Service for Sunday 4th December 2022, which included Communion, and was conducted by Mr Geoffrey Webber

Welcome: –

Liturgy for Advent Two: –

Narrator: Today we light the candle of Peace.

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.

Comment on the reading from Matthew 1

Joseph was a ‘troubled’ man. His betrothal to Mary had been carefully arranged, as was the custom, and wedding arrangements had been finalised. But, suddenly, something has come up that has created chaos for all of these carefully made preparations.

We are told that Joseph “was a man who always did what was right” (Matthew 1: 19) . As such, it was his moral and legal obligation to break off his betrothal to Mary, for if he proceeded with his intent to marry Mary, there were foreseeable social and cultural and

religious implications, for he then would appear to not be doing what was right.

However, not wanting to bring public disgrace upon Mary and her family, “he made plans to break the engagement privately”. (Matthew 1: 19) How he was going to achieve that when the news of their intended marriage was well known throughout their village we are not told. So, we find Joseph in turmoil, uncertain and troubled as to what he was to do and how he was to do it. Into this situation steps God, who sends an angel to deliver God’s message to Joseph. “Do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife.” said the angel of the Lord “who appeared to him in a dream”. (Matthew 1: 20)

We are to understand that the reality of the presence of God’s messenger and of God’s message “compelled Joseph to place his trust” in what he was being told. (Craig Keener in The Gospel of Matthew p95) Matthew is careful to record that, from what had been conveyed to him years later by Mary and by the recollections of the family of Jesus, the subsequent decision taken by Joseph was not “the result of human deliberation but was divinely prompted”. (Randolph Tasker in The Gospel according to St Matthew p35)

“Do not be afraid” the angel said to Joseph. The peace of God was being conveyed upon Joseph because he accepted that whatever was taking place was the will and purpose of God, being enacted in the World. There was, therefore, nothing to fear.

Christmas Prayer

O Prince of Peace, come now to bless

The whole war-weary Earth,

As long ago, when angel choirs

Were heralds of your birth.

Forgive us when we place our trust

In armament’s mad force

And spurn almighty power which stays

The planets in their course.

Give us the will to use our lives

To serve the common good,

That all the peoples of the Earth

May know true brotherhood.

Oh. Let your reign supplant the sword

And turn all hearts to you,

Yours is the love which conquers all

And yours the victory true.

(by Gail Burket, quoted in The Greatest Gift edited by Julie Hogan p1366)

Let us pray.

Almighty God, in a world where worry, not peace, prevails, stir up that good news again this Christmas. Make it real in our hearts. Never have we needed your joy and peace more than now. Forgive us for forgetting—that Your love never changes, never fades, and that you never abandon the purpose: to save us from our sinful condition, and to give us life eternal, the joy of a relationship with a holy God, and the peace that the angels proclaimed is your gift to the world.

Rebecca Barlow Jordan

(https://www.boomershub.com/blog/25-best-christmas-prayers)

Let us continue on the theme of Peace as we sing the Australian Christmas carol, ‘Carol of the Birds’ (from Five Australian Christmas Carols)

Out on the plains the Brolgas are dancing,

Lifting their feet like war-horses prancing,

Up to the Sun the Woodlarks go winging

Faint in the dawn light echoes their singing.

Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day!

Verse2 of 3

Down where the tree ferns grow by the river,

There where the waters sparkle and quiver,

Deep in the gullies Bellbirds are chiming,

Softly and sweetly their lyric notes rhyming.

Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day!

Verse 3 of 3

Friarbirds sip the nectar of flowers,

Currawongs chant in Wattletree bowers,

In the blue ranges Lorikeets calling,

Carols of bush birds rising and falling.

Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day!

John Wheeler

Prayer of Praise

God of majesty and power, who spoke and this World was,

Who breathed and this World lived,

Who counts the hairs upon our head,

Who sees our thoughts and reads our hearts,

Who loves us more than we deserve.

How can we not bring today our sacrifice of praise?

For in the child at Bethlehem lies the promise of intimacy with a Saviour who would die even for us, and the promise of an eternity in which to praise you more each day.

God of promise we praise your name.

For your word which endures,

We give you thanks.

For your promises to which we hold,

We give you thanks.

For such intimacy with you,

We give you thanks.

For the love which from our birth over and around us lies,

We give you thanks.

For those gathered here today,

We give you thanks.

