GATHERING OF THE COMMUNITY
PRELUDE a selection of Music will be played.
THE GREETING & WELCOME
Celebrant In this season of waiting, of longing, of looking for Christ to come into our world, we gather on the unceded ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations.
All Come among us, Jesus, be our light.
Celebrant The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit,
be with you all.
All And also with you.
COLLECT OF PURITY
Celebrant Almighty God,
All to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
ADVENT CANDLE
The first candle is lit.
Celebrant In our watching and our waiting
All Come among us, Jesus, be our light.
COLLECT OF THE DAY
Celebrant Let us pray.
The community prays in silence.
Celebrant God of unveiled truth, in times of darkened sun and waning moon, lift up our hearts and waken our love to announce the coming dawn of unexpected peace; through Jesus Christ, the one who is to come. Amen.
All Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Celebrant Let us prepare ourselves for the Word of God as it comes to us in the reading of Holy Scriptures.
All Our hearts and minds are open.
FIRST READING DUANE LAWRENCE
Reade r A reading from the Book of Isaiah.
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence - as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil - to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people. ISAIAH 64:1-9
Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
All Thanks be to God.
Musical interlude
SECOND READING
Reader A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind - just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you - so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:3-9
Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
All Thanks be to God.
Musical interlude
THE GOSPEL DUANE LAWRENCE
Reader The Lord be with you.
All And also with you.
Reader +The Holy Gospel of Jesus the Christ according to Mark.
All Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, "In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.
Therefore, keep awake - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake." MARK 13:24-37
Reader The Gospel of Christ.
All Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
SERMON
AFFIRMING OUR FAITH (Apostles’ Creed)
Celebrant Let us give voice to our convictions and substance to our hopes.
All I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Celebrant The gospel calls us to turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ. As we offer ourselves to him in penitence and faith, we renew our confidence and trust in his mercy.
Silence is kept.
Celebrant Most merciful God,
All we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.
Celebrant Almighty God have mercy upon you, +pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Amen.
THE PEACE
The Celebrant may use some appropriate introductory words.
Celebrant The peace of Christ be always with you.
All And also with you.
CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST
The Celebrant prepares the Table while Music is played.
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Celebrant Let us pray
The community prays in silence.
Celebrant God of love and power, your word stirs within us the expectation of the coming of your Son. Accept all we offer you this day, and sustain us with your promise of eternal life. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
All Amen.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Celebrant May God be with you.
All And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
All We lift them up to God.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to God our Creator.
All It is right to give our thanks and praise
Celebrant We give you thanks and praise, almighty God, for the gift of a world full of wonder, and for our life which comes from you. By your power you sustain the universe.
All Glory to you for ever and ever.
Celebrant You created us to love you with all our heart, and to love each other as ourselves, but we rebel against you by the evil that we do. In Jesus, your Son, you bring healing to our world and gather us into one great family.
Therefore, with all who serve you on earth and in heaven, we praise your wonderful name, as we say,
All Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Celebrant We give you thanks and praise, loving Father, because in sending Jesus, your Son, to us you showed us how much you love us. He cares for the poor and the hungry. He suffers with the sick and the rejected. Betrayed and forsaken, he did not strike back but overcame hatred with love. On the cross he defeated the power of sin and death. By raising him from the dead you show us the power of your love to bring new life to all your people.
All Glory to you for ever and ever.
Celebrant On the night before he gave up his life for us, Jesus, at supper with his friends, took bread, gave thanks to you, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which is given for you.”
After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, said the blessing, gave it to his friends, and said, “Drink this, all of you: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which is shed for you and for many, so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me.”
All Glory to you for ever and ever.
Celebrant Gracious God, with this bread and wine we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, and we offer ourselves to you in him. Send your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts, that we may know the presence of Jesus in the breaking of bread, and share in the life of the family of your children.
All Glory to you for ever and ever.
Celebrant Father, you call us to be your servants; fill us with the courage and love of Jesus, that all the world may gather in joy at the table of your kingdom. We sing your praise, almighty Father, through Jesus, our Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
All Glory to you for ever and ever. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Celebrant As our Saviour taught us, let us pray.
All 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.
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated bread.
Celebrant Look, the Bread of Heaven is broken for the life of the world.
The gifts of God for the people of God.
All Thanks be to God.
THE INVITATION
Celebrant This is the table, not of the righteous, but of the poor in spirit. It is made ready for those who love God and who want to love God more.
So come, you who have much faith and you who have little, You who have been here often and you who have not been for a long time or ever before, You who have tried to follow and all of us who have failed. Come, not because the Church invites you; It is Christ who invites you to be known and fed here.
The gifts of God for the people of God
All Thanks be to God.
THE COMMUNION
Music will be played during the distribution.
THE CONCLUDING RITE
POST COMMUNION PRAYER
Celebrant Let us pray.
The community prays in silence.
Celebrant God for whom we wait,
All you have fed us with the bread of eternal life. Keep us ever watchful, that we may be ready to stand before the Son of man. We ask this in the name of Christ the Lord. Amen.
Celebrant Glory to God,
All whose power, working in us,can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
THE BLESSING
Celebrant We are looking for God in our world. May we see what God wants us to see.
We are looking for God in our lives. May we be who God wants us to be.
And may God our Shepherd, Protector, Awakener, and Holy Spirit,
bless us through these Advent days.
All Amen.
THE DISMISSAL
Celebrant In our watching and our waiting
All Come among us, Jesus, be our light.
POSTLUDE Voluntary
