THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT
Worship
LECTIONARY WORSHIP AIDS
Series III
* CALL TO WORSHIP
Tell out the greatness of the Lord. Rejoice in God your Savior.
* PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Infinite Parent, Incarnate Offspring, Inclusive Spirit, in Jesus
Christ you have experienced our humanity. We admit that we are
not yet holy in spirit, soul and body. Our worship is not always
wholehearted. Our hearts and minds are often arrogant,
prejudiced, unchangeable. Our bodies are too prone to rule us,
and bad habits jeopardize our health. Forgive our faults and
fulfill your promise through the communion of the Holy Spirit
that we may be faultless when our Lord Jesus comes, to the glory
of your great name. Amen.
* DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! God's mercy is sure from generation to
generation, and firm in the promise to our ancestors that God
will not forget to show mercy to their children's children.
Friends, believe the Good News! In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
* EXHORTATION
Be always joyful. Pray continually. Give thanks whatever
happens; for this is what God in Christ wills for you.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Outgoing God, gift us again with the Holy Spirit that we may
make way for you to the humble with good news, to the captives
with promises of release, to the bereaved with the comfort of
beauty and new gladness, to the brokenhearted with tender, loving
care, and to the oppressed with the promise of eventual justice.
Lord God, make righteousness and praise blossom before all
nations. Amen.
* PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Hallowed be your name, mighty God, hallowed be your name,
merciful God. Hallowed be your name, active God, you side with
the humble rather than the proud, with the poor rather than the
rich, with the powerless rather than the powerful. You come into
our world in Mary's child, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son nearest
your heart, full of grace and truth. Thanks
be given to you always, in Hebrew and Greek and English and in
every language of the universe. Amen.
* PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God who promised to come, has come, and has promised to come
again, we are preparing ourselves for your return and offer our
gifts and ourselves to make the way straight for Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
* PSALM 126
When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
(or)
* LUKE 1:46b-55
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
Tell out the greatness of the Lord. Rejoice in God your Savior.
* PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Infinite Parent, Incarnate Offspring, Inclusive Spirit, in Jesus
Christ you have experienced our humanity. We admit that we are
not yet holy in spirit, soul and body. Our worship is not always
wholehearted. Our hearts and minds are often arrogant,
prejudiced, unchangeable. Our bodies are too prone to rule us,
and bad habits jeopardize our health. Forgive our faults and
fulfill your promise through the communion of the Holy Spirit
that we may be faultless when our Lord Jesus comes, to the glory
of your great name. Amen.
* DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! God's mercy is sure from generation to
generation, and firm in the promise to our ancestors that God
will not forget to show mercy to their children's children.
Friends, believe the Good News! In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
* EXHORTATION
Be always joyful. Pray continually. Give thanks whatever
happens; for this is what God in Christ wills for you.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Outgoing God, gift us again with the Holy Spirit that we may
make way for you to the humble with good news, to the captives
with promises of release, to the bereaved with the comfort of
beauty and new gladness, to the brokenhearted with tender, loving
care, and to the oppressed with the promise of eventual justice.
Lord God, make righteousness and praise blossom before all
nations. Amen.
* PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Hallowed be your name, mighty God, hallowed be your name,
merciful God. Hallowed be your name, active God, you side with
the humble rather than the proud, with the poor rather than the
rich, with the powerless rather than the powerful. You come into
our world in Mary's child, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son nearest
your heart, full of grace and truth. Thanks
be given to you always, in Hebrew and Greek and English and in
every language of the universe. Amen.
* PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God who promised to come, has come, and has promised to come
again, we are preparing ourselves for your return and offer our
gifts and ourselves to make the way straight for Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
* PSALM 126
When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
(or)
* LUKE 1:46b-55
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
