Welcome to our service - 4 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
Opening
Jesus Christ is the light of the world;
Jesus is our Way.
With Jesus even dark places are light;
Jesus is the Truth.
In Jesus we shall live for ever;
Jesus is our Life.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIszhvHjBxQ
Lo! he comes with clouds descending,
once for favoured sinners slain:
thousand thousand saints attending,
swell the triumph of His train;
Hallelujah! hallelujah, hallelujah!
God appears on earth to reign.
2. Every eye shall now behold Him
robed in dreadful majesty;
those who set at nought and sold Him,
pierced, and nailed Him to the tree,
deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing
shall the true Messiah see.
3. Now redemption, long expected,
see in solemn pomp appear!
All His saints, by man rejected,
now shall meet Him in the air.
Hallelujah! hallelujah, hallelujah!
see the day of God appear.
4. Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee
high on Thy eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and glory,
claim the kingdom of Thine own
Hallelujah! hallelujah, hallelujah!
everlasting God come down!
Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Music: 18th C English melody
CONFESSION
We worship today 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.
When the Lord comes, he will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness, and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Therefore in the light of Christ let us confess our sins.
Lord of grace and truth,
we confess our unworthiness
to stand in your presence as your children.
We have sinned:
forgive and heal us.
The Virgin Mary accepted your call
to be the mother of Jesus.
Forgive our disobedience to your will.
We have sinned:
forgive and heal us.
Your Son our Saviour
was born in poverty in a manger.
Forgive our greed and rejection of your ways.
We have sinned:
forgive and heal us.
The shepherds left their flocks
to go to Bethlehem.
Forgive our self-interest and lack of vision.
We have sinned:
forgive and heal us.
The wise men followed the star
to find Jesus the King.
Forgive our reluctance to seek you.
We have sinned:
forgive and heal us.
ABSOLUTION
May the God of all healing and forgiveness
draw us to himself
and cleanse us from all our sins,
that we may behold the glory of his Son,
the Word made flesh,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
COLLECT
Almighty God,
purify our hearts and minds,
that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as
judge and saviour
we may be ready to receive him,
who is our Lord and our God.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca9LnzJnpjQ
These are the days of Elijah,
Declaring the word of the Lord;
And these are the days of your servant, Moses,
Righteousness being restored.
And though these are days of great trial,
Of famine and darkness and sword,
Still we are the voice in the desert crying,
‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord.’
Behold he comes
Riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun
At the trumpet call;
Lift your voice
It’s the year of jubilee,
Out of Zion’s hill
Salvation comes.
These are the days of Ezekiel,
The dry bones becoming as flesh;
And these are the days of your servant, David,
Rebuilding a temple of praise.
These are the days of the harvest,
The fields are as white in the world,
And we are the labourers in your vineyard
Declaring the word of the Lord.
Behold he comes…
Father, Son and Holy Spirit (repeat ad lib)
Behold he comes…
© Robin Mark. 1995 Daybreak Music Ltd
Isaiah 11. 1 - 10
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
He will delight in obeying the LORD.
He will not judge by appearance
nor make a decision based on hearsay.
He will give justice to the poor
and make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word,
and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
He will wear righteousness like a belt
and truth like an undergarment.
In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;
the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.
The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,
and a little child will lead them all.
The cow will graze near the bear.
The cub and the calf will lie down together.
The lion will eat hay like a cow.
The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.
Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,
for as the waters fill the sea,
so the earth will be filled with people who know the LORD.
In that day the heir to David’s throne
will be a banner of salvation to all the world.
The nations will rally to him,
and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.
Matthew 3: 1 - 11
In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming!
Clear the road for him!’”
John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptised them in the River Jordan.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptise, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the axe of God’s judgement is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptise with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
The is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
TALK by Alistair Stevenson
The summer of 2012 was for me one of the most memorable. It was of course the summer when the Olympics were in London. Catherine and I also moved to Sheffield. For me it was returning having been away for 5 years since university.
But it was also the last summer before Catherine and I had children. Very special times!
