This bulletin includes the order of service as well as the readings. The items in bold italics are intended for audience response.
The Gathering
Opening Hymn
The Acclamation
Alive and kicking are you, holy and living God.
You come to your people and set us on fire!
Advent Wreath Lighting
(A member of the congregation lights the Advent candles as the following is said.)
In this ugly time, filled with division and danger, we light these candles to remind us that God radiates justice, healing, and peace.
Reader: We light this candle (these candles) for all who long for the triumph of good over evil:
- For those who hunger for food and those who hunger for justice,
- For the earth groaning under the weight of climate change,
- For survivors of domestic and sexual abuse and all tortured by prejudice,
- For the end of war and for the flourishing of every LGBTQ soul,
- For innocent children suffering because adults cannot get it together.
Come, Lord Jesus, and bring your light to our world.
Advent Collect
Let us pray.
God of hope, who promises the dawn of a spectacular new day, we gather in expectation. Beat those swords into plowshares! Wipe every tear away! Stir up our hearts! Focus us on what comes ahead and how we can rise! Strengthen our resolve to work for a world where all your children flourish.
Amen.
The Word
First Reading
Jeremiah 33:14-16
A reading from the book of Jeremiah.
14-16 “‘Watch for this: The time is coming’—God’s Decree—‘when I will keep the promise I made to the families of Israel and Judah. When that time comes, I will make a fresh and true shoot sprout from the David-Tree. He will run this country honestly and fairly. He will set things right. That’s when Judah will be secure and Jerusalem live in safety. The motto for the city will be, “God Has Set Things Right for Us.”
Hear what the Spirit is shouting out to God’s people.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm
We follow the responsive recitation method for the Psalm, where the leader alternates verses with the congregation. The items in bold italics are intended for audience response.
Psalm 25:1-10
1-2 My head is high, God, held high;
I’m looking to you, God;
No hangdog skulking for me.
3 I’ve thrown in my lot with you;
You won’t embarrass me, will you?
Or let my enemies get the best of me?
Don’t embarrass any of us
Who went out on a limb for you.
It’s the traitors who should be humiliated.
4 Show me how you work, God;
School me in your ways.
5 Take me by the hand;
Lead me down the path of truth.
You are my Savior, aren’t you?
6 Mark the milestones of your mercy and love, God;
Rebuild the ancient landmarks!
7 Forget that I sowed wild oats;
Mark me with your sign of love.
Plan only the best for me, God!
8 God is fair and just;
He corrects the misdirected,
Sends them in the right direction.
9 He gives the rejects his hand,
And leads them step-by-step.
10 From now on every road you travel
Will take you to God.
Follow the Covenant signs;
Read the charted directions.
Second Reading
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
A reading from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.
9-10 What would be an adequate thanksgiving to offer God for all the joy we experience before him because of you? We do what we can, praying away, night and day, asking for the bonus of seeing your faces again and doing what we can to help when your faith falters.
11-13 May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers.
Hear what the Spirit is whispering in our ears.
Thanks be to God.
The Third Reading
Luke 21:25-36
A reading from the book of Luke
25-26 “It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.
27-28 “And then—then!—they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”
29-33 He told them a story. “Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here—when you see these things happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too—these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.
34-36 “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”
Hear what the Spirit is whispering in our ears.
Thanks be to God.
Sermon
The Prayers
Advent Affirmation of Faith
We believe in God, the Creator, who formed the heavens and the earth,
and entrusted us to care for all creation with love, humility, and justice.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God with us, born of Mary, who proclaimed good news to the poor, freedom to the oppressed, healing to the wounded, and justice to those forgotten and cast aside.
We believe in the Spirit of God, who moves over the waters of chaos, bringing life, renewal, and hope; who stirs us to protect the earth, to defend the marginalized, to stand against racism, war, and abuse,and to honor the dignity of women and all people.
We believe in the coming of Christ, who will make all things new, who calls us to prepare the way of peace, to work for justice, and to walk humbly with God.
