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Intercessions for Second Sunday of Advent: 9 December 2012

Collect

O Lord, raise up, we pray, your power and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness we are grievously hindered in running the race that is set before us, your bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us;

Baruch 5.1-9

Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on for ever the beauty of the glory from God. Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God; put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting; for God will show your splendour everywhere under heaven. For God will give you evermore the name, ‘Righteous Peace, Godly Glory’. Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height; look towards the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them. For they went out from you on foot, led away by their enemies; but God will bring them back to you, carried in glory, as on a royal throne. For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God. The woods and every fragrant tree have shaded Israel at God’s command. For God will lead Israel with joy, in the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.

 Psalm: Luke 1.68-79

Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, *who has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, *born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets God promised of old *to save us from our enemies,from the hands of all that hate us,
To show mercy to our ancestors, *and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham: *to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *by the forgiveness of all their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

 Philippians 1.3-11

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.

Luke 3.1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:“Prepare the way of the Lord,make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled,and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight,and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”’

Intercessions

In joyful expectation of his coming to our aid we pray to Jesus.

Come to your Church as Lord and judge. We pray for …Help us to live in the light of your coming and give us a longing for your kingdom. Maranatha: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to your world as King of the nations. We pray for …Before you rulers will stand in silence. Maranatha: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to the suffering as Saviour and comforter. We pray for … Break into our lives, where we struggle with sickness and distress,and set us free to serve you for ever. Maranatha:Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come to us as shepherd and guardian of our souls. We remember …Give us with all the faithful departed a share in your victory over evil and death. Maranatha:
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Come from heaven, Lord Jesus, with power and great glory. Lift us up to meet you, that with [N and] all your saints and angels we may live and reign with you in your new creation. Maranatha: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Silence is kept.

Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay; give new courage to your people, who trust in your love. By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom on earth as in heaven, where you live and reign with the Father and the Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

 


Intercessions as tweaked by me

Lord, with your coming Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low:…the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: help us now as we prepare your way.

Come to your Church as Lord and judge. We pray  that this new year may bring us unity, if not unanimity, in the Church of England. Help us to live in the light of your coming and give us a longing for your kingdom.
Lord, help us to prepare your way; in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Come to your world as King of the nations. We pray for the Middle East, especially Syria. We pray for Afghanistan and our troops there, that they succeed in training their replacements. And we pray for the European Union, that its rulers may live by the words of their anthem, ‘All men are brothers’.
Lord, help us to prepare your way; in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Come to the suffering as Saviour and comforter. We pray for …

Break into our lives, where we struggle with sickness and distress,and set us free to serve you for ever.
Lord, help us to prepare your way; in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Come to us as shepherd and guardian of our souls. We remember …

Give us with all the faithful departed a share in your victory over evil and death.
Lord, help us to prepare your way; in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Come from heaven, Lord Jesus, with power and great glory. Lift us up to meet you, that with St Peter and all your saints and angels we may live and reign with you in your new creation.
Lord, help us to prepare your way; in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Come, Lord Jesus; give new courage to your people, who trust in your love. By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom on earth as in heaven, where you live and reign with the Father and the Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

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The illustration is Prepare the way for the Lord by: Andy Lindley  “A cross, marked by a stone, in the wilderness of the seashore.  A lone cross, marked by a quartz cross in the fractures sometimes in its geological history. Revealed by the shaping of the sea. One stone, among many – standing out as different and significant – like John the Baptist, in the wilderness, who drew people to him, through the Spirit of God upon him.”

Normally we would end the intercessions with “Merciful Father, accept these our prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen” but it is inappropriate to end with a salutation to God the Father, when the intercessions have all been addressed to God the Son.

2 comments on this post:

Janet Rees said...
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Just found this site. It will be a great help to be as a Reader in Training!

Lay Anglicana said...
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Welcome Janet, nice to have you on board 🙂

06 December 2012 20:19
06 December 2012 17:07

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