Service for Sunday 11th December 2022, which was conducted by Mr Geoffrey Webber

Welcome: –

Liturgy for Advent Three: –

Narrator: Today we light the candle of Joy.

A reading from Matthew 1:

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately. 20 While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. 21 She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus – because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 Now, all of this happened in order to make true what the Lord had said through the Prophet,

23 “A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means ‘God is with us’ (Isaiah 7: 14)

24 So, when Joseph woke up, he married Mary, as the angel of the Lord had told him to. 25 But he had no sexual relations with her before she gave birth to her son. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Henri Nouwen writes:

Our lives are destined to become like the life of Jesus. The whole purpose of Jesus’ ministry is to bring us to the House of his Father. Not only did Jesus come into the World to free us from the bonds of sin and death; he also came to lead us into the intimacy of his divine life. It is difficult for us to imagine what this means, for we tend to emphasize the distance between Jesus and ourselves. We see Jesus as the all-knowing and all-powerful Son of God who is unreachable for us sinful, broken human beings. But in thinking this way, we forget that Jesus came to give us his own life. He came to lift us up into loving community with the Father.

Only when we recognize the radical purpose of Jesus’ ministry will we be able to understand the meaning of the spiritual life. Everything that belongs to Jesus is given for us to receive. All that Jesus does we may also do. That is the underlying reason why Jesus told his Disciple at the Last Supper:

“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

[Henri J.M. Nouwen, You are the Beloved] quoted in Daily Mail List 06 December 2022

Rejoice! It’s Christmas!

May the holy remembrance

Of the first Christmas Day

Br our reassurance

Christ is not far away.

For on Christmas he came

To walk here on Earth

So let us find joy

In the news of his birth.

And let us find comfort

And strength for each day

In knowing that Christ

Walked the same Earthly way

So he knows all our needs

And he hears every prayer.

And he keeps all his children

Always safe in his care,

And whenever we’re troubled

And lost in despair,

We have but to seek him

And ask him in prayer,

To guide and direct us

And help us to bear

Our sickness and sorrow

Our worry and care.

So once more at Christmas

Let the whole world rejoice

In the knowledge he answers

Every prayer that we voice.

(Helen Steiner Rice in Loving Thoughts P93)

Let us pray.

Jesus, as we celebrate your birth, may our hearts be filled with joy. May this holiday season be a time of happiness and love, a time when we are thankful for your blessings upon us, a time when we are thankful for family and friends. May we be drawn closer to each other and to You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

(https://thinkaboutsuchthings.com/prayers-for-christmas/)

Let us continue on the theme of Joy as we sing the Australian Christmas carol,

“The three Drovers” (Five Australian carols p2)

Verse 1 of 3

Across the plains one Christmas night, three drovers riding blithe and gay,

Looked up and saw a starry night, more radiant than the Milky Way;

And on their hearts such wonder fell, they sang with joy “Noel! Noel!”

“Noel! Noel! Noel!”

Verse 2 of 3

The air was dry with Summer heat, and smoke was on the yellow Moon,

But from the Heavens, faint and sweet, came floating down a wondrous tune,

And, as they heard, they sang full well, those drovers three, “Noel! Noel!”

“Noel! Noel! Noel!”

Verse 3 of 3

The black swans flew across the sky, the wild dog called across the plain,

The starry lustre blazed on high, still echoed on the Heavenly strain,

And still they sang “Noel! Noel!” those drovers three “Noel! Noel!”

“Noel! Noel! Noel!”

John Wheeler

Prayer of Praise

Gracious and loving God, we give you thanks with grateful hearts for lives transformed through your love revealed in the one whose birth we await once more – Jesus Christ.

You are the God of our salvation in whom alone we trust.

For you, God, are our Father, who draws us home by streams of living water where we shall thirst no more.

You know our thoughts, understand our hearts, and enable us to become the people we were meant to be.

You are the Father who welcomes home the prodigal who has wandered far.

You are the Father who prepares a meal when others would simply ignore.

