**Please note this service is based on the format from “Out of the Blue” © 2022 by Barn Geese Worship. Used by permission of Barn Geese Worship and adapted by Rev. Jennifer Marlor.
**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.
Introduction
For God,
change can be small, evolutionary, atomic. A crumbled resistance, a slightly
different direction, a fresh idea in the middle of the night.
For God, change can rain down
like a tempest, a flood in every street that sweeps into our lives with energy
that does not yield or listen.
God is urgently waiting to
finally arrive.
God, we have been waiting for
you, too.
Yet you often arrive before
we notice: in the place we did not expect, in the word we did not hear.
Do not be afraid, your angels always say,
right before you change a life.
You are here to change this place. We are not afraid.
Thanksgiving for
Baptism
God, you have
given water your power to end and your capacity to nurture life again. So, we
remember the rainwater that fell on Noah and his family, a flood that no creature could return
to the cloud. We remember the water of the Red Sea that stepped aside to let
your people walk to liberation and swept away the enemies of freedom. And in
Advent, we remember that your salvation breaks forth like water from a womb: a
sign that your child will be born to us once more, and nothing can stop this.
In the waters of baptism, we have been submerged in this same powerful sign.
God, pour out the water of
life. Carry us in the current of your irresistible will. Pull us with the
steady tide of your tenderness. When we swim against you, sweep us into your
mercy. We cannot control your salvation; your love flows everywhere, even over
our heads.
God, thank you for the water that breaks the grip of the world and erodes the edifice of sin. Thank you for the water that nurtures life as it begins again. Amen.
Gathering Hymn – Hark the Glad Sound (ELW #239)
The Greeting
Peace to you and welcome, from the
God whose days are without number, the Savior who savored every hour with
friends, the Spirit who sanctifies every second.
And also with you.
Lighting of the
Advent Wreath
In deep blue darkness, lighting a
single candle creates only uncertainty.
Light dances around uncertain shapes, and the dark refuses to yield its
secrets.
The flame from the candles
on our Advent wreath represents our flickering glimpse of the goodness God has
hidden in divine darkness.
In time we will apprehend
every blessing hinted from ancient prophecies and prepared under the cover of
deep darkness.
But not yet, not fully.
In slowly receding shadow,
that which once seemed frightening now appears recognizable, even familiar.
This candle, our first candle, on our Advent wreath represents our burgeoning
confidence as God’s promises take shape around us, transforming the terrifying
into the comforting. In time we will understand every shadowy angle of God’s
ancient promises.
But not yet, not fully.
Prayer of the Day
Let us pray.
Stir up
your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection save us from the
threatening dangers of our sins and enlighten our walk in the way of your
salvation, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever.
Amen.
Readings
A reading from
the book of Isaiah (2:1-5)
The word that
Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come
the mountain of the
Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised
above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come
and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the
God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk
in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the
Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate
for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into
pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they
learn war any more.
O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord!
Word of God,
Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 122
I was glad when they said to me,
‘Let
us go to the house of the Lord!’
Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem—built as a city
that
is bound firmly together.
To it the tribes go up,
the
tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to
give thanks to the name of the Lord.
For there the thrones for judgement were set
up,
the
thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
‘May
they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls,
and
security within your towers.’
For the sake of my relatives and friends
I
will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.
A reading from the letter of Paul to the
Romans (13:11-14)
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Word of God, Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according
to Matthew. (24:36-44)
Glory to you, O Lord.
‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
The Gospel of our Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Let the words of
my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord. Amen.
I
have an interesting factoid for you about Canada and the United States. Over
the last 240 some odd years for the US and 150 some odd years for Canada, we
have been at war over 90% of those years.
Now
I don’t know how accurate those numbers truly are, but it sure seems like we
are always battling some country, or sending troops somewhere, or defending our
countries from one so-called enemy or another.
That
is a lot of fighting, a lot of weapons and guns that have been made and used over
the years.
And
there are still wars going on. Just the other day I read an article saying that
Russia bombed the Ukraine yet again.
These
wars, these gun battles are not just happening overseas. They are happening in
our own backyards, too. Last week, ironically the night before the Transgender
Day of Remembrance, a man entered a queer club in Colorado and opened fire,
killing 5 and injuring many others.
It
brings to mind the song “Zombie” by the Cranberries from 1994. There is a verse
that goes like this, “It's the same old theme since nineteen-sixteen. In your
head, in your head, they're still fighting. With their tanks, and their bombs,
and their bombs, and their guns; in your head, in your head, they are dying.”
Looking
back a few decades, there was a ceremony in 1960 whereby a statue gifted by the
Soviet Union to the United Nations was unveiled in the north garden area at
U.N. Headquarters. This statue is called “Let Us Beat Swords into Ploughshares”
and is inspired by today’s reading from Isaiah (as well as Micah 4:3).
