Advent Ecumenical Communion Service: 3rd Sunday of Advent

 

Lighting of the Advent Wreath

Over the last few weeks, we been lighting the Advent candles.

The first was the candle of hope / prophecy, that looks forward to the coming of Christ and the hope they will bring.

The second was the candle of peace / Bethlehem, representing the journey made by Mary & Joseph.

Today we light the third candle of joy / the shepherds’ candle, representing the joy we have in anticipation of Christ’s return.

Opening Prayer

God of Light, open our hearts to the mystery of Your love and the invitation of Your grace.
Let complacency give way to action, and prejudice to acceptance.

Turn oppression to justice and transform conflict to peaceful accord.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, who draws near, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Opening Songs

The Light of the World by Lauren Daigle (YouTube link)

V1: The world waits for a miracle
The heart longs for a little bit of hope O come O come Emmanuel
A child prays for peace on earth
And she's calling out from a sea of hurt O come O come Emmanuel
And can you hear
the angels singing...?

Chorus 1: Glo...-ry to the light of the world Glo...-ry the light of the world is here

V2: The drought breaks with the tears of a mother A baby’s cry is the sound of love
Come down, come down, Emmanuel
He is the song for the suffering

He is messiah,
the Prince of Peace has come He has come, Emmanuel

Chorus 2: Glo...-ry to the light of the world (x4)

Bridge: For all who wait, for all who hunger For all who've prayed, for all who wonder Behold your King, behold Messiah Emmanuel, Emmanuel

(Repeat Chorus 2, Bridge & first 3 lines of V1)

Hark! The herald angels sing by Charles Wesley (YouTube link)

V1: Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King Peace on earth and mercy mild God and people reconciled Joyful, all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies With angelic hosts proclaim Christ is born in Bethlehem

C: Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King

V2: Christ by highest Heav'n adored Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold Him come Offspring of His mother’s womb Veiled in flesh the Godhead see Hail the incarnate Deity

Pleased as one of us to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark...

V3: Hail the Heav'n-born Prince of Peace Hail the Sun of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by
Born that we no more may die
Born to raise each child of earth Born to give us second birth. Hark...

 

God of love and forgiveness,
Save us by Your tenderness
From each deed that is destructive, From each act that grieves You, From each thought that is careless, From each idea that is unloving, From each word that hurts.

Help us to face up to your call on our lives, by creating love and goodness, community, society where it has been broken. Amen.

 

Confession

Ecumenical Communion Liturgy (Iona Community)

Note: We welcome all who wish to share in the meal. No one is refused access to communion, regardless of what tradition they belong to or their personal piety. Yet there is no obligation to partake and, for whatever reason, those present can exempt themselves without the judgment of any of those present.

The Story of the Last Supper
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”

In the same way, after supper He took the cup, blessed it and said, “This cup is the new covenant made in my blood. Do this whenever you drink it, to remember me.”

But before we eat and drink, we remember those who need our prayers. 

The Whole World is Waiting by The Many et al. (Link)

V1The whole world is waiting, the whole world cries The whole world is waiting for the dawn to rise
Like you sweet Jesus, our hope is born tonight
The whole world is waiting, the whole world cries.

V2: We hear the cries for justice and the longing to be free. You are the one who heals and who shows us what can be.
We believe our love can change things. We will not live silently. We hear the cries for justice and the longing to be free.

V3: The power of love is with us when we are afraid Though trouble may surround us and we can't find our way Your love shines like a candle; we will hold it close and say The power of love is with us when we are afraid.

[Instrumental and repeat V1]

Reading for the Day Luke 3: 7 – 18 (NIVUK) John the Baptist prepares the way John said to the crowds coming out to be baptised by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe has been laid to the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.’ ‘What should we do then?’ the crowd asked. John answered, ‘Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.’ Even tax collectors came to be baptised. ‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘what should we do?’ ‘Don’t collect any more than you are required to,’ he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, ‘And what should we do?’ He replied, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay.’ The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, ‘I baptise you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing- floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’ And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

Reflection

Our Prayers

Blessing of Bread and Wine
All are invited to say together the words in bold:

We bring bread and wine to the table
Made by the hands of many in an unjust world Where some have plenty and many go hungry
But at this table all are fed and no-one is turned away.

Leader: Send down your Holy Spirit on this bread and wine that these gifts may be for us the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and we may become your body, loving and caring in the world.

In breaking this bread and sharing it,
We share in the brokenness of the world.
In pouring this wine, our very lives are poured out for the world.
We share in the death of Jesus and the hope of resurrection.

Come join the feast that leads to life.

Sharing of Communion

Communion Song
Come as you are by Crowder (YouTube Link)

V1: Come out of sadness, from wherever you've been Come broken hearted, let rescue begin
Come find your mercy, believer come kneel
Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't heal

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't heal

Chorus:

So lay down your burdens, lay down your shame All who are broken, lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home, you're not too far
So lay down your hurt, lay down your heart Come as you are

V2: There's hope for the hopeless, and all those who've strayed
Come sit at the table, come taste of the grace
There's rest for the weary, rest that endures

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't cure [Chorus]

Bridge: Come as you are. Fall in his arms Come as you are.

V3: There's joy for the morning, believer be still Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't heal Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't heal

[Chorus]

Closing Song

O Come, All Ye Faithful by John Francis Wade (YouTube Link)

V1: O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;

C: O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

V2: Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all ye citizens of Heaven above Glory to God, in the Highest;

V3: Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus to thee be glory given
Word of Creator, now in flesh appearing;

A New Small Cross-Denominational, Democratic, and Community-Run Church for LGBTQ+ Christians, Straight Allies, and Progressive Christians.

Sundays 2pm

We have an ecumenical communion service once a month.

https://queerchurchbirmingham.org.uk

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The Peace

God makes peace in us.
God makes peace between us. Let us share that peace.

 

Final Blessing
The Peace of God
Be upon everything our eyes see,
Be upon all we hear,
Be on our bodies that come from the earth, Be on our souls that come from heaven, For ever and ever.
All: Amen.

  

@queerchurchbrum

Queer Church Birmingham