Worship Resources for November 29th
First Sunday of Advent
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
—Psalm 27:14
…as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who will sustain you to the end,
guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
—1 Corinthians 1:7-8
The lectionary texts for this week are Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; and Mark 13:24-37. We will use a few of these in the service below, but we invite you to continue your worship later today and this week by reading and reflecting on the others.
Gathering
Prelude
Welcome: Advent at 14th Street
Call to Worship & Greeting
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, Psalm 130:5-7
and in his Word I hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning.
There is no darkness with you, O Lord.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plenteous redemption.
There is no darkness with you, O Lord.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
There is no darkness with you, O Lord.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 13:14
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Amen.
Song
For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you.
O Lord of Light, our only hope of glory,
your radiance shines in all who look to you.
Come, light the hearts of all in dark and shadow.
For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you. (2x)
O Root of Life, implant your seed within us,
and in your advent draw us all to you,
our hope reborn in dying and in rising.
For you, O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; truly my hope is in you.
Text and Tune (STILLNESS): Marty Haugen (b. 1950), based on Psalm 62:5 and "O" Antiphons © 1982 GIA Publications, Inc., based on Psalm 62:5 and “O” Antiphons © 1982 GIA Publications, Inc.
Advent Candle Lighting
In the coming weeks, we will light the four candles of Advent, signifying the coming of the Light into the world (John 1:4-5), and our expectant waiting for his return (Matthew 25:1-10). We invite you to gather four candles, and light them progressively with us across Advent.
We light this candle as a sign of the coming light of Christ.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Psalm 96
let all creation sing for joy
at the coming of the Lord.
The Lord of hosts is coming to restore us; Psalm 80
God’s face will shine, and we will be saved.
Light dawns for the righteous, and joy to the upright in heart. Psalm 97
Rejoice in the Lord! Give thanks to God’s holy name.
Song
The song below turns our focus from the personal to the creational, and to the world’s waiting to be set free from its “bondage to corruption” (Romans 8:21) with the coming of Jesus Christ. It is a short refrain, sung twice through. You may wish to listen to the organ play it through once first, and then join in a second time using the musical text and lyrics below the video.
Confession & Assurance
Call to Confession Isaiah 64:1-2
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence…
to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
The presence for which we wait is also a consuming presence,
and his arrival will purify and judge all that is set again him, in us and in his world.
Come, then, let us confess our sin before God.
Prayer of Confession Isaiah 64:5b-9
But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls on your name,
or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
Pause for a time of silent confession before continuing with the verses below.
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord,
and do not remember iniquity forever.
Now consider, we are all your people.
Assurance of Pardon Hosea 11:8-9
How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
my compassion grows warm and tender.
I will not execute my fierce anger;
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and no mortal,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come in wrath.
The Peace
The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
Song
Sing verses 2-3 this time through with the organ’s accompaniment.
Thus says the prophet to those of Israel:
“A virgin mother will bear Emmanuel,”
one whose name is “God-with-us” our Savior shall be;
with him hope will blossom once more within our hearts.
Mountains and valleys will have to be made plain;
open new highways, new highways for the Lord.
He is now coming closer, so come all and see,
and open the doorways as wide as wide can be.
Text: Alberto Taulé (b. 1932); tr. Madeleine Forell Marshall (b. 1946) © 1972, 1993 and tr. 1995 Centro de Pastoral Litúrgica, admin. OCP Publications
Tune (TODA LA TIERRA): Alberto Taulé; arr. © 1993, 2006 Centro de Pastoral Litúrgica, admin. OCP Publications
Affirmation of Faith
Our World Belongs to God, st. 10, 55-56
People of God,
what do you believe about the future reign of Jesus Christ?
Our hope for a new creation is not tied
to what humans can do,
for we believe that one day
every challenge to God’s rule
will be crushed.
His kingdom will fully come,
and the Lord will rule.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
We long for that day
when our bodies are raised,
the Lord wipes away our tears,
and we dwell forever in the presence of God.
We will take our place in the new creation,
where there will be no more death
or mourning or crying or pain,
and the Lord will be our light.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Children’s Time: Advent Stories
Parents, if you would like, this is a good place to pull up the video linked here. Each week, Beth Cooke will tell an Advent Story in a creative way, and there will also be a link to a coloring page after the video.
Word
Prayer of Illumination
Make us to know your ways, O Lord;
teach us your paths.
Lead us in your truth, and teach us,
for you are the God of our salvation;
for you we wait all day long.
—Psalm 24:4-5
Scripture Reading
Mark 13:24-37
13 24 “But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
25 and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35 Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Sermon
Response
Song
This African American spiritual is a fitting song of response for the themes of this first Sunday of Advent, with its waiting and longing for that day “when the stars begin to fall” (Mark 13:25; Revelation 6:12-14).
Alongside the refrain (My Lord, what a morning), which captures the hope of Advent, this version arranged by Harry T. Burleigh (1866-1949) has a single verse, which captures beautifully the call of Advent (Done quit all my worldly ways).
My Lord, what a morning,
my Lord, what a morning,
oh my Lord, what a morning,
when the stars begin to fall,
when the stars begin to fall.
Done quit all my worldly ways,
joined that heavenly band.
We invite you to listen and reflect on that great day when Christ will return as comforter, liberator, and judge.
Prayers of the People
Oh Lord, that you would rend the heavens and come down.
Our occupied world needs your intervention, your deliverance.
Past the tinsel and cheery lyrics of Christmas music, there are:
wars and rumors of wars,
people enslaved and tyrants comfortable,
innocents slaughtered and dictators delighted,
hungry poor and engorged rich,
endless consumption and a creation that groans.
O Lord, where is your powerful right hand?
Rend the heavens and come down!
Our occupied homes need your intervention, your deliverance.
Past the candles that light our windows and the decorations that grace our trees, there are:
marriages that are fraying,
children who are abused,
students committing suicide,
cancer diagnoses that just keep coming,
and elderly who feel isolated and alone.
O Lord, why is your face turned away?
Rend the heavens and come down!
Our occupied hearts need your intervention, your deliverance.
Past the pasted on smiles and the assurances that all is well, we are:
aching on the inside,
doubting, despairing, depressed.
We dull the pain with strong drink, ephemeral pleasures, and mind-numbing screens.
Our hearts are drawn in every direction save the one necessary direction.
O Lord, be not so terribly angry.
Rend the heavens and come down!
We need your intervention, your deliverance.
We need your arrival.
Our best efforts are laid waste.
Darken the sun.
Throw down the stars.
Shake the heavens.
We are waiting.
Blast your trumpet.
Gather your church.
Break forth your kingdom.
We are waiting.
We need your intervention, your deliverance.
Rend the heavens and come down.
We are watching.
We are waiting.
We are bearing witness.
You alone can sustain us.
Come, Lord Jesus, Come.
Amen.
Offering
In addition to our various funds (General, Building, Mission, Benevolence, Christian Education), online giving is also now available for today’s special offerings (Church Support Services & Holland Christian Education Fund) through the Give button below.
Sending
God’s Parting Words
Stay alert. Keep awake. Be watchful.
Christ is coming again.
Go with this promise and benediction.
To him who is able to keep you from falling
and to present you before his glorious presence
without fault and with great joy—
to the only God our Savior
be glory, majesty, power, and authority,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen!
—Jude 24-25
Go in peace, for the world is about to turn.