Advent 1
Hope
December 1
Luke 21:25-36
Be Alert at All Times
Communion
Meaning of Service
Sanctuary Evergreens
Advent Wreath
Paraments
DECEMBER 1, 2024
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
10:00am
CHIMING OF THE HOUR
WELCOME & MEANING OF THE SERVICE
As we begin the Christian Year, we also celebrate the Holy Season known as Advent. It is a time when we prepare ourselves for the coming of our Messiah. Advent means “Coming.” We celebrate these days of Advent in expectation and preparation for Christ’s arrival.
Through the centuries, Christians have observed a time of waiting and expectation before celebrating the birth of the Savior at Christmas. The Advent season is a time for reflection and preparation, but its mood is joyful. Advent has been enriched by Christian tradition to reflect its distinctive Christian meaning. It proclaims the revelation of God’s love as expressed in Christ’s birth in a humble stable, His sacrificial death on the cross, and His victorious resurrection! It points to the hope of Christ’s coming again as the King of kings and Lord of Lords. Advent makes innkeepers out of all of us, asking each of us to make room for the arrival of Christ The King. Let us, today, prepare Him room in our hearts, our lives, and our homes!
PRELUDE “Chorale Prelude on ‘Stuttgart” Lee Bristol
SANCTUARY EVERGREENS
The most striking and the most universal feature of Christmas is the use of evergreens in churches and homes. Among ancient Romans evergreens were an emblem of peace, joy, and victory. The early Christians placed them in their windows to indicate that Christ had entered the home. Holly and ivy, along with pine, and fir are called evergreens because they never change color. They are ever – green, ever – alive, even in the midst of winter. They symbolize the unchanging nature of our God, and they remind us of the everlasting life that is ours through Christ Jesus.
Under Christian thought and sentiment, holly became widely used in church celebrations. Holly was considered as the burning bush, or a symbol of Mary whose being glows with the Holy Spirit. The red berries represented the blood drops from the cruel thorns in the crown of Jesus.
In Isaiah 60:13 we find these words: “The Glory of Lebanon shall come unto you, the fir tree, the pine tree and the box together, to beautify the place of your sanctuary.” Our forefathers called the procuring of these evergreens, “Bringing home Christmas!”
*HYMN No. 83 “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”
1 Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us;
let us find our rest in thee.
2 Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
3 Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a king,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
4 By thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all-sufficient merit
raise us to thy glorious throne.
THE ADVENT WREATH
Advent is a time of expectation, and this is symbolized, not only by the four-week period of preparation, but also by the lighting of an Advent Candle in an Advent Wreath on each Sunday of the season. The flame of each new candle reminds us, the worshipers, that something is happening, and something more is still to come.
The candles are arranged in a circle to remind us of the continuous power of God, which knows neither beginning nor ending. There is also symbolism in the colors of the candles. The three [purple] candles symbolize the coming of Christ from the royal line of David. He is coming as the King of Kings as well as the Prince of Peace. The [pink] candle is to be lighted on the third Sunday of the Advent season. This candle represents joy. The large white candle in the center is known as the Christ candle, and points to Jesus as the Christ, the Light of the world.
A progression is noted in the lighting of the candles of the Advent wreath each Sunday. Each candle symbolizes various aspects of our waiting experience. For us this year we are focusing on four ideas of the Christmas event: HOPE, PEACE, JOY & LOVE. The culmination of the season comes as we light the Christ Candle on Christmas Sunday evening. We join in rejoicing that the promise of long ago has been fulfilled.
LIGHTING OF ADVENT CANDLES
Watch and wait for Christ’s coming!
We light candles of hope, peace, joy, and love, remembering the promises of God with prayer.
Hear these words from the prophet Jeremiah:
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. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The LORD is our righteousness.”
We light this candle in hope. Light 1 purple candle
Let us pray…
God, we ask that you prepare our bodies, prepare our minds, and prepare our hearts for your coming to this world. Take root, grow within us, and blossom for all to see. Your kingdom come; your will be done. Amen.
Advent Response No. 88, v1 “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O come, O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
THE PARAMENTS
Both visual and performing arts have always been important ways to communicate the Christian faith. The use of music has helped believers understand their Godly hope. Other forms of visual art have been used from the beginning to help express various aspects of Christian doctrine and life.
Colors, altar paraments or coverings, and banners are some of the most important visual ways Christians have used to express their faith in worship. The objective in covering the Communion Table with cloths of various colors was to help focus the attention of worshippers on the special nature of Christ as the Perfect Sacrifice. In the early days of Christian worship, Advent and Christmas were seen as a somber time, much like Lent is today. Purple table coverings were used to speak of Christ’s Kingship, but the mood was somber.
