Welcome to our service - 12 December
This service sheet can be used individually or with households.
We would encourage you to say (or even sing) hymns and songs out loud.
Prayers, other liturgy or readings can be said out loud or silently, corporately or individually.
If you are able, we would also like invite you to join us for our main Sunday service, 10am in church and live on Zoom. Even if you have never been to St Gabriel’s before we would love you to join you. Please get in touch with the vicar Alistair (vicar@saintgs.co.uk) and he will send you the Zoom details.
SERVICE
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
and blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIr21lLgFpg
On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come then and listen for He brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings.
2. Then cleansed be ev’ry heart from sin;
Make straight the way for God within;
Prepare we in our hearts a home,
Where such a mighty guest may come.
3. For You are our salvation, Lord,
Our refuge and our great reward;
Without Your grace we waste away,
Like flow’rs that wither and decay.
4. To heal the sick stretch out Your hand,
Make wholeness flow at Your command;
Sins's devastation now restore
Earth's own true loveliness once more.
5. To Him who left the throne of heaven
To save mankind, all praise be given;
To God the Father, voices raise,
And Holy Spirit, let us praise.
Words: Charles Coffin (1676-1749) tr John Chandler (1806-76)
Music: from Musicalisches HandBuch
altered © 1986 Horrobin/Leavers
CONFESSION
In the name of God, who has delivered us from the dominion of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, we welcome you: grace to you and peace.
We are gathered together to proclaim and receive in our hearts the good news of the coming of God’s kingdom, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate with confidence and joy the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We pray that we may respond in penitence and faith to the glory of his kingdom, its works of justice and its promise of peace, its blessing and its hope.
A voice cries out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’ So let us listen, and turn to the Lord in penitence and faith:
God, through Jesus Christ,
will judge the secret thoughts of all:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven:
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Let anyone who has an ear
listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy
ABSOLUTION
The almighty and merciful Lord
grant us pardon and forgiveness of all our sins,
time for amendment of life,
and the grace and strength of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Alleluia.
COLLECT
God for whom we watch and wait,
you sent John the Baptist to prepare the way of your Son:
give us courage to speak the truth,
to hunger for justice,
and to suffer for the cause of right,
with Jesus Christ our Lord.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIDPd8d3oQE
Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts,
shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in your church
gathered today.
Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has power to save us.
Make us your living voice.
Christ, be our light!
Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.
Christ, be our light!
Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stone.
Christ, be our light!
Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
making your kingdom come.
Christ, be our light!
Bernadette Farrell © 1993 OCP Publications
READINGS
Luke 1:39-55 New International Version - UK
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!’
And Mary said:
‘My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me –
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants for ever,
just as he promised our ancestors.’
Ruth 3 New International Version - UK
One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, ‘My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing-floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing-floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.’
‘I will do whatever you say,’ Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing-floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned – and there was a woman lying at his feet!
‘Who are you?’ he asked.
‘I am your servant Ruth,’ she said. ‘Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.’
‘The Lord bless you, my daughter,’ he replied. ‘This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.’
So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognised; and he said, ‘No one must know that a woman came to the threshing-floor.’
He also said, ‘Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.’ When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town.
When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, ‘How did it go, my daughter?’
Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, ‘He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, “Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.”’
Then Naomi said, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.’
TALK by Alistair Stevenson
What has been your biggest Christmas risk? Maybe it’s a particular element of the Christmas lunch that you decided to experiment with and it went horribly wrong? Maybe it was a gift for someone - an unusual present choice which you weren’t quite sure would be received well? Maybe you took a risk to invite someone different on Christmas day?
A number of years ago I was speaking at one of the Christmas Eve services at All Saints. The church was pretty full with adults and children of nearly every age. And during my talk I decided to speak about myths, trying to make the point that we can all too easily treat the Christmas story like a myth - something that is a nice story but that we don’t take very seriously, instead of a real event that took place 2000 years ago that turned the course of history and so should turn the course of our lives today. A good point I thought. However, the risk was that I kind of implied that we can treat the Christmas story a bit like the myth of Father Christmas. I’m told there was an audible gasp as I said it, although I couldn’t hear it from where I was speaking.
The day after - Christmas Day - I had one grandma come up to me very upset because she had to, on Christmas Eve, console her two nephews, who were about 6 and 8, because a guy at the front of church had told them Father Christmas wasn’t real.
And so it went down in All Saints folklore how the youth worker once told a church full of nearly 400 people how Father Christmas doesn’t exist.
I still stand by it as a calculated risk as at least when those children grow up and realise that Father Christmas isn’t real they may think back to my talk. If the guy at the front of church was telling the truth about Father Christmas maybe he was also telling the truth about Jesus.
What has been your biggest Christmas risk? But how do you feel about risks more generally? Has this year felt risky? Perhaps as we have continued to weigh up COVID decisions.
What about taking risks for God? When was the last time God asked you to take a step of faith? To move out of your comfort zone? Did you do it? Did it feel like a risk or a step of faith?
