The
Congregations of St. Mark’s and St. David’s
United
Church of Canada
Port Hawkesbury/Port Hastings, NS
Office: 625-2229, Fax 625-3597,
e-mail: stmarksuc@gmail.com
Blog:
http://ourcontactonline.blogspot.com/
Presbytery Website: inverguyunited.ca
Ministers: Whole People of God
Minister: Nan Corrigan D. M.
Music Director: Al Fougere
December 6th, 2015
2nd Sunday of Advent-Peace
Announcements The
Work of Church and Community
WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD
Welcome and greeting one another with the Peace of
Christ.
One: The peace
of Christ be with you. All: And with your spirit.
* Introit Hope Is a Star, verse 2-Peace VU7
Call to Worship Paraphrase of Baruch 5:1–9
One:
Arise, O people of God, stand upon the height. From the east and the west we
have gathered at the word of the Holy One.
All: We rejoice that God has
remembered us.
One:
Praise God who has ordered every high mountain and the everlasting hills to be
made low, and the valleys filled up.
All: So that all God’s people
may walk safely in the glory of God.
One:
For God leads us with joy in the light of God’s glory, with mercy and
righteousness.
All: Let us worship God with joy. Let us worship and sing praise!
Advent Candle-lighting Liturgy
Introduction
Voice 1: We know that God is always with us.
All: We are not alone; we live in God’s world.
Voice 2: This Advent we prepare to be transformed by
the peace Emmanuel brings.
Voice 1: As we wait, we long for
All: a new heaven and a new earth,
where faithful love and truth have met;
righteousness and peace have kissed.
Truth springs from the ground;
and righteousness gazes down from heaven.
where faithful love and truth have met;
righteousness and peace have kissed.
Truth springs from the ground;
and righteousness gazes down from heaven.
Voice 1: We light this candle as a symbol of God’s
gift of peace,
and as a reminder that even as we wait for Emmanuel,
God is with us always.
and as a reminder that even as we wait for Emmanuel,
God is with us always.
All: We are not alone.
Voice
2: Thanks be to God!
*Candle-lighting Song
Put peace inside our hearts
as we sing songs of praise.
And let it like a fire start
to blaze on Christmas Day.
as we sing songs of praise.
And let it like a fire start
to blaze on Christmas Day.
—Alydia Smith. Originally
published in Mandate,
November 2012.
WE
LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
Malachi 3:1–4 A refiner’s fire and a launderer’s soap.
One: Herein is Wisdom. All: Thanks be to God.
The Gospel Acclamation
Responsive Reading Luke
3:2–6 A voice
calling in the desert.
Sung
Response: There’s a voice in the wilderness crying…
One:
…during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John
son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
All: He went into all the
country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins.
One:
As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
All: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
Sung
Response: There’s a voice in the wilderness crying…
One: Every valley shall be
filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
All: The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’”
every mountain and hill made low.
All: The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’”
Sung
Response: There’s a voice in the wilderness crying,
a
call from the ways untrod:
prepare
in the desert a highway,
a
highway for our God!
The
valleys shall be exalted,
the
lofty hills brought low;
make
straight all the crooked places
where
God, our God, may go!
*Hymn All
Earth Is Waiting VU 5
Opening the Word & The Lord’s Prayer
Luke 1:68–79 “Blessed
be the God of Israel.” VU 901
One:
Herein is Good News. All: Praise be
to God.
Opening
the Word 2 Reflection in Two Voices
Questions
and times of silence are offered for reflection
WE RESPOND IN FAITH
*Hymn It Came Upon a Midnight Clear VU 44
Minute for Mission & Offering Our Gifts to God
* Offering
Prayer
God of
abundance and grace, we offer these gifts as a sign of gratefulness for all
that you have done in our lives. Like a refiner’s fire you are constantly at
work in us. Like molten lava you shape us and mould us. We offer our very
selves to you and ask that you use us to be your hands and feet and voice in
our communities and in the world. Amen.
Prayers
of Thanksgiving and Intercession
WE
GO TO SERVE GOD
* Hymn We Are
Marching VU 646
*
Commissioning and Benediction
One: The
dawn from on high breaks upon us.
All: Light has come.
One: Go out
into the world to prepare the way of God.
All: We have found our voice. Now we go into the world to speak God’s
word of peace, and work for justice and righteousness.
*
Choral Amen
