10 December 2023
Advent 2
God Invites Us To Gather
Words of Welcome
Acknowledgment of the Land –
Today we are doing something a little different for our land acknowledgement. One of my favourite Christmas hymns has always been Twas In The Moon of Wintertime. I love the Canadian imagery it holds. In the midst of truth and reconciliation discussions it was raised that while many indigenous and settler people love the hymn, it is problematic because the words to the Huron Carol are not Huron words, but Cree words. In response a Huron elder DL Seaborn rewrote the 1926 lyrics that we are familiar with, to reflect the Huron cultural stories. Today we will sing the English translation of those Huron words, recognizing there are many different languages and cultures within the First Nations of this land, as part of our truth and reconciliation work. Thank you to Deborah for bringing this version to my attention.
Hymn: The Wendat Carol
Our Christ Candle is lit. We give thanks for the light of Christ in our life and in the work and worship we do together. If you are at home I invite you to light your own candle to celebrate the light that lives in our world. Let us prepare our hearts and minds for our worship, as we listen to our prelude.
Prelude:
Lighting the Advent Candle – Peace
Ross Gilmour
Jessica: We wait as people who yearn for peace that bears the fruit of community, equity, and flourishing for all.
Ross: We light these candles as signs of God’s shocking hope and just peace. May they be beacons calling us to live the good news of God’s love in our lives, as we wait and watch and labour for the day when all people can gather together in hope and peace. Amen.
Sung Response: Behold, Behold, I Make All Things New. MV 115
Call to Worship
Here, in this place,
we discover the great things God has done.
In story and song, in silence and prayer,
we are reminded of God’s relationship with us
which lasts forever.
Here, with these people,
we find our true home.
where we can run home laughing,
after being lost for so long.
Here, during this holy season,
we hear those promises made so long ago.
Of the One who repairs all our mistakes,
of the One who reshapes our brokenness.
Welcome to the path home.
Let us worship our God!
*Hymn: Oh Lord How Shall I Meet You. VU 31
Prayer of Approach & The Lord’s Prayer
Great God of adventure and Advent, come again to our lives and to our church. Come to us in these days of pain, sorrow, fear and wars in our world. Come to us with signs of peace. Come to us with new strength and vitality. Help us in these days of expectation and preparation to get ready for the amazing arrival again of the Baby of Bethlehem. Guide us as we move forward to these journeying days and hours of getting ready; in the name of Jesus, born for us long ago and again now, we pray the words he taught us,
Our Creator
in heaven
Hallowed be your name
Your kindom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
for yours is the kindom
The power and the glory
Forever and ever
Amen.
Anthem: Come Thou Redeemer of the Earth
The children leave for Light Connection with Pat
Prayer of Confession
O promised One:
We are a people who struggle to find our way.
Our peace depends on Your coming.
We are people who make mistakes,
And have regrets.
Our forgiveness depends on Your coming.
We are full of good intentions but weak at keeping promises;
our only hope of doing God’s will
is that You should come and help us do it.
Jesus, Word made flesh,
our world waits for your peace, for your promise, for your vision to fill our hearts.
Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Amen.
Sung Response: Wait for the Lord. VU 22 (3x)
Assurance of Pardon
This is the Good News. Christ is breaking into our world.
Because we are loved, we are forgiven,
because we are loved, we are not ever left alone.
Make a place in your heart to welcome the Christ child.
God is coming. Amen.
The Word of God Proclaimed
Prayer of Illumination (Carol Gilchrist)
God, you call us to prepare the way in the world for your love, for your hope, for your peace, for your joy.
May your Word prepare our hearts for action and service. Amen.
Reading: Luke 3:1-18
Page 60 of your pew bibles, in the New Testament
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, 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, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 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.
5 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,
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What, then, should we do?”11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.”14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
15 As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,[a] 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 So with many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Sermon: Finding Life on Crooked Paths
Hymn: All Poor Ones And Humble. VU 68
Our Response to God
Offering: We will take time in our service now to give thanks for the gifts that have been given so generously this week – financial donations, donations to our outreach projects, time, talents, and prayers …. Let us stay seated as we sing …
Offering Hymn: In The Bleak Midwinter (v. 4) VU 55
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him – give my heart.
Offering Prayer
We thank you, loving God, for the abundance of your gifts poured out upon us, and we ask that you use these gifts and offerings to spread healing and hope throughout the world, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Meditative Music
Prayers of the People
God of hope and God of peace, we eagerly await the coming of our Saviour.
We await the hope and peace that your inbreaking into our world brings,
the chance for new things, for new growth and new life.
We pray God that as we wait that you help us to prepare.
Prepare our hearts to welcome you and the new things you want to do in our lives and in this community.
Give us courage, for we know the road ahead is not always easy, but remind us that it is among these crooked roads that we learn, and find life.
Knowing you are with us, wherever our crooked paths take us, we turn our prayers to the needs among us.
Many of us sit in fear of the unknown — worrying about what will happen tomorrow, we pray for calm and peace and assurance.
We pray for all who are yearning to feel your presence in their lives
We pray for all those who are unwell in body or spirit, those recovering from surgery and those living with the anxiety and physical challenges of illness, we ask for your healing presence in their lives,
We pray for those who are grieving, who are missing loved ones, those who are watching loved ones losing strength, and we pray for all who find Christmas a difficult time.
We pray for those who are in times of transition,
Those who are living in the midst of war and violence,
Those who are negatively impacted by the economic situation, those who are worried about housing, and the cost of food.
We pray God for our world, that we may know peace,
We pray for our communities that we may know peace.
We celebrate in the hope of the One who was born in a lowly stable and who will come again. We remember that he is Emmanuel, God with us. Always.
Amen.
*Hymn: Herald Sound the Note of Gladness VU 28
*Benediction
Sung Blessing: Go Now In Peace
