Signs of God’s presence and power
ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH
FIRST SUNDAY of ADVENT November 28th, 2021
LIGHTING OF THE FIRST CANDLE
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Welcome to this service of worship on the First Sunday of Advent. Thank you Rev. Shirley Cochrane for leading us in worship today.
- May all of you who join us online be blessed not just today but through-out this season of Advent.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Hope is a flame that is given by God.
Hope for a new world burns in our hearts.
Hope burns in the message of the Law
and the teaching of the Prophets.
Hope is revealed in Jesus Christ.
Advent is a time for waiting.
We wait for God, who appears like a tender
branch growing from a stump.
Advent is a time for hoping.
We wait for God, who comes
with justice and righteousness.
Advent is a time to worship.
We wait for God, praising the
One who comes to fulfill promises.
HYMN 110 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.
PRAYER Of ADORATION
God of light and love, our praises and prayers overflow with hope as the season of Advent opens. You come to your people to dwell with us. You come with power—not to dominate, but to transform. You come with promises—not to give us what we want, but to make all things new. You come with signs of your deep love for the world. You come, and your truth breaks forth, shattering lies and half-truths, setting your people free. Your coming is our hope, and so, we offer you our worship in gratitude and anticipation. Come into our lives again, O God, and show us how to hope in the face of all that is discouraging, for we gather in the name of Hope made flesh, Jesus Christ, your promise and our desire. Source of light, burn in our lives and in your world with your renewing hope. In Jesus’ name we confess together
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Surprising God,
Forgive our sleepiness in the presence of your splendour.
Forgive us if we yawn when you present us with life-changing possibilities.
Forgive us for abandoning hope so quickly,
and expecting the same old thing in the same old way.
Forgive us for underestimating your power to do a new thing.
Awaken us to your holy, hopeful presence.
Awaken us so we may watch and wait for you, Lord Jesus Christ. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
The One who comes with justice also comes with mercy. The God of Judgment is truly the Christ of compassion. God offers you forgiveness today, in the hope you will receive it gladly. Do not be afraid but rejoice in the God who comes to us.
THE PEACE
HYMN 131 Tomorrow Christ is coming
- Tomorrow Christ is coming, as yesterday he came;
a child is born this moment; we do not know its name.
The world is full of darkness: again there is no room;
the symbols of existence are stable, cross and tomb. - Tomorrow will be Christmas, the feast of love divine,
but, for the nameless millions, the star will never shine.
Still is the census taken, with people on the move;
new infants born in stables are crying out for love. - There will be no tomorrows for many a baby born;
Good Friday falls on Christmas when life is sown as corn,
but Jesus Christ is risen and comes again in bread
to still our deepest hunger and raise us from the dead. - Our Lord becomes incarnate in every human birth.
Created in God's image, we must make peace on earth.
God will fulfill love's purpose, and this shall be the sign:
we shall find Christ among us as woman, child or man.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Psalm 25:1–10
1 In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
2 I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
Luke 21:25–36
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
SERMON
Spirit of God, move within us and among us today, to open God’s Word, read and proclaimed, for us. Shine a clear light to guide us to your truth. Just as we read the signs of the seasons, help us to discern and understand the signs that are in your Word, pointing us to Christ, your Living Word. Amen.
We live in a nation of signs. If you travel any major highway, you will see endless signs. Some of them are to point you in the right direction while some of them alert you as to what you might experience at the next exit. Posted speed limit signs just seem to be a suggestion, judging by the rate at which some drivers roar pass you !
Protesters hold up signs at political rallies, either in support of or in rejection of the theme of the day Signs litter store windows - bill boards, flyers – so many places - even churches post messages outside their building --all to promote our attention --some with serious calls for pulling in potential customers while some are funny and give us a good chuckle for the day. Signs are everywhere. Some people read and obey them while others have a tendency to misread, misunderstand or just plan ignore them.
