Sunday Service for 6 December 2020, second Sunday of Advent

Worship Service for 6 December 2020
Second Sunday of Advent
Prepared by the Rev. Teri Peterson, St John’s Gourock
Email: tpeterson@churchofscotland.org.uk

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Hymn: Light of the World

Reading, Sermon, Prayers

Hymn: For Everyone Born

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Lighting the 2nd Advent Candle
In the darkest times we cannot see to make our way…
our eyes adjust, but still everything is shadowed and grey.
We reach out, desperate
for comfort
for balance
for the familiar
for hope
In the darkest times,
even a faltering light can be just enough:
the flame flickers, twinkles, dances—and it is dazzling!
For in its light, we see light: God in our midst.

~Candle is lit~

However impossible it seems,
hope is alive, even in the midst of this world,
and blessed is the one whose living hope reveals God’s good news.
Come, O come, Emmanuel, God with us, and we will rejoice.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Reading: Isaiah 61.1-11, New Revised Standard Version

The book of Isaiah is thought to be the work of three prophets living in different times in Israel’s history—first Isaiah spoke to the people before they were conquered and taken into exile; second Isaiah spoke to people who were in exile, looking forward to coming home; third Isaiah spoke to people who had returned and were again living in a rebuilt Jerusalem, probably sometime around the year 500 BCE. While first Isaiah seems to have a heavy focus on injustice and coming consequences, with occasional reminders of God’s promise, and second Isaiah is heavy on the comfort of God’s covenant, third Isaiah blends both call and promise, reminding people that God who saves them also requires something of them—that the covenant God makes with us still has two sides, and we are to live a particular way in response to God’s grace. Today’s reading comes from the centre chapter of Third Isaiah, chapter 61, and it encapsulates the core message of this later prophet. I am reading from the New Revised Standard Version.

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
   because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
   to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
   and release to the prisoners; 
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
   and the day of vengeance of our God;
   to comfort all who mourn; 
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
   to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
   the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. 
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
   they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
   the devastations of many generations. 

Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
   foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines; 
but you shall be called priests of the Lord,
   you shall be named ministers of our God;
you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations,
   and in their riches you shall glory. 
Because their shame was double,
   and dishonour was proclaimed as their lot,
therefore they shall possess a double portion;
   everlasting joy shall be theirs. 

For I the Lord love justice,
   I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
   and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 
Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
   and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
   that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed. 
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
   my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
   he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
   and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
   and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
   to spring up before all the nations.

For the word of God in scripture
For the word of God among us
For the word of God within us
Thanks be to God

Sermon: Creators of Justice and Joy
For the people Isaiah was speaking to, the world had turned a corner, but they weren’t all the way out of the woods just yet. They had hope that something new was on the horizon, though. The question was: would they simply go back to the way things were, or would they make an effort to live into God’s future?

Isaiah offers a vision of a way forward, not a way back. And it begins with good news — of liberation for those who have been bound by injustice, and of binding-up of wounds and brokenness; good news of release and of God’s attentiveness; glad tidings of comfort and joy.

It’s a beautiful vision, that the prophet is called to offer comfort by providing joy. Did you hear how he was to do it? Not by simply saying “rejoice!” and expecting people to snap out of their doldrums, but by actually giving them the things they need in order to rejoice, physically changing one thing that leads to another. It’s a very down-to-earth and embodied way of lifting up dignity and providing a path to renewal of both body and spirit — and from that renewal of each person can come the renewal of whole communities and even the world. So we can picture the prophet walking about among people who are sitting in the ashes of their dreams, wiping their foreheads and giving them a garland to wear instead. From that small outward first step can come more steps — taking the burial ointments and replacing them with the anointing oil of a celebration; lifting their faint spirits by draping them in kindness and uplifting words.

It may feel like baby steps, but those small acts of comfort will allow the people to rise from the ashes into a mighty oak, the kind of tree that is so strong and beautiful that all who see it praise the Lord. And that strength will be enough for them to draw on to build up what was in ruins, to share the good news with the whole city and indeed all generations by creating justice and joy for others.

It can be tempting to read this as only about spiritual restoration, but the prophet is pretty clear that this justice and joy is both spiritual and practical, economic even. Those who have been on the underside of a system that depends on underpaid labour while the rich get richer will find themselves fairly paid, and indeed with land to their own names. Those who have been left to mourn alone and forgotten will be surrounded by comfort. Those who have been imprisoned by debt, fear, greed, worldly expectations, and despair will be set free. This new covenant God is proclaiming is a covenant of jubilee — of re-setting the playing field so that everyone has enough and all can experience abundant life. Those who live according to this covenant will be an inspiration to others, a model for how God’s kingdom can come on earth as it is in heaven — like a garden, displaying God’s glory for all to see. Rebuilding the community in such a way that those who were on the margins, or left out completely, are now integral members treated with dignity, will be a source of joy not just for the people in that place but in every place.