As we come to chapter 3 of Ruth we see that Naomi and Ruth are taking a risk - or maybe a great step of faith.
Last week we met Boaz, a close relative of Naomi and in fact one of her kinsman-redeemers. Boaz shows the love, generosity and grace of God through his actions to Ruth - this foreign woman who clung to her mother-in-law in her time of deepest need. Ruth’s reputation precedes her and has already come to the ears of Boaz. And so he responds by blessing her as she gleans in the field. Stuart, speaking last week, reminded us that Ruth chapter 2 tells us about God’s amazing grace towards us demonstrated by Boaz to Ruth.
As we come to chapter 3 the fields are empty and the harvest has now passed since Boaz and Ruth first met. Months later Naomi sees an opportunity for Ruth to find the home that she longed for her back in chapter 1. She suggests to Ruth that she effectively dress as a bride and go to Boaz in the middle of the night and lie next to him. Let’s be clear - this was a fairly audacious and risky marriage proposal.
As Robin Ham suggests in one of his reflections:
‘This proposal seems more in keeping with a seductress in some steamy Hollywood blockbuster than the actions of a woman of God!’
But in fact, it comes from Naomi’s desire to honour this faithful woman who has continued to stay by her side through thick and thin. Naomi has been on a journey of rediscovering God’s faithfulness and steadfast love demonstrated first through Ruth and then through Boaz in chapter 2. Naomi is now confident that God will provide a redeemer and a husband for Ruth.
Sending Ruth to Boaz in this way could be seen as a huge risk - she is potentially jeopardising the reputation of Ruth and Boaz. But it’s a step of faith taken because of Naomi’s confidence that God is at work and His hand is upon them. And Ruth continues to show the same confidence and trust. As she promised back in chapter 1 to go where Naomi went and stay where she stayed, so now she says that in verse 5: ‘I will do whatever you say’. Ruth trusts Naomi and trusts God.
I’m just not sure these characteristics are honoured and recognised in our modern culture. Instead of submission, self-giving and faithfulness to others, our culture celebrates individual well-being and rights. Forging our own path and seeking our own safety and security. These are not necessarily bad in themselves - but God’s Spirit wants us, again and again, to recognise the faithfulness, trust and obedience - the self-giving and self-sacrifice of the characters particularly displayed by a foreign Moabite woman. It’s the foreigner, the outsider, who continually displays the character of a Godly person. That should make us always re-evaluate who we think should be in or out of God’s plans and purposes.
As the story continues we can imagine Ruth tiptoeing over in the darkness to Boaz. In fact, it’s so dark that Ruth and Boaz are simply described as ‘the man’ and ‘a woman’. And when Boaz does wake and discover this foreign woman lying at his feet - he could have acted very differently. He could have taken advantage of her - raped her even. Instead, he is astounded at the radical and bold actions of Ruth. Ruth declares herself as his servant and asks him to spread the corner of his garment over her since he is a guardian-redeemer. Let’s not mistake this for anything close to love island. It is a request for marriage, for loyalty, for protection.
She could have gone after younger men - she could have found another husband and abandoned Naomi. Instead, she comes to Boaz who we can presume is not so young anymore.
Just as Boaz had affirmed Ruth for coming under God’s grace-filled wings (in 2:21), Ruth is now urging Boaz to fulfil this role - to be the protective wing of God’s presence. Moreover, Boaz continues to act with honesty and integrity - a twist in the tail as he tells Ruth that there might be another kinsman-redeemer who is a closer male relative who might choose to redeem Naomi and marry Ruth instead. His honourability is amazing. With this younger woman lying in front of him and asking for his hand in marriage - he says that they is another who might be more appropriate than him.
As we journey through Ruth we should be drawn again and again by the faithfulness and kindness of the characters. Ruth is for example, as Boaz declares, truly a woman of noble character (note the reference to Proverbs 31) and incredibly, Ruth is the only woman in the whole Bible described as fitting the bill!
In this time of Advent, as we look at Ruth it should remind us of another young woman who was willing to submit her life to God. In Mary, we see a woman whose ‘soul glorifies the Lord and whose spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. For he, as Mary declares in the Magnificat, ‘has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.’
And so I want to close with two thoughts, one for ourselves personally and one for ourselves as a community here at St Gabriel's.
So firstly for ourselves. What risk are you willing to take for God this Christmas or maybe more helpfully I should say, what step of faith. A step of faith made in confidence in a God whose steadfast love is everlasting and who is for you. The book of Ruth shows us that when we are confident of God’s love, this then frees us to live lives of radical and bold faith.
In the new year will be starting the Alpha Course and once again we are encouraging you to invite people to Alpha. We will be doing two courses, one online on Zoom and one in person. Again this year again we want to develop a culture of invitation - that we are the church that are inviting people to meet Jesus and encounter him. So who are you doing to invite to Alpha this Christmas? My suggestion would that each one of us think of three people. Pray for them and then invite them to Alpha.
