Sunday, December 1, 2024
Order of Service
We welcome all gathering for worship this morning or later in the week. Whether you attend in-person, worship on ZOOM or YouTube, or are a viewer on Rogers TV20 - please know that we consider everyone to be a part of our worship experience and an integral member of our St. Andrew's Guelph community.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this morning's service, both in-person and virtually.
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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
Romans 15:13
Prelude: Veni Emmanuel arr. R.E. Schram
Call to Worship
122 O come, O come Emmanuel
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Forgiveness
Lighting the Advent Candle
This morning, we light the first of the four candles of Advent. The word Advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” or “arrival” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Our advent candle today candle proclaims that our hope is in the coming or arrival of Jesus Christ, Light of the World.
119 Hope is a Star - Verse 1
Hope is a star that shines in the night,
leading us on till the morning is bright.
When God is a child there's joy in our song.
The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,
and none shall be afraid.
Prayer after Lighting
Gracious God, as we begin this season of Advent, we pray that you will teach us and encourage us to wait with patience, endurance and trust. Remind us of your everlasting presence. Fill us with hope in all that is your Good News in Jesus. Amen.
Anthem People Look East M.Archer
Story: Not So Little A Light!
Prayer for Illumination
Dear God, speak to us in the waiting, the watching, the hoping, the longing, the rejoicing. We are listening. Speak to us by your Word of Hope in these Advent days, and journey with us until the day when Jesus is born. Amen.
Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Sermon: Helping Hope Happen
"You meet those who gladly do right" Isaiah 64:5
137 Born in the Night
Call for Offering
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Offertory - Pastorale – W. Huston
Doxology (Tune: Talis Canon)
Prayer of Dedication
The Sacrament of Holy Communion
The One who was with God in the beginning,
is with us in this bread.
The One of whom the prophets spoke,
now speaks to us in this cup.
Introduction
“We who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” 1 Corinthians 10:17
In the Lord’s Supper, we receive and trust the love of Christ present to us and to the world. Through this Sacrament, we are renewed and empowered to be the church, the body of Christ, in the world. May this holy meal nourish us and refresh us, may it strengthen us and renew us, may it unite us and keep us in God’s gracious love.
543: 1-3 Here, O my Lord
Declaration of Faith - The Apostles’ Creed 539
(This creed is called the Apostles' Creed not because it was produced by the apostles themselves but because it contains a summary of their teachings. It sets forth their doctrine "in sublime simplicity, in unsurpassable brevity, in beautiful order, and with liturgical solemnity." In its present form it is dated no later than the fourth century. The Creed’s reference to ‘catholic’ means the Christian church of all times and all places.)
Institution
Beloved in the Lord, attend to the words of the Institution of the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ as they are delivered unto us by the Apostle Paul: “I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto You.”
Invitation
Come unto Me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and in Me you will find rest for your soul
The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Holy God, Creator of heaven and earth,
with joy we give you thanks and praise.
You are holy, and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. In Jesus, born of Mary, your Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
Jesus lived as one of us, knowing joy and sorrow.
He healed the sick, fed the hungry, opened blind eyes, broke bread with outcasts and sinners, and proclaimed the good news of your kingdom to the poor and needy.
Dying on the cross, he gave himself for the life of the world. Rising from the grave, he won for us victory over death. Seated at your right hand, he leads us to eternal life. We praise you that Christ now reigns with you in glory and will come again to make all things new.
Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with choirs of angels, and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord most high. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
We rejoice that in Jesus you have come in hope to lead us to hope. Therefore, in glad remembrance of your mighty acts in Him, we shall take this Bread and this Cup and give you praise and thanksgiving as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again
Here we offer ourselves to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you. In your mercy, accept our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Fill us with the joy of eternal life, that we may be your faithful people until we feast with you in glory. Gather us into communion with all your people.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, in the bond of peace all glory and honour are yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.
The Manner of Distribution
Please note that the elements will be received by making our way to the Communion Table, as we are able. There we will receive the Bread, which is gluten free, and then the Cup. Then we shall return with them to our pew that we may consume them together, with those who remained seated yet received the elements from server who will come to them where they are.
Prayer before Partaking
Great and wonderful are your works, God our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. We thank you for Your Son Jesus Christ, who lived our human life and knew our joys and sorrows. He showed your love; he healed the sick and was a friend to sinners. Obeying you, Jesus took up his cross and died in love for us and all the world. You raised him from the dead to live and reign forever, loving all that all may love. Therefore, with people of faith of all times and places, we lift our hearts in joyful praise as we come to the table of our Lord. Send your Holy Spirit, we pray, to bless us and these gifts, your gifts of bread and cup, that in communion with Christ our Lord, we may receive his life and remain his glad, faithful and hopeful people until we feast with him in glory. Amen.
Partaking
Lift up your hearts and minds above the cares and fears of this world and let this bread and this fruit of the vine be to you the token and pledge of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
The gifts of God for the people of God.
O taste and see that the Lord is good.
The bread of life for all who hunger.
The cup of love for a broken world.
Prayer after Partaking
Gracious God, through Jesus, incarnate, crucified and risen, you have nourished us in this meal and fed our bodies and souls. We have been given your hope, and we are grateful So let us be it and share it one to the other and to all. For your glory, abounding in your grace, we pray in Your Son’s Name. Amen,
Agnus Dei
Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world,
grant us your peace.
Prayer the People
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
110 Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Commissioning
May the love of Jesus Christ our Saviour bring us wholeness, the grace of God our Creator grant us hope,
the breath of the Holy Spirit our comforter instills passion and compassion and the unity between them – Blessed Trinity give us strength, and harmony and thankfulness for this and every day, that we may ever be a grateful Advent people bearing the best of Good News!
Benediction
Postlude Hyfrydol arr.R.E.Schram
We gather on the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Anishnaabeg and the Haudenosaunee Peoples. We are also on lands that are part of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum. We live and work, worship, learn and meet on lands that are the traditional territory of many different Indigenous Peoples who were here before the establishment of European colonies.
