Liturgy

In this Advent season, oh God, we remember how you sent your Son
and taught us to speak of hope as the coming of God’s Kingdom.

We believe that you are at work in our world
turning hopeless and evil situations into good.

We believe that your goodness and justice and love will triumph in the end,
and that tyranny and oppression can not last forever.

One day ‘all tears will be wiped away’
and ‘the lamb will lie down with the lion.’

True peace and true reconciliation are not only desirable,
they are assured and guaranteed.
This is our faith and our hope in you, oh God.

And so, we light the second candle of Advent, and we pray:
Come, Lord Jesus!
Open our lives to the peace which you bring;
let us turn to you and prepare the way.

In the name of the Father,
of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, we pray.
Amen.

Community Confession

In prayer, let us confess to God as a community.

When our faith is rooted deeply in you, O God,
our lives reflect your kingdom values of justice and righteousness,
but sometimes our lives become so entangled with the values of the world,
that your values take second place.

Forgive us, O God,
and reconnect us to the Holy Spirit,
source of power and life.

Merciful God, in this season,
we admit that we prefer to be sentimental rather than sacrificial.
Strip our hearts and minds
of all that prevents our lives from being firmly rooted in you.

May our lives bear fruit worthy of our faith in you,
to breathe peace wherever we may be
as we watch and wait for your breaking into our world once more.

We pray in the name of the Father,
of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Reflection

How are we anticipating the arrival of the king this Advent?
How can we live out the justice and righteousness that Christ the king offers to us?

Benediction

Go now: wait and work for the coming of the day of God.
In the wild places prepare a straight path for the Lord.
Lead lives of holiness and godliness,
strive to be found at peace,
and speak freely of the Lord’s comfort and promise.

And may God, our Shepherd, gather you in loving arms;
May Christ Jesus reconcile justice and peace within you;
And may the Holy Spirit baptize you into the life of God.

Let us leave here to serve our Lord faithfully and full of hope
in this Advent season.

We pray 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 n.state @ Flickr]