Before we moved to Sheffield we had a week’s holiday with some friends in Northern Ireland. We spent some time on the north coast near Portrush and happened to be there when the Olympic flame was making its way through the country where it would eventually finish its journey at the Olympic stadium in London.
The small town, that was about to have the flame brought through it, had prepared incredibly well. Stalls lined the streets. Bands were planning. Houses decorated with union jacks and bunting of every variety and colour. And of course, what was usually a fairly sleepy coastal village was packed with thousands of people.
Everybody knew what was about to happen and the excitement was growing and growing. The arrival of the flame was heard first, before it was seen. Up the road the crowds started roaring with excitement. First to appear were the police motorcycles with flashing blue lights. People scurried to the side of the road as they approached. The flame was close. Then came other vehicles. A support bus. Various trucks that had been adapted into vibrant vehicles advertising the main sponsors. And then came the flag itself being carried by a runner in the midst of a group of other runners there to support and to project. By this time everyone was cheering, people pushing and stretched to get a glimpse - watching, waving flags and celebrating.
Now take this scene back 2,000 years and into the hot, dusty desert. Prophets have foretold of the arrival of a new King - in fact - a returning King. A bit like the Olympic flame, the prophet Isaiah told of a light for those who walked in darkness.
The people have been waiting a long time - anticipation had been growing. But how is this King going to get here and are we ready? John cries out: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him'.
And the people flock to John and his message. They came to him in anticipation and to prepare. First and foremost, their preparation was seen in their desire to repent - to confess their sins and to be cleansed and made clean through being baptised.
They come back to the Jordan where their ancestors had walked through the same river heading into the promised land. Through water their ancestors had walked into you a new land and a new life and so they hoped that going into the water now would make them ready for the new life to come. They go through the river again, as a sign of something greater to come. This time, they hoped, God would bring a great conquest and finally establish his kingdom.
But John's message was not just one of hope and excitement it was also one of rebuke - calling the people to take heed and be warned of the consequences of the coming of this Messiah and his kingdom.
The Pharisees and Sadducees get the full brunt of John's rebuke. Ancestry and bloodline won't be enough to save them. In fact, John says, that means nothing. The axe is waiting and ready to chop down the tree. When the new king arrives, he will bring mercy as well as judgement.
Jesus' mission and ministry was of course different from what many, including, John expected. The grace, comfort and healing of his Kingdom message was balanced by a clear solemn warning that to be a part of this radical, kingdom life it was all or nothing.
John continues. The sign of healthy faith will be the fruit. The sign of full acceptance of the coming Messiah will be the fruit. It is a picture and an analogy that of course Jesus picks up in his own teaching. As Jesus will go on to say in Matthew 7:
"A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."
For us today the challenge remains the same. Is our readiness for the coming of God's Kingdom seeing fruit in our lives? We wait for the kingdom to come in all its glory bringing justice and mercy and joy to the whole world. How can we get ready for that day? Where do the roads need straightening out? How can we prepare ourselves to receive the Holy spirit in our lives - a refining fire that brings purity of heart and life?
The coming of the kingdom of heaven means the coming of the longed-for presence of God with his people. But that will also mean a challenge to the reigning powers of this world. Where do we need to challenge the current powers of this world and how can we do so with Kingdom values?
The personal challenge to us is this: to whom do we owe our allegiance? Will we respond to the urge and call to welcome what God is now doing, and change our ways and our priorities?
John's example to us is clear. As many people drew to his message, he could have pointed to himself, receiving all the acclaim and possible power that comes with popularity. The first century Jewish historian Josephus tells us that the crowds were so great that Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee and Perea, thought that there was a real risk of an uprising. John was creating a movement that was being feared already by those in authority. He could even have declared that he was the long-awaited messiah and led a revolution.
But in the midst of his ministry, he chooses to do the opposite. As he calls the people to repent of their sins and turn to God, he then points to another. He points away from himself and speaks of the one to come who is greater than he - so much so that John is not even worthy to be his slave and carry his sandals.
John says of himself 'I must decrease you must increase Lord.'