The
statue is approximately nine feet tall (exclusive of the base) and represents
the figure of a man holding a hammer in one hand and, in the other, a sword
which he is making into a ploughshare, symbolizing humanity’s desire to put an
end to war and convert the means of destruction into creative tools for sustaining
life.
As
an interesting side note, there is a group in the US called RAWtools that is actually
doing this, turning guns into garden tools. This is from their website, “By
using weapons to make garden tools and other hand tools, we are creating a
symbol for change… Beating swords into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks,
and guns into garden tools creates a dynamic shift in our investment in time
and resources.”
By
I digress. Let’s return to our reading from Isaiah. The words that mark the
statue at the UN Headquarters, “Let Us Beat Swords into Ploughshares” are a
slight paraphrase of Isaiah 2:4 and they express the sculpture’s hope that the
UN would help the nations of this world find lasting peace. Is it a vain hope?
I sure hope not.
There
wasn’t any peace in the prophet Isaiah’s day. The Assyrian army was threatening
Jerusalem and years later the Babylonians would destroy it. In the midst of
these threats Isaiah prophesied something incredible.
He
said, “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations
will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob…He will judge between
the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their
swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not
take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”
Isaiah
is dreaming of a time when the instruments of war can be abandoned and
transformed in favor of tools that bring and sustain life. For Isaiah, a land
ravaged by sword-wielding and spear-hurling soldiers is transformed into a
fertile land in which every sword and spear become agricultural tools to
provide food for a peace-filled community.
God’s
vision is universal and rejects nationalistic triumphalism or the victory of
any one political ideology. War does not lead to peace, division does not lead
to peace, only relying on God’s love, forgiveness and grace leads to peace.
And
boy do we fall short of this vision. God’s desire to turn weapons of war into
tools for life is an urgent challenge to God’s people.
To
walk in the way of God is to reject war and turn to the ways of peace. Peace is
not a mere absence of war. Peace is wholeness, unity, oneness. Peace is in fact
the vision of Genesis 1, a vision of balance and order, a vision of designed
unity, a place where the light of God is the first thing made, a light that
makes possible the very existence of us all on the earth.
The
peace that we experience in our relationship with God does not mean that we
will escape conflict. It does mean that even in the midst of difficult times
and hopeless situations, peace can still be a part of our lives. It is a peace
that passes understanding and a peace that no one can take away from us.
We,
who are privileged to share God’s word in this time of suffering, anxiety, and
war, can find in Isaiah a fellow traveler to encourage, challenge, and
strengthen us. As God and God’s people responded to the crises of their day, it
is incumbent upon us to stand and do likewise in today.
But
is this our first response? Is peace our first response? Or is “peace on earth
and goodwill toward men,” nothing more than fanciful hope? Again, I say, I sure
hope not.
In
the Gospel lesson today, Jesus says that an unexpected hour will be coming. On
that day, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, all those who believe in
him will be taken to the place that Isaiah had seen. A place of peace, where
all nations will cease to train for war. That place is going to last forever.
No
matter how old you are and no matter how long you think that you’re live on
this earth, that place is going to last longer. Nations today may need to train
for war, but there is something greater coming. We can see it’s light coming to
us in this Advent season. We can see it in the coming peaceful world of the
resurrection. Let’s train ourselves for that peace. Let’s follow that peace.
Let’s look for that peace to come.
Let
us pray that one day war will disappear, and its weapons will be changed into
objects of peaceful coexistence. Let us shout the glad tidings of Advent and
Christmas. Our God comes, and we are meant to proclaim the coming of peace, and
the end of war, to all of God's people.
Amen.
Hymn of the Day – Rejoice,
Rejoice Believers (ELW #244)
Advent Creed
We believe in God:
The
Source of all things.
The
God of Abraham and Sarah.
The
Holy One who freed the slaves from Egypt.
The
God who is steadfast love and mercy.
The
God who made a straight path in the wilderness and who promises to make all
things new.
We believe in Jesus:
The
Messiah, who is Emmanuel: God with us.
He
is King-of-Kings yet born of Mary.
Jesus
showed God’s love through healing and teaching,
Jesus
chose the way of servant-suffering by dying on a cross.
After
three days he rose from the dead.
He
is the Lord, the first born of the new creation.
We believe in the Holy Spirit:
The
One who inspires faith.
Who
has spoken through the prophets and preachers and common people,
The
One who breathes new life into the church and the world,
The
Lord and giver of life.
Who
is making all things new.
We
believe that God is still creating,
We
believe that Jesus is present with us.
We
believe that the Holy Spirit is calling us forth in love and mercy.
This is our hope, this is our faith. Amen.
Prayers
of Intercession
As we prepare for the fullness of
Christ’s presence, let us pray for a world that yearns for new hope.
Silence
God of all, your children everywhere cry out for mercy. Awaken the global
church to the urgent needs of our time. Break down barriers of culture and
custom and unite people of all faiths in your redemptive and healing work.