This is not simply a return to what was, because before this crisis, too many were suffering in the unjust system that we simply took for granted. This is a chance to build up from the ruins something new. And that begins at a very basic level: recognising the weariness and grief, and offering the practical things needed to take the first steps toward hope and peace, and maybe even toward joy.

Because God doesn’t tell the people to just get to work already, what are they waiting for? God anoints the prophet, sending them to first go and speak good news, to cover the people in words of liberating love, compassion, peace, and justice. And then to bring them along the first step, providing what they need. And only then, when the people’s needs are met and their dignity is restored, then they can look up and see their place in God’s work. It is from their healing, not from their brokenness, that new growth is possible.

We know from experience that when we are in the midst of grief, fear, depression, or anxiety, when we are feeling trapped in pain, that it is nearly impossible to see anything but ashes. We, rightly, look inward and care for ourselves as best we can, though it feels like slogging through mud in the shadowed valley. It’s only when we are comforted, when someone puts out their hand to help — whether that’s bringing a meal, or picking up some work we can’t manage, or sending a card, or letting us know they have solved a problem that was getting us down — that we can begin to look up and out, and perhaps then to offer that same care to another. How much more true that is when it comes to big issues of injustice. When people are hungry, or sleeping rough, or in fear of their lives, or trapped in debt, it takes all their energy just to go day to day. What a difference a helping hand can make. Imagine, then what a difference changing things so that no one goes hungry, or fears for their life, could make. That’s what the liberating love of God calls us to do — to build on the blessings we have received so that others can experience them too.

This vision of God’s way was given to the prophet, and later it will be Jesus who reads these words for his first sermon in his hometown, and says that these words are fulfilled in him. In him, justice will be restored, and through that justice, people and communities and the world will be restored too. And…we are the Body of Christ. This is what Jesus said he was about, and therefore it is what we, his people, are also supposed to be about.

This is what we’re waiting for, when we are preparing for Christmas. This is what people should see when they see Christians celebrating the birth of Christ, God with us. In a world where hope is only beginning to penetrate the impossible, where both people and land are weary, we are called to demonstrate God’s blessing, not only for ourselves, but for all.

May it be so. Amen.

Hymn: Light Dawns On A Weary World
Words: Mary Louise Bringle
Tune: Temple of Peace by William Rowan

Light dawns on a weary world
when eyes begin to see
all people’s dignity.
Light dawns on a weary world:
the promised day of justice comes.

Refrain:
The trees shall clap their hands;
the dry lands, gush with springs;
the hills and mountains shall break forth with singing!
We shall go out in joy,
and be led forth in peace,
as all the world in wonder echoes shalom.

Love grows in a weary world
when hungry hearts find bread
and children’s dreams are fed.
Love grows in a weary world:
the promised feast of plenty comes.

Hope blooms in a weary world
when creatures, once forlorn,
find wilderness reborn.
Hope blooms in a weary world:
the promised green of Eden comes.

Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

You bring us tidings of great joy, Lord,
even into our weary land.
You proclaim freedom and release,
comfort and gladness,
to a world longing for renewal of our bodies and our spirits.
Where we have felt parched,
you are bringing up new life.
Where the earth has languished,
you are planting a new garden.
Where your people have withered,
you are restoring justice and hope.
Let our whole being exult in you,
and our joy ring out in praise.

For You are a God of good news,
providing and renewing with your generous spirit.
We give you thanks for your comfort,
providing just what we need to step from mourning toward dancing.
We pray you would console those whose spirits are faint,
strengthen those whose bodies are frail,
encourage those whose minds are weary.
May all who suffer know wholeness in your presence.
(Brief silence)

We pray you would hasten the day of freedom,
that all who labour under a heavy yoke may stand tall,
that all may enjoy the fruits of their own work,
that all who carry the crushing load of debt or poverty may breathe easily.
May those who bear the weight of this world’s injustice be lifted up.
(Brief silence)

We pray you would restore your devastated creation,
bring peace to places of violence,
bring hope to those who feel forgotten,
bring dignity to those who have been excluded.
May your parched land and its people spring up with living water.
(Brief silence)

We pray you would pour out your Spirit on your Church,
knit us together as one Body,
move us from apathy to action,
make us a sign of your compassion and grace.
May all who see us understand your will for your kingdom to come on earth as in heaven.
(Brief silence)

We ask these and all things in the name of the coming Word made flesh, Jesus the Christ,
who taught us to pray together:
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.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever.
Amen.

