PRAYERS AND REFLECTION FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT: SUNDAY 6th DECEMBER 2020 Introduction and Explanations Dear friend, Welcome to worship for the second Sunday of Advent. As we continue to prepare the way for Jesus, how to we proclaim the good news in times like these? May God bless us in this season of expectation. Yours in Christ, David Revd David Hinchliffe, Chair of the South East District of the Methodist Church. Preparing to Worship You may like to be still, and listen to a calming piece of music as we gather in worship A Gathering Prayeri Lord, grant us a glimpse of your glory; Open our eyes to see your coming to us, That we may know you are with us always, And that you are a very present help in trouble. Lord, as you abide in us, and we abide in you, May we show traces of your glory in our lives, And so glorify you, Lord Jesus, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and for ever. Amen A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’ (Isaiah 40:3) 1 Hymn (Singing the Faith) 180 – O come, O come, Immanuelii O come, O come, Immanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear: Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel Shall come to you, O Israel. O come, O come, O Lord of might Who to your tribes, on Sinai's height, In ancient times did give the law In cloud, and majesty, and awe: Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel O come, O Rod of Jesse, free Your own from Satan's tyranny; From depths of hell your people save, And give them victory o'er the grave: Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel O come, O Key of David, come, And open wide our heavenly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery: Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel O come, O Day-spring, come and cheer Our spirits by your advent here; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadows put to flight: Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel Prayersiii God, you came to your people in the past. Through the wilderness, you guided them; When they were lost, you searched for them; When they were in exile, you brought them back home. For your love which always stays close: WE PRAISE YOU, GOD. God, you come to your people now. In our worship you speak to us; In our journey through life, you go with us; When we look for a way, we see it in Jesus. For your love which calls us to follow: WE PRAISE YOU, GOD. God, you will come to your people in the future. When times are uncertain, your promises remain; Your kingdom will come, on earth as in heaven; Your whole creation will be made new. For your love which holds us for ever: WE PRAISE YOU, GOD. 2 Lord, sometimes we block the way of love. Clear a path: PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD. When we are selfish and thoughtless; when we hurt others by what we say and do; forgive us we pray. Clear a path: PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD. When we are timid and fearful; when we shrink from the challenge of following you; O holy God forgive us. Clear a path: PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD. When we are divided from one another; when we are so sure that we are right that we stop listening to those who think differently: forgive us we pray. Clear a path: PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD. Lord, we come as we are. Forgive the things in us which resist your love. Help us to be your people, preparing your way, ready and alert to your coming. AMEN. THE ADVENT LITURGY Last Sunday we lit the First of our Advent Candles, which reminded us of the patriarchs and, through God’s promises to them, of our hope in Christ. WE LIGHT AGAIN THE CANDLE OF HOPE. (The first Advent candle is lit - the candle of hope) Today we light the Second Candle of Advent, the Candle of Peace. We remember the prophets who spoke of the coming of Christ, of how a Saviour would be born, a king in the line of King David. The prophet Isaiah called Christ "the Prince of Peace" - and when Jesus came he taught people the importance of being peace-makers. We light the Candle of Peace to remind us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and that through him peace is found. (The second Advent Candle is lit, the Candle of Peace) As we look at the steady flame of this candle we celebrate the peace we find in Jesus Christ. Let us pray: Lord Jesus, Light of the World, the prophets said you would bring peace and save your people from trouble. Give peace in our hearts in the busyness of Christmastide. Help us today, and everyday to worship you, to hear your word, and to do your will by sharing your peace with each other. We ask it in the name of the one who was born in Bethlehem. Amen. Advent song (STF) 165 Advent Candles tell their story (verses 1 and 2 only)iv Advent 1 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 3 Changed for gladness On that day. Advent 2 Prophet voices loudly crying, Making pathways clear, Glimpsing glory, self-denying, Calling all to hear. Through their message — challenged, shaken — Hearts awaken: God is near! Bible Readings: Isaiah 40. 1-11 Mark 1. 1-8 HYMN (STF) 406 – Have you heard the good news?v Have you heard the good news? Have you heard the good news? We can live in hope Because of what the Lord has done. Have you heard the good news? Have you heard the good news? We can live in hope Because of what the Lord has done. There is a way When there seems to be no way, There is a light in the darkness: There is a hope, An everlasting hope, There is a God who can help us. Have you heard the good news? Have you heard the good news? We can live in hope Because of what the Lord has done. Have you heard the good news? Have you heard the good news? We can live in hope Because of what the Lord has done. A hope for justice And a hope for peace, A hope for those in desperation: We have a future, If only we believe He works in every situation. Have you heard the good news? Have you heard the good news? We can live in hope Because of what the Lord has done. Have you heard the good news? Have you heard the good news? We can live in hope Because of what the Lord has done. 4 Sermon: “The Audacity of Hope.” Revd Dr David Hinchliffe A voice says, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ (Is. 40.6) My daughter Rachel and I have an unspoken competition this year: to see how many books we can read! I have reached 41, but I hereby concede defeat, as I’ve just begun to read Barack Obama’s mammoth 751 page tome, A Promised Land.vi As with all good books, I discovered that within a couple of pages of the introduction, I was hooked. I want to read more! Mark’s gospel seems to defy everything we are used to when it comes to books. There is no introduction, no detailed back story to help us discover the main characters. There is no hint to the first-time reader of what the book is really going to be about at all. All there is…is a headline: The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.vii The word “gospel” finds its origin in the Greek word “euangelion” which roughly means “Good news proclamation.”viii Without a long and wordy introduction, or any background Mark launches his proclamation about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This proclamation, is about good news! I wonder how many of us expect to be given a jigsaw for Christmas! The laborious act of gathering broken pieces to make a new picture is at the heart of our reading from the first eleven verses of Isaiah 40. It marks a sea-change in this amazing prophetic work. Up until this point the prophet had foreseen judgement and calamity for Israel; a judgement which had come to pass as Jerusalem was sacked and the people sent into exile in Babylon. Before there had been little sign of hope, precious little good news; but now everything changes. Now, instead of judgement, God offers comfort to His people. Instead of punishment Israel will receive forgiveness. And the prophet is to make a grand proclamation. A voice says, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ When the story has been of doom, gloom, punishment and catastrophe – what other message is there to tell? For ten years I served as Chair of the Channel Islands District. As I listened to people’s war-time experiences, I suspect they understand perhaps better than most, Israel’s experience. Half of Guernsey’s population (many, young children) were evacuated to England; hundreds were interned in camps in Germany.
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