Secondly what about for us as a church. Remember that this story of Ruth took place at a time when God's people were continually unfaithful where they continued acting selfishly and for their own desires. Remember, Ruth come immediately after the book of Judges which ends with the line: ‘In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit’. In the midst of this Naomi, Ruth and Boaz play out a beautiful story where they continue to show faithfulness and loyalty, trust and obedience.
I love the definition of humility that says, humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. This is what we see in the characters in this book.
I'm not sure we will ever be a church with lots of resources - whether that's finances or people. But I do believe that God is calling us to be faithful, loyal and obedient to Him and our communities. Demonstrating this in ways that might not be so glamorous or look great for social media. May we be a church that doesn’t think less of ourselves but thinks of ourselves less. A church where the eyes of our hearts look to the needs of this community. As we see in this story God honours those who show simple trust and loyalty. My prayer is that we would be a church full of Naomi’s and Ruth’s and Boaz’s. Amen.
THE BENEDICTUS:
You will guide us with your counsel, O God, and afterwards receive us with glory.
Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,
who has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets God promised of old
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,
To show mercy to our ancestors,
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
O LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER,
O Lord, hear my prayer:
When I call answer me.
O Lord, hear my prayer,
O Lord, hear my prayer:
Come and listen to me.
Jacques Berthier/Taizé.
Copyright © 1982 Ateliers et Presses de Taize (France).
PRAYERS - written by Christine Carney
Heavenly Father, thank you for Ruth’s obedience in doing what her mother in law says and approaching Boaz despite the awkwardness and embarrassment she must have felt. Thank you that you, Lord Jesus, are our Redeemer. Thank you that you died in our place so that our sins might be forgiven. Please help each of us, this Advent, to make time to approach you and to listen to your voice in our busy lives – and help us to be obedient to what you ask us to do…
Thank you, Father, for Alistair and Catherine, Ethan, Isabella and Benjamin. Please give Alistair and Catherine the inspiration, energy and enthusiasm they will need to lead us through Advent and all the Christmas services. Please bless them as a couple and as a family. We commit to you each of the Christmas services and pray that your Holy Spirit will draw in those individuals and families from the local community whom you want to be there – and that you will be powerfully at work in their lives…
We thank you for the young people who have started coming to the youth group at St. Gabriel’s on a Sunday evening. Please bless each one, and their leaders, and help them to feel accepted, valued and loved.
We pray against the spread of the new variant of coronavirus, Omicron. We pray for healing for all those who have the virus and for those who continue to suffer with Long COVID. We pray for protection on those who are vulnerable and we pray against the fear of going out of the house. We pray for poorer countries who do not have the vaccine and who are already struggling with poverty, famine and the effects of climate change: Yemen, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria.
Heavenly Father, we commit to you the build-up of Russian troops around Ukraine and we pray against war. We pray for wisdom for President Biden and other world leaders in their response to President Putin. We also pray for wisdom for world leaders in knowing how to respond to China’s human rights’ abuses.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for COP26 and all that was promised there. We pray that the leaders of each country will be determined to keep the promises they made despite opposition at home. We pray particularly that the money promised to support poor countries most affected by climate change will be delivered.
We lift to you, Heavenly Father, those connected with St Gabriel’s who are frail or not well and those who suffer with depression and we pray for your healing touch on their lives. I invite you to focus on one person you know of and pray for them…
We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
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
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MmRGSEG2LM
Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness.
Opened my eyes, let me see.
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You
Here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me
2. King of all days
Oh, so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came
To the earth You created
All for love's sake became poor
Here I am to worship…
I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross (rep.)
Here I am to worship…
Tim Hughes ©2001 Thankyou Music
OFFERTORY - Take a moment to consider how you are going to continue to give to the life of the church and support other aid agencies and mission organisations.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power,
the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YksTeR61O1I&t=43s
From the squalor of a borrowed stable,
by the Spirit and a virgin’s faith,
to the anguish and the shame of scandal
came the saviour of the human race.
But the skies were filled with the praise of heaven,
shepherds listen as the angels tell
of the gift of God come down to man
at the dawning of Immanuel.
King of heaven now the friend of sinners,
humble servant in the Father’s hands,
filled with the power of the Holy Spirit,
filled with mercy for the broken man.
Yes, he walked my road, and he felt my pain,
joys and sorrows that I know so well;
yet his righteous steps give me hope again –
I will follow my Immanuel!
Through the kisses of a friend’s betrayal,
he was lifted on a cruel cross;
he was punished for a world’s transgressions,
he was suffering to save the lost.
He fights for breath, he fights for me,
loosing sinners from the claims of hell;
and with a shout our souls are free –
death defeated by Immanuel.
Now he’s standing in the place of honour,
crowned with glory on the highest throne;
interceding for his own beloved
till his Father calls to bring them home!
Then the skies will part as the trumpet sounds,
hope of heaven or the fear of hell
but the bride will run to her lover’s arms, giving glory to Immanuel.
Stuart Townend © 1999 Thankyou Music
FINAL BLESSING:
Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you,
scatter the darkness from before your path,
and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory;
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.