Sunday 29th Nov - Advent Sunday

Whitewater Benefice

Introduction

Welcome to our online worship on this the first Sunday in Advent. Welcome to our worship as we are gathered in heart and spirit if not in physical proximity with one another.  It is a reminder that the church is not the building but rather it is the people of God who are the church. 

We cannot meet physically in church, but we can still celebrate the life of God, and pray for one another.  There will also be a live worship service using zoom at 10am and at 6pm, which will be open 15 mins beforehand for technical sound checks & notices.  For any children we have weekly activities which follow the same theme and are used for junior church and for children joining the Zoom Meeting - click here for activity sheets for this week.

Welcome To Worship

You may like to light a candle as you join with others around the world marking the start of Advent as we begin a season of expectation and preparation to celebrate the coming of Christ in his incarnation and also looking ahead to his coming again

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.
We light this candle to remember those who waited in hope for the Messiah.  We light one candle and hope that the brightness will grow as we travel through advent to Christmas.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for he who promised is faithful.

Music: March from Scipio by Handel, played by Richard Joyce

March from Scipio

The Greeting

Faithful One, whose word is life: come with saving power to free our praise, inspire our prayer and shape our lives. For the kingdom of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Hymn

O come, O come Emmanuel
Link to O come, O come Emmanuel (from YouTube, opens in a new tab)

Confession

Christ the light of the world has come to dispel
the darkness of our hearts.  In his light let us examine
ourselves and ask for forgiveness.

Lord God, our maker and our redeemer,
this is your world and we are your people:
come among us and save us.

Lord, when we resist your work within us;
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, when we prefer not to be changed;
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Lord, when our attitudes are moulded by hardness of heart;
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Absolution

May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
and keep us in eternal life.
Amen

Collect

Almighty God,
as your kingdom dawns,
turn us from the darkness of sin to the
light of holiness,
that we may be ready to meet you
in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen

Bible Readings

Isaiah 64: 1 – 9

1Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains would tremble before you!
2As when fire sets twigs ablaze
    and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
    and cause the nations to quake before you!
3For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
    you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
4Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
5You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
    who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
    you were angry.
    How then can we be saved?
6All of us have become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
    and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
7No one calls on your name
    or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
    and have given us over to our sins.

8Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
    We are the clay, you are the potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.
9Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord;
    do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
    for we are all your people

Mark 13: 24 - end

Jesus is speaking to his disciples

24“But in those days, following that distress,

“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
25the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

26“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

28“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

32“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Talk from Shona

Hymn

Love divine
Link to Love divine (from YouTube, opens in a new tab)

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith,
and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.
We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen

Prayers of Intercession

Watchful at all times,
let us pray for strength to stand with confidence
before our Maker and Redeemer.
That God may bring in his kingdom with justice and mercy,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That God may establish among the nations
his sceptre of righteousness,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That we may seek Christ in the Scriptures
and recognize him in the breaking of the bread,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That God may bind up the brokenhearted,
restore the sick
and raise up all who have fallen,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That the light of God’s coming may dawn
on all who live in darkness and the shadow of death,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

That, with all the saints in light,
we may shine forth as lights for the world,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.

We commend ourselves and all for whom we pray
to the mercy and protection of our heavenly Father:
 

            We bring our own personal prayers before God in the stillness of our hearts
 

Almighty God,
as your blessed Son Jesus Christ
first came to seek and to save the lost;
so may he come again to find in us
the completion of his redeeming work;
for he is now alive
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray,

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen

The Peace

God will speak peace to his people,
to those who turn to him in their hearts.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.

Reflecting on Holy Communion

At this time when we cannot gather to share Holy Communion with one another we take some time to reflect on what it means to each of us that Jesus gave his own life that we might live life in freedom.

1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26

23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

O God, whose beauty is beyond our imagining
and whose power we cannot comprehend:
show us your glory as far as we can grasp it,
and shield us from knowing more than we can bear
until we may look upon you without fear;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen

Offertory

Consider all that God has done for you, especially as you see this in Jesus. ‘Count your blessings’ and respond with appropriate generosity from your material wealth.
Amen

Giving to our Churches

See our giving page for more information about how you can give to our churches

Final prayer and Blessing

O Lord our God,
make us watchful and keep us faithful
as we await the coming of your Son our Lord;
that, when he shall appear,
he may not find us sleeping in sin
but active in his service
and joyful in his praise;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

May God himself, the God of peace,
make you perfect and holy,
and keep you safe and blameless, in spirit, soul and body,
for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen

Hymn

Lo he comes with clouds ascending
Link to Lo he comes with clouds ascending (from YouTube, opens in a new tab)

Copyright details

Services and Prayers for the Church of England. Common Worship. Church House Publishing. The Archbishops’ Council. 2000. Daily Prayer, 2005.
Liturgy and Prayers from Times and Seasons, Church of England Services and Prayers. Archbishops Council.
Readings taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Image of Advent Ring: Caroline Bushman
Music:
March from Scipio by G. F. Handel - played by Richard Joyce
Hymns from YouTube under appropriate licensing
CCLI - St Johns Hook, 827213