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Third Sunday of Advent : 17th December 2023

A service of lessons and carols

What follows is a worship service which, I pray, you can participate in at a time(s) that are convenient to you. This 'service' will take about forty five (45) minutes.

I pray that you will feel called to ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE in this service.

The text that is in regular typeface (that is what you are reading at the moment) is to be read quietly, while the text that is in
bold face (like you are reading right now) is meant to be read aloud.

A brief introduction:

“The Festival of Lessons and Carols” is a worship service traditionally celebrated during the second half of Advent or on, or near, Christmas Eve. The story of the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus is told in short Bible readings from the prophetic books, the Psalms, epistles, and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, and choir anthems.

 

The tradition of "Lessons and Carols" has its origins with Truro Cathedral in Cornwall, England.

 

Up to the late 19th century, the singing of Christmas carols was normally performed by singers visiting people's houses and, in some cases, carols were actually excluded from Christian worship. 

 

In the Victorian England, the rising popularity of hymn singing encouraged church musicians to introduce carols into worship. An 1875 “Carols for Use in Church During Christmas and Epiphany” was published to much acclaim and, in 1878, the choir of Truro Cathedral sang a service of carols at 10:00 pm on Christmas Eve.

 

Two years later, the Right Rev. Edward White Benson, at that time Bishop of Truro, conducted the first formal service of "Nine Lessons and Carols" on Christmas Eve, 1880.

 

Benson, concerned at the excessive consumption of alcohol in Cornish pubs during the festive season, sought a means of attracting revellers out of the pubs and into church by offering a ‘different’ religious celebration of Christmas. The idea for a service consisting of Christmas music interspersed with Bible readings was proposed, to Benson, by Rev. George Walpole, who thought it a great idea.

 

Bishop Benson was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1883, and he spread the "Lessons and Carols" service around the world.

 

So, continuing this great tradition we are blessed to be able to offer an on-line service in celebration of “The Festival of Lessons and Carols”.

Our first carol:

Let us continue by watching, and please do feel free to sing or read aloud the lyrics.

When you are ready - click the "play" button on the video window, below:

A Call To Worship:

We meet in the name of God,

Creator of the universe,

source of true humanity,

mother and father of all. Amen.

An Assurance of Forgiveness:

(click the 'play' button below to listen)

The Absolution
00:00 / 00:18

The Sentence For Today (let us say aloud):

Bind up the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, the day of vengeance of our God. (Isaiah 61:1–2)

The Special Prayer For Today (let us pray aloud):

Almighty God,
you sent your servant John the Baptist
to prepare the way for the coming of your Son;

grant that those who proclaim your word
may so guide our feet into the way of peace,
that we may stand with confidence before him
when he comes in his glorious kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Judge and our Redeemer.
Amen.

Our second carol:

Let us continue by watching, and please do feel free to sing or read aloud the lyrics.

When you are ready - click the "play" button on the video window, below:

Our first reading:

(click the 'play' button below to listen)

Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11
00:00 / 02:51

Our second reading for today:

(click the 'play' button below to listen)

Psalm 126
00:00 / 00:51

Our third carol:

Let us continue by watching, and please do feel free to sing or read aloud the lyrics.

When you are ready - click the "play" button on the video window, below:

Our third reading for today:

(click the 'play' button below to listen)

Luke 1:47-55
00:00 / 01:05

Our fourth reading for today:

(click the 'play' button below to listen)

1 Thess 5:16-24
00:00 / 00:56

Our fourth carol:

Let us continue by watching, and please do feel free to sing or read aloud the lyrics.

When you are ready - click the "play" button on the video window, below:

Our fifth reading for today:

(click the 'play' button below to listen)

The journey of The Magi by T S Eliot
00:00 / 04:01

Our fifth carol:

Let us continue by watching, and please do feel free to sing or read aloud the lyrics.

When you are ready - click the "play" button on the video window, below:

Our sixth reading for today:

(click the 'play' button below to listen)

Luke 2:8-14 (Bishop Richard Randerson)
00:00 / 01:24

Our sixth carol is "Gaudete" performed by "Maddy Prior and Steeleye Span" ...
(more about this in my homily below)

Sit back and enjoy these beautiful God-given voices and harmonies.

When you are ready - click the "play" button on the video window, below:

Watch David's Advent 3 homily

(click the 'play' button below to listen)

Listen to David's Advent 3 homily

(click the 'play' button below to listen)

Rejoice! Again I say rejoice!
00:00 / 06:03

or, if you prefer, you can read the homily, below:

Homily Advent 3, 17th December 2023

Take my lips O God and speak through them, take our minds O God and think through them, take our hearts O God and love through them this day.   <Amen>

Rejoice, REJOICE - the third Sunday of Advent for many of us is known as “Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete (pronounced gow-day-tay) takes its name from the Latin word which means “Rejoice”.

 

The music you hear at the beginning of my video and audio recordings of this message is the opening to “Gaudete” which is a Christmas carol, thought to have been composed in the 16th century and set to medieval music. <PAUSE>

 

Advent is an attitude of anticipation. The entire season prepares us to allow Christ into our hearts, sometimes in ways far different from other times when we rejoice with expectation and excitement at the coming of the Christ-child.

 

Many people want everything about this season to stay the same year after year: the same carols, the same schedule for giving gifts, even food prepared in the same way. That’s okay … consistency DOES give consolation to the heart.

 

But another truth tells us that each year OUGHT to be different.

 

WE are not the same. We are faced with different responsibilities, moved by differ­ent insights, changed by circumstances we didn’t have before, challenged by fresh opportunities and different memories, equipped with increasing or diminishing capacities for coping with all these variations.