But signs are not anything new. Visual signs have been around for a long time . So also have been those which are not so visible Changes in our physical, emotional and mental states are also considered signs needing our attention
On this first Sunday of Advent, we are reminded there will be signs—signs of God’s presence and power when the locations for and securities of God’s power have been called into question. Signs of God’s presence and power when those we love and the ecclesial institutions we love, have abandoned God’s expression of power - and the very power Jesus sought to upend. People will wonder why such strangeness begins the season of Advent.
This week, we begin our Advent journey. Advent is the annual reminder to be ready always for the coming of Jesus. It is the season to reflect on why Jesus came to earth 2,000 years ago. It is the season to repent of our sin and to believe that Jesus is the only one who has paid the penalty for all our sin It is the season to bring us into a right relationship with his Father. For the Christian, this is a time of preparation for God’s great and wonderful future
As years go by folks tend to become "merely" aware of creation and the incredible story which illuminates God’s handiwork -- stars, sunsets, rain, snow, trees, flowers, rivers and mountains. Sadly we tend to lose the wonder of it all, Signs are everywhere around us yet their connection with God's creation is lost. Over the years during Advent many things may have just become "merely." -this is what familiarity can do ; a journey, a humble animal, a pregnant mommy, a stable, a birth -- we loose the feeling of wonder and mystery. Yet within the Advent narrative nothing is "merely." All this is not "merely" happenings , but are part of God's grand design.
Jesus says in Luke 21:25-26, “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, On the earth nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea, people will faint from terror apprehensive of what is coming on the world, ,for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”
Wow ! sounds like all these seem quite appropriate to describe what’s happening—for Jesus in his time and for us in ours This pandemic is not going away anytime soon, causing all kinds of things being revealed of which we had no idea, or even pretended could remain hidden. Things are being seen that we wish we could unsee. Things are being realized—about the church, about others, about ourselves—that have laid bare truths we can now never forget. What Jesus describes of his time is how we might describe ours, capturing our reality with uncanny resonance. The very cosmos itself has been shaken. Without doubt Jesus’ coming advent will upend the cosmos once again.
In Luke 21:5-24 Jesus is speaking to his disciples near the end of his earthly life and ministry. He wants them to understand the things that will take place after his death. He tells them about the destruction of the Temple (21:5-6), the signs preceding the destruction of the Temple (21:7-9), the wars and persecutions that will take place (21:10-19), and the destruction of Jerusalem (21:20-24). He warns them life is going to be difficult -- perhaps extremely difficult !
Jesus goes on to tell his disciples about his second coming. He wants his disciples to know that he is coming back again. He want them to know what will happen prior to his return, and how to prepare for it (21:25-38 ) Exactly what these signs in sun and moon and stars are is not specified. What the roaring of the sea and the waves is referring to is also not specified. Nevertheless, Jesus wants his disciples to face the fear.
God never hides from His people what He plans to do on earth. The first coming of Christ was prophesied many years before His birth. There were prophecies about the virgin birth, about His lineage to David - and about His birth in a manger in Bethlehem. Bethlehem means “the house of bread” so is it any wonder that the Bread of Life is born there. Apart from the fulfillment of all prophecies made about is birth, His birth was heralded by signs in the skies, a special star in the heavens and angels glorifying God. The prophecies about His birth also revealed the purpose of is birth. At His first coming Jesus did not come to judge the world but to save the world (John 12:47). He came to save his people from sin by paying the penalty for sin through the shedding of is blood on the cross. Jesus Christ came for our salvation. Our salvation was so crucial to the plan of God that the forces of evil did their worse to frustrate the plan of God. The devil tried his utmost to destroy the ‘seed of the woman’ that would crush his head. One of his attempts was to make King Herod kill all males two years and under in Bethlehem but he failed, as he always did, in his attempts to kill Christ.
The final, ultimate victory of the Kingdom of God began with the first Advent of Jesus. Now Advent is also a time to anticipate, prepare, and be ready for the second coming of Jesus. We are living between his First Advent and his Second Advent in the sure knowledge that Jesus won a great victory for his people by his death and resurrection.
Advent is actually a season of great seriousness rather than great festivity. Historically, the season of Advent was a somber, reflective, repentant season in which God’s people look forward to the time when God comes to his people in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. Christmas Day was the start of the festive time, which traditionally lasts through the Twelve days of Christmas, from December 25 to January 6. Christians in earlier centuries would be surprised at the current emphasis on festivities prior to December 25.
However we have started the season early fro some time now. When we invite people into our homes during the holidays, we don’t prepare everything at the last minute. We plan and prepare ahead of time so everything is ready. So too in Advent, we pay attention, we keep watch, and we pray so we are prepared for the Lord when he comes.
Cosmic signs are mentioned in Isaiah, Ezekiel and Jeremiah. They may be signs of the end! But, --perhaps,-- with hope - they are signs of God’s new beginning.
The 2nd coming is not emphasized nearly as much as perhaps it should be. We need to be reminded that Christ Jesus promised to return to earth at a time which we do not know.
However “End Times” forecasting is a worthless waste of time. Jesus himself said No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father ( Matt 24;36) We need a different kind of Advent—an Advent that takes its cues from the texts before us that have everything to do with watching and paying attention.
“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your REDEMPTION is drawing near.
The word REDEMPTION is crucial to our understanding of this passage. The Greek. word means “to release on payment of a ransom / a price paid / deliverance from sin/ salvation.”. This Advent text from Luke offers not fear and damnation, but hope and expectation. May I say again We are not to be gripped by fear – we are to be gripped with hope
Christian discipleship is a kind of ” living in between”. We are aware and rejoice in the birth of Jesus long ago; but, we must learn to reflect also on His return. The reason for this duality is that anything can happen at any moment and we should live prepared. Those who trust in God and live faithfully need not fear when the world collapses around us.
Paul in 1st Thessalonians 3 reminds us that the church is the body of the Christ who has arrived. We are the body of the savior, the ongoing presence of the One who was to come, who has come, and who will come again. The ongoing faith of the Church, together, is testimony to the ongoing faithfulness of God in reconciling humanity to God through Jesus.
Today's question is ---Will we be able to interpret the signs that reveal God’s changing of the world? Will we have the courage to point to the signs—signs that few want to follow because they direct us to places where only absolute trust can venture?
God calls His people to trust Him, to live carefully, to be watchful, and to pray in troubled times. It needs to be stated often. Pay attention, keep watch, and pray so you are prepared for the Lord when He comes. The world is not completely restored. Still we celebrate, we rejoice, even in the work that is not yet complete.
Being ready . . . that’s the point of the Advent season Not only it is a time when we remember the reason for the season,; the good news of Christ Jesus. it is also the season of invitation. We have an invitation of hope, joy, peace, and love which the first coming of Christ established and which the second coming will make complete and perfect.
This is God’s story. The good news offered to the shepherds “shall be to all people.” All the nations. The gentiles. The unclean. The uncircumcised. The violators of God’s Law. This is the love that has already appeared once, and whose advent we await again. This is the tie that binds God to us and us to one another.
As we go through the Advent season joy will be a recurring theme. We will remember that the angels proclaimed “glad tidings of great joy” to the shepherds (Luke 2:10). We will sing of these “tidings of comfort and joy,” and the “joy to the world” that comes with Christ’s arrival.
We can begin the Christian year with a reflection and a celebration of God’s faithfulness and teaching throughout our lives. We can leave the old behind us and move forward into a New Year trusting God will guide us. We too can sing with the psalmist “To you, I lift my soul, O God, in you I trust.” AMEN
HYMN 109 All earth is waiting
- All earth is waiting to see the Promised One,
and open furrows await the seed of God.