For family, friend and stranger,

We give you thanks.

For those who minister your grace,

We give you thanks.

For the hope that lives each Advent, and of a love that has no end,

We give you thanks, now and forever more. Amen.

We sing the Hymn: ‘While shepherds watched their flocks by night’

Nahum Tate

Prayer of Confession

To you O Lord we bring our lives, troubled, broken or at ease,

A sacrificial offering for you to use.

Take away our selfishness,

And teach us to love as you loved.

Take away our sense of pride,

And show us the meaning of humility.

Take away our blindness,

And show us the world through your eyes.

Take away our greed,

And teach us how to give as you gave.

Show us your ways, teach us your paths,

that we might walk with you more closely.

Our hand in your hand, our feet in your footsteps,

From the baby in a stable to eternity.

Restore us, O Lord, we pray,

Bring us back to that place where we once met.

As shepherds to the stable after hearing angels sing,

Bring us back to that place when our love was fresh,

To express itself in praise to our Heavenly King.

Restore us, O Lord, we pray.

Merciful God, strip our hearts and minds of all that prevents us from rooting our lives firmly in you;

So that our lives bear fruit worthy of our faith in you; as we celebrate your breaking into our world, in the person of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

(Moira Laidlaw in Liturgies Online Advent 2)

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

Assurance of Forgiveness

Thanks be to God.

We sing the Hymn; ‘Hark, the Herald Angels sing’

Charles Wesley

Talk

Isaiah 11:

1 The royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down; but just as new branches sprout from a stump, so a new king will arise from among David’s descendants.

2 The spirit of the Lord will give him wisdom and the knowledge and skill to rule his people. He will know the Lord’s will and honour him, 3 and find pleasure in obeying him. He will not judge by appearance or hearsay; 4 he will judge the poor fairly and defend the rights of the helpless. At his command the people will be punished, and evil persons will die. 5 He will rule his people with justice and integrity.

6 Wolves and sheep will live together in peace, and leopards will lie down with young goats. Calves and lion cubs will feed together, and little children will take care of them. 7 Cows and bears will eat together, and their calves and cubs will lie down in peace. Lions will eat straw as cattle do. 8 Even a baby will not be harmed if it plays near a poisonous snake.

9 On Zion, God’s sacred hill, there will be nothing harmful or evil. The land will be as full of knowledge of the Lord as the seas are full of water.

10 A day is coming when the new king from the royal line of David will be a symbol to the nations. They will gather in his royal city and give him honour.

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

The Prophet Isaiah wrote this passage between 740 and 700 years prior to the birth of Jesus. We clearly understand that he is writing of a time in the future, for throughout the passage the word “will” reoccurs.

“a new King will arise” (verse 1)

“he will know the LORD’s will” (verse 2)

“he will judge the poor fairly” (verse 4)

“he will rule his people” (verse 5)

“the land will be as full of (the) knowledge of the LORD” (verse 9)

Exactly when what is written in the passage will happen is unclear, as is whether everything described in the passage will happen at the same time.

Isaiah commences by talking of “the royal line of David”, that is, the dynasty of the Kings of Judah who are descendants of King David. He describes this royal line as “like a tree that has been cut down .. a stump”. (Isaiah 11: 1) He is stating that there will be a time in the future of the Kingdom of Judah, beyond his lifetime, when the descendants of David cease to rule the land. Isaiah commences his writings by stating that he was a Prophet during the reigns of four kings of Judah, “Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah”. (Isaiah 1: 1) These four Kings ruled Judah from 781BC to 687BC. After the reigns of these four Kings, Judah was ruled by a further seven Kings up the 586BC, when Zedekiah, the last King of Judah was deposed by the invading Babylonians. At no time since has a descendant of David been King of the land of Palestine, the former Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Briefly, from 166BC to 63BC, Palestine had its own rulers, who were descended from a priestly family, the Hasmoneans. The Kings who reigned in the first century AD were not Jews, rather coming from Edom to the south, and were appointed by Rome. They reigned until 70AD when the city of Jerusalem revolted against Roman rule and was destroyed.

So, Isaiah correctly foresaw the ending of “the royal line of David”. David’s dynasty ceased in 586BC, judged by God as being unfaithful to His Covenant with the people of Israel, and, therefore, no longer fit to lead His people.

