Service for Sunday 27th November 2022, which was conducted by Mr Geoffrey Webber

Welcome: –

Liturgy for Advent One: –

Narrator: Today we light the candle of Hope.

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.

The angel had some illuminating information to pass onto Joseph, for it was crucial that Joseph be made aware of details beyond his current level of understanding before he made the erroneous decision to sever his betrothal to Mary. Joseph was informed by the angel that the baby Mary was bearing was conceived by the Holy Spirit and not by an Earthly father, and that it was a boy, who was to be named Jesus upon his birth. Joseph is addressed as “descendant of David”, and informed that it was God’s will that he go through with his intent to marry Mary and accept the child who was to be born as his own son, indicating that the boy would, by Law and by custom, also be considered as a “descendant of David”.

But perhaps the most startling piece of information that was being passed on to Joseph, was that the birth of their son was the fulfillment of a prophesy given 800 years previously by the Prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz of Judah:

“A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means ‘God is with us’ (Isaiah 7: 14) (Matthew 1: 23) .

Some scholars, and perhaps even King Ahaz himself, may have thought that the child foretold in Isaiah’s prophesy was the son and heir of King Ahaz, Hezekiah, who, indeed, was a faithful and righteous King in the eyes of God, “following the example of his ancestor King David”. (2 Chronicles 29: 2)

However, another passage in Isaiah’s writings that also mentioned this son who will be born to become King “as King David’s successor” (Isaiah 9: 6 & 7) , states that he will be called “Wonderful Counsellor”, “Mighty God”, “Eternal Father”, “Prince of Peace”, “prophesies that scarcely could have been fulfilled in a mere Earthly king”. (Gregory Beale and Donald Carson in Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament p4)

So we are led to believe that the people of Israel looked in hope for 800 years for the fulfillment of this promised child born to be “King of the Jews”. But it was not just a hope in purely an Earthly reign of this king, nor of this king guaranteeing the release of the people of God from subservience to foreign oppressors and overlords, for this prophesy of Isaiah foretold of the coming reign of God upon the Earth and of the promise of the justice and peace of God’s Kingdom. (Craig Keener in The Gospel of Matthew p97)

That was the hope that was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem in Judea.

Bethlehem of Judea

“A little child, a shining star,

A stable rude, the door ajar,

Yet in that place, so crude, forlorn,

The hope of all the world was born”

(Author unknown, quoted in The Greatest Gift edited by Julie Hogan p66)

Let us pray.

God of hope, who brought love into this world, be the love that dwells between us.

God of hope, who brought peace into this world, be the peace that dwells between us.

God of hope, who brought joy into this world, be the joy that dwells between us.

God of hope, the rock we stand upon, be the centre, the focus of our lives always, especially at this Advent time. Amen.

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

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

“Christmas bush for his adorning”

“Christmas Bush for His Adorning” (from Five Australian Christmas Carols p10 & 11)

Verse 1 of 4

All the bells are gaily ringing

Birds in ev’ry tree are singing;

Let us in the golden weather,

Gather Christmas Bush together.

Verse 2 of 4

“Christ is born!” The angels thunder

Thro’ the Heav’ns their tale of wonder,

While we pluck for his adorning

Christmas Bush, this hallow’d morning.

Verse 3 of 4

Christ has conquer’d Evil’s power,

Hear the bells rock ev’ry tower;

Birds and beasts lift up their voices,

Freed at last the World rejoices.

Verse 4 of 4

Onward with triumphant chorus,

Following the road before us,

Singing thro’ the golden weather,

Gath’ring Christmas Bush together.

John Wheeler

Prayer of Praise

Blessed are you Almighty God, and forever blessed are the people of this world since you chose to break into our History in the person of Jesus Christ. He made your extravagant love so visible in and through all he said and did.

Precious Jesus, you came so that we might know we are yours by choice; loved, embraced, saved by your love and grace, welcomed to your family and precious in your sight.

You came, so that we might be made complete, all we were ever meant to be.

You came, as a Shepherd seeking every sheep that is lost so you might bring them home. And beyond even the cruel Cross you are still Saviour, Messiah, to all who would heed your call.

