 Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on this 2nd Sunday of Christmas.
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Call to Worship A new year has begun O Lord, call us so we may hear Your voice The world turns to hopes and dreams of the future O Lord, keep us in Your ways and on Your path We enter this new year with hope O Lord, guide us as we look to You and worship You. Hymn 161 – O God, our help in ages past (1,4,5,6) Prayers of Adoration and Confession God of our lives and the times in which we live, we come before you on this first Sunday of the year, marvelling that another year has passed. For some of us, time has slipped by and we wonder where another year went. For others, the pressures of the pandemic have been intense; the sorrows, heavy; the conflicts, challenging. O God, you have seen us through this peculiar year and we are grateful. In the year to come, be our help and company. Hold our hands as we journey onwards and may your dream of shalom, where all will be at peace, be our guiding star. God of our lives and the time in which we live, we know you are with us through thick and thin, in times of great joy and at moments of disappointment. We confess we sometimes feel let down when the joy of Christmas has passed. Our hope seems to get folded away with the gift wrap, our energy for the future feels a bit tattered. Forgive us when our faithfulness flickers like a Christmas candle burning down. Renew our hope and energy for the year ahead through the steadfast grace of Christ our Lord. Lord’s Prayer Hymn 324 - Angels from the realms of glory (1,2,5) Readings – Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13 Matthew 25: 31-46 Hymn 305 – In the bleak mid-winter (1,4,5) Weekly Prayer Father God, help us to remember that the Christmas story did not end in the stable but continued as Jesus grew into a man. As a New Year begins and with it, the next chapter of our lives, help us to grow in faith and wisdom and to recognise that you have set eternity in our hearts. May we experience your peace and joy throughout the year ahead and may your presence be with us in all we do and say. Amen Reflection Welcome 2022 and Goodbye to 2021! Are you glad? This last year has been dominated by the Pandemic, and we have had to adjust our lives accordingly. But the year was also marked by tensions over Brexit and the pull-out from Afghanistan and also a greater awareness of the Climate Crisis and the fragility of our Earth. There have also been births and weddings and somehow life goes on. So what will 2022 bring? In the carol ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ we hear the words ‘the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight’, and inevitably there will be the hopes and fears, the good and bad. New Year is a time to look backwards and to look forward and take stock. Maybe it is appropriate that we look at Ecclesiastes, which reflects on time. We live in a time-obsessed society. We live by the clock; have time-saving devices like microwaves – where would we be without them. We become agitated if a bus or train happens to be 5 minutes late or if we have to wait longer than expected at traffic lights. Africa, on the other hand, is time-rich. Church services would begin late and often go on for hours. Visitors from Scotland found it difficult to cope. Maybe the answer lies somewhere in between. Ecclesiastes! In the original Hebrew it is called Qoheleth, which means the Preacher. The Preacher reflects on time. Some view the book as being quite cynical, and the line, ‘All is vanity’ comes up over 20 times in the book, though not in our passage this morning. In other words, what’s the point! In the Middle East there is one phrase you hear again and again. ‘Inshallah’. We will meet tomorrow inshalla. It means ‘God Willing’. It is quite fatalistic, but recognises that everything is in God’s hands, but a distant God in some far-off corner of the universe. But there are others who would say Qoheleth was more a realist, a practical theologian who refused to look at the world through rose coloured glasses. He says it as it is, and certainly in our reading today, there is a time and season for everything under heaven –a time to laugh and a time to cry, a time to be silent and a time to speak, and I think immediately of Desmond Tutu speaking out. Even some of the ‘seasons which jar, like a ‘time to kill’ can have meaning as we think of old habits that need killed off this new year. In the end the Preacher recognises we must stand in awe of God, who ‘puts eternity in our hearts’. Yes, everything is in God’s hands, but we see another picture of God in the bible, and that is of a God who is continually doing new things. God is in the business of newness. Behold I am doing a new thing, writes Isaiah, while John the Divine had a vision in Revelation of a new heaven and new earth, a new Jerusalem. And scripture makes it clear that God is a God who takes a risk. A God who did a new thing by taking the gigantic risk of being born as a child among us in a draughty stable, as Emmanuel, God with us. This is a God who is involved, not far off in a distant heaven, but hands-on. Who calls us to be involved too, feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger. Dag Hammarskjold was UN General secretary, whose plane crashed in Zambia while he was trying to make peace in the Congo in the early 60s. He was a very spiritual person and he wrote, For all that has been – thanks. For all that shall be – YES. I love the yes, for that is a Yes which works for peace and justice, for inclusion and unity, for a greener world, for a world in which we are kind to one another, for as our Gospel reminds us, we do it to Christ. 