Yet, Isaiah describes “a shoot” sprouting from this stump of David’s dynasty, meaning that a “new king” will arise who will indeed be a descendant of King David. (Isaiah 11: 1) This presents a problem though, for if no descendant of King David was King of the Jews after 586BC, to what Kingdom is Isaiah referring that would be ruled by this “new King”?

What description is given of this “new King”?

We read that God will anoint him with His Spirit. (Isaiah 11: 2a) This is a clear indication that he will be chosen and appointed by God to rule. Is not this what we read of Jesus at his baptism:

“Then Heaven opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and lighting on Jesus.” (Matthew 3: 16)

We read that God “will give him wisdom and the knowledge and skill to rule his people. (Isaiah 11: 2b) Was not this the very thing King Solomon sought from God and for which God commended him? (1 Kings 3: 9) But, above all, is not this a description of Jesus? Both Matthew and Mark record in their Gospels:

“The crowd was amazed at the way Jesus taught, (for) he wasn’t like the Teachers of the Law, he taught with authority” (Matthew 7: 28b & 29, Mark 1: 22)

We read that he “will know the LORD’s will”, that he will “honour God”, and that he will “find pleasure in obeying God”. (Isaiah 11: 2c & 3a) Was not this how King Solomon described

the reign of his father, David, for which God blessed David? (1 Kings 3: 6) But, above all, is not this a description of Jesus? Jesus told the crowd who had journeyed to Capernaum to see him,

“I have come down from Heaven to do not my own will but the will of Him who sent me.” (John 6: 38)

In the Garden of Gethsemane, on the night prior to his arrest, we find Jesus praying to God saying:

“your will be done” (Matthew 26: 39 & 42)

The apostle Paul said of Jesus:

“He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death- his death on the cross” (Philippians 2: 8)

We read that he “will not judge by appearance or hearsay”. (Isaiah 11: 3b) Yeoman Muckle in his Commentary on Isaiah’s writing, notes that “he will not be deceived by appearances, of by plausible assertions by unreliable or dishonest people”. (Yeoman Muckle in Isaiah p48) Is not this how God himself assesses people, for did God not tell the Prophet Samuel, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16: 7b) But, above all, is not this a description of Jesus? What do we find Jesus saying to the Pharisees who criticised Jesus for “sharing a meal with tax collectors and other outcasts”:

“Jesus heard them and answered, ‘People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick.. Go and find out what is meant by the Scripture that says, “It is kindness that I want not animal sacrifices” (Hosea 6: 6) I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.’” (Matthew 9: 12 & 13)

We read that he “will judge the poor fairly and defend the rights of the helpless”. (Isaiah 11: 3c & 4a) Yeoman Muckle notes here, that “This is the quality in God and in those whom He sends His Spirit which expresses itself in a special carefulness for the unfortunate, it is for them justice plus something, and that something is mercy, pity and compassion, indeed a bias towards the needy.” (Yeoman Muckle in Isaiah p49) But, above all, is not this a description of Jesus? In the Gospel accounts of Jesus feeding the crowd who had been following him for three days, what do we read Jesus telling his disciples:

“I feel sorry for these people” (Matthew 15: 32, Mark 8: 2)

In Luke’s account of Jesus being in the town of Nain and seeing the funeral procession for the only son of a widow, what do we read:

“When the Lord saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her” (Luke 7: 13)

How do we read Jesus expressing his care for all people: “come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11: 28)

We read that he will “punish evil people” (Isaiah 11: 4b) Accompanying this striving for justice with mercy, is the ability and intent to “speedily set right” those cases of injustice and oppression suffered to the poor and the needy. (Yeoman Muckle in Isaiah p49) But, above all, is not this a description of Jesus?

Matthew records an occasion when Jesus condemns the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees seven times saying:

“How terrible for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites!” (Matthew 23: 13, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29)

Matthew records Jesus foretelling of the time “when the Son of Man comes as King and he will sit on his royal throne and the people of all the Nations will be gathered before him, at which time he will condemn to “eternal punishment” those who “refused to help one of these least important ones” (Matthew 25: 31 to 46)

Lastly, we read that the new king “will rule his people with justice and integrity” (Isaiah 11: 5) This is the quality about God Himself, of which Isaiah mentions later in his writings. (Isaiah 59: 17) But, above all, is not this a description of Jesus?

