Worship from Home Dec. 13, 2020

HELPFUL LINKS

Blacknall Worship from Home
3rd Sunday of Advent
December 13, 2020

 

Song | “Gaudete!”

Gaudete, Gaudete! Christus est natus ex maria virgine, Gaudete!
Rejoice, Rejoice! Christ is born of the virgin Mary, Rejoice!

Tempus ad est gratiae, Hoc quod optabamus;
Carmina laetitiae, Devote redamus.
(It is now the time of grace that we have desired;
Let us sing songs of joy, let us give devotion.)

Deus homo factus est, natura mirante;
Mundus renovatus est a Christo regnante.
God was made man, and nature marvels;
The world was renewed by Christ who is King. 

Ezechiellis porta clausa pertransitur;
Unde lux est orta salus invenitur.
(The closed gate of Ezechiel has been passed through;
From where the light rises salvation is found.)
Ergo nostra cantio, psallat iam in lustro;
Benedicat Domino: salus Regi nostro.
(Therefore let our assembly now sing, sing the Psalms to purify us;
Let it praise the Lord: Greetings to our King.)

Invocation

As we come to worship, Lord, comfort those who mourn;
give us a garment of praise, instead of a spirit of despair (Is. 61:3).
For you have come to be with us, as the son of Mary,
and  You will come again--in glory-- so that we may reign with you.
Help us to rejoice in this hope today. In Christ’s name, Amen. 

Song | “Go, Tell It on the Mountain” 

Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.

While shepherds kept their watching
O’er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.

The shepherds feared and trembled
When, lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior’s birth.

Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born,
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn. 

Words by John W. Work.  Traditional African-American Spiritual

Lighting the Advent Candles | Week 3

Light 2 purple and one pink candle….
The first candle represents the hope that Jesus brings.
The second candle reminds us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
The third candle reminds us to rejoice at the birth of Christ. [PINK candle]

Scripture reading | Isaiah 61

 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. 

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God.

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. 

Prayer:  God of grace, ever faithful to Your promises, the earth rejoices in hope of our Savior’s coming and looks forward with longing to His return at the end of time.  Prepare our hearts to receive Him when He comes, for He is Lord forever and ever.  Amen.

Song |  “My Soul is Filled with Joy”

My soul is filled with joy as I sing to God my Savior;
You have looked upon Your servant, You have visited Your people.
And holy is Your name through all generations!
Everlasting is Your mercy to the people You have chosen,
And holy is Your name!

I am lowly as a child, but I know from this day forward
That my name will be remembered, for all will call me blessed.

I proclaim the pow’r of God: You do marvels for Your servants;
Though You scatter the proud-hearted and destroy the might of princes.

Words from Luke 1, by David Haas.
Irish tune “Wild Mountain Thyme.”

Call to Confession

With Mary, we proclaim the everlasting mercy and the holy name of God. As we do so, we see, by comparison, that we are not whole; our mercy and kindness is intermittent and fleeting, at best. So let us kneel and confess our sins.

Prayer of Confession

Lord, you scatter the proud-hearted and destroy the might of princes. Expose our pride. , Show us how we rely on our own strength. Have mercy on us, and make us--like the poor and brokenhearted, the captives and those who mourn--utterly dependent on You. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus, who assures of your mercy and shows us the way of obedience and love. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Beloved,  this is true: in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

Passing the Peace

May the peace of the Lord be with you.
Response: And also with you

Affirmation of Faith | Apostles Creed               

We 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 Spirit, 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 sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. We 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.

Children’s Blessing

With Leslie Petree.

Children’s Worship

If you would like to receive the Children’s Worship video email, please contact Beth Solie. 

Proclamation of the Word | Ben Davison

The sermon is provided above in video and audio format.

Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Song of Response |  “What Child Is This?”

What child is this, who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary. 

Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear:  for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come, peasant, king, to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise the song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby;
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The babe, the Son of Mary.

Words by William C. Dix, 1865.  Traditional English melody, “Greensleeves.” 

Presenting Our Gifts | Online Giving

You are invited to respond to God’s Word by giving to the mission God has called us to at Blacknall. 

 Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

(As you pray the following petitions, you are encouraged to pause and lift to the Lord particular concerns or people or events. Read prayer requests from Blacknall members and ministry partners here.)

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. (Isaiah 61:10). We proclaim this together, Lord. For you have been mindful of the humble state of your servants; we are blessed because You have given to us the gift of your Son (Luke 1:48-49). 

Thank you for being with us by Your Spirit, even now, in this difficult season.

We pray for those who do not seem to be or, perhaps, do not feel blessed by You, especially the poor and the brokenhearted, those who mourn; those who are prisoners and captives.  Help them to know that You are with them; Help them to hear Your good news as a word to them today.

Ready us to respond whenYou call us. Free us to say--even in the face of the undesirable or the unknown-- we are Your servants.

Show us how we might serve You as our life together is interrupted by COVID-19. Help us to respond to the particular needs that the pandemic presents.

In Your mercy, keep us safe. Guard our neighbors. Mitigate the loss of life and the grief; make your people holy and bring relief to the world.

We are waiting on You, Lord; as we wait, we pray like you taught us...

Our Father...

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,
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.

Benediction

Song | “The First Noel”