Benediction
Go into your week looking for ways to demonstrate God’s blessings, to reach out with compassion and justice, to renew community and restore hope. And as you go, may the Spirit of God go above you to watch over you; may the Spirit of God go beside you to be your companion; may the Spirit of God go before you to show you the way and behind you to push you into places you might not go alone; and may the Spirit of God go within you, to remind you that you are loved more deeply than you can possibly imagine. May the fire of God’s love burn brightly in you, and through you into the world. Go in peace. Amen.

Benediction Response
Words and Tune (Gourock St Johns) by John L Bell

Now may the Lord of all be blessed;
now may Christ’s gospel be confessed;
now may the Spirit when we meet
bless sanctuary and street.

Announcements

* Young Adult Bible Study meets on Zoom at 1pm (BYOPizza). We are reading chapter 10 of Revelation today! If you’d like login information, contact Teri.

* If you would like to attend in-person worship in the sanctuary, you will need to book a place as we can only safely accommodate 35 people at a time under current distancing guidelines. Please phone Cameron (630879) on a Friday morning between 10-12 or Anne Love (07904 617283) on a Saturday morning between 10-12 to book in for that Sunday. If we reach our capacity, you’ll be given the first seats the following week.
Inside the church: face coverings must be worn, you may give your offering at the door rather than by passing it through the rows, we will ask you to sit in a particular seat to ensure everyone’s safety as there is a one-way system in place, and the service will be around half an hour with no singing but with instrumental music. Families are welcome, and children should stay in the service for the whole half hour — there will be a children’s time for them though! If you’ve been out of the area in the past 2 weeks, or if you have any symptoms that could be covid, please plan to worship online rather than in person.
If the government Tiers or regulations change, that could affect our services. Should that happen, we will contact everyone who is booked in for a service, and will use all our regular communication channels to advise of any new restrictions or procedures or plans.

Online and audio recording-by-phone (call 01475 270037 to listen to the service) worship will continue, and the print version will continue to be available on request.

* The theme for Advent is “The Blessings of an Impossible Christmas.” You may want to have a candle handy when you worship at home during Advent, so you can join in the Advent Candle Lighting.
In addition, there is a daily devotional for Advent, written by members of the congregation. Print copies are available on request, and it is also posted each day on our Facebook page.
Teri will be doing a “carol calendar” throughout Advent via Facebook Live, too!

*** Deadline approaching soon!
Gourock Schools and Churches Together is sponsoring a Christmas Window Competition on the theme of Christmas Carols! Choose a window that faces the street, decorate it on the theme of a Christmas carol, and if you want to enter the competition, return your entry form by the 10th of December so the judging can begin on the 11th, with prizes announced at the end of the following week. Since we can’t have a carol service this year, we thought we’d have a visual one instead! Enjoy walking about the town and seeing all the carols depicted in windows. You can enter online here, or you can get a paper entry form and either snap a photo and email it in, or return it to the manse.

* Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Youtube, and to sign up for our email devotions! Midweek you can watch Wine and the Word on Youtube, pray with video devotions on Facebook, and consider a new angle on something with a devotional email. Feel free to share with your friends, too!

* The Boys Brigade is again meeting in the large hall — if you know any boys from P1 – S6 who would like to explore what it’s all about, please contact Alan Aitken: alanandrewaitken at gmail dot com. There are spaces available in all sections (Junior Section on Mondays at 7pm, Anchor Boys on Tuesdays at 5:30pm, Company Section on Fridays at 7:30pm). The Guides are working on their plans and hope to start up after Christmas. For information, contact Gillian Dick: gndick at hotmail dot com.

No other organisations or groups are currently using our halls, so that we have time to adequately clean and ensure the space is safe for everyone. This will be reviewed after Christmas.

* The Kirk now has online giving! If you have not already set up a standing order in order to facilitate your spiritual discipline of giving, or if you would like to make an extra gift to support the ministry St. John’s does in our parish, you can give online. If you would like to set up a standing order, please contact Peter Bennett, our treasurer, or Teri and she can give you his details. You can also send your envelopes to the church by post or with a neighbour who is coming to in-person worship and we will ensure they are received. Remember: no one is coming to your door to collect your envelopes, so please stay safe!