Worship Resources for Sunday, December 18th: Fourth Sunday of Advent

Revised Common Lectionary: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 or Luke 1:46b-55; Luke 1:26-38; Romans 16:25-27

We have arrived at the last Sunday in Advent. Our reading in Samuel is about the building of the temple, the dwelling of the Lord, and that God desires to dwell with us forever. As we wait for Christ to come again in a new way, as we celebrate Christ’s birth, we know that God is always present with us. We do not need a physical temple or church building built, but we know that God is present in the community of faith. The entire Old Testament is the history of God’s presence with the community. Sometimes as Christians we focus too much on the faith of the individual and the relationship of the individual to God; we forget that the church is not the building, but the gathering of people, and that God is present in the gathering of people together, as Christ said, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20).

Psalm 89 reflects on the love of God and the presence of God through God’s faithful servant, David. The Messiah was thought to come from the line of David and be just like David had been, a faithful servant of God, a manifestation of God’s presence in the world. As Christians, we see that manifestation complete in the incarnation of Jesus the Christ. We know that God’s presence will be with us forever.

Luke 1:46b-55 is an alternative option to the Psalm as it was last week: Mary’s Song of Praise, or the Magnificat. Speaking of God’s mighty acts in history, we remember how God has been present throughout the generations and fulfills that presence in the coming of Jesus, the Christ.

Luke 1:26-38 is the familiar story of the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary. “The Lord is with you,” the angel tells her after greeting her. While we read this story of a special, once in a lifetime (or in all of creation) occurrence, we can also read this passage more corporately: God greets us all through this message. “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you!” We might be perplexed by this story, how could God bring a child through a virgin? How could God become flesh and live among us? How could God send his Son for us? “How can this be?” we might ask. But the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon us and sends us out to share the Good News of God’s Love for the world.

Romans 16:25-27 is Paul’s benediction to his letter to the Christians in Rome. This benediction shares that God’s secret has now been made known: that God was to become flesh, that God would be the Word Incarnate and that Jesus the Christ is the manifestation of God’s love to the world.

Traditionally, this Sunday’s theme is Love. How do we share the message of God’s love to the world in a new way? How do we share the very familiar story of Jesus’ birth to the world in a new way? And how do we live out this Good News in a new way? Perhaps by seeing Mary’s story as our own, that God is doing something new in us, and revealing God’s love to the world through each of us, individually and communally.

Call to Worship:
Leader: Prepare the Way of the Lord!
People: Share the Good News of God’s love.
Leader: Be the voice that cries out in the wilderness.
People: Go forth to share the love of God!
Leader: Sing of God’s steadfast love forever.
People: Tell the Good News to all generations.
Leader: Share the story, again and again, of the Word becoming Flesh.
People: We are the story. We are the living story of God’s love.
All: Let us sing and worship God who is doing a new thing, about to spring forth!

Prayer of Confession:
Author of Salvation, we confess that at times we do not share Your Good News. We complain and argue, we are bitter and resentful. We do not live out Your Good News in our daily lives. Sometimes we hide our faith out of fear of offending others or think our faith story is not important. You have written Your covenant on our hearts. Help us to break open and share Your love with others by caring for the poor and oppressed, and by sharing how Your love has carried us through. Guide us in ways of witnessing Your great love in word and deed. In the name of Jesus the Messiah we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon (spoken or sung):
O Holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell, O Come to us, abide in us, Our Lord, Emmanuel.

Prayer:
Love Incarnate, Word Made Flesh, we praise You and give You thanks for entering our lives. You entered our world as Creator; You entered our lives as Jesus the Messiah; and You enter our hearts as the Holy Spirit. Move in us, guide us, and call us forth into the fullness of our intended being. May we carry the Christmas spirit of hope, peace, joy, love and faith into the world, on this day and every day. May we always be ready for You to enter our world, our lives and our hearts, in a new way, so that we may be prepared for You to come again. Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Amen.