As Christians began to share their celebration of Christmas with their non-Christian neighbors they began to focus on the joy of the Christmas event. As the emphasis of Christmas began to change to one of joyful celebration the color used also changed to express Christ the King in that happier way. While purple is still used in some churches and at certain times, many Christian churches now use blue to speak of the Kingship of Christ when the occasion is joyful. At Advent we wait with anticipation and celebration for our coming Christ. At Advent we wait with anticipation and celebration for our coming Christ.
ANTHEM “Bethlehem Promise, Bethlehem Joy” Joseph Martin
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
UNISON PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Please join me in the unison prayer…
Savior God, guide us by your word and Spirit, that we might hear your truth, heed your call and be prepared for Christ’s coming this Christmas. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Luke 21:25-36
25 “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”[a]
29 Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Pause…
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!!
SERMON “Be Alert at All Times”
The holiday shopping season is in full swing – actually I believe that it started the day after Halloween. We’re getting catalogs in the mail every day and dozens of emails, especially from L.L. Bean and Lands End. Just when you think you’ve received their big Christmas mailer, about 20 more arrive. And even if you’re not planning to order anything, the catalogs are calming to look through. Take Lands’ End, with all those smiling people in a homey setting, relaxing in stretchy pants and slippers with the tag line, “Let’s get comfy.”
Comfort seems to be the dominant sales pitch this year. Maybe it’s because so many people have been working from home or stuck at home even post-pandemic. Or maybe it’s because things have been stressful, and companies figured cozy comfort is the hot trend we all need. It’s a pretty effective marketing strategy in these anxious times. Or at least it was for me this week, as I thumbed through that catalog while wearing sweats, curled up under a weighted blanket. Weighted blankets are kind of like thunder shirts for dogs, only for humans. By the way, if you plan to jump on that trend this holiday season, here’s a pro tip. Be sure to purchase the recommended weight for your blanket. We thought more would be better and got the heavier one. Folding that thing is basically a CrossFit workout.
But back to the cozy comfort trend, which is just one of several solutions the secular world offers for these anxious times. There are plenty of others, some more healthy than others. I recommend a weighted blanket and streaming a good show, especially Ted Lasso or the Great British Bake-off. Or, based on the ratings, if you want to watch Christmas movies with happy endings on the Hallmark Channel, you’re in lots of good company. But we also know that destructive coping mechanisms are on the rise, too. Addictions and overdoses have skyrocketed. As have mental health crises. Which is not surprising, as we collectively worry about everything from new variants of the flu to the future of democracy. Not to mention the personal worries we carry around, too. That’s a lot of heavy weight on our shoulders. At times, it all feels, well, kind of apocalyptic. There isn’t much secular wisdom for what to actually do with so much worry. But there is wisdom in the Church, especially on this first Sunday of Advent.
On this first day of the liturgical year, the Church begins the Christian story with Jesus saying strange, apocalyptic things, as if on cue.
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.”
Our sacred story begins not with the first but the second coming of Christ to a world in distress, to a people fainting from fear. It’s a strange place to start the story. But it is a profoundly hopeful place to start, especially for the anxious.
I suppose every generation believes that the world is ending, in one way or another. My parents thought so, as the cold war erupted after the second World War, and then as the world as they knew it began to crumble in the 1960s. Their parents thought the end was near as they started their families in the midst of the Depression. It seems that each generation going back in time has had reason to read current disasters and crises as a sign of the end times, maybe for all of human history. High anxiety, what Luke calls fainting from fear and foreboding, seems to be part of the human condition.
One option in the face of high anxiety would be to throw up our hands and give in to the fear. But Jesus has different advice: “Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Standing up and raising our hands is the opposite of giving in to the fear. It’s faith. Faith that God is somehow working through all of it. Faith that Christ will come in glory. Faith that there will be a final culmination to this whole story in which the Holy will triumph over all the forces that work against it. Faith that in the end, the kingdom of God will reign at last.
If these grand ideas seem abstract or hard to believe, Jesus has more advice. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” The fig tree is a clue, that we will find evidence in the ordinary stuff around us that the kingdom of God is on its way. These days, as we watch the news and wait anxiously for crises to pass, Jesus says that if we look around, we can see signs of God’s activity. Be sure to look at the small and the local, like a fig tree in the back yard, for signs that the kingdom is on its way.
Given that advice, it’s not hard to see a connection between the first Sunday of Advent and Christmas Day. No sign of God’s love is more small or local than a baby in a manger. A pattern begins to emerge about how God operates. There is a closeness to God’s activity, which connects each one of us to the story of our salvation. God’s grand story comes to us on a very human, personal scale. God has always worked that way, which is surprising for such a large God. We can start to see why Jesus is so insistent about caring for the person right in front of us, whoever they are. Following him is not an abstract idea but a small and local practice.