2022 lies ahead of us, and who knows what kind of year it will be. But with God, we can move forward giving thanks for the past and saying Yes to the future, for God accompanies us and will never forsake us. Hymn 526 – This is a day of new beginnings Prayers of Intercession God of majesty and mystery, we bring our gifts to you, grateful that you are with us in good times and hard times. We do not know what the year ahead will hold but your love shines like a star to guide us. Bless these gifts that they may keep the light of Christ shining through the church to offer the world truth and wisdom, healing and hope in Jesus name. God of all time and space, as we gather in prayer, we recognize that our lives are but small details in the vast expanse of your universe. We thank you for attending to the details of our lives. We thank you for the year just past, for walking through the good days and the hard days with us. The pandemic has been exhausting in so many ways but we are grateful for your steadfast love. Thank you for friendships that sustain us in uncertain times. We ask for your Spirit to guide us into the future, and create new possibilities for ministry and mission through our congregation. God of all people and places, The year just ending has held sorrows for so many in our community and around the world. We remember dear ones of have died and pray for those who look ahead in loneliness or sadness. We pray for those who face challenges in health, in their families or at work; for all who are ill or mourning. Support each one who needs you close by. God of community and commitment, We pray for wisdom and courage in the year ahead. Strengthen us as a congregation to be a lively and committed witness to your love. Help us reach out to our community in faithfulness and service. Guide leaders in our nation and around the world so that justice and peace may prevail, especially in troubled places and vulnerable lives. Show us all how to honour and protect your creation, even when that takes sacrifice on our part. Receive our humble prayers and encourage us onward in the name of Jesus our Christ. Amen Hymn 235 – God is working his purpose out (1,3,4) Benediction God of time and eternity, Alpha and Omega, beginning and end Bless us now in your unconditional love, that this may be a year of grace for us and for all the world. And the blessing….
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 We gather at this Christmastide to celebrate the child who was born in the stable at Bethlehem, bringing joy and hope to the world. So we come as we are and offer our worship to Jesus. Lord, come close to us as we come close to you.
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Call To Worship Lord Jesus, for whom there was no room in the inn Help us to make room in our hearts for you. Lord Jesus, a star shone brightly in the sky to announce your birth Lead us to your light that we might worship you Lord Jesus, angels sang at your birth filling the heavens with a celebration of divine love Fill us with joy as we sing the praises of the Christ child, who is God-with-us. Carol 306 – O come, all ye faithful Prayer Our God, You turn night to light; your glory shines in the deepest darkness; your grace breaks the power that would keep us down. You are the giver of life and bringer of hope; answering the yearnings of our hearts. You point to a different way, where justice, righteousness, and peace blossom; where sorrow is swapped for the sounds of singing, and where joy abides forever. Great Giver of Gifts, this night we celebrate you. We wonder with the shepherds, we rejoice with the angels. We hear again that ancient story made new in us once more that warms our hearts and reminds us of mercy, fashioned in flesh and bone. With the angels, and with countless generations through the ages, we cry: ‘Glory to God in the highest!’