You are the Father whose love extends beyond our thoughts or minds.

You are the Father who knows our hearts and yet loves us as we are.

You are the Father whose word we trust, in whose presence we have no fear.

You are the Father whose tender touch makes a wounded spirit whole.

You are the Father whose only Son was born that he might die.

You are the Father whose gracious love we celebrate this day.

Thank you so much for the gift of your Son Jesus Christ, my Saviour. At this Christmas Season, let us keep focused on You and not on the frivolities of gifts and festivities.

While this earth promises temporary happiness and distractions, true joy only comes from You. Fill me up with the true joy of knowing You, and having a relationship with Your Son, and the purpose of His birth, which was my redemption.

Shout for joy the whole earth and everything within. Rejoice! For Light has come into the world.

The mountains sing, the seas resound to the praise of you, for your Salvation once promised is here on Earth.

The angels’ song rings in the air. A child has been born, the Saviour of the world is here.

Rejoice in the Lord always, shout out his name for God is with us, our God is with us.

(https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Christmas.htm#gsc.tab=0)

(Moira Laidlaw in Liturgies Online Year A Advent 3)

We sing the carol ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ TiS312

Verse 1 of 5

Once in royal David’s city

Stood a lowly cattle shed

Where a mother laid her baby

In a manger for his bed:

Mary was that mother mild,

Jesus Christ her little child.

Verse 2 of 5

He came down to Earth from Heaven

Who is God and Lord of all,

And his shelter was a stable,

And his cradle was a stall;

With the poor and mean and lowly

Lived on Earth our Saviour holy.

Verse 3 of 5

And through all his wondrous childhood

Day by day like us her grew;

He was little, weak, and helpless,

Tears and smiles like us he knew;

And he feeleth for our sadness,

And he shareth in our gladness.

Verse 4 of 5

And our eyes at last shall see him,

Through his own redeeming love,

For that child so dear and gentle

Is our Lord in Heaven above;

And he leads his children on

To the place where he has gone.

Verse 5 of 5

Not in that poor lowly stable,

With the oxen standing by,

We shall see him: but in Heaven,

Set at God’s right hand on high

When, like stars, his children crowned

All in white shall gather round.

Cecil Alexander

Prayer of Confession

Forgive us, Lord, for we are a wavering people who kneel before you now,

A people who bring prayers and requests to your feet when we have need of you and nowhere else to turn, then go our own way when times are good and life is easy.

Forgive us and draw us close, teach us your way that we might follow.

Help us to walk in your company and to know your presence, from the moment we awake until we lay our heads to rest.

Gracious God, you have done so much for us and we so little in return.

You ask for humility and we are often a proud people.

You ask for willingness and we are often a stubborn people.

You ask for repentance and we are often a deaf people.

You ask for service and we are often a busy people.

Gracious God, you want the best for us, teach us obedience. Grant us forgiveness that we, like Martha and Mary, might be your willing servants.

God of the journey, your invitation is to all to walk with you without fear of stumbling, knowing that your arm is enough to steady the feeblest soul, knowing that your grace will rescue us should we fall.

Grant us faith enough to take you at your word, to know that when our hearts are heavy, and the destination seems so distant, that you are there with us along the road.

Forgive us those times when we doubt your Word, when we awake and feel alone.

Draw us ever closer into your family that we might know your presence and sing your praises all the days of our lives.

Merciful God, if we conceal your love because our pursuit of other priorities prevents us from seeing and serving people in need :

Forgive us.

If we conceal your compassion because of our prejudice and intolerance:

Forgive us.

If we conceal your mercy because of hard and unforgiving attitudes:

Forgive us.

If we conceal your truth through our lack of credible witness:

Forgive us.

If we conceal your glory because all we reflect is our own self-centredness:

Forgive us, O God.

