Jeremiah 33:14-16 The days are surely coming ... Judah will be saved
Psalm 25:1-9 To you, O Lord, I will lift up my soul
1 Thess. 3:9-13 Holiness ... at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Luke 21:25-36 Be alert at all times .... to stand before the Son of Man

Suggested Hymns (From Denis Towner. TIS = Together in Song; AHB = Australian Hymn Book; SA = Sing Alleluia)

	Hymns for Advent 1, Yr.C
lesson	hymn	TIS	AHB	SA
O	Behold a Rose is growing	294
O	Bread of the world in mercy broken	512	437
G	Come thou long-expected Jesus	272	200
O	Comfort comfort all my people	647		25
E	God's Son came to bless us	197
O/G	Hail to the Lord's anointed	275	203
G	Hark a herald voice is calling	264	192
E/G	I want to walk as a child of the light	643
G	Jesus priceless treasure		463
G	Let all mortal flesh keep silence	497	418
Ps/G	Lift every voice and sing
O	Lift up your heads, you mighty gates	267
G	Lo he comes with clouds descending	273	201
E	Lord Christ true peace of all above	623
Ps	Now let us from this table rise	530	450
O	O bless the God of Israel	284
O	O come O come, Emmanuel	265	193
G	O day of God draw near	616	547
Ps	O Lord make me know your ways	14
G	O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder	155
E	Praise to you, O Christ our Saviour	258
G	Rejoice the Lord is king	216	147
s	Saviour of the nations, come	295
s	Sleepers wake! A voice astounds us	[266]	[195]
s	The advent of our God	271	198
G	The Lord will come and not be slow		194
G	Wake awake! for night is flying	266	195
E	When he comes back, when he comes back	280		92

 

Other Possible Hymns
(Numbers refer to The Australian Hymn Book and Sing Alleluia.)
SA 39 (TIS 636) God has spoken to his people, hallelujah
SA 61 (TIS 283) Long ago prophets knew
SA 98 (TIS 285) Your coming, Lord, to earth in Bethlehem
143 (TIS 214) My heart is full of Christ
179 (TIS 238) Christ is the world's true light
191 (TIS 246) Christ is the world's light, he and no other
205 (TIS 315) Mine have see the glory of the coming of the Lord
451 (TIS 526) Lord Jesus Christ,/ you have come to us
470 (TIS 562) I'm not ashamed to own my Lord
505 (TIS 589) Jesus calls us! O'er the tumult

Sermon summary (click here for complete sermon)

Looking forward in hope and fear

We hope for renewal in church and society. As we look forward to the celebration of Christmas in this new season of advent we adopt a hopeful attitude: that God is one who comes to his people - at Bethlehem and at the end - but at a cost.

Jesus taught that the coming of the Lord, the coming of the Kingdom, will be a time of fear and foreboding, but that we should have confidence that our redemption is near. Judgement and redemption come together. [Luke 21:26]. The lessons today are about that understanding of God which developed first in ancient Israel, that God is one who comes to meet his people.

Fear and hope in the present day: There is a struggle going on in popular culture between the prophets of doom and the believers in progress. [See also Do Christians believe in progress.] Luke's report brings in both fear related to that power and also confident love in response to the promise of deliverance (Luke 21:26, 28). The contrast between trust in humanity and trust in God to fulfil his promises in "the end" is clear and dramatic.

Spiritual confusion: People in our society today are very confused about these things, but they are aware of their spiritual nature. Was Jesus talking of something that was going to happen in ordinary human life, within human history, or was he speaking of another world altogether?

But what about signs in the sky? Luke 21:25 There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars. That means something of cosmic significance is happening. The Gospel writers were recalling what had been seen by the ancient prophets. Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10; Zephaniah 1:15; Daniel 7:13-14. See also Revelation 6:12-13.

There was a sense of awe: There is plenty of reason for fear in those ancient images of God coming in power. The gospel is good news; but he also gave warnings - of worldly concerns that could blind them to the things of God. Luke 8:14; Luke 12:22; Luke 12:45; Mark 4:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:6-7. And compare: Amos 5:18-24; Isaiah 40:1-6. The time of Amos was not unlike our time in the West. Remember how Jesus spoke of doing things for the least of his children in his parables of the end in Matthew 25. Be alert then, be ready to greet the Lord, wherever and however he may come to you, and be sure that he will come. That, for the people of God is cause for hope and of rejoicing.

LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLE: first Sunday.

[A family group or individual comes to the table and one reads:]

The true light, that enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. [John 1:9]

[One coloured candle is lit, and reading continues.]

On this first Sunday in Advent we remember how the ancient prophets proclaimed that God is one who comes to his people, and that he would come in the future as Lord and Saviour. Jesus, when he came, said that he would come again come in love and power. Glory to you Jesus Christ our Lord.

Order of Service - Advent 1 Year C - | DB Home | RCL Resources Index |

The Gathering of the People of God

CALL TO WORSHIP
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. -- Romans 1:7b
Let us worship God.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. -- Jeremiah 33:14

HYMN O come, O come, Emmanuel TIS 265 AHB193

LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLE: first Sunday -- see above.
PRAYER OF ADORATION
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
Lord Jesus, preaching good tidings to the people, proclaiming release to captives, setting at liberty those who are bound:
We adore you.

Lord Jesus, friend of the outcast and the poor, feeder of the hungry, healer of the sick:
We adore you.

Lord Jesus, denouncing the oppressor, exposing the hypocrite, overcoming evil with good:
We adore you.

Lord Jesus, pattern of gentleness, teacher of holiness, prophet of the kingdom:
We adore you.

Lord Jesus, dying to save us from our sin, rising to give us eternal life, ascending to prepare our heavenly home:
We adore you.

CONFESSION
Loving God, in the life and teaching of Jesus you showed us that the whole human family is one people, that there is no discrimination between the members of your family, not according to nation, nor social status, nor male or female, yet we confess that we are part of a divided world and a nation concerned with distinctions between people. Lord have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy.

We confess our slowness to learn the way of Christ, especially in the way he poured out his life, a sacrificial offering for the sake of the world: Christ have mercy.
Christ have mercy.

We are sorry Lord that we have not been open to your Spirit, willing to be led every day in the way of faithful disciples, Lord have mercy.
Lord have mercy.

DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. -- 2 Corinthians 5:19
Hear then Christ's word of grace, 'Your sins are forgiven'
Thanks be to God

DOXOLOGY: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

WELCOME AND GREETING EACH OTHER

Service of the Word

INTRODUCTION OF THEME: Be prepared for the coming of the Lord.
OLD TESTAMENT Jeremiah 33:14-16 The days of salvation are coming
PSALM 25:1-9 To you, O Lord, I will lift up my soul
CHOIR The Aye Carol
EPISTLE 1 Thess. 3:9-13 Holiness ... at the coming of our Lord Jesus
GOSPEL Luke 21:25-36 Be alert at all times .... to stand before the Son of Man
HYMN Long ago prophets knew TIS 283 SA 61

SERMON

HYMN Christ is the world's light, he and no other TIS 246 AHB 191

OFFERING AND DEDICATION
SHARING TIME [Notices, celebrations, requests for intercessions]
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Reconciliation Prayer
Holy Father, God of love, you are the Creator of this land and of all good things.
We acknowledge the pain and shame of our history and the sufferings of our peoples, and ask your forgiveness. We thank you for the survival of indigenous cultures.

Our hope is in you because you gave your Son Jesus to reconcile the world to you. We pray for your strength and grace to forgive, accept and love one another, as you love us and forgive and accept us in the sacrifice of your Son.

Give us the courage to accept the realities of our history so that we may build a better future for our nation. Teach us to respect all cultures. Teach us to care for our land and waters. Help us to share justly the resources of this land. Help us to bring about spiritual and social change to improve the quality of life for all groups and communities, especially the disadvantaged. Help young people to find true dignity and self-esteem by your Spirit.

May your power and love be the foundations on which we build our families, our communities and our nation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

COLLECT FOR THE DAY

Father, God of all holiness, whose promises stand unshaken through all generations: lift up the human race, burdened and brought low by so much evil; and open our hearts to renewed hope; that we may look forward without fear or anguish to the glorious return of Jesus Christ, our Judge and our Saviour, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE LORD'S PRAYER [Front of the Hymn Book]

The Sending Forth of the People of God

HYMN Come thou long expected Jesus TIS 272 AHB 200
WORD OF MISSION
BLESSING
DISMISSAL Go in peace to love and serve the Lord:

In the name of Christ. Amen.

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