Advent 1
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series III, Cycle A
Object:
Litany Of Confession
A: The shadows lengthen; the world hides in a winter's sleep.
C: Interrupt our lives.
A: We plan our days; we move from event to event.
C: Interrupt our lives.
A: The poor cry for bread; we pretend not to hear.
C: Interrupt our lives.
A: We protect ourselves from those we fear.
C: Interrupt our lives.
A time for silent reflection
P: May God's love pierce your darkness and his mercy tear down your walls.
C: Come, Lord Jesus, and interrupt our lives. Amen.
Hymn And Prayer For Lighting The First Advent Candle
Sing verse 1 of one of the following hymns:
People Look East
All Earth Is Hopeful
Within Our Hearts Be Born
People In Darkness Are Looking For Light
Burn brightly in our hearts, Lord, and fill our lives with your love.
Offertory Prayer
A: We thank you, Father in heaven,
C: that your love is greater than our sin, your compassion stronger than our fear. May these gifts given in your name be signs, bold reminders, that all that we have is yours. Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them up to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
P: It is indeed right and salutary ...
... we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
C: Holy, holy, holy Lord ...
P: O God of light and darkness, sound and silence,
work and rest,
our lives are in your hands.
All that has been created and all that is yet to be
is by your design.
When your people lost their way
the prophets cried out for your peace to prevail.
When the people again remembered your word of judgment and life,
they climbed mountains, as pilgrims, seeking to know your will.
And then Mary, the chosen Mother of God traveled through the darkest night,
so that in the fullness of time your Word made flesh,
Jesus of Nazareth, took bread, gave thanks to you,
and broke it open saying,
"Take and eat; this is my body given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me."
And he took a cup, gave thanks,
and gave it to all to drink saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me."
So now we ask that your Spirit come
and break open our lives
in the eating of this bread and drinking of this cup,
that our lives might be poured out as signs,
bold reminders of your light in the darkness,
and that all glory would be given to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Benediction
P: May your lives flow with the prosperity of love;
may you find shelter in the strength of the Lord;
may you seek only what is good;
and may you know God's peace.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Hymns And Songs
The Advent Of Our God -- LBW 22
Savior Of The Nations Come -- LBW 28; UMH 214; PH 14; MBW 265
The King Shall Come -- LBW 33; GATHER 248; G&P 307
O Savior, Rend The Heavens Wide -- LBW 38
How Blest Are They Who Hear God's Word -- LBW 227
Christ, Whose Glory Fills The Skies -- LBW 265
O God Of Every Nation -- LBW 416
People Look East -- WOV 626; UMH 202; PH 12; G&P 300
My Lord, What A Morning -- WOV 627; UMH 719
All Earth Is Hopeful -- WOV 629; UMH 210
He Comes To Us As One Unknown -- WOV 768
Send Your Word -- UMH 195
Because Thou Hast Said -- UMH 635
Take Our Bread -- UMH 640
Arise, Shine Out, Your Light Has Come -- UMH 725
People In Darkness Are Looking For Light -- MBW 266
My Soul In Stillness Waits -- GATHER 252
Within Our Hearts Be Born -- GATHER 253
Psalm Settings
Let Us Go Rejoicing -- TFF 17
I Was Glad -- GATHER 108
Psalm 122: Alegria Cuando Me Dijeron -- G&P 270
With Joy I Heard My Friends Exclaim -- PH 235
Choral Music
"Advent Introit" -- David W. Music (GIA)
"Baby, What You Going To Be?" -- Natalie Sleeth (Carl Fischer, Inc.)
"Come, Oh Come, To Us We Pray" -- John Carter (Hope Publishing)
"The King Shall Come" -- Arnold B. Sherman (Sacred Music Press)
Liturgical Dance
For the four weeks of Advent have four dancers enter during the opening of the processional hymn. Each one will carry a wide strip of royal blue cloth about four feet in length. On week one, the first dancer to enter will hold the cloth high above her/his head and wave it boldly. The other three dancers will follow holding their cloths tautly between both hands at chest height. Each week another dancer will wave his or her cloth as an announcement of the anticipation of the coming of the Christ Child.
The dancers may also do a simple circle dance during the singing of the hymn verse that accompanies the lighting of the advent candle.
Liturgical Art And Community Activities For The Advent Season
The church's remembrance of Advent as a time of charity and of waiting with Mary runs counter to our commercial culture, but it can offer solace and rest. The Hispanic tradition of remembering the plight of Joseph and Mary, Los Posados (The Lodging), is celebrated for nine days, coming sometime during Advent. This centuries-old enactment of the search for decent shelter is a joyful procession of knocking on doors and singing until finally hospitality is offered. Many congregations reach out to their neighborhoods in this way and invite everyone to the social hall for refreshments.
In the sanctuary, a banner with the beginning words of the Magnificat, Mary's response to the angel who told of her pregnancy, can calm a congregation during this hectic season. Print the words of Luke 1:46-48a (NIV) in watercolor blue letters on white sparkly nylon.
Through the four weeks add God's Eyes, created in shades of blue and shiny white yarns with cloth strips wound around grapevine lengths. After tying the sticks into a cross, the secret is to wind the yarn all the way around each stick, going in a circle from the inside to the outside. Older children can make these. On Advent 3, yarn and cloth strips might also be wound around the processional cross, and Hispanic holiday pastries may be served after the services.
In the narthex, many congregations now tie tags on a small Christmas tree or branch to be taken by members for the purchase of a gift for a child who is poor or whose parents are in jail. Sunday school-made Christmas cards intended for hospitalized and shut-in members might also be included on this table, giving church members an opportunity to sign them. (During a late December worship service these gifts and cards may be acknowledged.) The paraments are blue.
