3rd Sunday of Advent
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Prayer
O God, most high and most near, You send glad tidings to the lowly, You do not hide Your face from the poor; those who dwell in darkness You call into the Light.
Take away our blindness, remove the hardness of our hearts, and form us into a humble people, that, at the advent of Your Son, we may recognize Him in our midst and find joy in His saving presence.
We ask this through Him whose coming is certain, whose day draws near: Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Gaudete” – Steeleye Span
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Reading: John 1:6-8, 19-28 (NLT)
God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.
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This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.”
“Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?”
“No,” he replied.
“Are you the Prophet we are expecting?”
“No.”
“Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?”
John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’”
Then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”
John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.”
This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.
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Intercessory Prayer
Generous God: You supply all our needs, filling the hungry with good things. Hear our prayers –
+ For all the world, that the birth of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, may bring hope….
+ For all who follow Jesus Christ, that they may experience joy at this time of year….
+ For all who are brokenhearted, that they may receive His healing and comfort….
+ For all who are victims of violence, that they may experience compassion and deliverance….
+ For all who are displaced and dispossessed, that they may receive help and hope….
+ For all who have died in Christ, that they may rejoice in Your presence forever….
Generous God: Your loving-kindness and mercy embrace the entire world; hear our prayers as we joyfully await the return of Your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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“Wait for the Lord” – Taize
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Blessing – Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
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