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Worship at Home13th December 2020 – third Sunday of Advent Bob HamblinRejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1Thessalonians 5:16-18)We light our third Advent candle...(see your advent resources)We Praise: STF 330 – Joy to the world to the world, the Lord is come!Let earth receive her king!Let every heart prepare Him roomAnd heaven and nature singAnd heaven and nature singAnd heaven, and heaven and nature sing.Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns!Let all their songs employ;While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plainsRepeat their sounding joy,Repeat their sounding joy,Repeat, repeat their sounding joy.He rules the world with truth and grace,And makes the nations proveThe glories of His righteousnessAnd wonders of His loveAnd wonders of His love,And wonders, wonders of His love.Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748)We pray:God of joy, we seek You.Here and around the world, we see misery and pain.Our world is imperfect and darkness clouds our vision.God of joy, we seek You.Help us to pause in this Advent season to prepare anew for the birth of Your Son, Jesus, a sign of Your love for us all. God of joy, we seek You.May Your joy fill our hearts, and grace fill our lipsSo that we may reflect Your joy to all the world.On this day of joy, one voice can carry far, when speaking the truth in love. Fill us with courage to sing your song, and to proclaim the love of Jesus, more powerful than all the world’s armies and billionaires. God lifts up the lowly. Jesus chooses to be born into our world. God’s tenderness meets our need. We are forgiven and set free to live. This is our hope, our peace and our joy! Amen.The Lord’s Prayer.Reading – Isaiah 61:1-4……Rebuild.3543935442976000God’s purpose is to rebuild lives, mend broken hearts, release captives and give gladness. Sadness is banished! His people are described as “trees of goodness”. It is His “Big Build.” (ref. tv programme). The church is the crowd, directed by experts to facilitate change. It requires many people to bring something new out of the present chaos. It is happening NOW. It is ongoing and we all have our part to play. Which bit of the Kingdom can you build?Reading – Psalm 126:1-4……Restore.708723528638500Like exiles in a new situation, we can experience springs in a spiritual desert and expect a harvest. One of my favourite Christmas cards ever was from a little girl called Gladness. Her family were from the Windrush generation - exiles. They had experienced hardship, poverty and the challenges of making a new start in a strange land. In spite of all this, they still called their child Gladness, and they all wanted to share the JOY they had found. God asks us to restore relationships, families and friendships. Organisations like Homestart and the foodbank are restorers. What can we do ?Read or listen to – “Mary, did you know?”, did you knowThat your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?Did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you..Mary, did you know That your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?Did you know that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?Oh Mary did you know... (oh,oh,oh)The blind will see, the deaf will hearThe dead will live againThe lame will leap, the dumb will speakThe praises of The Lamb.Mary, did you knowThat your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?Did you know that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?The sleeping Child you're holding is the great "I AM"Mark Lowry (lyrics) and Buddy Greene (melody) ?1991, 1993 Curb Word Music (Admin by Song Solutions )Reading – 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24..Repair292101206500I really enjoy the tv programme, “The Repair Shop.” On it, craftsmen from all disciplines, bring back to life old, damaged and broken things. God repairs people. We are told to be always joyful, pure in spirit, soul and body – without fault - but we also are damaged and broken. God can repair us. His repairs may seem slow to us, but they are meticulous, beautiful and may only be completed in Heaven. He is on the job all the time, now, in each one of us.Reading – John 1:6-8, 29-34……ReviveOn dark mornings we turn on the lights…and for Christmas we break out the tinsel and the lametta to reflect those lights. The Light who has made ALL light has come! He baptises, not just with water, like John the Baptist, but with His Holy Spirit in our lives. Let the season of Christmas rebuild, restore, repair and revive! There is a new Spring to come.We pray......In joyful expectation of Your coming to our aid, we pray:God of song and silence, speak to us today.God of joy and justice, help us to see how you weave these things together. God of surprising power and fierce tenderness, visit us. Fill us with Your Spirit and give us voices to sing Your e to Your world as King of the nations.We pray for the needs of Your world. We pray for those who make decisions, for the leaders of the nations, and for the leaders of local communities. Particularly, we think of those all over the world who are struggling with controlling the spread of Covid 19, and those who are trying to introduce measures to slow global warming. Before You, rulers will stand in e to the suffering as Saviour and Comforter.Break into our lives, where we struggle with sickness and distress.We particularly pray for those people on our prayer list. Some names are known to all of us, some are known to only one of us. Father, we know that ALL are known to You, and You know their situations. We pray that they will know the comfort of Your presence and Your strength will supply all their e to your church as Lord and Judge.Father, we pray that we may faithfully live in a way which spreads the message of your love to all those we meet. Help us to speak out in your name and to work together and pray together so that our communities may recognise You in their midst.Help us to live in the light of your comingAnd give us a longing for your kingdom. AmenWe Praise: Sweet Chiming Bells shepherds watched their flocks by night,All seated on the ground,The angel of the Lord came down,And glory shone around.Sweet Bells, Sweet chiming Christmas BellsSweet Bells, Sweet chiming Christmas BellsThey cheer us on our Heavenly way, Sweet chiming bells."Fear not, " said he, for mighty dread, had seized their troubled minds, Glad tidings of great joy I bring, To you and all mankind".Sweet Bells…To you in David's town this day,Is born of David's line, the Saviour Who is Christ the Lord, and this shall be the sign.Sweet Bells…All glory be to God on high and to the earth be peace.Goodwill henceforth from Heaven to menBegin and never ceaseSweet bells…Kate Rusby (public domain)BenedictionLet us be people of joy!Let joy live in our hearts and help us to share the joy of Christ with all whom we meet.Let us share joy by seeing the good in each other.Let us share joy by remembering good times, and hoping for good times to come. Let us share joy by praying for our world.In this Advent season, help us to see, feel, and share joy. Amen. CCLI number 23859/643667/643643 - Calamus 19446. ................
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