. O, God, whose glory shines upon us in this season of long nights, whose light flickers in the darkness and cannot be put out, whose love warms even the coldest of hearts, we sometimes lose our way, our bearings, as we journey on your path. May the star that shone above the stable in Bethlehem reorient us, and lead us back to you. May we be your people of peace, proclaiming your kingdom of justice and righteousness with joy, with hope, and with love in our hearts. And may the message of the child in the manger be born in us this day. Amen Carol 321 – Come and join the celebration Reading – Isaiah 9: 2-7 Luke 2: 1-14 Hymn 300 – The Virgin Mary had a baby boy Prayer God of mystery and manger, as we listen to the familiar story of your coming among us as a child of flesh and blood, open our minds and hearts so that we may hear these wondrous events with new understanding, wisdom and joy. Reflection I was speaking with the school children this week – the first time for 2 years. I was asking how many had Advent calendars, and most of the hands went up – the teachers; hands too. I think most of them would have chocolate calendars. I have one this year, but not a chocolate one; rather, it tells the story of Sami, a boy whose family has fled Syria and who settle in Lebanon. They have no shelter, no shoes, no clothes, but are met with kindness, and by window 24 Sami is at school and integrated into the community with everybody helping one another. There is always the excitement of opening each door to find out the next part of the story. There are of course open doors and shut doors in the Christmas story. When Mary and Joseph arrive in Bethlehem, Joseph had not booked ahead! So they went to the inn, the house where travellers would have stayed, but because of the census, it was busy. We are all familiar with the words from Luke’s Gospel that there was no room at the inn. A shut door, and often the innkeeper is portrayed as boorish and ready to slam the door in their face. However, I was reading an account of this story, and, yes, the innkeeper had been saying ‘No’ all night. No, you can’t get a room for tonight. No, you can’t have more towels. No, you can’t have seconds. No, you can’t have your mother-in-law and her whole family to share your room. No, no, no…. When the bell rang once more, he swung it open ready to launch into his usual spiel, when he hesitated. He was trying to say ‘No’, but the man looked so concerned and the woman was about to have a baby and instead of no, his lips moved in another direction and he said ‘yes’. But we haven’t asked you anything, the couple said. The innkeeper just said ‘yes’. ‘So you have a room’? ‘Yes’. In here or round the back? ‘Yes’. It was a new experience for him to say Yes, that he was positively beaming. ’Which’, and he took them round the back to the stable. And once the baby was born, and people like the shepherds came to the door asking for the family, the innkeepers answer was always Yes. Such has been the way of all those caught up in the Christmas story. Mary said yes to the angel, telling her she would bear the son of God. Joseph said yes. The shepherds said yes to the choir of angels and now the innkeeper. The answer to Christmas is ‘Yes’ and it changes everything. For at Christmas God says ‘Yes’ to the world. By the birth of the baby in the manger, so vulnerable, God was fulfilling the prophecies of the likes of Isaiah that a boy would be born, with the titles: wonderful counsellor, prince of peace. God was saying ‘Yes’ to a careworn people, full of anxiety: You are deeply loved, Just as you are, forgiven, loved and challenged to be The very best you can be. So I am speaking to you in the only way I know how- From a stable, In a child born in poverty, Soon to grow to maturity, born to show you in a human life the love of God. God says ‘Yes’, affirming the world that he will not abandon us, but rather is born among us as a baby. Looking at that scene in the stable demands some response from us. We are invited to say ‘Yes’ too and live our lives according to God’s ways, showing the Advent gifts of joy and hope and love and peace to all. Carol 309 – Still the night Prayers of Intercession God of the starry heavens and the good old earth, Eternal God, God with us, Tonight you come among us in the figure of a baby, a newborn reaching out to us, to bring a smile to our lips and hope to our hearts. Thank you for your tenderness with which you touch our lives. Tonight as we remember the baby lying in a manger, We pray for peace: Peace in all the places where there is anger or war or fear… Peace in all the hearts that know sorrow or stress… We pray for people who will not sleep safely tonight because of conflict in their lives….. Cradle all these people and places in your love so the world may sleep in heavenly peace this night. Tonight as we remember the mother Mary rocking her baby, we pray for all children born this Christmas season… Watch over mothers and fathers and grandparents, hoping for the best for their newborns… Help us create communities where every child is valued and every family has enough … May families rejoice because Christ the Saviour is born for each of us and for all of us. Tonight as we remember the father Joseph protecting his little one, we pray for all those watching over the helpless and the hopeless... Be with all those who must work tonight to keep the world safe and to care for those in need…. Be with those who are sick or sad or lonely so each one will know your comforting presence. God of the starry heavens and the good old earth, Eternal God, God with us, Tonight as we remember the shepherds coming in haste, and the wise men coming in wonder, open our hearts to reach out to the Christ Child, to receive the gift you offer us in him, even as we offer our love to you in his name. Bless us in the year ahead so we can share your love with all the lives that touch ours. Amen Carol 303 – It came upon the midnight clear (1,3,5) Benediction May the news of the angels fill your heart with great joy. May the star that guided the wise lead you to the truth of understanding May the witness of the shepherds affirm in you the message of the Gospels May the presence of the sacred baby bring you peace and joy And May God this Christmas bless you, comfort you and inspire you as you journey into another year, Amen.  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on the Fourth Sunday of Advent