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews quotes from Psalm 45 in their description of Jesus:

“The Kingdom that God has given you will last forever and ever. You rule over your people with justice; you love what is right and hate what is evil. That is why God, your God, has chosen you and has poured out more happiness on you than any other king.” (Psalm 45: 6 & 7, Hebrews 1: 8)

This is the way of life that Paul stresses upon the Church in Ephesus which is modelled on those qualities demonstrated by Jesus Christ, when he writes “stand ready with truth as a belt tight around your waist, and righteousness as your breastplate.” (Ephesians 6: 14)

As we see, the qualities describing this new King of the line of David are those of God Himself, and also of those chosen, empowered and equipped by God to fulfill His will and purpose in the World.

But, above all, it is a description of Jesus Christ, God’s Messiah. As such we see that it is Jesus who is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s vision of the promised new King of the line of David.

What description does Isaiah give of the coming Kingdom of this new King? Three aspects are given.

‘little children will take care of them’ Isaiah 11: 6c

Firstly, we are given this well-known image in verses 6, 7 and 8:

“of wolves and sheep living together in peace”,

“of leopards lying down with young goats”,

“of calves and lion cubs feeding together”,

“of little children taking care of them”,

“of cows and bears eating together”,

“of calves and bear cubs lying down in peace”,

“of lions eating straw with the cattle”, and

“of babies playing safely near poisonous snakes”.

It is an image of natural enemies now being companions, and of antagonisms and fears being erased. It is not so much a picture of the absence of hatred and fear, but of active integration and cooperation in everyday life. It is an image of what life was like in the Garden of Eden, as it existed before the introduction of sin into God’s Creation. As such, Isaiah is stating that “the idyllic conditions of the first Paradise will be reproduced” during the reign of God’s new King. (Yeoman Muckle in Isaiah p50) There will no longer be enmity between God and Humanity, nor between Humanity and the creatures that God created, a complete reversal of the conditions that we now experience because of the presence of sin in the physical and spiritual world in which we live. As such is not this a description of the Kingdom of God which Jesus announced is coming. (Matthew 4: 17)

We also see a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy of “a child to be born to us”, the “Prince of Peace”, whose “kingdom will always be at peace”. (Isaiah 9: 6)

Associated with this, we read that “the land will be as full of the knowledge of the LORD as the seas are full of water.” (Isaiah 11: 9) We gain an understanding that this was God’s hope for Abraham and his descendants. In Genesis we read God saying to Himself:

“I have chosen Abraham in order that he may command his sons and his descendants to obey me and to do what is right and just.” (Genesis 18: 19)

It was the identical desire of God for the People of Israel following their exodus from Egypt, when he instructs Moses:

“Assemble the people. I want them to hear what I have to say, so that they will learn to obey me as long as they live and so that they will teach their children to do the same.” (Deuteronomy 4: 10)

It describes to some extent life during the reign of King Hezekiah, for we read:

God was at work in Judah and united the people in their determination to obey His will by following the commands of the King and his officials.” (2 Chronicles 30: 12)

However, we find the Prophet Jeremiah foreseeing the greater fulfillment of this desire of God in the future, when God says of his plan:

“I will put my Law within them and write it on their hearts. .. None of them will have to teach their neighbour to know the LORD, because all will know me. From the least to the greatest. .. I will give them a single purpose in life: to honour me for all time, for their own good and the good of their descendants.” (Jeremiah 31: 33 & 34 and 32: 39)

Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, spoke of God’s “mighty Saviour”, through whom God “promised to rescue us from our enemies and allow us to serve Him without fear, so that we might be holy and righteous before Him all the days of our life.” (Luke 1: 74 & 75)

Derek Kidner writes that this passage is an “unforgettable picture that expresses with supreme effectiveness reconciliation, concord and trust. The reign of Christ produces this kind of transformation in the sphere of Human character, and will ultimately change the whole of Creation. (Derek Kidner in Isaiah in the New Bible Commentary p598)

Lastly, we read: “the new King from the royal line of David will be a symbol (or signal) to the Nations. They will gather in his royal city (or rally to it) and give him honour.” (Isaiah 11: 10)

The writer of Psalm 98 spoke of the same matter when they wrote:

“The LORD has made His saving power known and revealed His righteousness to the Nations. He has kept His promise to the People of Israel with loyalty and constant love for them. All people everywhere have seen the victory of our God.” (Psalm 98: 2 & 3)