In this Advent of expectation, draw us together in unity, that our praise and worship might echo in these walls and also through our lives.

In this Advent of expectation, draw us together in mission, that the hope within might be the song we sing, and the melody of our lives.

In this Advent of expectation, draw us together in service, that the path we follow might lead us from a stable to a glimpse of eternity. To your glory we pray. Amen.

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

(also Moira Laidlaw in Liturgies Online Year A Advent One)

We sing the Hymn ‘“Saviour of the nations, come,’ TiS295

[This hymn is being sing to the tune Monkland.This YouTube clip is for another hymn but is used here for the tune]

Verse 1 of 5

Saviour of the nations, come,

Known as Virgin Mary’s son.

God amazes all the Earth

By the wonder of your birth.

Verse2 of 5

No man’s seed, no Human plan

Made the Word of God a man,

But the Holy Spirit’s power

Gave the womb it’s fruit its flower.

Verse 3 of 5

By the triumph that you won,

Truly Human, yet God’s son,

Heal our weak humanity,

Let us share your victory.

Verse 4 of 5

From your manger new light beams,

Through the night your glory streams.

Darkness cannot dim your light,

Faith keeps shining, always bright.

Verse 5 of 5

Praise to God the Father sing,

Praise to God the Son, our King,

Praise to God the Spirit be

Now and through eternity.

Martin Luther

Translated by David Schubert, John Kleinig and others

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, into the daily cycle of our lives, when all seems well with us and with the world, when our yoke seems easy and the burden light,

You break in and scatter our complacency.

Into the daily cycle of our lives, when we are comfortable and at ease, when we have put our feet up and our eyes are closed,

You break in and challenge our dependency.

You break into our daily prayers, our humble hearts,

You lay our souls bare and break in.

You break in when our defences are down, with an Angel’s shout, or the quietest sound, you break in.

And we are changed and renewed when you break in.

In the lonely places, the wilderness, where we stand forlorn, windswept and alone,

Your voice calls out, “Prepare a way for the Lord.”

In the dark places, the shadows, where we hide our fears and embrace our tears,

Your voice calls out, “Prepare a way for the Lord.”

For the desert places in which we walk, the streets we roam, the paths we cross, guide our feet and take us to places where you would go.

Give us words that you would use, that in this Advent season of promise and preparation, we might point the way to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

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

We sing the Hymn: ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ MHB125 AHB240 TiS316

Phillips Brooks

Talk 1

A reading from Isaiah 2:

Isaiah said:

2 “In days to come .. many Nations will come streaming to the Temple of the LORD. Their people will say:

3 ‘God will teach us what He wants us to do, we will walk in the paths He has chosen.’

4 God will settle disputes among great Nations. They will hammer their swords into ploughs and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will never again go to war, never prepare for battle again. 5 Now, let us walk in the light which the LORD gives to us.”

Isaiah commences with the words, “In the days to come”, indicating that this was a future hope, not just for the Nation of Judah, the people of God, but for the whole World. “Many Nations will come to the Temple of the LORD.,” states Isaiah; meaning that peoples of various races and tribes and cultures will come to where God can be found, seeking to be in the presence of God. They will forgo and forget their religious and cultural backgrounds in their desire to be guided by God’s teaching, and in their diligence in living out God’s will and purpose for their lives.

We see this being fulfilled in our day, for, as the Gospel is being preached to races and tribes and cultures around the World, “their people” are, continually, seeking God, seeking to be guided by God and to be led by God in the way that He has chosen for them.

But it is with the second part of Isaiah’s statement that causes despair for us, for it talks of a time still to come and of a hope still to be fulfilled, when “Nations will never again go to war, never prepare for battle again.”.

Screen 1

Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares, a sculpture by Evgeniy Vuchetich in the United Nations Art Collection

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

These words of Isaiah were the inspiration for a bronze sculpture by Yevgeny Vuchetich, which was gifted by Russia to the United Nations in 1957 and placed in the United Nations garden. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swords_to_ploughshares) A gesture of much irony given recent actions this year by Russia.