Merciful God, cleanse our lives of all shameful attitudes of mind and heart,

So that your transforming power is revealed in and through all we do and say and are. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Moira Laidlaw in Liturgies Online Year A Advent 3)

(https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Christmas.htm#gsc.tab=0)

Assurance of Forgiveness

(from Psalm 145: 17 & 18)

The Psalmist writes:

The LORD is righteous in all He does, merciful in all His acts. He is near to those who call to Him, who call to Him with sincerity.”

Today, we have brought our prayers to God, repenting of our sins with sincerity and truth. Let us be assured then that God has listened to us, that God has been merciful to us and has forgiven us, that God is near to us welcoming us into His fellowship.

Thanks be to God.

We sing the Hymn ‘Good Christians all rejoice’ TiS313

John Neale

Reflection

Some words from Isaiah 35:

1 The desert will rejoice, and flowers will bloom in the wastelands. 2 The desert will sing and shout for joy; it will be as beautiful as the Lebanon Mountains and as fertile as the fields of Carmel and Sharon. Everyone will see the Lord’s splendour, see his greatness and power.

3 Give strength to hands that are tired and to knees that tremble with weakness. 4 Tell everyone who is discouraged, “Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue, coming to punish your enemies.”

5 The blind will be able to see, and the deaf will hear. 6 The lame will leap and dance, and those who cannot speak will shout for joy. Streams of water will flow through the desert; 7 the burning sand will become a lake, and dry land will be filled with springs. Where jackals used to live, marsh grass and reeds will grow.

8 There will be a highway there, called “The Road of Holiness.” No sinner will ever travel that road; no fools will mislead those who follow it. 9 No lions will be there; no fierce animals will pass that way. Those whom the Lord has rescued will travel home by that road. 10 They will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief.

(https://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/isaiah/11.html)

In 1964, an Authority, the National Water Carrier, was inaugurated in the Nation of Israel to manage the piping of water from the Sea of Galilee to the coastal area in the west and then south to the northern part of the Negev Desert, proving drinking water and water for irrigation.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Water_Carrier_of_Israel)

This supply of water has since been augmented by the reuse of treated wastewater (reclaimed water), seawater desalination and the desalination of brackish water.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in_Israel)

In a very real sense, today, “streams of water are flowing through desert areas” in Israel (Isaiah 35: 6) , where once there was no water, creating the opportunity for agriculture with its benefits of achieving self-sufficiency in food production and a reliable source of drinking water.

Screen

The lovely Fremont River flowing along the Hickman Bridge trail in Capitol Reef National Park

(https://media.istockphoto.com/id/1329279109/)

“Streams of water will flow through the desert.” Isaiah 35: 6b

Some writers claim that this achievement is a fulfillment of Isaiah’s mention of the desert becoming “as fertile as the fields of Carmel and Sharon” and that “flowers will bloom in the wastelands”. (Isaiah 35: 1 & 2) (refer e.g. to Bible Prophesies Fulfilled Today by George Davis)

However, I see several issues with such a stance.

Firstly, Isaiah specifically states that through this phenomenon, “Everyone will see the Lord’s splendour, see his greatness and power.” (Isaiah 35: 2b) How can this be if these “streams flowing through the desert” are the result of Human ingenuity and engineering?

Secondly, Isaiah is not talking about the population in a general sense. He states that “There will be a highway there, called ‘The Road of Holiness.’” (Isaiah 35: 8) , and that “no sinner will ever travel that road” (Isaiah 35: 8b) , but rather “Those whom the Lord has rescued” (Isaiah 35: 9) . He states that they “will travel home by that road (until) they reach Jerusalem (Isaiah 35: 9 & 10) , where they will worship God “with gladness, singing and shouting for joy” (Isaiah 35: 10a) . And there is mention that “They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief.” (Isaiah 35: 10b) , hardly understandable if this passage is to be understood in the here and now in a material sense of Time.

So, about what, then, could Isaiah be referring? The previous chapter provides some context. This chapter talks of “the time when the LORD will rescue Zion, His people, and take vengeance on her enemies.” (Isaiah 34: 8) God will save His people from those who seek to subjugate or even to destroy them, so as to prevent the people of God from offering worship to God and enjoying the Land that God gave to them in which to live and thrive. This is not meant to be understood simply in a geopolitical sense, but, rather, as God stopping the actions of those who seek to counter His will and purpose in the World.