We should take note of one more piece of advice from Jesus this morning. As we search for the cozy stuff to bring us comfort this holiday season, which by the way, I think he would be in favor of, Jesus reminds us not to take either cozy comfort or our anxieties so far as to numb out. I’m looking at you holiday catalogs and Netflix. “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life.” Instead, we are to stay alert, watching for signs of God’s kingdom in this troubled world. The Church tells us the one hopeful thing that nothing else can this time of year, and it’s the thing we need to hear most of all. Watch for the signs, because our redemption is drawing near.
Commentary and Liturgy from the Book of Common Worship (PCUSA), “Call to Worship” Website, PCUSA Book of Confession, The New Interpreter’s Commentary, David Lose, Kate Alexander, Emily Munder, Carol Holbrook Prickett, Barbara Brown Taylor, and Scott Hoezee.
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN No. 104 “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You”
1 O Lord, how shall I meet you,
how welcome you aright?
Your people long to greet you,
my hope, my heart’s delight!
O kindle, Lord most holy,
a lamp within my breast,
to do in spirit lowly
all that may please you best.
2 Love caused your incarnation;
love brought you down to me;
your thirst for my salvation
procured my liberty.
O love beyond all telling,
that led you to embrace
in love, all loves excelling,
our lost and fallen race.
3 You come, O Lord, with gladness,
in mercy and goodwill,
to bring an end to sadness
and bid our fears be still.
In patient expectation
we live for that great day
when your renewed creation
your glory shall display.
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
Invitation to the Table
As we come to this table,
we are reminded that this is the table of Jesus Christ,
a banquet prepared for everyone.
All who seek to be nourished and sustained
in the journey of faith,
all who seek wholeness and compassionate paths to peace and justice,
are welcome here.
God be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift our hearts in prayer.
Let us give thanks to God.
It is good to give God thanks and praise.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise,
O Lord our God, creator and ruler of the universe.
We give thanks, O Lord, that the days are surely coming
when all the world will see the fulfillment of your promise of salvation.
You alone are our righteousness, our only hope for justice and peace.
Therefore, we praise you,
joining our voices with choirs of angels
with prophets, apostles, and martyrs,
and with all the faithful of every time and place
who forever sing to the glory of your name:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
You are holy, O God of majesty,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
(Advent 1) In Christ, the tree of life,
we have seen the first fruits of your holy realm.
Though heaven and earth may pass away,
Christ’s word stands secure.
Even now, we look for the day of his coming in power and great glory.
Remembering your gracious acts in Jesus Christ,
we take from your creation this bread and this wine
and joyfully celebrate his dying and rising,
as we await the day of his coming.
With thanksgiving, we offer our very selves to you
to be a living and holy sacrifice, dedicated to your service.
Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon these your gifts of bread and wine,
that the bread we break and the cup we bless
may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ.
By your Spirit, unite us with Christ
and with your church in all the world.
(Advent 1) Teach us to pray night and day that we may see you face to face.
Strengthen us in holiness, faithfulness, joy, and love
so that we may be ready at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, now and forever.
The Lord’s Prayer
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. Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Communion
Closing Prayer
We thank you, God,
for breaking into our world
and pouring into our lives and our experiences.
We thank you, God,
for this meal of thanksgiving
and the stories of love, grace, and hope that it tells. Amen
ANNOUNCEMENTS
OFFERING OF TITHES & OFFERINGS
“All things in heaven and earth belong to God, who is coming in glory to reveal a new creation.” Let us present our tithes and offerings to the Lord.
OFFERTORY
*RESPONSE N0. 143, v.4 “Angels, from the Realms of Glory”
All creation, join in praising
God the Father, Spirit, Son,
evermore your voices raising
to the eternal Three in One:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn king!
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Christ calls us to live generous and grateful lives. Take these gifts we of- fer today, O God, and use them to the fulfillment of Christ’s ministry. May these gifts help to free the captives, heal the sick, comfort the lonely, feed the hungry, heal the wounded. As Christ’s hands and feet, use us too, in service to building your beloved community. Amen.
*HYMN No. 109 “Blest Be the God of Israel”
1 Blest be the God of Israel,
who comes to set us free;
who visits and redeems us,
who grants us liberty.
The prophets spoke of mercy,
of freedom and release;
God shall fulfill that promise
and bring the people peace.
2 God from the house of David
a child of grace has given;
a Savior comes among us
to raise us up to heaven.
Before him goes the herald,
forerunner in the way,
the prophet of salvation,
the harbinger of day.
3 On those who sit in darkness
the sun begins to rise,
the dawning of forgiveness
upon the sinner’s eyes.
God guides the feet of pilgrims
along the paths of peace.
O bless our God and Savior
with songs that never cease!
*BENEDICTION
We do not leave this sanctuary and leave God behind.
God’s call to prepare our hearts, our minds, our communities and our world for the coming Christ, is clear.
May this call be ever before us; guiding us, inspiring us, enabling us to be Christ’s body – his hands, his feet, his heart – in this, God’s world.
May the grace, hope, peace and love of God our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer be with us all, now and forever. Amen.