In this season of hope, we commit to act with courage and compassion, for the sake of creation, for the least among us, and for the glory of God.
Amen.
Prayers of the People
God of hope, hear our prayers:
We pray for the hungry or homeless. Energize us to call on our leaders to eliminate poverty by taxing the ultra-wealthy and relieving burdens on the working poor. Empower this church to do our bit to provide for the needs of all.
Come, Christ, and bring your justice.
We pray for the earth, suffering from human exploitation. Empower leaders who stop new fossil fuel development and accelerate the spread of renewable energy for all. Protect all species. Teach us to respect our only home.
Come, Christ, and bring your justice.
We pray for survivors of violence, prejudice, and abuse. Give them safety, healing, and vindication. Teach those who mistreat others to cut it out and change their nasty ways.
Come, Lord Jesus, and bring your peace.
We pray for an end to war and the flourishing of love and understanding among all nations. Instead of missiles and warheads, direct governments to spend for education, healthcare, and housing for all.
Come, Lord Jesus, and bring your peace.
We pray for all whom society replaces dignity and inclusion with hatred and scorn. Let us be a place that affirms the sacred worth of every person.
Come, Lord Jesus, and bring your joy.
Celebrant: Almighty God, as we await your coming, kindle in us a passion for your justice and a commitment to your peace, that we may labor for the triumph of your realm.
Amen.
The Confession and Absolution
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
God of mercy,
we confess that we have sinned against you,
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
Forgive us, we pray.
Strengthen us to live in hope and work for justice,
so that we may reflect your love in the world. Amen.
Celebrant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in the zone, in the moment, in God. Amen.
The Peace
Leader: May Christ’s peace be with you, always.
People: And with you, too.
Announcements
The Holy Communion
Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2
During the Offertory, a hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung.
Doxology
(Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748), para. of Psalm 117; Music: Old 100th, melody from Pseaumes octante trois de David, 1551, alt.; harm. after Louis Bourgeois (1510?-1561?); Licensed for Use: CCLI Copyright License 20716203; CCLI Streaming License 20716210
Representatives of the congregation bring the people’s offerings of bread and wine, and money or other gifts, to the Altar. The people stand while the offerings are presented.
At the Presentation
All things come of you, O Lord;
And of your own have we given you.
An Advent Our Father
Let’s pray together in the spirit that Jesus taught us:
Our Creator, Root of All Life, Your name echoes through the mountains, sings in the rivers, and dances in the skies.
May your power rise like the sun over every land and tribe. May your will be done in the fields we till, in the markets we trade, and in the stories we tell.
Give us today the food we need, the strength to work, and the wisdom to share.
Forgive us when we harm others. Help us forgive those who have harmed us.
Lead us away from the path of greed and violence. Guide us into the rhythm of life,
where all walk free and none are forgotten.
For the earth and all its beauty, the power to create and restore, and the glory of love belong to you, now and always.
Amen.
Breaking of the Bread
These are God’s gifts for all of us, God’s people.
Post-Communion Prayer
God of all that is, was, and will be,
We thank You for this feast of grace and love.
Here, at this table, we’ve tasted connection—
to You, to one another, to all creation.
In the breaking of bread and the sharing of the cup,
we’ve glimpsed a world made whole,
a table where all are welcome,
and there’s always enough.
As we leave this sacred moment,
help us carry its energy into the everyday—
into the messy, beautiful, chaotic now.
Let the bread fuel us for justice,
let the cup refresh our hope.
We step into the world ready to love louder,
to risk kindness, to practice peace.
May the spirit of this meal keep nudging us forward,
toward mercy, toward courage, toward You.
Thanks be. Always. Amen.
The Blessing & Closing
Our Advent blessing is in the form of a haiku, an ancient Japanese poetic form in which the first line has five syllables, the second line seven, the third line five.
Grace-current – like water.
Life! It blooms where love takes root.
Go! You can be light.
Closing Hymn
The Dismissal
Go into the world in hope, to proclaim justice, peace, and love.
Thanks be! Yes! Yes! Yes!