A: The shadows lengthen; the world hides in a winter's sleep.
C: Interrupt our lives.
A: We plan our days; we move from event to event.
C: Interrupt our lives.
A: The poor cry for bread; we pretend not to hear.
C: Interrupt our lives.
A: We protect ourselves from those we fear.
C: Interrupt our lives.
A time for silent reflection
P: May God's love pierce your darkness and his mercy tear down your walls.
C: Come, Lord Jesus, and interrupt our lives. Amen.
Hymn And Prayer For Lighting The First Advent Candle
Sing verse 1 of one of the following hymns:
People Look East
All Earth Is Hopeful
Within Our Hearts Be Born
People In Darkness Are Looking For Light
Burn brightly in our hearts, Lord, and fill our lives with your love.
Offertory Prayer
A: We thank you, Father in heaven,
C: that your love is greater than our sin, your compassion stronger than our fear. May these gifts given in your name be signs, bold reminders, that all that we have is yours. Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them up to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
P: It is indeed right and salutary ...
... we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
C: Holy, holy, holy Lord ...
P: O God of light and darkness, sound and silence,
work and rest,
our lives are in your hands.
All that has been created and all that is yet to be
is by your design.
When your people lost their way
the prophets cried out for your peace to prevail.
When the people again remembered your word of judgment and life,
they climbed mountains, as pilgrims, seeking to know your will.
And then Mary, the chosen Mother of God traveled through the darkest night,
so that in the fullness of time your Word made flesh,
Jesus of Nazareth, took bread, gave thanks to you,
and broke it open saying,
"Take and eat; this is my body given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me."
And he took a cup, gave thanks,
and gave it to all to drink saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me."
So now we ask that your Spirit come
and break open our lives
in the eating of this bread and drinking of this cup,
that our lives might be poured out as signs,
bold reminders of your light in the darkness,
and that all glory would be given to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Benediction
P: May your lives flow with the prosperity of love;
may you find shelter in the strength of the Lord;
may you seek only what is good;
and may you know God's peace.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Hymns And Songs
The Advent Of Our God -- LBW 22
Savior Of The Nations Come -- LBW 28; UMH 214; PH 14; MBW 265
The King Shall Come -- LBW 33; GATHER 248; G&P 307
O Savior, Rend The Heavens Wide -- LBW 38
How Blest Are They Who Hear God's Word -- LBW 227
Christ, Whose Glory Fills The Skies -- LBW 265
O God Of Every Nation -- LBW 416
People Look East -- WOV 626; UMH 202; PH 12; G&P 300
My Lord, What A Morning -- WOV 627; UMH 719
All Earth Is Hopeful -- WOV 629; UMH 210
He Comes To Us As One Unknown -- WOV 768
Send Your Word -- UMH 195
Because Thou Hast Said -- UMH 635
Take Our Bread -- UMH 640
Arise, Shine Out, Your Light Has Come -- UMH 725
People In Darkness Are Looking For Light -- MBW 266
My Soul In Stillness Waits -- GATHER 252
Within Our Hearts Be Born -- GATHER 253
Psalm Settings
Let Us Go Rejoicing -- TFF 17
I Was Glad -- GATHER 108
Psalm 122: Alegria Cuando Me Dijeron -- G&P 270
With Joy I Heard My Friends Exclaim -- PH 235
Choral Music
"Advent Introit" -- David W. Music (GIA)
"Baby, What You Going To Be?" -- Natalie Sleeth (Carl Fischer, Inc.)
"Come, Oh Come, To Us We Pray" -- John Carter (Hope Publishing)
"The King Shall Come" -- Arnold B. Sherman (Sacred Music Press)
Liturgical Dance
For the four weeks of Advent have four dancers enter during the opening of the processional hymn. Each one will carry a wide strip of royal blue cloth about four feet in length. On week one, the first dancer to enter will hold the cloth high above her/his head and wave it boldly. The other three dancers will follow holding their cloths tautly between both hands at chest height. Each week another dancer will wave his or her cloth as an announcement of the anticipation of the coming of the Christ Child.
The dancers may also do a simple circle dance during the singing of the hymn verse that accompanies the lighting of the advent candle.
Liturgical Art And Community Activities For The Advent Season
The church's remembrance of Advent as a time of charity and of waiting with Mary runs counter to our commercial culture, but it can offer solace and rest. The Hispanic tradition of remembering the plight of Joseph and Mary, Los Posados (The Lodging), is celebrated for nine days, coming sometime during Advent. This centuries-old enactment of the search for decent shelter is a joyful procession of knocking on doors and singing until finally hospitality is offered. Many congregations reach out to their neighborhoods in this way and invite everyone to the social hall for refreshments.
In the sanctuary, a banner with the beginning words of the Magnificat, Mary's response to the angel who told of her pregnancy, can calm a congregation during this hectic season. Print the words of Luke 1:46-48a (NIV) in watercolor blue letters on white sparkly nylon.
Through the four weeks add God's Eyes, created in shades of blue and shiny white yarns with cloth strips wound around grapevine lengths. After tying the sticks into a cross, the secret is to wind the yarn all the way around each stick, going in a circle from the inside to the outside. Older children can make these. On Advent 3, yarn and cloth strips might also be wound around the processional cross, and Hispanic holiday pastries may be served after the services.
In the narthex, many congregations now tie tags on a small Christmas tree or branch to be taken by members for the purchase of a gift for a child who is poor or whose parents are in jail. Sunday school-made Christmas cards intended for hospitalized and shut-in members might also be included on this table, giving church members an opportunity to sign them. (During a late December worship service these gifts and cards may be acknowledged.) The paraments are blue.