God’s saving acts on behalf of the People of Israel reveal His righteousness, both to the People of Israel and also to peoples of all the Nations.” (study note in NIV Study Bible p897)

Luke, in his Gospel account, recalled the words of Simeon when he met Joseph and Mary as they brought Jesus to be ‘presented in the Temple’ on the eighth day after his birth:

“with my own eyes I have seen your salvation Lord, which you prepared in the presence of all peoples: a light to reveal your will to the Gentiles and to bring glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2: 30 to 32) In doing so, Luke was being careful to emphasise to his readers the truth that God’ offer of salvation was being made to non-Jews ( Gentiles) as well as to Jews. (study note in NIV Study Bible p1567)

This was such a radical concept for the very early Church concerning God’s work in the World, even scandalous to the first Jewish believers, until Peter shared his experiences of God working in the lives of Gentiles following his visit to the house of Cornelius in Caesarea, as we read in Acts 10 and 11. We can gain a glimpse of the joy experienced by these first Christians as God revealed to them the truth of what Peter was saying, for they praised God saying: “So then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the opportunity to repent and live.” (Acts 11: 18)

It was Paul, the Apostle appointed by God to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9: 15, 13: 2, 22: 21 and 26: 19) , who explained to the believers in Rome the implications of Isaiah’s writings on this new King from the line of David, for Paul writes:

“For I tell you that Christ’s life of service was on behalf of the Jews, to show that God is faithful, to make his promises to their ancestors come true, and to enable even the Gentiles to praise god for His mercy, .. as Isaiah says,

‘a descendant of Jesse will appear; he will come to rule the Gentiles and they will put their hope in him.’” (Romans 15: 12, quoting this verse from Isaiah 11: 10)

Walter Brueggemann writes that, at this part of our journey through Advent, we see “Paul asserting Christ’s role both in confirming God’s promises to the Patriarchs of the People of Israel (Christ is for the Jews) and in bringing Gentiles to glorify God (Christ is for the Gentiles). (Walter Brueggemann in Texts for Preaching p16) Little wonder that the angelic choir sang their praises to God saying: “Glory to God in the highest Heaven, and peace on Earth to those with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2: 14)

I will leave you with this short poem:

“Rejoice, O soul, the debt is paid,

For all our sins on Christ were laid;

We’ve been redeemed, we’re justified

And all because the Saviour died.” (by Dennis De Haan in Our Daily Bread 23^rd December 2006)

We sing the Hymn ‘The First Noel’

(anonymous – English C17th)

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.

Still our spirits, so we can hear the needs of the world. Give us your heart and mind.

Help us to develop compassion for those who mourn.

Heal and make whole those who suffer from trauma and the anxiety of separation.

Answer the groanings of those who do not yet know how to pray with mercy.

Restore those who have lost their resources and refill their lives with blessing. Enable endurance among those who wait.

May we become sources of their encouragement.

Send your Spirit upon those who face violence and conflict. Hold fast to those who cling to your promises.

Amplify the efforts to bring peace – challenge the hearts of the greedy and bless the generous.

Love the World and Love your People, just as you call us to love You and One another.

Open us to SHALOM in new ways, with new understandings and new relationships. Make us people of peace in your name.

God of darkness and silence, you have pierced the quiet of this night by the utterance of your Word in our flesh.

May your word of compassion and reconciliation resound in us and through us.

Angels proclaimed the peace of your unconquered Son, the epitome of righteousness.

Strengthen all who work for peace and justice.

You came to us in a child cradled in a borrowed bed of straw as there was no room in the inn.

Open our hearts to the needs of the homeless and the hungry.

On the night of the birth of the Christ child, shepherds and outcasts heard your good news.

Give us grace to spread your Gospel of joy and liberation.

In this Advent Season, Christians throughout the world are celebrating Christ’s birth.

Unite us in one family that we may shine with the one light that scatters all our darkness.

In this Advent Season, we celebrate your living Word leaping down, shedding light on all who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Give strength and peace to all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit.

In this Advent Season, give us power to be your children.

May we remain faithful to the mystery of the Word made flesh and live in your eternal light, to fulfil your purposes in us in the World.

Eternal God, you know our problems, and have promised that you will help us to solve them. You know what we lack, and have promised to meet our needs.

Help us to depend upon you day by day and to call upon you when life gets hard. Loving God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your compassion and care. To your glory we pray. Amen.

