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Advent 4 Worship At Home

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Advent 4

24 December 2023

A Service of Praise, Prayer and Proclamation

Sentence

This child will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Luke 1.32–33

  • Gracious God, we humbly thank you for life and health and safety, for freedom to work, leisure to rest, and for all that is beautiful in creation and human life. But, above all, we praise you for our Saviour, Jesus Christ, for his death and resurrection; for the gift of your Spirit; and for the hope of sharing in your glory. Fill our hearts with all joy and peace in believing; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

  • Gracious God,

    whose eternal Word took flesh among us

    when Mary placed her life at the service of your will:

    prepare our hearts for his coming again

    and keep us steadfast in hope,

    that we may be ready for the coming of his kingdom;

    for his sake, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

    one God, now and for ever. Amen

The Ministry of the Word

  • 1 Now when the king was settled in his house, and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.’ 3 Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the LORD is with you.’ 4 But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan: 5 Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the LORD : Are you the one to build me a house to live in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ 8 Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; 9 and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.

  • 1 Lord, I will sing for ever of your loving-kindnesses: my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness throughout all generations.

    2 I have said of your loving-kindness that it is built for ever: you have established your faithfulness in the heavens.

    3 The Lord said ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen: I have sworn an oath to my servant David.

    4 ‘I will establish your line for ever: and build up your throne for all generations.’

    …

    19 You spoke once in a vision: and said to your faithful one,

    20 ‘I have set a youth above a warrior: I have exalted a young man out of the people.

    21 ‘I have found my servant David: and anointed him with my holy oil.

    22 ‘My hand shall uphold him: and my arm shall strengthen him.

    23 ‘No enemy shall deceive him: nor shall the wicked hurt him.

    24 ‘I will crush his adversaries before him: and strike down those that hate him.

    25 ‘My faithfulness and loving-kindness shall be with him: and through my name his head shall be lifted high.

    26 ‘I will set the hand of his dominion upon the Western Sea: and his right hand shall stretch to the streams of Mesopotamia.

    27 ‘He will call to me “You are my Father: my God, and the Rock of my salvation.”

  • 25 Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever! Amen.

  • 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ 34 Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ 35 The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.’ 38 Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

The sermon will be posted here.

  • I believe in God, the Father almighty,
    creator of heaven and earth.
    I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
    who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
    born of the virgin Mary,
    suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    was crucified, died, and was buried;
    he descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose from the dead;
    he ascended into heaven,
    and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
    from there he will come to judge
    the living and the dead.
    I believe in the Holy Spirit,
    the holy catholic Church,
    the communion of saints,
    the forgiveness of sins,
    the resurrection of the body,
    and the life everlasting. Amen.

  • Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4.16

    Let us now confess our sins to almighty God.

    Heavenly Father,
    you have loved us with an everlasting love, but we have broken your holy laws and have left undone what we ought to have done.
    We are sorry for our sins and turn away from them. For the sake of your Son who died for us, forgive us, cleanse us and change us.
    By your Holy Spirit, enable us to live for you;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    God desires that none should perish, but that all should turn to Christ, and live. In response to his call we acknowledge our sins. God pardons those who humbly repent, and truly believe the gospel. Therefore we have peace with God, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Ministry of Prayer

  • SEASON OF CREATION 2023 PRAYER

    Creator of All,

    From your communion of love life sprung forth like a mighty river and the whole cosmos came into being.

    On this Earth of overflowing love, the Word was made flesh and went forth with

    the life-giving waters proclaiming peace and justice for all creation.

    You called human beings to till and keep your garden. You placed us into right

    relationship with each creature, but we failed to listen to the cries of the Earth

    and the cries of the most vulnerable. We broke with the flowing communion of

    love and sinned against you by not safeguarding the conditions for life.

    We lament the loss of our fellow species and their habitats, we grieve the loss

    of human cultures, along with the lives and livelihoods that have been displaced

    or perished, and we ache at the sight of an economy of death, war and violence

    that we have inflicted on ourselves and on the Earth.

    Open our ears to your creative, reconciling and sustaining Word that calls to us

    through the book of Scripture and the book of creation. Bless us once again

    with your life-giving waters so that the Creator Spirit may let justice and peace

    flow in our hearts and overflow into all creation.

    Open our hearts to receive the living waters of God’s justice and peace, and to

    share it with our suffering brothers and sisters, all creatures around us, and all

    creation.

    Bless us to walk together with all people of good will so that the many streams

    of the living waters of God’s justice and peace may become a mighty river all

    over the Earth.

    In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation,

    Jesus Christ.

    Amen.

    See Parish Focus

    Link to Pray Daily from ACSQ

  • Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name,
    your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
    on earth as in heaven.
    Give us today our daily bread.
    Forgive us our sin
    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 for ever. Amen.

The Sending out of God’s People

  • Loving God, we thank you for hearing our prayers, feeding us with your word, and encouraging us in our meeting together.

    Take us and use us to love and serve you and all people, in the power of your Spirit and in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

  • May the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing his will, working in you what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.