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Posts Tagged "Intercessions for First Sunday of Advent Year B":

Intercessions for 1st Sunday of Advent Year B: 30 November 2014

dawn

Lighthouse vigil just before dawn

 

The Collect

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

 

¶ The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Isaiah 64.1-9

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence – as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil – to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity for ever. Now consider, we are all your people.

Psalm 80.1-8,18-20

Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, * you that led Joseph like a flock;
Shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim, * before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your mighty strength * and come to our salvation.
Turn us again, O God; * show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
O Lord God of hosts, * how long will you be angry at your people’s prayer?
You feed them with the bread of tears; * you give them abundance of tears to drink.
You have made us the derision of our neighbours, * and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
Turn us again, O God of hosts; * show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
Let your hand be upon the man at your right hand, * the son of man you made so strong for yourself.
And so will we not go back from you; * give us life, and we shall call upon your name.
Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts; * show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1.3-9

My brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind – just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you – so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Gospel Reading: Mark 13.24-37

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake – for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’

Prayers of Intercession

The following is suggested by Visual Liturgy:

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.

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.


 

Lord, open our eyes to your presence and our minds to your grace; open our lips to your praises and our hearts to your love; open our lives to your healing and come amongst us, we pray.

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, as we begin the season of Advent, we ask for your help in concentrating on preparing ourselves for the coming of the Christ child, rather than preparations for the social festivities and responsibilities of Christmas that have grown up alongside. Though these are important in building our life together as the Body of Christ, yet we also long for the treasure of stillness and watchfulness in response to the building darkness, knowing that in the end the Light of the World is to be born.

Lord, help us to become what you would have us be: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Radiant and glorious Lord, shining through the universe, lighting our jagged landscapes, guiding your troublesome peoples, straighten now the path of our coming, stride forth to meet us and save us. We have misused the freedom you gave us, we have felt the anger of your love. You have fed us with the bread of tears, and given us many a bitter drink. Yet you cared for us like young vines, nourishing the soil for our roots to deepen, and you sent us the warmth of the sun and the rain. Empower us again to follow your way, give us life and we shall delight in your name. *

Lord, help us to become what you would have us be: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

¶The local community

Lord, we ask you to give us straw that we may make your bricks.  You are the potter and, as the clay that you mould, we too play our part. As we sense the shape into which you are trying to sculpt our community, help us to draw strength and inspiration from each other in the great work. Help us to be supple and pliable in your hands and, while you seek to work as one with the clay, help us to bend to your will. If the pot should become misshapen, help us to begin once again on the potter’s wheel with a new sense of direction and purpose.

Lord, help us to become what you would have us be: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

¶Those who suffer

Lord, giver of life, we wait with you to bear your hope to earth’s darkest places: we wait at the places where darkness is deeper than the deepest pain. Lord, we ask you to teach those who suffer to hew the rock of hope from a mountain of despair. Be with them in the sharpness of their angular pain, and help them to become malleable to your will for them as they take on the comforting, rounded shape of being cradled and nurtured in your everlasting arms. May their pain be lessened or may they be fortified in their ability to endure, offering their suffering up to you.

Lord, help us to become what you would have us be: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

¶The communion of saints

Lord, you are both the journey and the journey’s end. You created us and have a purpose for each of us. We pray for those who have heard your call and met the hour of their death. May they rest in peace and rise in glory in communion with all the saints.

Lord, help us to become what you would have us be: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

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Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Some material included in this service is copyright: © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2000 Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2002 Blessing (1st Sun. of Advent until Christmas Eve) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

*Based on the commentary by Jim Cotter on Psalm 80

 

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