In spite of the earnest aspirations and activities of the United Nations since its formation, recent events reveal all too clearly that Nations have continued to go to war and have continued to prepare for battle, principally because Nations are trying to do what only God can do, that is, to change the hearts and minds of people and align their lives to His will and purpose and to His way of life for us.

John Sawyer, in his commentary on Isaiah’s writings, notes that this passage expresses the hope that where now, disputes between Nations “are settled by the sword”, “in the latter days they will be settled by peaceful arbitration”, where now “men spend time and energy on studying the art of war, there will come a time when, instead, they will use all their intellectual resources to establish peace and justice in the World”, as God had conceived and designed Humanity for it to be so. (John Sawyer in Isaiah p26)

In days to come, our hope is that as the Good News of Jesus Christ is preached throughout the World, and as more people are enabled to read God’s Word in their own language and dialect, peoples of many Nations will continue to seek God, so as to follow God’s teaching, to walk in his path, and to be shown how to live together as the People of God.

“When we recognise Jesus’ Kingship,

We will give him our worship.”

(from Our Daily Bread 14^th December 2006)

We sing the Hymn: ‘Hark the glad sound the Saviour comes’ TiS269 AHB197 MHB82

Philip Doddridge

Talk 2

Some words from Romans 12:

9 Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good. 10 Love one another warmly as Christian sisters and brothers, and be eager to show respect for one another. 11 Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion. 12 Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. 13 Share your belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and open your home to strangers. 14 Ask God to bless those who persecute you, not to curse them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep. 16 Have the same concern for everyone. Do not be proud, but accept humble duties.

William Barclay describes this passage as “Paul’s list of rules for ordinary, everyday life”, a series of principles that Paul offers “to govern our relationships with our fellow men and women”. (William Barclay in The Letter to the Romans p177 & 181)

Screen 1

Life in God’s service (TEV)

Christian conduct in interpersonal relationships (RSV)

Christian behaviour (NEB)

Marks of the true Christian (ESV)

In various English versions of the New Testament where they insert titles for passages, these titles say much the same thing.

The Good News Bible (Today’s English Version) has the title stating that this section describes “Life in God’s service”.

The Revised Standard Version has the title “Christian conduct in interpersonal relationships”.

The New English Bible has the title “Christian behaviour”.

The more recent English Standard Version has the title “Marks of the true Christian”.

As we seek to reflect God’s love for us in our attitudes, our thoughts, our reactions to others and to circumstances, our interactions with others on a daily basis or in unique circumstances, Paul encourages his readers to demonstrate a love that is genuine not a pretence, a love that is active not passive, a love that is selfless not conditional. (Roger Bowen in A guide to Romans p162 & 163)

We must understand that this teaching from Paul is not based on Greek philosophy nor on the Jewish Law, although Paul from his learning and background was familiar with both.

Paul is careful to highlight that Christian behaviour is based on Christ himself, on Jesus’ own teaching and on Jesus’ own example, about which Paul had heard such matters spoken in the verbal traditions about Jesus retained by the first century Christians, and as we read them today in our Gospels, and from Paul’s understanding that Jesus himself is to be “the centre of the Christian’s life and thought”. (Roger Bowen in A guide to Romans p190)

“The righteousness of God accepted by the believer is an inward experience which must have an outward expression. At its root, the Christian life is one consecrated to God, lived not in conformity to the world, but as a life transformed by God.” (Francis Davidson and Ralph Martin in Romans in the New Bible Commentary p1039)

Amongst Paul’s instructions is this short verse:

“Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.” (Romans 12: 12)

Here, Paul is encouraging his readers in the Church in Rome that “the Christian does not sink under present trials, because they are buoyed up by the hope of future glory and of the divine strength which is imparted to them through prayer. Those who are without God in the World are necessarily destitute of hope, for hope belongs only to those who know God, as Paul explained to the Church in Ephesus (Ephesians 2: 12) Prayer is the means ordained by God for the supply of His grace sufficient for every situation and circumstance.” (Geoffrey Wilson in Romans p204)

