Liturgy
God spoke in the beginning;
out of darkness came night and day,
out of emptiness came creation,
out of loneliness came humankind.
And God said, “This is very good.”
God spoke when the world was troubled;
giving voice to prophets from the earliest days,
moving through Mary as she gave birth to her child,
crying as a vulnerable baby lying in a manger.
Still God said, “This is very good.”
God speaks today;
breathing energy into our weary lives,
challenging our celebrations and sharing our pain,
dancing with songs of justice and peace.
Now we know that, “This is very good.”
We light the fourth Advent candle,
a candle which symbolizes the love of Christ
and await the coming of the promised King.
Congregational Prayer
Let us pray to God as a community.
O promised Christ:
We are a world at war.
Our peace depends on your advent.
We are a sinful people.
Our pardon depends on your coming.
We are full of good intentions but weak at keeping promises;
our only hope of doing God’s will
is that you come and help us in your mercy.
Lord Christ, the Word made flesh,
our world waits
for your peace,
for your pardon,
and for your grace.
Come, Lord Jesus.
We are in need of you.
We pray in your name, Jesus Christ,
our Redeemer and King,
amen.
Reflection
In the midst of fear and uncertainty, what drives you?
How much time do we spend on supporting our fears?
How can we as a community at Vox help each other understand our personal “calling” in this world?
Would you be open to experiencing more of Immanuel in the week/and new year ahead?
Benediction
We are witnesses of the dawning of that great light
come into the world—Immanuel, God with us.
May we depart from this gathering with our faces set on the Son,
that our lives may serve as a reflection of God’s light
in the midst of our darkness,
and that our very lives may announce the advent of the Messiah.
Go and serve in the name of the Father,
of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Go in peace and live the church.
See you throughout the week.
[Photo by Bren T. Wilson @ Flickr]