Most, if not all of us, are unlikely to draw such a crowd or have such a following. However, we all have influence over others and it's in the midst of that influence that we can either point to ourselves or point away from ourselves to Jesus.
Finally, in Luke 4:18 Jesus ascribes the Isaiah passage, and another, Isaiah 61, to Himself, saying ‘the Spirit of the Lord is on me’. And so, take a moment to consider Jesus: full of wisdom, understanding, council, might, knowledge, and fear of the Load. What facet of God’s Spirit do you feel most in need of today, and why? What is God’s invitation to you today, wrapped up in that dimension of God’s Spirit? What might God be asking of you in response? Amen
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand
of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
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 Liz Cannell
Advent, a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus our Saviour, a time to give thanks for his teaching and example. We pray for our Growth groups, for the sharing of what it means to be a Christian, the inspiration that we get from others, and our dependence on Jesus and each other in our daily lives. May we each grow in our understanding through his love and guidance, both as individuals and as a church.
We pray for the community of Greystones, and give thanks for the growing number of children and worshippers, and for the new activities and events. We pray for all who meet in this building, that they will find friendship and fellowship. May St. Gabriels and other churches be places of light and hope reaching out to others throughout the year, but especially at Christmas.
We pray for Alistair and Catherine and all who are arranging and taking part in services and other activities around Christmas. We think of the joy and excitement at this time of year. But we remember too that many people find this time difficult, whether through loss, loneliness, anxieties of the present and the future. We ask that you will bring comfort to them as others are celebrating, and give them hope in their lives.
As we hear about disputes and threatened strikes we ask for your guidance and wisdom in each situation, for a balance between fairness in the difficulties many face, and the consequences of the disruption caused. May discussions lead to a just solution in each case. We bring to you those who serve on our local councils and in the government, and ask that you will guide each of them in their responsibilities and decisions.
We pray for all countries where people are restless for freedom and equality in their lives. As we hear of loss of life and destruction caused, we pray for peace and hope, that people everywhere and their families may live without fear, and be able to contribute to their own communities.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. 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=1zqAxtZvOEU
JOY HAS DAWNED UPON THE WORLD,
Promised from creation:
God’s salvation now unfurled,
Hope for every nation.
Not with fanfares from above,
Not with scenes of glory,
But a humble gift of love:
Jesus born of Mary.
Sounds of wonder fill the sky
With the songs of angels,
As the mighty Prince of life
Shelters in a stable.
Hands that set each star in place,
Shaped the earth in darkness,
Cling now to a mother’s breast,
Vulnerable and helpless.
Shepherds bow before the Lamb,
Gazing at the glory;
Gifts of men from distant lands
Prophesy the story:
Gold, a King is born today;
Incense, God is with us;
Myrrh, His death will make a way,
And by His blood He’ll win us.
Son of Adam, Son of heaven,
Given as a ransom
Reconciling God and man,
Christ our mighty champion!
What a Saviour, what a friend,
What a glorious mystery:
Once a babe in Bethlehem,
Now the Lord of history.
Stuart Townend & Keith Getty
Copyright © 2004 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=zeBRYhG86x0
Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes,
the Saviour promised long:
let every heart prepare a throne,
and every voice a song.
2. He comes, the prisoner to release
in Satan's bondage held;
The gates of brass before him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
3. He comes to free the captive mind,
where evil thoughts control;
and for the darkness of the blind,
gives light that makes them whole.
4. He comes, the broken heart to bind,
the wounded soul to cure,
and with the treasures of his grace
to enrich the humble poor.
5. Our glad Hosannas, Prince of Peace,
your welcome shall proclaim;
and heaven's eternal arches ring
with Your belovèd name.
P Doddridge (1702-1751)
Music Ravenscroft’s Psalter (1621)
Descant David Iliff
FINAL BLESSING:
May God the Father, judge all-merciful,
make us worthy of a place in his kingdom.
May God the Son, coming among us in power,
reveal in our midst the promise of his glory.
May God the Holy Spirit make us steadfast in faith,
joyful in hope and constant in love,
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.