Paul is reminding his readers “of how we need to rely on what God has done and will do for us. What we can do forms only a small part of God’s plan for us.” (Roger Bowen in A Guide to Romans p163) A Christian rightly should boast only of their hope, “because they know that they are and have nothing of which they can boast. Hope points to that which is entirely in God’s hands”. As such they trust in God only and give glory to Him. (Charles Barrett in The Epistle to the Romans p96 & 97)

William Barclay writes that “the Christian must be essentially an optimist. Just because God is God, the Christian is always certain that ‘the best is yet to be’. Because they know of the grace that is sufficient for all things, and the strength that is made perfect in weakness, the Christian knows that no task is too much for them. There are no hopeless situations in life; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them. There can never be any such thing as a hopeless Christian.” (William Barclay in The Letter to the Romans p179)

“It’s one thing to know there is a God,

It’s quite another to know the God who is.”

(from Our Daily Bread 3 December 2006)

We sing the hymn ‘Come thou long expected Jesus’ TiS272 AHB200 MHB242

Charles Wesley

Offering

Offering Prayer

“For the life that you have given” TiS774 [to be sung to the tune ‘Austria’ – refer to TiS772]

[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 Jesus, you were born in a stable but worshipped by the angels. Be with all who are lonely, and with all who feel distant from celebrations. Be for us a living hope that lightens their hearts.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Jesus, as you healed the sick, bring healing to those in families who are ill today. Guide and direct the doctors, nurses and medical staff who have accepted the responsibility to tend the sick and injured, to find cures for illness and diseases, and to bring wholeness back into people’s lives.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Christ, for whom there was no room in the inn, give courage to all who are homeless; to those desperate for a means to provide a livelihood for their family

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Christ, who fled into Egypt, give comfort to all refugees; that they will find acceptance in a new land and a means to provide for themselves and their family.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Christ, who fasted in the desert, give relief to all who are starving; to those affected by financial distress, to those affected by famine, to those affected by natural disasters.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Christ, who hung in agony on the cross, give strength to all who suffer oppression and discrimination, who are abused or disregarded by others.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

(https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/topical-prayers/prayers-christmas)

Loving God, seed in your World and in us your vision for shalom and refuge with you. Heal those who are weary of body, mind and soul. Heal the loss of identity that accompanies homelessness and statelessness.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Anticipate Heaven in the hearts of warmongers and peacemakers, restoring innocence and blessing them with the capacity to love their enemies. Reconcile relationships between peoples and your created order. May Hostilities cease in places of conflict and war and in homes where safety has been unknown.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Enter into the World with prophetic expectation, so that those who are lost to themselves and others, might find their way into your light. May the mistreatment of the vulnerable be replaced by the yearning for respect and dignity for all.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

May people’s hearts be stirred daily so that they will strive to be a blessing and source of hope for others in the world.

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

Lord of the Church, make us one in heart and mind to serve others with joy, help us to know you, to worship and to serve you.

Loving God, who has called us out of darkness into his marvellous light, source of our hope for our present and our future, bless us and fill us with peace.

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 ‘The People who in darkness walked’ TiS274 AHB202

Verse 1 of 5

The people that in darkness walked

Have seen a glorious light;

The light has shined on them who dwelt

In Death’s surrounding night.

Verse 2 of 5

To hail thee, Sun of righteousness,

The gathering Nations come,

Rejoicing as when reapers bear

Their harvest treasures home.

Verse 3 of 5

To us a child of hope is born,

To us a son is given,

Him shall the tribes of Earth obey,

Him all the hosts of Heaven.

Verse 4 of 5

His name shall be the Prince of Peace,

For evermore adored,

The Wonderful, the Counsellor,

The great and mighty Lord.

Verse 5 of 5

His power increasing still shall spread,

His reign no end shall know,

Justice shall guard his throne above

And peace abound below.

John Morison

Benediction

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

Let us go out into the world, seeking for Christ may teach us the way we should go and the holy paths we are to walk. Let us listen for God’s hope, so that we can face our future with God’s peace. I all we say and do, let us spread God’s hope, by proclaiming God’s goodness to all of Humanity.

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always. Amen.