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Worship at Home20th December 2020 - fourth Sunday of Advent Graham ThompsonThe people who walked in darknesshave seen a great light;those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,on them has light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)We light our fourth Advent candle...(see your Advent resources)STF 175: Light of the world of the world,You stepped down into darkness,Opened my eyes, let me seeBeauty that made this heart adore you,Hope of a life spent with you.So here I am to worship,Here I am to bow down,Here I am to say that you’re my God;And you’re altogether lovely,Altogether worthy,Altogether wonderful to me.King of all days,Oh so highly exalted,Glorious in heaven above.Humbly you came to the earth you created,All for love’s sake became poor.And I’ll never know how much it costTo see my sin upon that cross.And I’ll never know how much it costTo see my sin upon that cross.Tim HughesWe pray:God of all glory, you brought the universe into existence and raised up witnesses to your greatness and love. We praise and adore you. Grant that by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit we may worship and serve you, and praise your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.Lord of Peace, we have buried you so deeply in our hearts, the world doesn't see you. We have ignored your teachings, we have lived lives of apathy, we have built fences and fortresses to push people away and we have silenced the screams of those in need.Forgive us, we pray. Free us from our sin,free us from our captivity, free us to a life lived in joy through Jesus Christ our Lord.SilenceThe true light that gives light to everyone has come into the world. To all who receive him, he gives power to become children of God.This is Christ’s gracious word: ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Amen. Thanks be to God.Reading: Isaiah 9:2+3+6+7STF 187: The Angel Gabriel from heaven came Angel Gabriel from heaven came,his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;‘All hail,’ said he, ‘thou lowly maiden Mary,most highly favoured lady.’ Gloria!‘For known a blessed mother thou shalt be,all generations laud and honour thee,thy son shall be Immanuel, by seers foretold;most highly favoured lady.’ Gloria!Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,‘To me be as it pleaseth God,’ she said,‘My soul shall laud and magnify his holy name:’most highly favoured lady. Gloria!Of her, Immanuel, the Christ was bornin Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say, ‘most highly favoured lady,’ Gloria! Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924)Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 We reflect:All that we know about Joseph indicates that he is a hard-working and devout man who falls in love. As is the custom, he and Mary become betrothed - which is more than engagement - but not as much as marriage. It’s about sharing life together for a year but without the sex! The happy couple are planning their wedding when Mary tells Joseph that she is pregnant and feeds him a line about an angel and about the child being from God!Joseph decides that he will break the betrothal - he will do it quietly. It’s as Joseph settles all this for himself that he too gets a visit from an angel who tells him that what Mary has told him is true. Mary has been specially chosen by God - she is carrying a precious child and Joseph should stand by her. Joseph probably couldn’t believe his eyes! Or his ears! But, being devout, he falls in with God’s plan. Joseph proves himself to be faithful to God and faithful to Mary - whatever the cost.There are times when - like Joseph - we can hardly believe what we see and hear. When we have to face difficult situations in life - things that are almost too much to bear.There are also the surprises; when people walk into our lives as if from nowhere or when miraculous recoveries from life threatening situations take place. Times when life defies the odds and confounds acceptable wisdom or when we find it impossible to believe what we are told. It’s then that we find ourselves in situations similar to the one in which Joseph found himself after Mary told him her news. And there isn’t always an angel around when you need one …….. or is there?God came to us in human flesh; born as Jesus in a cattle shed behind a crowded inn in Bethlehem. God, who came to us then, is with us still. The prophet declared, ‘He shall be called “Emmanuel” which means “God with us”’.God is with us. God came in Jesus and, since the resurrection, He has been ever present by His Spirit. Those who invite Jesus into their lives know that the Spirit of God is in them. The Spirit is also at work throughout the world - sometimes in people, sometimes in situations. We may not see an angel but we can know that, wherever we are and whatever we are doing, God is with us.God is with us in the mundane things of life - at home, when we sleep, at work and in our times of enjoyment. God is also with us when we face the unbelievable and the complicated. God, who gave Himself to us - with the help of Mary and Joseph - gives Himself again and again; every moment of every day. So, when the surprises come, when the awful must be faced; when we have to endure - God is with us.As you go into this coming Christmas, know that Emmanuel, the living God, goes with you - to guide, strengthen and renew you day by day. Whatever - God is with us. All that is asked of us - the disciples of Jesus - is that we - like Joseph - be faithful. Faithful to the communities in which we live; faithful to our calling as Christian people; faithful to ourselves and faithful to God. And as you remain faithful, may the living God bless you, whether see an angel or not! Amen.We pray:Loving God, as we approach the day of Christ's birth, help us to throw wide the doors of our hearts in preparation.??Help us to sense the importance of what happened long ago when Mary - and Joseph - were visited by the angel, to remember the words of the angels, the prophets and teachers of old, and to celebrate all the promises that you made through them. Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.May this Christmas be for us and those around us a season of healing, may it be a time of hope, love and joy; a time of true sharing and of rejoicing in all your gifts to us.Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.We pray for the children of our world: those of tender faith; those who have no home to call their own; those who are hungry.??Bless the innocent of the earth and all those who trust in you.??Bless the humble and the powerless and bring down from their thrones those who are full of pride and those who are indifferent to the needs of others.Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.Bless we pray each person that we name before you now...?Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.We ask these things, with hope and praise, through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.The Lord’s PrayerSTF 208: Let earth and heaven combine earth and heaven combine,Angels and all agree,To praise in songs divineThe incarnate Deity,Our God contracted to a span,Incomprehensibly made man.He laid his glory by,He wrapped him in our clay;Unmarked by human eye,The latent Godhead lay;Infant of days he here became,And bore the mild Immanuel’s name.Unsearchable the loveThat has the Saviour brought;The grace is far aboveBoth earth’s and angels’ thought:Suffice for us that God, we know,Our God, is manifest below.Made perfect first in love,And sanctified by grace,We shall from earth remove,And see his glorious face:His love shall then be fully showed,And we shall all be lost in God.Charles Wesley (1707-88)BlessingMay the message of the angels and the faithfulness of Joseph assure us of God’s abiding presence this Advent. And may the blessing of Almighty God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with us this coming Christmas and evermore. LI number 23859/643667/643643 - Calamus 19446. ................
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