2023 Advent Liturgy: Meeting Righteousness and Peace

GATHERING

ENTRANCE

REFLECTION

Mary said, I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior. The Holy One took one good look at me, and look what happened—I am the most fortunate woman on earth! What the Holy One has done for me will never be forgotten, the One whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. Divine mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before the Divine Mystery. Baring a holy arm, the Holy One showed strength and scattered the bluffing braggarts. The Holy One knocked tyrants off their high horses, and pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold. The Holy One fulfills the promise made to our ancestors when blessing Sarah and Hagar and all their descendants to the utmost generations. Luke 1:46b-55, as adapted from The Message

LIGHTING THE ALTAR CANDLE

CALL TO WORSHIP                        

Leader:   Come and worship the One whose very name is holy,
from whom divine mercy flows over all creation.

People:   We stand in awe before the Divine Mystery,
the One who scatters braggarts and tyrants
and gives the God-news to the poor.

Leader:   Come, singing the song of Mary,
dancing the song of liberation and peace. 

People:   We come to worship the One who fulfills promises,
who has blessed our ancestors and all of us,
who has promised us a Savior.

Leader:   We wait in joy for the Promised One,
born of Mary long ago,
to be born again in us.

All:           We worship and praise the Holy One
who fulfills promises,
while we wait for the Advent
of our Savior, Jesus the Christ.

OPENING PRAYER

HYMN

WORD FOR THE CHILDREN

SILENCE

PRAYERS

CONFESSION

Leader:   Holy One, Mary proclaims that your mercy will flow in waves
and your justice will knock down braggarts.

People:   We long to see these words fulfilled, 
but the news is filled with voices of braggarts and tyrants
and the sobbing of those who long for mercy.

Leader:   Holy One, Mary proclaims that you will feed the starving poor,
while the rich, who so callously ignored them, will be left out in the cold.

People:   We hunger for those words to be fulfilled,
but we know more people are starving
while the rich grow ever more callous. 

Leader:   Holy One, we cling to your promises
for a new heaven and a new earth,
where justice and mercy flow in waves
and abundance is joyfully shared. 

All:           We wonder if these promises will ever be fulfilled.
Forgive us, Holy One, for doubting your faithfulness.
Open our eyes to the mystery of your revelation,
which is unfolding even now. 

INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

ASSURANCE

Leader:   The Holy One forgives us
and invites us to share
Mary’s joy at the God-news!

People:   Amen.

THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE

INTERCESSION AND PETITION

COMMITMENT

All:            O Holy One, we come today
to claim our relationship with you.
We pray for the commitment to grow together,
sharing the gifts you give us with others
here and in the wider world.

Forgive us for the hurt we have inflicted
and help us forgive those who have hurt us.

Give us strength and discipline
to nurture our relationship with you;
to care for every part of your creation;
to foster justice and be in solidarity with those in need;
to work to end all war, and violence, and discord;
and to respond joyfully when you call,
freely giving our selves as you have shown the way.

We open our hearts to you and your creation
in the name of Jesus, who is the Christ. Amen.

HYMN

THE WORD

SCRIPTURE

SERMON

SILENT REFLECTION

OFFERING

Whether you are attending  in person or  on Zoom,
offerings may be made by sending a check to the church or through PayPal
by clicking on the Donate button on the Seekers website or at PayPal.Me/SeekersChurch.

Those in the sanctuary are welcome to place their offerings in the plate as it is passed.

COMMUNION

PREPARATION

Leader 1: This is the table of the heavenly feast,
the joyful celebration of the people of God.

Leader 2: We gather now as one body, joined around the table.
united in Christ’s spirit, broken and whole all at once.

All:            Nourished and hungry, loved and loving,
sinner and forgiven, we make one circle
of knowing, believing, rejoicing, being,
as God lights and rests among us.

GREAT THANKSGIVING     

Leader 1: Holy God of righteousness and peace,
we give thanks for your promises of mercy and justice.

People:    We give you thanks for Jesus the Christ,
in whose birth, life, death, and resurrection
there is good news for the poor and oppressed.

Leader 2: We give you thanks for your Holy Spirit,
who brings comfort to those who mourn
and hope to those who yearn for a new heaven and new earth

All:            We give you thanks for your Holy Church,
where we learn to dance the song of our savior
with our minds, our hearts, and our bodies.

BLESSING THE ELEMENTS

Leader 1: Christ invites everyone
to eat the bread of life
to drink the cup
of the new covenant

Leader 2: Jesus said, I am the bread of life.
You who come to me shall never hunger;
you who believe in me shall never thirst.

Leader 1:  On the night he gave himself up, Jesus took bread,
and after giving thanks to God, broke it and said,
This is my body,
broken for the healing of the world.
Whenever you eat it, do so remembering me.

Leader 2: After supper, Jesus took the cup and said,
This is the cup of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for all.
Whenever you drink it, do so remembering me.

All:            O Holy One, send down your Spirit
that these gifts of grain and grape,
and work of human hands
may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Unite us with Christ forever
and bring us with the whole creation
to your eternal realm.

SHARE THE ELEMENTS

Leader 1: The body of Christ, broken for all of us.
Feed on Christ in your hearts with thanksgiving.

Leader 2: The cup of the new covenant,
poured out for the healing of the world.
Drink deeply of it.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION

All:            God of abundance and mercy,
we give joyful thanks
for your eternal love and healing presence
in our celebration of bread and cup.
Bless this Body of Christ
that we may attend faithfully to our call to be your servants,
with each other and throughout the world. Amen.

SHARED REFLECTIONS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HYMN

BENEDICTION

Leader:    And now, singing the song of Mary,
and dancing liberation and peace,
let us go forth,
open to the possibilities of the season,
trusting in the Holy One,
who brings life out of death and joy out of anguish.

In name of the Divine Mystery
let us greet one another with signs of peace.

People:    Amen.