Advent Sunday
Sunday 29 November 2020
Burton Joyce Community Church
*A big thank you to the Nottingham North East Circuit
The hymns are chosen mostly from the church hymnbook Songs of Fellowship. If you don't have a copy of the hymnbook at home, you can often find a video of the hymn on Youtube with the words displayed on video. Also, you can find the Bible readings online at several websites. Search for the specific chapter and verse (e.g. Exodus16, 1-15)
Advent 1 – the Advent hope
Jesus said, ‘Keep awake,
for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.’
Amen. Come soon, Lord Jesus!
The first candle is lit and we say together:
Jesus is the light of the world.
A light no darkness can ever put out.
Advent candles tell their story
as we watch and pray,
longing for the Day of Glory,
’Come, Lord, soon,’ we say.
Pain and sorrow, tears and sadness,
changed for gladness on that Day.
© Mark Earey
Let us Pray
Here we are again Lord, Your children at your feet.
May this be a blessed time, a precious time,
A getting-to-know-you-better time, a family time.
Here we are again, Lord. Bless us as we meet.
Let’s sing SoF 1419 – Light of the World
Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness,
opened my eyes, let me see (Here I am to worship)
Let’s Pray
A light shines through the darkness and hope comes to those who wait patiently for their salvation to be revealed. For your promises will be fulfilled both in this world and in the next. Human wisdom withers away, but your word once received endures eternally.
Prayers of Confession
There is a fire within our hearts ignited by your love and grace which we carry with us on our walk with you. Forgive us when that flame is dampened by the temptations of the day. By your Spirit’s breath, revive us, Lord of light and life, we pray.
Thanksgiving
In this season of Advent and expectation, may the lives we live and the words we speak be focused on thanksgiving even if this world, as in days gone by, would rather choose to ignore your coming. Let our witness and testimony be a compass, pointing towards a different and altogether more glorious destination. Amen.
John Birch – ACT of Prayer.
Bible Readings
Isaiah 60: 1-5, 18-22
Mark 13: 24-37
Reflection
I have a friend who loves bonfires and firework displays. Absolutely loves them. So, one year, she got her mum to look after the dog, and she and her boyfriend set off for a community display in Middlesbrough, I think. They had planned on getting there at 7.30ish, in good time to park, get a couple of hot dogs and get a good vantage point. But, as they drove closer to the field where it was being held, they heard first, then saw fireworks already going off. They had got the time wrong. It started at 7pm, and they thought it was 8pm. They had missed the main event.
Another friend of mine went to Wimbledon last year. As you’ll all know it rains at Wimbledon. Centre court has a roof, but the other courts don’t, so when it rains, you just have to sit there and wait for it to stop. Or, you can do like my friend did and go and get something to eat. When play resumes though, if you’re not there at the start, they won’t let you back in until the change of ends. So, like my friend, if you go out and then try to come back in when they’re playing – you’ll miss the main event.
In the Mark reading, Jesus tells us that no one knows when the Son of Man will come again. Only the Father. There will be no clues, we’ll be going about our business as normal one day, and then Christ will return. Jesus’ reference to the Son of Man is a reference to Daniel 7:13
‘As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being
coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One
and was presented before him.’
This is quite unusual for Jesus to talk about this exalted figure in relation to himself. He refers to himself as the Son of Man of course, but this Daniel passage speaks of a glorious return of this revered figure, and yet, Jesus points to this just as he is about to be betrayed by his friends and humiliated and executed by the Romans.
Jesus’ reference to the clouds also refers to Old Testament imagery of God guiding the Hebrews through the wilderness as a cloud in the day and a pillar of fire by night, as we read in Exodus. As he often does, Jesus uses the scriptures that are so familiar to the first century people. They will have understood the references to the Shekinah – the divine presence of God. Jesus will return, of that we can be sure, but until that coming on clouds in glory – we can but wait and hope.
Hope can seem like it’s in short supply at the moment, we can’t visit one another, our buildings are closed, but the season of Advent is all about hope. It’s about preparation and for the coming of Christ. This time of year, we’re thinking about the baby Jesus more than the Second Coming, but we can put all our hope in God. God has it all in hand.
This is the start of Advent, or commonly called ‘the run up to Christmas’. It’s when we talk about the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, and Innkeepers. We think about babies and kings, gifts and donkeys, cards and trees.
What we may not think about – what Paul and Jesus tell us we should be vigilant and ready for – is when the Son of Man comes back. St Paul in Romans 13:11 says ‘Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers.’
Are we ready for the main event? Amen.
Hymn – SoF 410
O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.
In Advent we wait for you, God the maker
Jesus the storyteller
Holy Spirit of life.
In Advent we cry to you, God of justice
Jesus of Bethlehem
Holy Spirit of hope.
In Advent we long for You; You, God: our love, our warmth, our light.
Ruth Burgess
Liturgical Resources for November, December and January
Prayers of Intercession
Loving God, in this season of Advent, we pray for people who have no hope. Your light shines in the darkness, but some see only shadow and pain. Lord our God, help us reach out to those people who need you the most.
We pray for everyone affected by Covid: isolating, ill or worried, nurses, doctors, researchers striving to find a vaccine and all who have lost loved ones.
We pray for your peace to come to this world, for those places where war exists to finally see resolution, tolerance, and compassion.
We pray for people caught up in famine, drought, flood, storm & disease. Grant people crossing borders seeking safety, a warm welcome and a new home.
We pray, Lord, for our family and friends, and anyone we know suffering at the moment from illness, worry or grief. We spend a moment in silence.
We pray for the people who need you the most, and those who think they need you the least. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn – SoF 347
Lo, he comes with clouds descending
Alleluia, Alleluia! God appears on earth to reign
Blessing
May the blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and forever. Amen.
Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord, Amen.
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