Collect for: First Sunday of Advent
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."
Old Testament
Isaiah 64:1-9
1 Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence --
2 As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil -- To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
3 When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, The mountains shook at Your presence.
4 For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.
5 You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, Who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned -- In these ways we continue; And we need to be saved.
6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
7 And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities.
8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.
9 Do not be furious, O LORD, Nor remember iniquity forever; Indeed, please look -- we all are Your people!
Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God.
Psalm
Psalm
80
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength, And come and save us!
3 Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!
4 O LORD God of hosts, How long will You be angry Against the prayer of Your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in great measure.
6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!
8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it.
9 You prepared room for it, And caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land.
10 The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs.
11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea, And her branches to the River.
12 Why have You broken down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
13 The boar out of the woods uproots it, And the wild beast of the field devours it.
14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine
15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.
16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
18 Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!
*At the end of the Psalms this is sung or said Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
New Testament
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus,
5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge,
6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,
7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God.
Gospel
Mark 13:33-37
Introduction to the Gospel:
Deacon:
The Lord be with you.
People:
And also with you. Or And with your spirit
Deacon:
May the Lord be on our minds, on our lips, and on our hearts as we hear His Holy Gospel. The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark.
People:
Glory to You, Lord Christ.
Deacon:
We are reading from Mark's Gospel chapter 13, beginning at verse 33.
33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.
34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.
35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning --
36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!'
After the Gospel reading, the deacon elevates the book and says:
Deacon:
The Gospel of the Lord.
People:
Praise to You, Lord Christ. Prayers of the People
Prayers of the People for: First Sunday of Advent
Brothers and sisters, as we focus on the Lords imminent return, let us present our needs and the needs of the whole world to Him. That the Church will effectively prepare Herself for the coming of the Son of Man.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That leaders of governments will work tirelessly for justice, which is the foundation of peace.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That Christians everywhere will prepare for the Lord's coming by fostering consistent respect for all human life.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That the Gifts of the Holy Spirit will be poured out abundantly upon His people to the Glory of God the Father.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That we will always be obedient to 'watch and pray' not knowing the hour of the Lord's coming.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That we will put on the Lord Jesus Christ as we minister to the poor, the sick, the imprisoned and the lonely.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
For our own special intentions. (Pause)
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Faithful God, You have sent us Your Spirit and have called us Your children. Hear our prayer and give us the grace that to be ready to meet Your Son at His return. We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN