Worship at Home
Worship for the Week Beginning 19th December 2021
Fourth Sunday of Advent
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Sunday 19th December
Rev David Speirs has prepared this week’s message
This short act of worship is for use from home. Please use this service whenever you like during the week.
Pause to settle yourself in God’s presence, knowing that other people are sharing in worship with you.
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© ROOTS for Churches Ltd www.rootsontheweb.com. Reproduced with permission.
Opening Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, light in our darkness
and only hope for our emptiness and pain,
just as Mary laid aside all convenience and comfort to make room for the most precious presence, so we also commit to re-orientate our priorities; to say yes to pouring out our lives in overflowing love. Come for the sake of the lonely and frightened; transform our darkness with your warm, welcoming light.
Come Lord Jesus. Amen.
Adapted from the 2018 Methodist Advent liturgy: https://tinyurl.com/bdhfxmzt
StF 187 – The Angel Gabriel from heaven came
The Angel Gabriel from Heaven came,
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
All hail, said he, thou lowly maiden Mary.
Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria.
For known a blessed Mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honour thee,
Thy Son shall be Emmanuel by seers foretold,
Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria.
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
“My soul shall laud and magnify His holy Name.” Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria.
Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say, Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria.
By Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924)
Bible Reading
Luke 1:46-55
Mary’s song
46 And Mary said:
‘My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me –
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants for ever,
just as he promised our ancestors.’
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
StF 186 – Tell out my soul
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings, give my spirit voice;
Tender to me the promise of his word;
In God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name:
Make known his might,
the deeds his arm has done;
His mercy sure, from age to age the same;
His holy name, the Lord, the Mighty One.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might:
Powers and dominions lay their glory by;
Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight, The hungry fed, the humble lifted high.
Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word:
Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
To children’s children and for evermore!
By Timothy Dudley-Smith (b.1926)
Based on the Magnificat.
Time to Reflect
This Sunday we are encouraged to reflect on what the coming of Jesus meant to the one who would carry and give birth to him, his mother Mary.
Mary is so often seen as having the qualities of meekness, mildness, and obedience in her acceptance of God’s will for her. Yet there is also another side to Mary: The courageous and outspoken one who announces what the coming of Christ will mean to the world.
The reading we have this morning, which is the canticle for this Sunday, connects Mary with the prophetic tradition as she exclaims not only God’s favour on herself but on all the lowly. In this magnificent song she announces that the powerful will be brought down from their thrones, the lowly lifted up, the hungry fed, and the rich sent away empty. It is these utterances that have led to the public reading of the Magnificat being banned by oppressive authorities at various times and in various places, when they became afraid of what the practical outworking of it might mean.
Mary’s description of God’s radical reordering demonstrates her deep and wise understanding that had been imparted to Mary through the Holy Spirit. It precedes and predicts Jesus’ declaration, known to us as the beautitudes, in which he would announce
God’s blessings and tell us who and what the Kingdom of God is for.
This Advent and Christmas time will be a difficult time for many people who are oppressed and struggling. Mary’s song is a reminder to them that the coming of Jesus transforms. I pray that this Christmas we would get a new sense of what Jesus’ coming means for us and that we might see the transformation that Mary sings, and the incarnation brings, to the world.
Amen.
Time to Pray
Let us pray. In joyful expectation of his coming to reign we pray to our Lord, saying,
Come, Lord Jesus.
Come to your world as King of the nations.
We pray for . . .
Before you rulers will stand in silence.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Come to your Church as Lord and Judge.
We pray for . . .
Help us to live in the light of your coming
and give us a longing to do your will.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Come to your people as Saviour
and bearer of pain.
We pray for . . .
Enfold us all in your love and mercy,
wipe away the tears of failure, fear and distress, and set us free to serve you for ever.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Come to us from heaven
with power and great glory,
and lift us up to meet you,
where with all your saints and angels,
we will live with you for ever.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
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 trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
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.
Save us from the time of trial
And deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours
Now and for ever.
Amen.
StF 178 – Long ago prophets knew
Long ago, prophets knew
Christ would come, born a Jew,
come to make all things new;
bear his people’s burden,
freely love and pardon.
Refrain:
Ring, bells, ring, ring, ring!
Sing, choirs, sing, sing, sing!
When he comes,
when he comes,
who will make him welcome?
God in time, God in man,
this is God’s timeless plan:
He will come, as a man,
born himself of woman,
God divinely human
Refrain
Mary hail! Though afraid,
she believed, she obeyed.
In her womb, God is laid:
till the time expected,
nurtured and protected:
Refrain
Journey ends! Where afar
Bethlehem shines, like a star,
stable door stands ajar.
unborn Son of Mary,
Saviour, do not tarry!
Ring, bells, ring, ring, ring!
Sing, choirs, sing, sing, sing!
Jesus comes!
Jesus comes!
We will make him welcome!
Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000)
Final Prayer of Blessing
Christ the Sun of Righteousness
shine upon us
and prepare our hearts and souls
to meet him when he comes in glory;
and the blessing of God,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be ours, now and always.
Amen.
© 1999 The Methodist Worship Book.
Service prepared by Rev David Speirs
Webpage: Paul Deakin
