Third Sunday of Advent Third Sunday of Advent – 13 December 2020 The Faith Nurture Forum would like to thank Very Rev Dr Susan M Brown, Minister of Dornoch Cathedral, for her thoughts on the third Sunday of Advent. “We may not all be gathered in the same building, but at this time, when we need each other so much, we are invited to worship together, from where we are – knowing that God can hear us all and can blend even distant voices into one song of worship.” National Worship Team As the restrictions on our ability to meet in groups continue, and regulations around access to church buildings may be subject to further change, worship leaders continue to deliver their services both online and offline. We can help to facilitate participation from the whole congregation by exploring imaginative approaches to our use of technology in the service in ways that suit both physical gatherings and video-conference style settings, such as: • Opening and closing moments of worship that help people mark out a time set apart with God • Introducing various parts of the worship service to help worshippers understand the character and purpose of each one (framing) • Enabling conversations or prayers in breakout groups • Holding spaces that allow people to go deeper in worship • Using the chat function and microphone settings to allow people to actively participate in prayer, e.g. saying the Lord’s Prayer together unmuted, in a moment of ‘holy chaos’ • Using music and the arts as part of the worship Useful links: Latest information for churches around Covid-19 is on the Church of Scotland website here Tips for creating and leading worship online are on the Resourcing Mission website here Listen to samples of every song in the Church Hymnary 4th edition (CH4) and download a selection of recordings for use in worship on the Church of Scotland website here Introduction ................................................................................................... 3 Scripture passages ......................................................................................... 3 Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 .......................................................................................... 3 Psalm 126 ...................................................................................................... 4 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 ................................................................................. 4 John 1:6-8, 19-28 ............................................................................................ 5 Sermon ideas ................................................................................................. 6 Prayers .......................................................................................................... 7 Alternative Material and Advent Resources ................................................... 10 Musical suggestions ...................................................................................... 13 Introduction Past Advents have offered the opportunity for the re-telling of the story of the birth of Christ in imaginative ways as a ‘warm up’ to hearing and exploring the real story. These re- tellings have been serialised over the 4 Sundays of Advent and have usually involved all ages in a scripted but not overly rehearsed drama of sorts. They try to explode some of the myths that have grown around Christmas allowing for more room to explore the Biblical facts. We have told the story x-factor style, for example, with people deciding who stays in and who leaves the Christmas story – in order to recognise that God’s plans cannot be thwarted. We had a Dr Who version which brought the past and present together – recognising that all times are in God’s hands – and a Harry Potter version where we considered how love is the greatest power anyone can be gifted. With the likelihood of restrictions in place, Advent 2020 will have a very different feel and flavour and offer a different set of challenges and opportunities than in past years. Whatever the circumstances, the message it carries however, is no less relevant, inspiring, wonderful and mind-blowing! It may even be, that at a time when fear and isolation, poverty and threat, are affecting people’s mental health as well as our physical well-being – the world has an even greater need to hear of the Love that came and comes, to touch the earth; bringing with it peace and goodwill towards all and drawing us into God’s heart and God’s kingdom. Scripture passages I like to read the passages as early as possible and literally, to walk with them, mulling them over as I take the dog out for his early morning exercise, which at this time of the years is usually in the pitch dark! Those times offer space to reflect on what I have read and allow my thoughts to go off at various tangents before settling on what I feel I am being led to focus on. The summaries of the passages below are the pre-walking background reading that prepares the soil for Spirit led exploration. Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 This is a passage that could well serve as the remit of the Church’s Faith Impact Forum! It certainly inspires so much of the work the Forum does. Coming as it does though, so close to Christmas, we tend to hear Isaiah’s words through the lens of the coming Christ child. It is Christ who has come to set us free; to heal us and help us, to carry us and to bring us comfort and joy. Read in that way it certainly does up the feel-good factor at a time when people (we) really need to hear of the hope and of the promise Christmas carries at its heart. But this passage from Isaiah is not only about God’s amazing longing to heal the broken human condition, there is in these words, a challenge to God’s people, to be not only recipients of that reconciling love that leads to Jesus’ birth, but to be the bearers of that love in our time and place. Isaiah is asking: What is it we are doing to work with God to bring about healing and justice? What are we saying in God’s name, that helps to raise up the downtrodden? How are we working to bring peace? To set prisoners free? Who are our hands reaching out to and our hearts opening up to? Isaiah’s words are both wonderful…. And challenging! Psalm 126 A short, upbeat Psalm. Or is it? The writer talks of God restoring the fortunes of Zion. It is easy in our 21st Century materialistic outlook, to think of that in terms of ‘things’. The footnote in the NRSV corrects that skew and reminds us that it is the people who are restored rather than what the people have. So many people find Christmas difficult - for all manner of reasons. Poverty, bereavement, health issues and a discontent with consumerism to name but a few. It is a time of year when all sorts of emotions are heightened – and possibly even more so this year. This Psalm talks to everyone across the broadest spectrum of feelings and says – you are not alone. There is someone who understands. And better still – who is able to offer hope. There is also a hint of what has been commented on in the Isaiah passage. Those who sowed in sorrow and who reap in joy and who come home carrying their sheaves, do so as a reflection of God’s goodness and so in response, in thanksgiving, should they not share their bounty with those who are still waiting to receive? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 These words are possibly the closing words of the earliest writing in the New Testament. I have quoted these verses when praying a blessing on someone who has just taken their membership vows. They are rapid-fire, bite-size pieces of advice we would all do well to remember. The only trouble is, simple and succinct as they are, these words are not easy to follow! The context is that Paul is writing to a church, a congregation, who have suffered loss. Paul wants them to know however, that death and sorrow and sadness, do not have the last word. Christ will come again and in the meantime they are to keep busy. That busy-ness is to include rejoicing, praying, giving thanks, discerning what God is doing, and testing things out. Waiting so far as Paul is concerned, is not about sitting back: it is not something passive, but rather a time for continuing to grow in faith and a time to celebrate God’s goodness while modelling everything that is good and peaceful, letting God’s Spirit shine. John 1:6-8, 19-28 In John’s Gospel, John (Jesus’ cousin) is simply John. No ‘the Baptist’ at the end of his name. For the Gospel writer, that is deliberate. The writer wants to make it abundantly clear that John’s primary function is not to stand in the river Jordan baptising people, instead his primary function is to witness to Jesus. Which is why in this Gospel, we don’t read of John baptising Jesus. John is not the light, we are told, “he came to testify to the light” (NRSV) When we pick up his tale a few verses later, John himself says as much. John, we’re told, is asked who he is and he chooses to answer that question, in relation to the one he bears witness to. He says: I am not… the Messiah. I am not Elijah. I am not a prophet. I do though, echo Scripture and point to the light. And here’s the amazing thing about God. God’s Son is sent into the midst of humanity to redeem and restore the world, and God relies on a human being to signpost that fact. John does so however, acutely aware of his own limitations: “I baptise with water” (John says) “Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” The fourth Gospel’s account of who John is and what he is about, offers the opportunity to talk about identity and to consider who we each are in relation to Christ.