(https://liturgy.co.nz/church-year/christmas-prayers)

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

We sing the Hymn ‘Infant Holy, infant lowly’

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHaSWlaBpQ8

Polish Carol

Translated by Edith Reed

Sacrament of Communion

(following Uniting in Worship 2 p162 to p222)

The Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

The Invitation

Christ, our Lord, invites to his Table all who love him, all who earnestly repent of their sin and who seek to live in peace with one another.

Prayer of Approach

Lord God, we come to your Table, trusting in your mercy and not in any goodness of our own. We are not worthy even to gather up the crumbs under your table, but it is your nature always to have mercy, and on that we depend. So, feed us with the body and blood of Jesus Christ, your son, that we may for ever live in him and he in us. Amen.

Narrative of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Hear the words of the institution of this Sacrament as recorded by the Apostle Paul:

“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new Covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, for the remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.’” (1 Corinthians 11: 23 to 26)

And, so, according to our Saviour’s command, we set this bread and this cup apart for the Holy Supper to which he calls us, and we come to God with our prayers of thanksgiving.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

With all we are, we give you glory, God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the one and holy God, Sovereign of all Time and Space. We thank you for this wide red land, for its rugged beauty, for its changing seasons, for its diverse people, and for all that lives upon this fragile Planet. You have called us to be the Church in this place, to give voice to every creature under Heaven. We rejoice with all that you have made, as we join the company of Heaven in their song:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and Earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed be the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

We thank you that you called a covenant people to be the light to the Nations. Through Moses you taught us to love your Law, and, in the Prophets, you cried out for justice. In the fullness of your mercy, you became one with us in Jesus Christ, who gave himself up for us on the cross. You make us alive together with him, that we may rejoice in his presence and share his peace. By water and the Spirit, you open the Kingdom to all who believe, and welcome us to your Table: for by grace we are saved through faith. With this bread and this cup we do as our Saviour commands: we celebrate the redemption he has won for us.

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Pour out the Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ. Make us one with him, one with each other, and one in ministry in the World, until at last we feast with him in the Kingdom. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, in your holy Church, all honour and glory are yours, Father Almighty, now and for ever.

Blessing and honour and glory and power are yours for ever and ever. Amen.

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.

Breaking of the Bread

The bread we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.

The cup we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ.

The gifts of God for the People of God.

Lamb of God

Jesus, Lamb of God,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the World,

Grant us peace.

The Distribution

Receive this Holy Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and feed upon him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.

(after all have received the bread)

The body of Christ keep you in eternal life.

(after all have received the juice)

The blood of Christ keep you in eternal life.

Prayer after Communion

Blessed be God who calls us together.

Praise to God who makes us one People.

Blessed be God who has forgiven our sins.

Praise to God who gives us hope and freedom.

Blessed be God whose Word is proclaimed.

Praise to God who is revealed as the One who loves.

Blessed be God who alone has called us.

Therefore, we offer to God all that we are and all that we shall become.

Accept, O God, our sacrifice of praise.

Accept our thanks for we have seen the greatness of your love. Amen.

We sing the Hymn ‘Never in all Human story’ TiS320

(This is sung to the tune Irby .This clip of ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ is used to provide the tune)

Verse 1 of 3

Never in all Human story

Was a sight so wondrous seen,

Jesus Christ, the King of Glory,

Cradled in a manger mean,

Angel heralds in the sky,

Lowly shepherds kneeling by.

Verse 2 of 3

Then the lamp of life was lighted,

Brighter than the rising Sun;

Then were Heaven and Earth united,

Peace of God on Earth begun,

Peace the troubled World to fill,

Peace to those of holy will.

Verse 3 of 3

Prince of Peace! Your way before you

Lies through nameless grief and pain;

Death’s dark shadow ever o’er you,

But it leads to highest reign;

Glory that could never be,

But by way of Calvary.

Joseph Pittman

Benediction

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

May God prepare our hearts to be peacemakers, energised to seek peace in God’s World. May God prepare our way to be peacemakers, smoothing the way so that we can bear witness to God’s mercy and grace. May God prepare the World so that it listens to His voice and yields to His will and purpose.

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

We sing the Benediction Song ‘Rejoice and be Merry’ Carols for Choirs 1 number 32

Rejoice and be merry in songs and in mirth – Google Search

Traditional English Carol