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God who spoke to Mary and Elizabeth, speak your Word to us now. God who blessed them with new life, bless us with great expectation. God who gave them songs of praise to sing, receive our joyful praise. Hymn 315 – Once in royal David’s city (1,2,4) Prayers of Adoration and Confession O God, our Saviour, With Mary, our spirits rejoice in you this day, for you look with favour on all your children. You have done great things for us. You have scattered the proud and lifted up the lowly. You have filled the hungry with good things, and kept the promises made to our ancestors. Your mercy is known from generation to generation. And so, we praise and magnify your holy name with hearts full of gratitude, trusting you will do great things once again through Christ our Lord, born for us, born to be with us. God of Life and Love, The stories of Advent remind us that you are a God of surprises. You surprised Elizabeth with news she would bear a child late in life. You surprised Mary with news she would bear our Saviour. Your surprises overturned their lives We confess we do not always meet life’s surprises with the same courage. Forgive us when we hesitate to greet you in the unexpected. Forgive us when we prefer routine over new possibilities. “Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, love divine. Love shall be our token, Love for plea and gift and sign.” We have made our plea for mercy, trusting in God’s gift of love made flesh in Jesus. Now receive God’s forgiveness as a lasting token of God’s love Lord’s Prayer Lighting of Advent crown We light this candle for love. God, as we wait for your promise, Give light, give hope. Hymn 284 – Love is the candle (v3) Talk 1 Hymn 292 – It’s rounded like an orange (1,2,5) Readings – Micah 5:2–5a Luke 1:39–45, Talk 2 Hymn 302 – It was on a starry night Reading - Luke 1:46–56 Hymn 322 – Good Christians all rejoice (Yeth) Choir Anthem (M/B) Weekly Prayer Everlasting God, we share today with Mary and Elizabeth their love and joy as the waiting for Jesus’s birth nears its end. Quieten our hearts and lives so that we can hear your voice bringing peace amongst the hustle and bustle of everyday life as Christmas approaches. Amen Reflection I had a disappointment the other day. I had ordered a crate of oranges. This was no ordinary crate of oranges but organised through Fiona Kendall, one of the Church’s mission partners, who works with refugees and migrants in Italy. She has a link with a fair-trade organisation growing fruit in Calabria, who support the migrant fruit pickers. BUT red tape, linked to Brexit, has meant that they have been delayed at the border, so they won’t arrive until January. I had hoped to hand them out today, but you will have to wait! We have all had disappointments, and now with Omicron, our Christmas celebrations are going to be affected again. So it is good to read this morning about some hope, about two women celebrating together over such unexpected news – that they would bear children. Unexpected in that one was older and the other one young. It was of course Mary and her older cousin Elizabeth. You can imagine the scene, with lots of hugs and excitement, but also the fears of giving birth. They celebrated new life, but also a new age dawning. Mary and Elizabeth, in a day and age that so much of the time overlooked women, become the people through whom the Lord of grace makes his entrance. In a day and age when women were often given little voice, Mary and Elizabeth shout and sing and become examples of the power in believing…in believing that God might be up to something new…in believing that the miraculous might happen. Where would we be without the faith of Mary and Elizabeth? Elizabeth’s baby kicked in the womb in recognition of Jesus, and Elizabeth was the first to call him ‘Lord’, the title Jesus would be known by after the resurrection. Zechariah the priest was struck dumb by his doubts, but it was his wife Elizabeth who uttered the prophetic word. And Mary? She sees a world where God has put everything to rights, where the people who are proud and who have everything and who cling to power are removed from everyone’s list of role models and those who are humble, weak, and lowly are lifted up as the examples to follow. She sings of a world where the hungry and the needy are satisfied with more than leftovers and where those who have a lot finally learn to live with less. We don’t typically think of Mary’s Song as a Christmas carol, but in many ways is the first one, and maybe the most essential. Mary magnifies the Lord. A magnifying glass makes something bigger, and