The World will see God’s miraculous acts in restoring and renewing His people. (John Walton, Victor Matthews & Mark Chavalas in Isaiah in The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the Old Testament p624)

God will act as if to miraculously change deserts from places of despair and desolation, to places of joy and celebration, to places of fertility and bountifulness. (Isaiah 35: 1 & 2, 6b & 7) The understanding is that such things are beyond the abilities of Humanity.

God will act as if to provide miraculous healing: restoring sight to the blind, restoring hearing to the deaf, restoring the ability to walk and leap to the lame, and restoring speech to the dumb. (Isaiah 35: 5 & 6a) The understanding is that such things are beyond the abilities of Humanity.

God will act to rescue His people, where it is not within their capabilities to save themselves. (Isaiah 35: 4) In a very real way, this is to be understood as God redeeming His people. (John Sawyer in Isaiah Volume 2 p17, and Study Notes in IVP Study Bible for Isaiah 35 P1079)

Writers have correctly observed that this passage can be understood as relation to the return of the people of God from their exile in Babylon, redeemed by God and returning to Jerusalem literally through the desert wilderness that exists between Palestine and Persia to the east. (Study Notes for Isaiah 35 in The New Oxford Annotated Bible p1013) For, truly, God did bring them safely back to their Land and they did celebrate their return with joy.

Yet, how can we limit our understanding of the phrase, “those whom the Lord has rescued” (Isaiah 35: 9) , solely to these returning to Judah from Babylon, for, in doing so, are we not seeking to limit our understanding of God at work in the World?

How can we limit our understanding of those who seek to worship God “with gladness, singing and shouting for joy” (Isaiah 35: 10) , solely to these returning to Judah from exile in Babylon, for, in doing so, are we not seeking to limit our understanding of God at work in the World?

Those who returned from exile and their descendants did not live a life characterised as being “happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief” (Isaiah 35: 10) , because over the centuries following their return from exile, the people of the Nation of Judah experienced political and social turmoil through their being absorbed in and ruled firstly as part of the Greek Empire and then of the Roman Empire.

Derek Kidner, in writing about this passage, notes that “the full promise” of Isaiah’s statement that “God is coming to your rescue, coming to punish your enemies.” (Isaiah 35: 4b) “is yet to come”. (Derek Kidner in Isaiah in the New Bible Commentary p609) In what further ways, then, can we see God acting miraculously to redeem His people?

We sing the Hymn ‘As with gladness men of old’ TiS314

William Dix

Reflection

Some words from Matthew 11:

1 When Jesus finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he left that place and went off to teach and preach in the towns near there.

2 When John the Baptist heard in prison about the things that Christ was doing, he sent some of his disciples to him. 3 “Tell us,” they asked Jesus, “are you the one John said was

going to come, or should we expect someone else?”

4 Jesus answered,

“Go back and tell John what you are hearing and seeing: 5 the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are brought back to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. 6 How happy are those who have no doubts about me!”

(https://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/matthew/11.html)

Matthew records for us that Jesus commenced his ministry in Galilee when John the Baptist was arrested by King Herod Antipas. (Matthew 4: 12, also Mark1: 14) [It was his father, King Herod the Great, who sought to kill Jesus when he was an infant. (Matthew 2: 13) ] The Chronology of the Gospel found in the Good News Study Bible dates John’s arrest to mid 27AD (p1053) Josephus, a first century Jewish historian, records that John was taken to one of the King’s fortresses, the one located at Machaerus, on the east bank of the Dead Sea, in present day Jordan. (Antiquities Book 18 Chapter 5 paragraph 2 (119) in The Works of Josephus translated by William Whiston p484) Matthew records for us that while John the Baptist was in prison, he was executed on the orders of King Herod Antipas (Mathew 14: 1 – 4, also Mark 6: 14 – 28) The Chronology found in the Good News Study Bible dates John’s death towards the end of 28AD (p1054)

