Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. Hold in your embrace all who witness to your love in the service of the poor and all who minister to the sick and dying; and all who bring light to those in darkness. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. Touch and heal all those whose lives are scarred by sin or disfigured by pain, that, raised from death to life in Christ, their sorrow may be turned to eternal joy. Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. Remember in your mercy all those gone before us who have been well-pleasing to you from eternity; preserve in your faith your servants on earth, guide us to your kingdom and grant us your peace at all times. Lord in your mercy Hear our prayer. Hasten the day when many will come from east and west, from north and south, and sit at table in your kingdom. Lord in your mercy hear our prayer. We give you thanks for the whole company of your saints in glory, with whom in fellowship we join our prayers and praises; by your grace may we, like them, be made perfect in your love. Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honour and power, be to our God for ever and ever. Amen. The Peace (Stand) We are fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God, through Christ our Lord, who came and preached peace to those who were far off and those who were near. The peace of the Lord be always with you and also with you. Let us offer one another a sign of God’s peace. CELEBRATING AT THE LORD’S TABLE Offertory Hymn 459: For all the saints At the Preparation of the Table As the grain once scattered in the fields and the grapes once dispersed on the hillside
O Lord, save your people and bless those whom you have chosen Give peace in our time, O Lord, and let your glory be over all the earth O God, make our hearts within us and renew us by your Holy Spirit. Collect The Collect of the day O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everliving God, we give you thanks for bringing us safely to this day. Keep us from falling into sin or running into danger, and in all things guide us to know and do your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life, and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us in all assaults of our enemies, that we, surely trusting in your protection, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Act of Remembrance Hymn 488 Stand up, stand up, for Jesus Sermon Hymn 627 What a friend we have in Jesus Occasional Prayers Collection Hymn 612 Eternal Father, strong to save When you go home tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today. Let us commit ourselves to responsible living and faithful service. Will you strive for all that makes for peace? We will. Will you seek to heal the wounds of war? We will. Will you work for a just future for all humanity? We will. Merciful God, we offer to you the fears in us that have not yet been cast out by love: May we accept the hope you have placed in the hearts of all people, and live lives of justice, courage and mercy; through Jesus Christ our risen Redeemer. Amen
First voice: Today, we light a second candle and name it Peace. (Lights second purple candle.) This candle reminds us of our dreams for peace in the world. Second This candle reminds us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and that he is coming. First voice: This candle is a symbol of God's promise of peace, and comfort, and strength. All: O God, come, travel with us through Advent. Give us courage to spread peace in the world. Amen. Third Sunday in Advent: Joy voice: Today, we light a third candle and name it Joy. (Lights third purple candle/pink candle.) This candle reminds us that God wants us to rejoice, even when that feels hard to do. Second voice: This candle is a symbol of the joy that comes when God is with us. All: O God, come, travel with us through Advent. Give us courage to spread joy in the world. Amen. Fourth Sunday in Advent: Grace and Love First voice: Today, we light a fourth candle and name it Love. (Lights last purple candle.) This candle reminds us of Mary, Jesus' mother. She was a person who had a lot of courage. This candle reminds us of a mother's love for her child, Jesus, who was God's own Son. Second This candle is a symbol of God's love that was born in baby Jesus on Christmas Day. It is a symbol of God's love that is alive in us each day too. All:" O God, come, travel with us through Advent. Give us courage to spread love in the Amen. Lighting the Christ Candle at Christmas: Fulfillment First voice: The Advent time of waiting and preparing is over! We have lit four candles that remind us about longing and peace and joy and love. These candles remind us that God promises to be with us, to comfort us, to help us rejoice, and to teach us to love. Second voice: Today we celebrate that God has come to be with us in the baby called Jesus. Today we light one more candle, and we call it the Christ candle. (Lights white
Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay; give new courage to your people, who trust in your love. By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom on earth as in heaven, where you live and reign with the Father and the Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen. or Watchful at all let us pray for strength to stand with confidence before our Maker and Redeemer. That God may bring in his kingdom with justice and mercy, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That God may establish among the nations his sceptre of righteousness, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That we may seek Christ in the Scriptures and recognize him in the breaking of the bread, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That God may bind up the brokenhearted, restore the sick and up all who have fallen, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That the light of God’s coming may dawn on all who live in darkness and the shadow of death, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That, with all the saints in light, we may shine forth as lights for the world, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. We commend ourselves and all for whom we pray to the mercy and protection of our heavenly Father: Silence is kept. Almighty God, as your blessed Son Jesus Christ first came to seek and to save the lost; so may he come again to find in us the completion of his redeeming work; for he is now alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. Introductions to the Peace In the tender mercy of our God, the dayspring from on high shall break upon us,
Praise to Christ our light! Christ is the light of the world! Praise to Christ our light! Go, in the of the Spirit, to bring light to others: Praise to Christ our light! You have heard his story, the story of God's own Son. Amen. We thank you Lord. May he fill you with joy to bring this good news to others today. Amen. We thank you Lord. RECESSIONAL HYMN 132 – Lo! he comes with clouds descending AN ORDER OF SERVICE FOR CHRISTINGLE Explanation of the Christingle Service The Service of the Christingles comes from Germany, and was popular within the Moravian Church for many centuries. In recent years it has become a popular service in many different churches, including our own, held on the last Sunday before Christmas. The symbolism of the orange and the candle is simple, yet powerful, as one of the songs we will sing later reminds us. The orange represents God’s world, the cocktail sticks represent the continents, and the different coloured sweets (or sometimes pieces of fruit) represent all the peoples of the world. The candle stands for Jesus, the Light of the World, who was born in the candle-lit stable of Bethlehem. The red ribbon reminds us why he was born, and how he is God’s Light, because the red of the ribbon points to Jesus’ death upon the cross of Calvary, 33 years after his birth. Finally, is a symbolism in the lighting of the candles, and carrying the Christingles home for Christmas, because the love of Christ is meant to be shared, starting among God’s people, and then going out into our community, and around the There is a further important aspect to the Christingle Service. Christmas is never just about the gifts we receive, from God or from others, it is about what we give to God and others less well off than ourselves. Once again we are gathering our Smartie Boxes filled with 20p coins. From this collection we shall bring the love and care of the Christ Child, as we raise the funds for the Planting of trees as our Christmas gift to places in threat of flood and soil erosion across the world. Thank you for your generosity.
Collect Heavenly Father, you have called us in the Body of your Son Jesus Christ to continue his work of reconciliation and reveal you to the world. Forgive us the sins which tear us apart; give us the courage to overcome our fears and to seek that unity which is your gift and your will; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. or Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your apostles, ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you’: look not on our sins but on the faith of your Church and grant it the peace and unity of your kingdom; where you are alive and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Gospel Acclamations Alleluia, alleluia. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. Alleluia. or Alleluia, alleluia. is one body and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Alleluia. or Alleluia, alleluia. ‘May all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the may believe that you have sent me,’ says the Lord. Alleluia. Intercession In faith let us pray to God our Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. For the Church of God throughout the world, let us invoke the Spirit. Kyrie eleison.