somehow when we look at Mary and Elizabeth’s faith, we see it magnified, and that gives us hope for the future. Real Advent hope is not just sitting hearing the promises again. It is about active hoping, allowing God to shape and fill us, so that like Elizabeth and Mary we become the signs of God’s new world, where the lowly play their full part and the poor are heard to speak the truth of God. Hymn 322 – Good Christians all rejoice (M/B) Prayers of Intercession God of love and joy, God of peace and hope, we are so grateful for these Advent gifts, which bring comfort and courage even in the most challenging times. Receive our gifts as tokens of our love and loyalty. Bless them so that they will bring love to those who need it so much this year.We pray for all your people around the world, no matter their colour or creed, language or diversity, as this Advent draws to a close, may they know the importance of this week in all its earth-shattering fullness. May they see the immensity of your gift that goes on giving. For those for whom Christmas will be especially hard this year through the challenges, changes and consequences of this past year and more; those who have lost family or friends, homes or employment, health and well-being; for those who feel life as they have previously known it is slipping away with uncertainty and insecurity. For the thousands affected by catastrophic weather conditions, floods, rains, wind, storm, tornedo, snow; for health and social services, their staff and clients, that in the midst of illness and need, in the midst of birth and death, in the midst of pain and distress, in the midst of their darkest and most worn-out nights, the light of Christ may shine into their world. For those who will travel this week, or hope to travel, for those who will need to stay at home, for those visiting and those receiving guests, may they together be aware of each other’s needs, especially in these Covid times; give us all a sense of care and compassion that we may comfort the distressed and show care for all. For those who go above and beyond what is expected of them; those who show extra love and generosity; for the Food Bank donors and organisers; for all who share the gospel message of love, life, joy and hope. And for ourselves and our families and friends, whether we meet with them or not over the Christmas season, may we be a blessing to each other sharing love, joy hope, good news and gospel stories. These prayers and the prayers deep within our hearts we offer to you this day Lord God. Amen. Hymn 301 – Hark! The herald angels sing Benediction May the song of the Angels, the joy of the Shepherds and the peace of the Christ Child be in your hearts this Christmas and may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and those whom you love and those whom we are called to love, this day and even forevermore. Amen  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday.
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God of hope, who brought love into this world, be the love that dwells among us. God of hope, who brought joy into this world, be the joy that dwells among us. God of hope, the rock upon which we stand, be the centre, the focus of our lives always, and particularly in this Advent time. Hymn 277 – Hark the glad sound (1,3,5) Prayers of Adoration and Confession Loving God, we gather in this season of promise to worship you and sing your praise. We praise you for your love and faithfulness, for you are the source of all hope, and from you all joy springs. You are the one we expect, but your coming is always unexpected. You are the one who turns everything upside down and you make all things new. Advent God of surprise, we worship you and we wait for you to awaken our wonder and astound us with your arrival. In this season of excitement and weariness, open our hearts to your presence, for we know you meet us and hold us: in and beyond the business; in and beyond the glitter; in and beyond the rush. When we are tired and frayed and lose sight of what it is all about, when we put ourselves first and forget that you come to bring love, come close and forgive us and restore us. Mend our broken hearts and help us to know ourselves forgiven and loved. Lord’s Prayer Lighting of Advent crown We light this candle for love. God, as we wait for your promise, Give light, give hope. Hymn 284 – Love is the candle (v3) Readings – Philippians 4:4–9 Luke 3:7–18 Hymn 291 – When out of poverty is born Weekly Prayer Merciful God, who sent John the Baptist to proclaim the Good News, help us to be true heralds of the coming of Christ and to proclaim the Gospel through all we do and say. We ask that in this special season of Advent we may experience the peace of God which transcends all our understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen Reflection I feel for politicians or anyone giving press conferences. There are always certain topics they want to avoid like the plague, but inevitably these topics that the journalists present will home in on. Boris Johnson the other day was intent on focusing on Covid restrictions, but all the journalists wanted to hear about was about parties in Downing Street last Christmas and ‘the video’. That was a video of staff members practicing how they would explain away parties that may have broken guidelines – that’s if they happened at all. They were practising how to gloss over something unpleasant, something that wouldn’t go down well with the public. There was no gloss for John the Baptist. He had missed the sermon preparation class at theological college. Rather he launches straight in and addresses his audience with ‘You brood of vipers’. How to win friends and influence people! But at least it would have caught their attention. John was direct, he saw things in black and white terms and he didn’t mince his words. He called people to repent. They couldn’t rely on being descended from Abraham, on religious pedigree, on past glories. They had to bear responsibility for themselves. Understandably the people asked, ‘What then should we do?’ It was a fair question, and John answered by telling people to share what they had. If you have two coats, give one away. That’s quite a thought. How many coats do you have? I am sure I have quite a number and would do my best to justify them – this is for summer, this is for wet weather at the cemetery, this is for something more formal, but all the time knowing that maybe I could share some of my coats and shoes. John is telling us to share, and we should and so should governments, especially the vaccines. John then tells people like the tax collectors and soldiers not to overcharge or to extort. He doesn’t tell them to give up their jobs but rather to live fair and simple lives and live justly. Paul says something similar in his letter to the church in Philippi, telling them to focus on all the positive things – whatever is true or noble, just or lovely, think on these things – the best, not the worst, the beautiful and not the ugly. Paul was writing this from a prison cell, but encouraged the early Christians to think on the positive and put it into practice. Moreover, he told them to rejoice. The Message has ‘celebrate God every day. I mean, revel in him’. Let your whole life be a thanksgiving. There is a song by Leonard Cohen, the Canadian songwriter, called ‘Hallelujah’. I can never quite understand what the song is about, but I always feel that the hallelujahs are defiant. Despite all the problems in the world, I will still hope and I am going to say Hallelujah. It is like Mary’s Magnificat. Mary’s teenage life is being radically disrupted and she is danger of being exposed to shame, but still her heart glorifies the Lord. Despite all the uncertainties of life, and there are many, we should say Hallelujah and look to the future in hope, living kindly and generously and looking outwards to those in need around us. Not paying lip service, but life service. John lastly pointed to the Messiah who would come, maybe sooner than John expected. Jesus would have a less abrasive manner, but would tackle the barrage of questions of Scribes and Pharisees, and show the way of love and sacrifice and commitment, and his whole life a massive Hallelujah. Hymn Christ is coming! Yes He's coming to show God is with us. As a child He'll dwell among us to live out God's love. Like the sun in the morning every new day adorning, His light shines with beauty to make us His own. Christ is coming! Yes He's coming, and asks if we're ready, with our arms spread wide in welcome, and hearts filled with love. Like the sun … Christ is coming! Yes He's coming! His Kingdom is dawning. With the precious gift of Jesus we know God is love. Like the sun … (Rev Tom Gordon) Prayers of Intercession As we have lit candles to celebrate Advent and as we have reflected on your words so, Lord God, our thoughts turn now beyond our needs, whose cries and anguish trouble and disturb us. News seems to surround us piling one tragedy on top of another, the world seems a hard place and our tears are for those whose pain is etched deeply within their being, for those cast out of their own lands, cast adrift from family and friends, thrown into the arms of strangers, some of whom are caring and some who are not. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For those who trudge through strange lands looking for guidance with hope for a better future, straddling borders, hoping; for those who have nothing but what they stand in and walk with; for those who risk life and limb in fragile boats seeking escape from poverty and tragedy but so often finding both and left seeking safety, welcome, warmth and security. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For the homeless nearer to home who have no walls to shelter them, no place to cocoon them, no safety to protect them, no warmth from the winter weather, no family to support them and little hope for a settled future. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For those who live with hunger, not just of the spirit, but of the body; for those families who can’t manage proper meals and nutrition, who eek out the pennies the best they can; for those who have the courage to seek foodbank help and for those who greet and meet them when they stretch out for the food that is given; for those who are cold and hungry, not just of body because they can’t afford heating and food, but cold of friendship and the warmth of love. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For families impacted by Covid and all its ramifications; for those for whom the illness itself has deprived them of health and well-being, short and long term; for those who have seen family and friends lose their battles for life and who have not been near at the time of death and those who will have an empty seat at the Christmas table; for those who are separated by the miles, by country and continent, who have missed so much growing up and growing old; for those who are fearful of vaccines, those unable to have vaccines, those deprived of vaccines, those who develop and deliver vaccines. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For countries at war with others and with themselves, where peace is a distant memory and a very distant prospect; for those who keep the candle of hope burning believing that in the end peace will prevail. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. For those who have never heard the message of Advent hope, who have never encountered the presence of the Christ child, who have never felt their hearts moved by the Christmas story of Emmanuel, God with us. May their lives be touched by those of us who meet them, whose lives touch ours and ours theirs. Merciful, caring God Hear our prayers. And let our cries come unto you. Amen Hymn 286 – Tell out my soul (1,3,4) Benediction The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God; and may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and those whom you love and those whom we are called to love, this day and even forevermore. Amen  Welcome, Cheviot churches! We worship together on Second Sunday of Advent
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A messenger will be born. Peace is coming. Someone to show the way. Peace is coming. A world is waiting. Peace is coming. Lord, we, your people, wait patiently, hanging on for Advent peace. Let us worship God. Hymn 472 – Come thou long-expected Jesus (1,3,4) Prayers of Adoration and Confession Living God, in our worship, we seek to be ready to meet with You. We prepare ourselves; we still ourselves; we organise ourselves; we get ourselves in the right frame of mind. And now we come to You in prayer. We come with thanksgiving, for the beauty of this day, for the wonder of life, for the fellowship of this place, for the freedom to meet and worship, and for the Gospel message of this Advent Season. So we rejoice, with the universal Church, as we journey through Advent in worship and in faith. Make us ready for the coming of our Lord. But are we ready yet? Are we really prepared to meet You here? We look at how we are and who we are, and we wonder how we will look to You. We still wear our garments of sorrow and affliction. For life may have been tough for us this week, and the burdens we carry might be hard to bear. We're still dressed in the garments of failures, promises made and promises broken, acts of kindness missed and acts of sinfulness offered. We are still clothed in unrighteousness. And we are ashamed. Forgive us we pray. Zechariah said, ‘Tell the people they will be saved by the forgiveness of their sins.’ God’s promises endure for ever; so let us be assured, our sins are forgiven. Lord’s Prayer Lighting of Advent crown We light this candle for peace Remembering that we are not alone, but held in the promise of God’s love. Hymn 284 – Peace is the candle (v2) Readings – Philippians 1:3–11 Luke 3:1–6 Hymn 283 – The voice of God (1, 2, 5) Weekly Prayer Almighty God, give us faith like John the Baptist, strong enough to believe that even in a desert you and your kingdom are always close to us. May our love for you and those around us increase, and make our hearts strong like his, not swayed by trials or snared by false pleasures. Give us the courage to be faithful until your promises are fulfilled. Amen Reflection I was in a house the other day, 1st December in fact, and someone was wearing a bright Christmas jumper. A day or two before that, I was in Galashiels as I visit a Syrian family, and the area in which they live is one with lots of young families. It was like entering another world, because there were big inflatable snowmen and reindeer; a Santa was escaping outside a bedroom window, and there were coloured lights everywhere. It wasn’t just a couple of houses which had been decorated like this, but quite a number. The effect was quite magical. Meanwhile my first Christmas card came in the post. Is it the pandemic? Or is Christmas getting earlier? At church we take a more gradual approach and we have the season of Advent, a time of watching and waiting, of anticipation, as we renew our strength and await the coming of Christ. On this Second Sunday of Advent we focus on John the Baptist. We read from Luke, and Luke was something of a historian of the 1st Century variety. He wants to set everything in context and gives us a list of names – the Who’s Who of 1st century Palestine. There is Tiberius, the Roman emperor, Pontius Pilate is