to disgrace her, decided to divorce her quietly.

This was Joseph’s intention when suddenly the angel of God appeared in a dream and said, “Joseph, heir to the House of David, don’t be afraid to wed Mary; it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child.

She is to have a son, and you are to name him Jesus—‘Salvation’—because he will save the people from their sins.” All this happened to fulfill what God has said through the prophet:

“The virgin will be with child

and give birth,

and the child will be named Immanuel”

—a name that means “God is with us.”

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of God had directed, and they went ahead with the marriage.

Reflection:‘The Interplay of Give and Take’

We hear a Reading from the Gospels – the Good News of Jesus

Luke 2.1, 4-14 (The Inclusive Bible)

In those days, Caesar Augustus published a decree ordering a census of the whole Roman world. Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to “the City of David”—Bethlehem, in Judea, because Joseph was of the house and lineage of David; he went to register with Mary, his espoused wife, who was pregnant.

While they were there, the time came for her delivery. She gave birth to her firstborn, a son; she put him in a simple cloth wrapped like a receiving blanket, and laid him in a feeding trough for cattle, because there was no room for them at the inn.

There were shepherds in the area living in the fields and keeping night watch by turns over their flock. The angel of God appeared to them, and the glory of God shone around them; they were very much afraid.

The angel said to them, “You have nothing to fear! I come to proclaimgood news to you—news of a great joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in David’s city, a savior—the Messiah—has been born to you. Let this be a sign to you: you’ll find an infant wrapped in a simple cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in high heaven!

And on earth, peace to those on whom God’s favor rests.”

We stand to sing:

38 ‘Angels We Have Heard on High’in the Red Hymnbook

We hear a Reading from the Gospels – the Good News of Jesus

Luke 2.15-20 (The Inclusive Bible)

The shepherds hurried and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger; once they saw this, they reported what they had been told concerning the child. All who heard about it were astonished at the report given by the shepherds.

Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart. The shepherds went away glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told.

Ministry of Music –Rise Up Shepherd and Follow

Solosit: Mark Milner

We hear a Reading from the Gospels – the Good News of Jesus

Luke 2.21-35 (The Inclusive Bible)

When the eighth day arrived for the child’s circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

When the day came for them to be purified, as laid down by the Law of Moses, the couple took Jesus up to Jerusalem and presented him to God. For it’s written in the Law of our God, “every firstborn heir is to be consecrated to God.” They likewise came to offer in sacrifice “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accord with the dictate of the Law of our God.

Now there lived in Jerusalem a man named Simeon. He was devout and just, anticipating the consolation of Israel, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. She had revealed to Simeon that he wouldn’t see death until he had seen the messiah of God. Prompted by her, Simeon came to the temple; and when the parents brought in the child to perform the customary rituals of the Law, He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

“Now, O God, you can dismiss your servant in peace, just as you promised;

because my eyes have seen the salvation

Which you have prepared for all the peoples to see—

a light of revelation to the Gentiles

and the glory of your people Israel.”

As the child’s mother and father stood there marveling at the things that were being said, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, the mother, “this child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that is rejected, so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare. And a sword will pierce your heart as well.”

Ministry of Music –Mary Did You Know

Nancy Letcher, soprano

Seated, we pray together:

We stand to sing:

48 ‘Hark! the Herald Angels Sing’in the Red Hymnbook

Blessing

Sung Amen(VU 974)

Music before Leaving: