December 11, 2022, Advent 3

Welcome and Announcements

St. Andrew’s welcomes you to this Advent service of Joy. May the Joy of Christ Jesus dwell in your hearts and minds and richly bless you as you worship with us today.
Our Loonie Offering for the month of December will go to the SAFE house to help relieve and deliver many from the pain and suffering that is so prevalent at this time of year. Christmas is not a happy time for everyone and so once again we pray that all may know the joy of Christ in their lives even in the midst of despair, pain and suffering. Check the “Recent Posts” to learn how you can support the SAFE House.

Called to Worship: Advent Candle Liturgy 

Reader 1: We are people of joy.

Reader 2: God causes flowers to bloom in the desert; the wilderness is glad and breaks into song.

 

People: We open our eyes and we are surprised by joy in

our lives!

 

Reader 1: The third candle of Advent reminds us that we are called to live as people of joy.

Reader 2: We light this candle, recalling moments of laughter, great beauty and deep faith.

 

 

Reader 1: Let us pray:

 People: Holy One, regardless of what happens in our lives or in our world, may we reflect the warmth and wonder of this flame. Make your church a place of joy and life in our community. Amen.

 

Hymn: 128 There’s a voice crying in the wilderness

Prayer of Adoration

God of Glory, we rejoice in the good news of your promises. Come into our parched world and shower us with your gushing, abundant water of life, so that our joy overflows into your world. Enter into our brokenness, and renew us with the strength of your love, that our love may be expressed in living. Be born anew in our hearts and in our world so that we may confidently walk your way of holiness. Come, Jesus; come. still our hearts, open our eyes, unstop our ears, fill us with your purpose as we confess our sinfulness before you….

Unison Prayer of Confession:

Patient Lord, forgive our lack of faith in your loving power. We look around us and all that we see is what we don’t have. We fail to notice the daily blessings you lavish upon us. Clear our blindness to the needs of others. Strengthen us and move us from lame excuses for not serving you. Help us to truly listen to one another, not with our pat answers ready, but with loving and generous hearts. Heal us and make us ready to truly be your disciples. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN.

Assurance of Pardon

The desert shall rejoice and blossom. Waters shall break forth in the wilderness. The burning sand shall become a pool. The God who can transform the dry lands will transform the desert of our lives. Abundant forgiveness is ours from the God who turns sorrow and sighing into joy and gladness.

 

The Peace

The coming of Christ turns the world upside down. A greater vision lies before us—God’s vision of real life for all. Let us be strong, because peace is ours in Jesus Christ. May the peace of Christ be with you.

 

Hymn: 124 People in darkness

Scripture Lessons:

Isaiah 35: 1-10 Psalm 146: 5-10 Matthew 11: 2-11

 

Sermon: The way of holiness

 

Sometimes even the sappiest Christmas movie, has a completely memorable moment. The latest, was the Santa who offered to grant a man’s Christmas wish. The man asked for a chance to get into professional hockey. Santa said he could have that chance; but that what he really needed to do was to listen to his heart so that he would know the gift that would bring him real joy. Turned out what he really wanted was to marry the mother of 6 foster children.

He gave up the easy life he thought he wanted for the very difficult life that was the source of his fulfillment, purpose and joy.

 

Giving up the easy journey for the difficult path of holiness is the calling of each one of us. We see this especially in the story of Jesus, who himself walked that difficult road of holiness.

According to commentators, the highway of holiness has three important characteristics.

First, it is a road for the people who love and serve God. The highway of holiness is a place of holiness. It

begins with our salvation and continues through all of life.

Second, the highway of holiness is a place of safety, reserved for the redeemed of the Lord. The promise is that the redemption given us by Jesus will never be lost.

Third, the highway of holiness will be a place of joy: “They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away”

 

That joy is the focus of the readings that we read today.

 

But notice that the Isaiah reading begins with people in exile and the Matthew reading begins with John in prison. Is this really the place of safety and joy?

John has been arrested by Herod and put in prison, where he is overcome with doubts about Jesus being the Messiah. Despite his prophetic pronouncement that Jesus was the Lamb of God, he was experiencing doubts.

He had expectations about what a Messiah would do, and he did not see Jesus doing it. Jesus wasn’t getting John out of prison and definitely not overthrowing the Romans and the corrupt kings.

It wasn’t just John who had the expectation of a warrior king that would lead a political revolt and restore the country as it had always been. We see that expectation in the disciples as well, and in the crowds that would follow Jesus.

 

But early on, as the answer Jesus gave John demonstrates, the Messiah was not called to live out the expectation of John and others. He was not the Messiah they wanted; but he was the Messiah God wanted, and more importantly, the Messiah the people needed.

 

His joy came in accomplishing the more difficult task that God asked of him. Overthrowing the government would be an easy task. Walking the road of holiness and teaching his followers to do the same was the harder task.

 

Isaiah points out the requirements of the road of holiness.

Strengthen the feeble hand

Steady the weak knees

Open the eyes of the blind

Open the ears of the deaf.

 

Those who undertake this difficult journey, says Isaiah, will find themselves walking along the road leaping like a deer and shouting for joy.

 

The way of holiness results in the people coming into the presence of God with singing and praises and crowned with joy. The promise of Isaiah is that they will enter the presence of God overcome with gladness and joy and all sorrow and sighing will be gone.

When I was a student, I read a book by Tillipaugh called, Unleashing the Church. It was a call to purpose, mission and ministry, and pointed out that this service was the source of our joy.

 

The account of Isaiah points to the same thing. Those who walk the path of holiness are called to rejoice as they come out of the darkness, because what God accomplishes through them, gives the people hope.

 

God’s glory is seen in the labour of the faithful as they take care of the downtrodden, the weak, the sick, the lonely. We have been reminded a few times in the last few weeks that God’s glory is his character, which he revealed in Jesus who taught us the way of holiness. When we walk the way of holiness, we reveal God’s character.

Corrie Ten Boom writes: “When we look at the world we are distressed, when we look at ourselves, we are depressed, but when we look at God we are at rest.”

 

Certainly, taking our eyes off of ourselves is a good thing. To view the world’s problems through God’s eyes an even better thing.

But it is what that change of perspective does for us that is the very best thing.

 

Looking at the world with God’s eyes shows us the lost, the lonely, the hungry, the hurting—the least of these as Jesus would call them. And when we see the least of these through God’s eyes and serve them with God’s love then we see God’s glory making a change in the world. It is the more difficult path, but the reward of seeing that change is the source of our joy.

 

When we seek God’s justice, we are empowered to continue to walk the way of holiness, no matter how difficult the journey.

 

God’s justice paves the path of holiness and makes a straight way in the desert. God’s justice brings healing and restoration. God’s justice is that gift that brings us joy.

We do not have joy from the gifts we are given.

We do not have joy by the things we accomplish in our lives.

We find joy in discipleship, living a life of faithfulness and service as we make God’s promises and purposes possible for all whom we meet.

John asks Jesus, “are you the Messiah?”

Later in his life Jesus will ask the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”

When we answer the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord of our lives then we, like Peter, are counted as the Rock on which the church is built. Then we are the ones through whom God’s purpose is seen and accomplished.

Let us walk the way of holiness, the journey of joy.

Amen

 

Hymn: 141 Good Christians all rejoice

Offering Doxology Offertory Prayer

Generous God, you have given us all that we have and all that we are. We thank you for the opportunity to respond to your love and generosity by sharing our gifts with others. Our hearts sing with joy as we work with you to bring true peace and justice to our world. As we prepare for the coming of your Son, may our lives proclaim your good news for all throughout the earth. Amen.

 

 

Gathering Prayer Requests Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Lord of delight and surprises, you come to us each day with opportunity, love, support. You pour your blessings on us, reminding us of your compassionate presence with us. Help us to be people of loving service. Help us to see the ways in which you enter our lives and enable us to serve you by serving your people. As we have come to you this day, bringing our concerns for healing and hope, remind us that you are with us all and that your healing mercies are given. Give us the courage to be faithful stewards of your creation and bring us together with one another in celebration and service. Lift us up, bring us forward, give us peace.

Joys and Praise:

 

 

 

 

 

Healing:

For those making difficult decisions

 

 

 

 

Hurting World

Peru

Ukraine

 

 

 

 

O God, you broke down the barriers when you crept in beside us.

In Jesus, your hands touched all, and touched us.

Here in the company of the neighbor whom we know and the stranger in our midst, and the self from whom we turn, we ask to love as Jesus loved.

 

Make this the place and time, good Lord, when heaven and earth become one, and we in word and flesh know ourselves beloved.

Hear us now as we pray together as Jesus taught us:

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 and the power and the glory, forever, Amen.

Hymn: 147 Angels we have heard on high

Charge and Benediction

May the love of God fill you until you overflow with joy. May the Holy Spirit empower you to work for the reign of God on earth. At Christmas and throughout the year, may you be inspired to share the good news of God’s vision of peace and love. Amen.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit be with you on the way of Holiness.

Sung Blessing 112: Prepare the way of the Lord