mentioned and then the puppet rulers of the surrounding areas, though the Roman administration was where power lay. The religious hierarchy is also mentioned, Caiaphas and Annas. These were the movers and shakers of the day. Yet the Word of the Lord did not come to them; rather, it came John the son of Zechariah in the desert. It came to a nobody. It came to someone without much pedigree and living in the obscurity of the wilderness. God chose a nobody to prepare the way for God’s own son to come amongst us. And that is a regular theme in Luke, for God chooses the insignificant to do magnificent things – like Mary the teenager bearing Jesus; like the shepherds at the lowest end of the economic ladder being the audience for the heavenly hosts. God chooses people who are easily overlooked to participate in world changing events. God still does that today and works through us to transform the world for the better in our small ways. How do we do that – by keeping our communication channels with God open. In our gospel reading we have the quotation from Isaiah that every valley be exalted, often associated with the aria from Handel’s Messiah. ‘The winding roads straightened and the rough paths smoothed’. It sounds like colossal roadwork project in the Ancient Near East. But the prophet was addressing the Jews living in exile in Babylon. Jerusalem had been destroyed, and they were living throughout the Babylonian Empire, and many were very settled. However, permission had been given to return to Palestine and rebuild Jerusalem, but the response was lukewarm. It would be a long arduous journey with a lot of hard work at the destination. But the prophet Isaiah urged them. He wasn’t just talking about the physical journey, but their spiritual journey. The people had discovered that they could worship God in Babylon, and that was great. But for some, their relationship with God had become long-distance. There were mountains of indifference and valleys of spiritual lethargy separating them from God. They road to God needed to be made straight to bring them to the heart of God. John prepared the way for Jesus. At this time of Advent let us also be open to Christ’s coming among us, not by keeping a comfortable distance, but by opening our hearts to God. Hymn "Prepare the way!" the Baptist cried as people gathered round. "Repent! Believe! The time is now!" he called out to the crowd. "Your Lord is here! God has come down To live with you today. Be ready now to welcome Him. You should prepare the way!" "Prepare the way!" This is our part as Advent days slip past, to meet our God in human form, the Love that's made to last. Rise up! Be tested by the call! Don't dither or delay! For Christ will come! He's born for you! So come! Prepare the way! (Rev Tom Gordon) Prayers of Intercession As we have lit candles to celebrate Advent and as we have reflected on your words so, Lord God, our thoughts turn now beyond our needs, whose cries and anguish trouble and disturb us. We pray for the Church, both worldwide and for this congregation here, for all who minister to one another in our community, in the compassion of our caring, and in the mission of the Gospel, individually and together. May the Peace of Christ bless us. May the Love of Christ work through us. May the Light of Christ shine in the darkest places. We pray for our community, our country, and our world. Bless with compassion and tenderness those we know who work tirelessly for the good of others. Bless with wisdom and character those who have responsibilities in Holyrood and Westminster. Bless with purpose those who are leaders, teachers and role-models for us all. Bless with Your strength those who walk the corridors of power, and who make decisions for the good of all humanity. We pray for those striving earnestly for Climate change to be tackled with care and justice, for all who seek to quell the needless destruction of our fragile world and who strive for the best that humanity can be; for those nearer to home feeling the impact of climate change, snow and storms and gales beyond what is expected. We pray for those in need: those close to us; those who struggle for direction; those who are weak and frail; those ill at home or in Hospital or care home; those who are ground down by worries and troubles. And in the silence, we name them before You: SILENCE We pray for ourselves, as we prepare in thoughtfulness for the coming of Jesus, that we might be honest with ourselves and open to Your grace. And we give thanks for the Communion of Saints, those who have prepared our way, who have offered us their guidance, and wisdom, and example, that we might boldly walk the paths of righteousness and truth. Bind us ever with them, that we might journey on as one people under God. Amen Hymn 476 – Mine eyes have seen the glory (1,4) Benediction May the One, long-promised, who brings hope to the people, shower you with hope that you may be signs of the Kingdom; and may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and those whom you love and those whom we are called to love, this day and even forevermore. Amen |
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