The Season of Advent | 2nd Thursday 07 Dec 2023
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
Almighty God, give us grace
to cast away the works of darkness,
and put on the armor of light,
now in the time of this mortal life in which
your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility;
that in the last day, when he shall come again
in his glorious majesty
to judge both the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and for ever. Amen.
“… wait for his Son to come from heaven.
His Son is Jesus, whom he brought back to life.
Jesus is the one who rescues us
from ⌞God’s⌟ coming anger.
(1 Thessalonians 1:2-10)
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From Psalms: Psalm 85 – “Lord, Let Us See Your Kindness” – Francesca LaRosa
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OT Reading: Hosea 6:1-6 (GW)
Israel Rejected the Lord’s Promise
6:1 Let’s return to the Lord.
Even though he has torn us to pieces,
he will heal us.
Even though he has wounded us,
he will bandage our wounds.
After two days he will revive us.
On the third day he will raise us
so that we may live in his presence.
Let’s learn about the Lord.
Let’s get to know the Lord.
He will come to us as sure as the morning comes.
He will come to us like the autumn rains and the spring rains
that water the ground.
“What should I do with you, Ephraim?
What should I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like fog in the morning.
It disappears as quickly as the morning dew.
That is why I cut ⌞you⌟ down by sending the prophets.
I killed you with the words from my mouth.
My judgments shined on you like light.
I want your loyalty, not your sacrifices.
I want you to know me, not to give me burnt offerings.
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Let Us Return – The Liberated Wailing Wall (Olive Tree Community Northwest)
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NT Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 (GW)
Paul’s Prayer for the Thessalonians
1:2 We always thank God for all of you as we remember you in our prayers. In the presence of our God and Father, we never forget that your faith is active, your love is working hard, and your confidence in our Lord Jesus Christ is enduring. Brothers and sisters, we never forget this because we know that God loves you and has chosen you. We know this because the Good News we brought came to you not only with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with complete certainty. In the same way you know what kind of people we were while we were with you and the good things we did for you.
You imitated us and the Lord. In spite of a lot of suffering, you welcomed God’s word with the kind of joy that the Holy Spirit gives. This way, you became a model for all the believers in the province of Macedonia and Greece. From you the Lord’s word has spread out not only through the province of Macedonia and Greece but also to people everywhere who have heard about your faith in God. We don’t need to say a thing about it. They talk about how you welcomed us when we arrived. They even report how you turned away from false gods to serve the real, living God and to wait for his Son to come from heaven. His Son is Jesus, whom he brought back to life. Jesus is the one who rescues us from ⌞God’s⌟ coming anger.
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Save Us O Lord – Joel Chernoff
Save us O Lord, like days of long ago,
Save us O Lord, deliver us once more,
Save us O Lord, shine Your face on us (upon us)
And let Your mercies flow,
Save us O Lord to You our hearts restore.
1. Long we’ve wandered, long we’ve strayed,
So far away from you,
Hope was gone, hearts afraid.
2. And we’ve cried Lord, O we’ve cried,
We’ve cried so many tears.
Waiting for Messiah to draw us near.
If we stumble Lord, we’ll fall into Your arms,
And if we lose, lose our way, we’ll call to you.
A Shepherd You will be, watching over us,
Watching over me.
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+ O God, our heavenly Father, you manifested your love by sending your Son, Christ Jesus, into the world, that all might live through him: Pour out your Spirit on your faithful people in the Middle East, that his life-giving Gospel may be preached to every tribe and nation. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Set free the hostages, and deliver from bondage every person captivated by the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And finally, grant heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically and diplomatically, as well as those who will restore Israel spiritually, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
May the Lord, when he comes,
find us watching and waiting.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Be alert at all times. Pray so that you have the power to escape everything that is about to happen and to stand in front of the Son of Man.”
I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of Babylon, my people, so that you do not participate in her sins and suffer from any of her plagues. Her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Do to her what she has done. Give her twice as much as she gave. Serve her a drink in her own cup twice as large as the drink she served others. She gave herself glory and luxury. Now give her just as much torture and misery. She says to herself, ‘I’m a queen on a throne, not a widow. I’ll never be miserable.’ For this reason her plagues of death, misery, and starvation will come in a single day. She will be burned up in a fire, because the Lord God, who judges her, is powerful.
Then many nations will come and say,
13:32 “No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows. Be careful! Watch! You don’t know the exact time. It is like a man who went on a trip. As he left home, he put his servants in charge. He assigned work to each one and ordered the guard to be alert. Therefore, be alert, because you don’t know when the owner of the house will return. It could be in the evening or at midnight or at dawn or in the morning. Make sure he doesn’t come suddenly and find you asleep. I’m telling everyone what I’m telling you: ‘Be alert!’ ”
The Peanut Gallery 