Call To Worship

 Silent Centering 

Call To worship

One; This is the first Sunday of Advent. Are you ready?

All We hope to be ready for the coming of God into our lives. 

One: Advent is a time of preparation are you ready?

All: We hope to be ready to welcome Jesus into our lives. 

One: Advent is a time of Hope for the world are you Ready?

All we are ready for home to be renewed once more . Come Lord Jesus Come. 

Advent Candle Lighting

Sung 

 The holly and the ivy

When they are full grown

Of all the trees in the wood

The holly bears the crown

The rising of the sun

The running of the deer

The playing of the organ

Sweet singing in the choir

One: Mary Mary how does your garden grow? 

All: With Holly branches and ivy and snow drops all in a row. 

One, With snow drops all in a row? That is not a Christmas flower. It’s a spring flower. 

All: That is true. Snowdrops have a long history as a symbol of hope, humility, optimism, innocence, purity, rebirth, 

One: Advent is a time of hope. 

All: It is time when we remember how hope in the promised child gives us optimism even in the darkest times. 

One Hope in the promise of new life the way that snowdrops give the promise of rebirth. 

All: So as the snow drops bloom so does this candle of hope bloom… 

Candle lit. 

Song (to tune 29 vu)

Hope shall come even to the wilderness 

And the parched land shall then know great gladness 

As it greens as it greens shall desserts blossom 

Deserts like a garden blossom 

 the coming child shall bring hope for All

 the world will know hope renewed 

 the coming child shall bring hope for All

 the world will know hope renewed 

Prayer In the seed there is flower, a promise O God from you.  As we begin our advent journey may we calm our minds to once more encounter you.  In a world that knows great hopelessness we pray that your world may know optimism, and rebirth,  As snowdrops mark a new beginning so we pray your world may have hope. In Jesus Christ We pray.  Amen. 

How far is it to Bethlehem. I can tell you that for Joseph and Mary it is a 158km walk which would take about 6-7 days to make. That journey is one we will speak of later. 

But in a much more philosophical question is What does the journey to Bethlehem mean? What did this little town represent? This journey from holly to thorns. What does it mean for us as we enter the season of advent.  Bethlehem perhaps becomes the sign that world was about to change. 

There is that wonderful song. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas or we could sing its beginning to look a lot like Advent.  The signs are all around us. 

The getting ready. 

 Under the watchful eye of Scarlet I have begun to get the public rooms of the manse ready to receive visitors over the advent/Christmas season  The center piece of course the tree. As I lament every year the tree Signs of where I have been people who have touched my life and continue to. Very emotional time more so as I have gotten older . It always comes with some tissue. 

Our lives are made up of signs. Signs of our world, signs of our work signs of our lives signs of the times. Signs , Signs everywhere a Sign is how the song goes  

Today in the Gospel Jesus gives us a sign, or at least tells of the signs of things to come.  As one commentator says “You can’t have a gospel without an apocalyptic passage it was as obligatory in the gospel back when authors took pen to page. We have had a lot of them it feel lately.   

We can take the passage literally and many do, or we can look at it metaphorically. Perhaps they are apocalyptic signs of the spirit. Distress among nations confused by roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world could be seen as distress, confusion, roaring in the ears, faintness, fear, foreboding despair drunkenness worry feeling trapped. Sounds like me on a bad day minus the drunkenness. 

 Jesus is warning that there will be times in our lives that our spirit will seem to be crushed and falling in. That the journey just goes on and on without any end in sight.  We must take heart and not allow ourselves to become discouraged. 

 That day will catch us unexpectedly like a trap.  Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of God. 

Advent begins with an ending, a prophecy of what will come and yet it is the beginning of the story of the fulfilment of a prophecy. It is a glimpse of the end of the story while the story is still incomplete.  Because we have seen a glimpse of the end we can influence it by what we do now and how we live our lives.  Advent is a time of beginning and getting ready for the fulfilment of the promise, a renewal of the spirit. 

Advent begins with hope. Nothing can defeat hope. Hope is part of the divine within us. As the snow drops lie beneath the winter snow they slumber in hope that life will renew 

 It is a time to look at the signs in your life and decide what they are telling you, are they warning you, reassuring you, discouraging, encouraging. Are you paying attention or just letting them slip by.  Are you ready? 

Look for the signs of God in your life they often appear in the everyday. They are those guide posts the direction that we need. 

How far is it to Bethlehem? That journey depends on how we interpret the signs and our understanding of how God in Christ will come again and is still a part of who we are. 

The journey to Bethlehem starts today. The journey from Holly to Thorns. A journey wrapped in the hope of God moving us from the indigo the lightening blue of the dawn.  The thorns will give way to a new life a new way of being.   

 The journey from holly to thorns. The signs are calling us to prepare ourselves once again, reminding us that we are not alone. 

Offering

 Praise God who from all Blessing flow

   Prayer  We rejoice, O God in the gifts of your Spirit that offer us productive and fulfilling lives. Touch us with a renewed awareness of Sisters and brothers you call us to love. May our gifts and prayers lift them and us into true partnership in your service. Amen             

Sending Forth and Blessing.

One: Among the poor 

All: Among the proud 

One among the persecuted 

All Among the privileged 

One Christ is coming 

All Christ is coming to make all things new. 

One With us 

All without us 

One among us 

All before us 

One in this place 

All in every place 

One for this time 

All for all time 

One Christ is coming 

All Christ is coming to make all things new. 

One:  May God the one who brings us comfort surround you, May Christ our Joy walk with you. May the Continued presence of The Holy Spirit illuminate our path and keep us safe until we can gather again in community. Amen 

VU 4

God of all places present unseen

Voice in our silence song in our mist

Send us your people knowing and sure

Called to spread the word.

amen amen amen