So we see that John the Baptist was imprisoned for about 1 year and a half. Matthew hints that during this time his Disciples had access to visit him, presumably to bring him food, to care for him in whatever way was allowed, and to bring him news of events back in Judea on the opposite side of the Dead Sea. (Matthew 11: 2) We are to understand that during this time, though John suffered the privations of his imprisonment, he had lost none of his ability to preach repentance, for Luke records that King Herod Antipas “knew that John was a good and holy man, .. (and) liked to listen to him, even though he became greatly disturbed every time he heard John.” (Luke 6: 20)

As Jesus came to be baptised, John acknowledged, “I ought to be baptised by you.” (Matthew 3: 14) When John the Baptist baptised Jesus, he would have heard the voice of God confirming who Jesus was, as Matthew records “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased.” (Matthew 3: 17, also Mark 1: 11 & Luke 3:22) While John was baptising people in the River Jordan, he readily acknowledged to his Disciples that Jesus was “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World”. (John 1: 29, 36)

So then, if John was so confident about the person and ministry of Jesus before he was arrested, why is it that partway through his imprisonment we find John uncertain about Jesus? “John sent some of his Disciples to (ask) Jesus, ‘Tell us, are you the one John said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11: 2)

Randolph Tasker, in his Commentary on Matthew’s Gospel, suggests that John, “while confined to prison was denied access to reliable information, and forced to form his judgement from such fragments of garbled information as might reach him, and was becoming impatient and beginning to wonder why Jesus was not asserting his Messianic claims more forcibly and openly. There was no evidence that people were being subjected to a Messianic fire of judgement, nor any sign that the mighty were being put down from their seats nor the proud scattered.” (Randolph Tasker in Matthew p114 , Craig Keener in The IVP bible Background Commentary on the New Testament p75)

Jesus does not criticise or pass judgement on John for any lack of trust or belief in him. He simply answers, “Go back and tell John what you are hearing and seeing.” (Matthew 11: 4a) The answer to John’s question can be found in the very things that his Disciples hear and see of what Jesus is doing.

Screen

(https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/04/14/16/58/church-722386__340.jpg)

“the blind can see, the lame can walk .. the deaf can hear” Matthew 11: 5

(https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/04/14/16/58/church-722386__340.jpg)

“the blind can see, the lame can walk .. the deaf can hear” Matthew 11: 5

“the blind can see” (Matthew 9: 27 – 31)

“the lame can walk’ (Matthew 9: 1 – 8)

“those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean” (Matthew 8: 1 – 4)

“the deaf hear” (Matthew 4: 23 & 24, 8: 16 & 17)

“the dead are brought back to life” (Luke 7: 11 -17)

“and the Good News is preached to the poor” (Matthew 9: 35 – 38)

“These are Messianic works as foretold in Isaiah 29: 18 & 19, 35: 5 & 6, and 61: 1” (Randolph Tasker in Matthew p114) , signs of the “arrival of the Messianic era” (Craig Keener in The IVP bible Background Commentary on the New Testament p76)

Jesus is reminding John that he is doing “precisely what Isaiah had prophesised he would.” (Randolph Tasker in Matthew p114 7 115) . Jesus is reminding John that his actions “do not conform to general expectations concerning the Messiah” (Douglas Hare in Matthew p121) , for “the ministry of the Messiah is one of mercy, not of judgement.” (Randolph Tasker in Matthew p114)

In and through what Jesus was doing, God was acting in miraculous ways to bring relief to people suffering in sickness and hardship. When Isaiah’s words concerning the blind and the deaf and the lame and the dumb, as recorded in Isaiah 35: 5 and 6, were initially spoken, we saw a figurative fulfillment in the return of the people of God from Exile in Babylon. In the words and actions of Jesus we see an actual physical fulfillment in the very lives of people, a greater fulfillment of the promises of God.

