Welcome – Rev Dr Michael Wagenman.
Introduction – Dr Hugo Herfst.
V. O God, come to our assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help us.
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
R. as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen
First, Abraham:
You showed him the stars
And called him to number them.
With Sarai, barren,
He doubted your covenant
Promise.
And the waiting was long.
Then came Moses:
Bush burning with fire,
I AM bringing rescue for
Israel, faithless, but
Led by the Sovereign Lord’s
Promise.
And the waiting was long.
Falt’ring Israel:
They wanted a king—
A throne of prosperity—
Persuasion and might,
Justice fulfilling God’s
Promise.
And the waiting was long.
Virgin Mary:
Troubled and afraid,
Whose calling as Favoured One,
Foretold by Gabriel,
Brought forth the Holy Son
Promised.
And the waiting was long.
Old Simeon:
Waited his whole life
In hope: “Consolation, come!”
Spirit upon him,
No death till his sight of the
Promise.
And the waiting was long.
But Jesus came:
Broke into the world—
The Word come to live with us
Redemption’s own Babe,
Fulfilment of every
Promise.
Yet the waiting was long.
Strange paradox:
Our King came that night
In Bethlehem stable stall,
The bride still awaits
His coming again as he
Promised.
And we will not wait long.
O Christ—He comes!
He rides on the dawn
To bring fully his kingdom
In brightness, the Son
All peoples will bow low and
Worship.
And the waiting will cease.
Amen.
Prayer for Israel’s Restoration
To the leader: on Lilies, a Covenant. Of Asaph. A Psalm.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim,
shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us!
Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
O Lord God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn of our neighbours;
our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt-offerings and sin-offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, “See, God, I have come to do your will, O God”
(in the scroll of the book it is written of me).’
When he said above, ‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt-offerings and sin-offerings’ (these are offered according to the law), then he added, ‘See, I have come to do your will.’ He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
Mary’s Song of Praise
46 And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
“Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.”
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Dr Jordan Pickering
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
Come, Jesus, Come
Her husband’s gone.
And hers.
And hers—
But that one chose to go.
The other two lay still
And, weary, breathed their last
With burdens lifted high,
Their wives—knelt low—held fast.
Come, Jesus, come.
He fell, again.
She grieves
And prays—
For strength to face the storm.
Their life now twice rebuilt
Again in ruins from sin
And shame and loss and all
That comes when Temptress wins.
Come, Jesus, come.
Their pain is fierce.
Hunger,
Thirst—
Aleppo’s babies cry.
Desperate mothers blank
With dark despondent stares
Await whatever fate
Will find them lying there.
Come, Jesus, come.
She speaks a lie
Again.
And steals—
At someone else’s joy.
She hears them tell of love
That reaches hard and deep
And pushes it away
Her secret sins to keep.
Come, Jesus, come.
He sometimes grins—
And growls—
And screams—
And I can’t make it right.
We love him soft and strong
But patience droops to dread
So weary Mama prays
And kisses his sweet head.
Come, Jesus, come.
Oh, wicked Fear—
Once friend,
Now foe—
You’ve found another prey.
You thought her weak enough
To fall beneath your pow’r
She wrestles to believe
In goodness by the hour.
Come, Jesus, come.
The angst—like fire—
Burns hot.
Will it
Forever plague my soul?
Hallelujahs born to fly
Soon plummet to their death
When the mundane steals their song
And glory finds no breath.
Come, Jesus, come.
Accident,
Episode,
Event—
All euphemisms for hell.
Too many hurts to nurse
With one man’s meagre measure.
Love propels us still—
And, in the pain, brings pleasure.
Come, Jesus, come.
Undeserved light,
Strange joy
In pain—
Your gift: the Christmas Babe.
Who came to heal the sick,
To bind the deepest wounds,
We long for it in full—
Emmanuel, come soon.
Come, Jesus, come.
Lord Jesus, you made your dwelling place among us so that we might see your glory. Listen as we say: Lord, be with us.
Grant, Lord our God, that we may await with eager hearts the coming of Christ, your Son, so that when he knocks he will find us watching and praying and singing his praises. This we ask of you through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Otto Bam
Christ Jesus, you emptied yourself and became as we are. Listen as we say: Lord, be with us.
Lord, we believe in your Good News, and we await your coming. Fix our heart and our thoughts on the memory of your incarnation, ministry, suffering, resurrection and on the hope of your return, so that, on the day when you come again, you may recognize us as your disciples, you who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
May your day come soon, Lord Jesus, that in the long night of waiting we may not lose heart. Keep alive the flame of your hope among the poorest. Come and do not delay, you in whom the Father has kept his promises and in whom he will gather us together forever and ever. Amen.
And now, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us well. Amen.
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