Advent 4-A

Texts:  Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25

Lighting of the Advent Candles
L:    If we would walk the streets of the kingdom,
       we need a light to guide us.
P:    We light the candle of faith,
       so we might travel with trust in our hearts.
L:    If we would walk the streets of our world,
       we need a light to guide us.
P:    We light the candle of hope,
        so we can carry it with us as we serve.
L:    If we would see God at work among us,
       we need a light so we can see God.
P:    We light the candle of patience,
        to see the One who travels with us.
L:    If we would trust the promises God gives to us,
       we need a light to illumine our dreams.
P:    We light the candle of promise,
        to see the One who comes to save us.
L:    As we continue our Advent journey,
       may God lead us into the future which awaits us.
P:    A future filled with trust,
       a future full of hope,
       a future found on God's path.

Call to Worship
L:    We gather, for it is time to prepare:
P:    angels are about to burst forth into song,
       singing of the peace and hope we need.
L:    We gather, with expectation our guest:
P:    for joy is inviting us to join in the dance
       of the shepherds around the night fire.
L:    We gather, eager to begin the celebration:
P:    people, longing to reach Bethlehem;
       people, eager to kneel at the manger;
       people,  ready to cradle the Babe;
       people, hoping to be made whole.

Prayer of the Day
If you came to us,
we would not be afraid
to take grace
as our life's partner;
we would not fear
adopting peace and hope
into our family.
So come to us,
God-who-takes-away-our-fears.

If you came to us,
we would not be afraid
to serve the broken of the world,
for that is how
you bring healing and restoration;
we would not fear
to choose the good,
knowing we receive the grace
to be your beloved disciples.
So come to us,
God-who-is-our-sign.

If you came to us,
we would not be afraid
to reach to the heavens
to embrace your dreams;
we would not fear
to journey into the future,
for there we will find you
waiting to welcome us home.
So come to us,
God-who-dwells-with-us.

Come to us,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we pray as you have taught us, saying,
Our Father . .

Call to Reconciliation
In our brokenness, we will find no healing
until we turn to the Peace who comes to us.
In our emptiness, we will find no hope until
we turn to the Grace who comes to feed us
with forgiveness.  Let us speak those words
which are so hard to say, so we may hear
the whispers of God's mercy.

Unison Prayer of Confession
With the songs of the angels in our ears,
    we cannot hear the way we speak
    words of hurt and anger to others;
looking for the shepherds to arrive,
    we do not see the homeless family
    by the side of the road;.
waiting to sit down at a fine feast,
    we ignore those whose bread is their fear,
    whose cup is filled with their lost dreams.

Come to us, Promised Sign of restoration:
    come to open our eyes;
come to us, Child of compassion:
    come to melt our hearts with your tears;
come to us, Servant of the poor,
    come to lead us to serve the lost.
O come, o come, Immanuel:
to forgive us, to heal us, so all that was promised
might be fulfilled for us.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:    Dear children of God: do not be afraid.  The
       promise given long ago has been kept once
       and for all in the birth at Bethlehem.  Rejoice,
       rejoice, for Christ has come for you.
P:    Grace and peace are the gift God has given
        to us, not only on this day, not only in this
        season, but in all the moments to come.
        Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:    May Immanuel be with you this day!
P:    And also with you.
L:    Beloved of God, lift up your hearts.
P:    We lift them to the One whose face
        shines with love upon us.
L:    Household of God, let your voices
       ring with joy and gladness.
P:    We sing of the One who has come,
        come to save us and give us life.

When chaos was empty and barren,
you created the stars of the night,
to light the way for grace;
you filled the hollows of the sea
with the waters of life.
Lord God of creation,
you shaped us in your image,
so we might feast on the bounty
of the garden you gave us,
so we could drink deeply
from the fountains of goodness.
But we belittled your gifts,
thinking that those jewels
called sin and death
were priceless beyond compare.
We filled our minds
with the empty dreams of temptation,
and wearied you with our rebellion.
Sending the prophets
with hope in their hands
and reconciliation on their lips,
we turned our backs,
laughing among ourselves
at their faithful obedience.
Finally, you sent Jesus,
the One who, by refusing evil,
could help us to choose the good.

Therefore, with the faithful of every time and place,
we lift our songs to thanksgiving to you:

P:     Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts.
        All creation calls on your name.
        Hosanna in the highest!  

        Blessed is the One who comes, God-with-us.
        Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, Shepherd of all creation,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Servant, our Savior.
When you could not wait
for the world to conceive of peace,
you sent him to show us how
to end our violent ways;
when you could not wait
for us to find hope,
you sent him to speak
your promises to us;
when you could not wait
for us to stumble upon love,
you sent him to walk the earth,
so we would know how
to treat our friends and enemies;
when you could not wait
for us to return to you,
he went to the cross
to bring us home.

As we prepare to celebrate his birth once again,
as we sing of our longing for him to return,
we proclaim that faith which is often a mystery:

P:    Christ died, refusing to choose evil;
       Christ is risen, that we might choose good;
        Christ will come again, his face shining in glory.

Send your Spirit to come quickly
upon the gifts of the bread and the cup,
and upon your beloved gathered here.
Fill our empty and barren lives
with the rich harvest of joy,
so we may take your sheaves of blessings
to the world;
heal our weary and wounded souls,
so we may go to minister
to the broken-hearted around us;
enlarge our vision,
so we might see that kingdom
of peace, reconciliation and hope
you prepare for all your people,
so we might go forth
to embrace our sisters and brothers.

And when all time has come to an end,
we will no longer need to dream,
but will sit with you at your Table,
surrounded by family and friends,
by strangers and enemies,
feasting on the bread of life
and drinking deeply of grace's vineyard,
joining our voices as one to praise you:
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

Blessing
L:    As you go to walk the streets of the kingdom,
       take a Light to guide you:
P:    we take the light of faith,
       to share it with everyone we meet.
L:    As you go to walk the streets of the world,
       take a Light to guide you:
P:    we take the light of hope,
       to carry it to those we are blessed to serve.
L:    As you seek to walk God's holy way,
       take a Light to guide you:
P:    we take the light of patience,
       believing we will find God with us.
L:    As you open your hearts to God's dreams,
       take a Light to guide you:
P:    we take the light of promise,
       knowing that God has come to save us.
L:    As you go forth to reach Bethlehem,
       travel with faith and hope into God's future:
P:    with joy and gratitude,
       we go forth into God's vision of peace.

(c) 2010  Thom M. Shuman