 

So, truly, we NEVER  rejoice during “Advent” in exactly the same way. <PAUSE>

 

Christ is preparing to come to us this Christmas in a way that suits who we are - and HOW we are - THIS year. On the days in Advent (from the gospels in this year’s readings), our Lord speaks to us with words meant to sustain us.

 

Advent leads us to those days before Christmas where we rejoice with the people close to that first Christmas. By reflecting on how Christ’s love came to them, we can rejoice in their wonder and graciousness (think shepherds, think Magi) as we live our Advent.

 

It is important, of course, to rejoice as we welcome Jesus who NEVER changes. For twenty one centuries, as God-infant and God-man, He has NEVER varied in the genuineness, hopefulness and joy of his offer of love.

 

The message of His Christmas story is constant and always with us. Of this much we can be absolutely certain. <PAUSE>

 

But it is also important that Jesus learn to be sure of us. We must let Him recognise us, in our rejoicing, when He comes this year and …

 

Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.

 

I runga e te Ingoa o te Atua, te Matua, te Tama me te Wairua Tapu.<AMINE>

In the name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit <AMEN>

Our final reading for today:

(click the 'play' button below to listen)

John 1:6-8, 19-28 (Bishop Steven Benford)
00:00 / 01:50

An Affirmation of Our Faith

Let us affirm our faith by saying aloud, and together, "The Apostles Creed":

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Image by Allef Vinicius

... and now let us pray for the Church, the World, and ourselves, giving thanks for God's goodness.

Let us pray aloud, and together:

Prayers for the Third Sunday in Advent

17th December 2023

Heavenly Father, this third week of Advent, let us remember that the good news of Jesus’ birth brings us great joy this Christmas season. Our joy isn’t dependent on what is going on in our lives, in our world, or the people that we are with. It doesn’t depend on any gifts we may give or any gifts we may receive. No earthly thing can ever give us complete joy. Our joy comes from you. That joy that flooded the hearts of the shepherds, the angels, the wise men, the hosts of heaven, and Mary and Joseph is the joy that still has the power to overwhelm our hearts with rejoicing.              In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

(LONGER pause for silent, personal reflection)

In response to the call today “Lord, in Your Mercy” Our plea is, “Hear our prayer”

(Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer.

Everlasting God, as we continue prepare for Christmas, help us to find time in our busy lives for time to be quiet where we can, through prayer and reflection, appreciate the joy that comes to us in Your love.  As we revisit the story of Jesus’ birth through our Advent worship deepen our joy, invigorate our prayers and our praise and help it to challenge the way that we live our lives.

(Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer.

Faithful God may we worship in such a way that our joy in You grows through the recognition of the countless ways we have benefitted from Your blessings throughout our lives and the goodness and mercy that You show to us despite our shortcomings.  Help us to pass on Your joy to the next generation so that they too  might praise with the same joy that we do.

(Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer

Merciful God, we pray for the nations of the world especially where human failings interfere with service to others to produce tyranny, warfare, where the divide between rich and poor is beyond imagination and where people have been hungry for so long that many have never experienced a satisfying and sustaining meal.

(Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer.

Father God we pray for those whose children cannot take part in Christmas celebrations because of the expense; those who put themselves seriously into debt attempting to meet expectations; those who may have to use food-banks for a Christmas meal.  Help us to do all that we can through our prayers and through our giving to the local and international charities that are helping the less fortunate.

(Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer.

 

Merciful God, we raise before you the sick and the suffering, that You would show the strength of Your arm and scatter everything which prevents them from enjoying health and wholeness in body, mind, and spirit.

We especially raise before you all those who have asked for our prayers from around the world … those we know in New Zealand, in Singapore, in Argentina, in France, in Australia, in the US, in Canada, in Austria, in Ukraine, in China and any others we now name aloud, or in the silence of our hearts, and those who are known only by you.

(Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer.

Mighty God, we rejoice for those who now experience the joy of heaven according to the promises You made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to us his descendants, forever. We remember all of the saints who have gone before us and whose earthly journey has come to a close. May they now rest in peace, having risen in glory to spend eternity gazing upon the face of the Risen Christ.

(Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer 

Heavenly father, in a moment of silence we place before you our personal prayers for ourselves, our families, our friends, for all of those whom we love and, for our personal ministries.

(Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer. 

Gracious God, our hearts desire the warmth of Your joy and our minds are searching for the light of Your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Saviour and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of his coming may find us rejoicing in His presence and welcoming the light of His truth.

(Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer.

Forth in the peace of Christ we go; Christ to the world with joy we bring; Christ in our minds, Christ on our lips, Christ in our hearts, the world’s true King.

 

(Short Silence) Lord, in your mercy: hear our prayer

 

Merciful father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  AMEN.

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Remembering that we are confident to pray this day, and every day, because Jesus Christ continues to teach us:
 

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,

your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.   Amen.

Let us conclude our prayers by praying together and aloud:

 

God of mercy,
you have given us grace to pray with one heart and one voice,
and have promised to hear the prayers
of two or three who agree in your name,
fulfil now, we pray,
the prayers and longings of your people
as may be best for us and for your kingdom.
Grant us in this world to know your truth,
and in the world to come to see your glory. Amen.

The Blessing

May The Risen Lord Christ turn His face towards each and every one of you.

May He cause His light to shine upon you, and

may He grant you His peace, and

 

The blessing of Almighty God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

be with you and all of those whom you love,

on this day and forever more.

A closing carol:

Let us conclude our service of lessons and carols today by watching, and please do feel free to sing or read aloud the lyrics, as we unite in another glorious carol in which we can rejoice.

When you are ready - click the "play" button on the video window, below:

The Dismissal

Go now, go out into the world

to love and serve The Lord.

 

Go in peace.

AMEN, we go in the name of Christ.

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