01A - Advent 1A — 03A - Advent 3A
See also my posts from 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022
Psalm 72:1-7,18,19
O God, give your justice to the king,
and your way of acting to put things right to the son of the king.
May he judge your people with your way of acting to put things right,
and your poor with justice.
May the mountains bring forth prosperity for the people,
and the high places your way of acting to put things right.
May he judge the poor of the world,
saving the poor, and breaking those who oppress.
May he live as long as the sun,
and in the presence of the moon, for all generations.
May he be like the rain on mown grass,
like gentle rain on the drought-baked earth.
May your way of acting to put things right sprout forth in his days
and well-being abound until the moon is no more.
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
And blessed be the glorious name of God for ever,
and may the glory of God fill all the earth.
For the Second Sunday in Advent – Year A (in Cinquain form)
One voice
telling the world,
“The kingdom is quite near”:
shouting, out in the wilderness
“Turn now”.
Who shouts
“Prepare the way”?
Who calls the world to change –
and seeks to have it turn around
to God?
This sharp,
prophetic, voice
which calls, is sent from God;
a messenger for him who is
to come.
How then
shall I prepare?
Joining in pious haste,
those leaning on ancestral faith
long past?
No, Lord:
let me reflect
the way you dwell in me:
living outward, bearing your fruit
each day.
OFFERING
Steadfast and encouraging God of hope
we come in gratitude and longing,
with our lives and symbols of our living.
Present in our brokenness,
we trust in your faithfulness. Amen.
A CREATIVE MOMENT – (a) Matthew 3:1-12 While the blue cloth is a reminder of last week’s reading and reference to the Flood, this week it becomes a symbol of John the Baptist and baptism. Additional symbols might be sandals ands a leather belt; rough, angularstones symbolising the wilderness and children of Abraham; and an axe.
Click here for some ideas for worship in Advent and Christmas gleaned from the pages of “On the Move” (now out of print) originally published by the Joint Board of Christian Education, Melbourne, Australia.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
(A prayer to gather the spoken and silent concerns/joys/thanks expressed by the congregation and lead into a more structured Intercession with connection to the lections for the day. Sometimes this prayer borrows lightly from other sources e.g. Uniting in Worship 2 or publications of the Iona Community.)
Steadfast and encouraging God of hope,
may your Word be a sustaining presence
those whom we name
on our lips and in our silence…
a blessing to those who love and care for them…
Pour out your Spirit
on those who troubles are known only to you…
and those who have no-one…
Strengthen us also
that in our following the way of Jesus
we may be a sign
of your acting to put things right.
(The Prayers of the People continue)
Looking for contemporary music and song resources?
Try David MacGregor’s Together to Celebrate
| HYMN SUGGESTIONS FOR ADVENT 2A | |
| Come,thou long expected Jesus | TIS 272 |
| In Christ there is no east or west | TIS 459 |
| Light one candle for hope | TIS 286 |
| Lo! he comes with clouds descending | TIS 273 |
| Praise the Lord, you heavens adore him; | TIS 93 |
| The advent of our God | TIS 271 |
| The people that in darkness walked | TIS 274 |
| When God almighty came to be one of us | TIS 281 |
| Isaiah 11:1-10 | |
| Behold a rose is growing | TIS 294 |
| Come Holy Ghost our souls inspire | TIS 396 |
| Come, Spirit blest, Creator, come | TIS 397 |
| Isaiah the prophet has written of old | TIS 663 |
| Lord enthroned in heavenly splendour | TIS 520 |
| O come! O come, Emmanuel | TIS 265 |
| O day of God, draw near | TIS 616 |
| The voice of God goes out | TIS 282 |
| Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 | |
| Earth has many a noble city | TIS 291 |
| Hail to the Lord’s anointed | TIS 275 |
| Jesus shall reign where’er the sun | TIS 207 |
| When morning gilds the skies | TIS 227 |
| Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness | TIS 454 |
| Romans 15:4-13 | |
| Brother, sister, let me serve you | TIS 650 |
| Glory beyond glory | TIS 678 |
| Help us accept each other | TIS 648 |
| How shall I sing to God | TIS 667 |
| In Christ there is no east or west | TIS 549 |
| Lord Christ, true peace of all above | TIS 623 |
| Lord enthroned in heavenly splendour | TIS 520 |
| Lord of the living, in your name assembled | TIS 637 |
| Strengthen for service, Lord , the hands | TIS 496 |
| Your words to me are life and health | TIS 430 |
| Matthew 3:1-12 | |
| All my hope on God is founded | TIS 560 |
| Christmas is coming, the church is glad to sing | TIS 289 |
| Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes | TIS 269 |
| Hark! A herald voice is calling | TIS 264 |
| Jesus comes will all his grace | TIS 219 |
| On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry | TIS 270 |
| There’s a ligt upon the mountain | TIS 276 |