All the world, bound and struggling, seeks true liberty;
it cries out for justice and searches for the truth. - Thus says the prophet to those of Israel:
'A virgin mother will bear Emmanuel,'
one whose name is 'God with us' our Saviour shall be;
with him hope will blossom once more within our hearts. - Mountains and valleys will have to be made plain;
open new highways, new highways for the Lord.
He is now coming closer, so come all and see,
and open the doorways as wide as wide can be. - In lowly stable the Promised One appeared;
yet feel his presence throughout the earth today,
for he lives in all Christians and is with us now;
again, with his coming he brings us liberty.
OFFERING
We make our offering today with hopeful hearts, trusting that the Holy One who comes to us will bless our gifts and our lives, to make us signs of hope in the world God loves.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost
OFFERTORY PRAYER
Holy and Righteous God, we offer our gifts with humble hearts, knowing the need in your world is great and our gifts alone will never fill that need. We offer our gifts in hope that you will bless them and use them to help fulfil your purpose revealed in Jesus Christ, Saviour of us all. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
O Spirit of Hope, When the world is confusing and bleak, you pierce the despair with your Word, and renew our vision of God’s possibilities for our lives. Thank you for lessons learned, for changes of heart, for new discoveries made and hope restored, even as the pandemic stretches on. As the world around us prepares for the long, cold sleep of winter, we pray for those who feel the burden of loneliness and isolation. We remember those without homes to shelter in, and those forced to leave their homes through conflict, natural disaster or political upheaval. Spirit of Hope, shelter all these precious folks under your wings
O God of Peace, There is strife and disagreement all around us these days, sometimes in our own lives and relationships, and in many nations and neighbourhoods in the news. We pray for places where violence and cruelty appear to win the day, thinking especially of Afghanistan , Ethiopia, and Haiti, and situations closer to home that we carry on our hearts.
God of Peace, work for just and peaceful resolutions to prevail.
O Creator of Joy, We give you thanks for moments of joy and celebration in our lives, for pleasure given and received, for quiet times of reflection and conversation, and for the many ways that allow us to keep in contact with those we love. As the days grow colder, we remember those who feel bitter while others rejoice, those who grieve the loss of loved ones, and those who face a bleak winter for any reason. Creator of Joy, bring them light and warmth in the season ahead, and let your joy shine through us as compassionate companions.
O Love divine made flesh in Christ, You call us into communion with you and community with one another. We pray for your church and our congregation, that love will guide all your people as we plan for our life and mission. We pray for congregations seeking God’s direction in changing times, that they are steadfast in hope and learn to be patient and prayerful when times are challenging.
We remember before you our families, whether we are close or estranged; for our friends, whether nearby or far away. Love divine, bless each one with your love and help us express our gratitude and concern for each other in word and action. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
As we consider what is happening in our Community , we recognize that Recreation facilities, sports teams, gyms and places like the Swimming Pool and Bowling Alley have had a confusing year of disruption to games, and activities which include both children and adults. Physical and mental health are lessened when our routines and fun is so disrupted . Be with us and lead us as such activities are beginning once more and joy regained in our participation
We bring before you ……………….
We also give thoughts which we hold close to our hearts and minds to you in this sacred silence ………………………
We sum up all our prayers, spoken and unspoken, in the words Jesus taught us to say
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. 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, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
HYMN 119 Hope is a star
- Hope is a star that shines in the night,
leading us on till the morning is bright.
Refrain: - When God is a child there's joy in our song.
The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,
and none shall be afraid.Peace is a ribbon that circles the earth,
giving a promise of safety and worth.
Refrain - Joy is a song that welcomes the dawn,
telling the world that the Saviour is born.
Refrain - Love is a flame that burns in our heart.
Jesus has come and will never depart.
Refrain
BENEDICTION
Be on guard – Be alert ! Watch ! For you do not know when the time is coming .Blessed be the Lord who does wonderous things May his glory fill the whole earth May the grace of God, the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit abide with you this Advent season And the people all say AMEN
CLOSING SONG
Online: Take O Take me as I am