God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of wonder, the earth’s beauty and abundance is your gift. Teach us your
ways of sharing resources and caring for life. Guard fragile habitats, preserve
the wild places, and protect endangered plants and animals.
God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of peace, you judge the nations. Beat our weapons into tools for serving
the neighbor. Strengthen the resolve of all who work for an end to war. We pray
for lasting peace in the land of Jesus’ birth.
God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of lovingkindness, you desire fullness of life for everyone. Fill those
who hunger. Comfort the grieving and attend to those near death. Bring help and
hope to any who are sick or needing your care.
God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of community, you are present when we gather in your name. Guide
congregations in transition or conflict. Give wisdom to congregational
councils, call committees, and ministry leaders. Keep us alert to unexpected
opportunities for mission.
God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of promise, your goodness is everlasting. We give thanks for the lives
of the faithful who now rest in you. We trust that you will bring us into the
company of all the saints with rejoicing.
God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of our longing, you know our deepest needs. By your Spirit, gather our
prayers and join them with the prayers of all your children. In Jesus’ name we
pray.
Amen.
The
Peace
The
peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Offering Hymn – What Feast Of Love (ELW #487)
Offering Prayer
Let us pray.
God, we have labored and
toiled for our money
and our time and our
families and our freedom.
We have cherished what we
thought was ours.
Yet in a moment, we recognize
that every truly good thing
was a treasure we had taken
from your open hand.
We give you these gifts as
a sign of your love and faithfulness.
Use them to grow more hope
in this world.
All this we ask in your
holy name.
Amen.
Great
Thanksgiving
Holy Jesus, be our guest. For you are already here.
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts in praise.
We lift them to our God.
Let us give thanks to the God of our
salvation.
It is right to give our thanks and praise
Holy God, once you made
humankind you could do nothing but love them.
Holy Spirit, once you called
the prophets,
you gave them words to afflict
and words to heal,
and they could do nothing but
speak them.
Holy Jesus,
once you committed to take the
human frame,
you walked the path to the
end.
You did not rush through
childhood.
You never used your power for
yourself.
You faced your enemies on
their terms.
You taught your friends until
they learned.
You allowed yourself to die
the same way you were born:
as a fragile person,
in a filthy place,
where bare flesh and blood were spilled to give life.
This is rarely a kind world,
but you love it anyway.
This was rarely an innocent
world,
but you saved it anyway.
We are rarely peaceful people,
but you have swaddled us in peace.
We will always hunger for
healing.
Nurse us with grace
Sanctus
While Pilate rested in his
palace,
and the city of Jerusalem
slept,
while the priests set their
plot in motion,
the disciples sat down at the table.
The bread was on the table;
the wine was in the glass.
This was the night for which
Jesus was born.
Even if you know this is part
of God’s plan,
you might still grieve.
To say goodbye to your closest
friends,
who do not know you will die.
To end the chapter of
friendship with the one you love,
before they turn away.
Even good days bring sadness
and loss.
And it was a good day, that
final day, filled with certainty and hope,
when Jesus lingered at the
table and took that bread and cup.
That night,
the night in which he was
betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread,
and gave thanks,
broke it, and gave it to his
disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body,
given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of
me.
Again, after supper, he took
the cup,
gave thanks, and gave it for
all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant
in my blood,
shed for you and for all
people
for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
At a meal like this, we savour the
food while it lasts;
we cling to love before we
step out of reach.
And we pray that God will give
us each day the blessing we share in this place.
Holy Spirit, just as you made
a stable into a nursery fit for the sovereign of heaven, you make this table a
holy cradle for salvation.
You fashion this bread and
wine into the presence of Christ’s love.
And you make us your people,
who can never separate from you again.
The Lord’s Prayer
So, we pray as Jesus taught us.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
Invitation
to communion
People of God, come to the table
and encounter the God who
waits to love you.
Thanks be to God!
Distribution of communion
Table
Blessing
The body
and blood of our Lord
Jesus
Christ strengthen you
and keep
you in his grace.
Amen.
Prayer
after communion
As we have feasted around the table,
let us pray.
Faithful God,
in this meal you have
remembered your mercy,
bringing heaven to earth in
the body and blood of Christ.
As we wait for the day when
all your promises will be fulfilled,
sustain us and strengthen
us by this holy mystery.
Guide us toward your
promised future,
coming to birth in Jesus
Christ our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Blessing
The peace
of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the
knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: And the
blessing of God almighty, ☩ the Son, and the Holy Spirit be amongst you and remain with you always.
Amen.
Sending
Hymn – Christ, Be
Our Light (ELW #715)
Dismissal
God, we do not know the end to
which you call us.
God, let us be your
servants, wherever this road goes.
God, you could have judged us,
but you chose us.
You have made us worthy so
we might speak your words.
You alone guide us down the
path that leads to life.
Every other path is no longer a path for me.
Go in peace. Serve the lowly.
Thanks be to God.
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