Yet, we see the greatest fulfillment of God’s promise to save His people, to redeem His people from their greatest misery, in the sacrifice of Jesus to release all people from their misery of being captive to the curse of death because of their sins and to offer the means for a restoration of their relationship with Him. That is ultimately the rescue to which Isaiah was referring (Isaiah 35: 2) That is the Good News about which Jesus was preaching (Matthew 11: 5, foretold in Isaiah 61: 1)

It is to this that Isaiah was directing our attention so as “to see the Lord’s splendour, to see his greatness and power” (Isaiah 35: 2) It is because of this that we are called to respond to God “with gladness, singing and shouting for joy” (Isaiah 35: 10) . It is from this that we look forward to the time when we “will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief.” (Isaiah 35: 10)

I will leave you with this poem:

“If we look beyond the manger

To the cross of Calvary,

We will know the reason Christmas

Brings such joy to you and me.”

(Dennis De Haan in Our Daily Bread 1 December 2006)

We sing the Hymn ‘O come all ye faithful’ TiS304

John Wade

Offering

Offering Prayer

“For the life that you have given” TiS774

[This hymn is being sung to the tune Austria – there is no introduction.]

[This YouTube is for another hymn so disregard the words – only the one verse is needed.]

For the life that you have given,

For the love in Christ made known,

With these fruits of time and labour,

With these gifts that are your own:

Here we offer, Lord, our praises;

Heart and mind and strength we bring;

Give us grace to love and serve you,

Living what we pray and sing.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Prayers for Others

Loving God, knowing your love for all of Humanity, especially your compassion for the needy, we come to you with our cares and our concerns.

God, in whom we find our joy, hear the cries of those who are in the wilderness of life. Remember the poor in spirit and those who suffer pain or loss.

Demonstrate your mercy to those who are marginalized and to the poor, who feel beyond comfort and compassion.

Enter the world afresh this Advent, bless those who find this time hardest. Lift the hearts of the depressed. Inspire us to care for and restore your blessed Creation – so that we may rejoice with Creation again.

We pray with confidence to you, God, our Father, that the peace and light which Christ brings will be welcomed into the world.

We pray for the Church, that the people of God will always be a light to the world for those who live in darkness.

We pray for peace on earth, that the peace which Christ offers will be a reality for all peoples.

We pray for all who are welcoming a new child into their family, that they may receive this gift of new life with joy and be blessed with patience, health and strength.

We pray for our own community, that our celebration of the birth of our Saviour will make us more aware of our unity in Jesus Christ.

We pray for the lonely, the bereaved, the sick, and all those who are suffering in any way, that the light of Christ will shine on them.

God of love, Father of all, the darkness that covered the earth has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh.

Make us a people of this light. Make us faithful to your Word, that we may bring your life to the waiting world.

Jesus Christ, born in a stable, be with the poor and homeless this Christmas time.

As we pray, live and give; shine your everlasting light.

Jesus Christ, visited by Shepherds, be with all who have to work this Christmas, and those who long to work.

As we pray, live and give; shine your everlasting light.

Jesus Christ, who became a refugee, be with those who fear for their lives, and those who have left homes and families this Christmas.

As we pray, live and give; shine your everlasting light.

Loving God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your compassion and care. To your glory we pray. Amen.

(https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Christmas.htm#gsc.tab=0)

(from National Council of Churches in Australia Liturgy for Advent Three – 2022)

(https://cliftondiocese.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Christmas-day.pdf)

(https://engageworship.org/ideas/christmas-intercessory-prayers)

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

Now and forever. Amen.

We sing the Hymn ‘Joy to the world! The Lord is come’ TiS268

Isaac Watts

Benediction

We are called to worship God with rejoicing, so let us ask God to strengthen our weak hands and make firm our feeble knees so that we can sing and dance before our God! May rejoicing continue in days ahead, may tears turn to laughter and mourning into gladness. And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always. Amen.

(National Council of Churches in Australia Liturgy for Advent Three – 2022)

(Moira Laidlaw in Liturgies Online Year A Advent 3)