The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, November 27, 2022 — First Sunday of Advent

The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers

Sunday, November 27, 2022 — First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

WATCH! WAIT!

Opening Statement

It is with great irony that on the very week that we begin our Advent countdown to Jesus’ birth, Isaiah proclaims that we have no idea when the Prince of Peace will come. The deep longing for peace echoes as surely in our twenty-first–century world as it did in Isaiah’s time. Through our liturgy, we must communicate that traditional Christmas preparations are not enough. If we truly want to receive with joy the long-awaited Prince of Peace, the one who comes at an unexpected hour, we must accept the invitation to walk expectantly in the light of the Lord, each and every day of our lives.

First Sunday of Advent

Opening Prayer (Isaiah 2, Romans 13)

When, O God, will the day of peace come? When will the nations stream to your holy mountain and beat their swords into plowshares? When will the long night of war and hatred, give way to the dawn of love, righteousness, and joy? We are ready for the dawn, O God. Shine your light into our world, mighty One of peace. Illuminate the path, and give us the wisdom and courage to follow your light. We pray in the name of the Prince of Peace. Amen.

The Collect (Book of Common Prayers)

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.

Prayer of Confession

God of Amazing Surprises, we are rushing headlong into this season of buying, giving, greed, and struggle. We want to think of the holiday as delightful, but we have a tendency to make it a time of the highest stress. We over-schedule our time, overdraw our resources, ignore those moments in which we could just relax and have quiet time with our families and with you. We blame it on everything else but our own decision making. We speak of obligations, of the need to be constantly busy, of the pressure to purchase things to make people happy. The reality is that your love should be our foundation, the base from which we celebrate. Our watchfulness is not necessarily about what is to happen, but rather should be on the ways in which we order our lives, ways that block out your love and your healing power. Forgive us for our stubborn insistence on maintaining schedule rather than focusing on your love. Heal us. Strengthen us and make us watchful over our faith in you. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Words of Assurance

Watch! Wait! God is bringing to you new hope and peace. It is a gift, given especially for you--one that you cannot earn—it’s a gift. Praise be to the Giver of All Great Gifts, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of the Day

Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection save us from the threatening dangers of our sins, and enlighten our walk in the way of your salvation, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

First Reading

Isaiah 2:1-5

(War transformed into peace)

The Future House of God
2:1 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2  In days to come
     the mountain of the Lord’s house
   shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
     and shall be raised above the hills;
   all the nations shall stream to it.
3    Many peoples shall come and say,
   “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
     to the house of the God of Jacob;
   that he may teach us his ways
     and that we may walk in his paths.”
   For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
     and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4  He shall judge between the nations,
     and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
   they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
     and their spears into pruning hooks;
   nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
     neither shall they learn war any more.

Judgment Pronounced on Arrogance
5  O house of Jacob,
     come, let us walk
     in the light of the Lord!

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions

Psalm 122
(Gladness in God’s house)

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”

To give thanks to the name of the LORD.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.”

“Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.”

For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.”

For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.

Heavenly Father, we do rejoice that we can come into Your house today and worship You with those who love You too. Thank You for inspiring and leading Your people to establish Your house here in this place. We pray that all who worship here might experience Your love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. We pray for Your people all the world over, and we pray that they might prosper along with us as we serve You and others. May everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior find and experience peace with God, others, and themselves. Through Your only begotten Son, we pray,  “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”

Second Reading

Romans 13:11-14

(Salvation is near; wake from sleep)

An Urgent Appeal
13:11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,and grant us your salvation. Alleluia. (Psalm 85:7)

The Gospel

Matthew 24:36-44

(The sudden coming of salvation)

The Necessity for Watchfulness
24:36 “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Here ends the Lessons

Click HERE to read today’s Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank you that we are a family in Christ. Help us to share his love and legacy with everyone that we encounter this week. May we lavish Christ’s abounding goodness upon our families, friends and colleagues. Holy Spirit, come and equip us in our workplace, guide us in our school life, and inspire us in our neighbourhood. May we be your hands and feet to the needy, your words of affirmation to the oppressed and your arms of comfort to the lonely.

Thank you for choosing to use us to bring your kingdom here on earth.

Amen.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, November 27, 2022— First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

“First Sunday of Advent” The Gospel Message for Sunday, November 27, 2022 — First Sunday of Advent

Our Gospel message comes to us today from the 24th chapter of Matthew, beginning with the 36th verse.

But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

—Matthew 24:36-44 (NRSV)

All mighty God, we thank you for your Word and the way that you in it revealed to us who you are and what you’ve done for us in Christ. Now, as we open that Word, we pray that your Spirit may be present, that all thoughts of worry or distraction may be removed and that the Spirit will allow us to hear your voice. And so, oh God, fill us with your Spirit through the reading and proclamation of your Word this day. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“First Sunday of Advent”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who brings us into Paradise.

Today is the first Sunday in Advent, the start of the church year. The day when we begin the preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. We begin to light the candles, sing the Advent hymns, and wait and prepare. Advent seeks to take us back to simpler times without the frantic pace that is the signature of so many lives today.

We celebrate how Jesus comes to us in three ways. We celebrate the first coming at his birth some 2000 years ago and re-enact the birth in the pageant and carols.

We celebrate his coming amongst us now—most notably in Word and Sacrament. We celebrate how Jesus comes among us in one another, in the least of our brothers and sisters, as we will read in the chapter that follows today’s text.

We celebrate Jesus’ Second coming when he will come again to judge creation bringing in a time of peace and joy that is spoken of so eloquently in the reading from Isaiah today.

The end is coming. Of that, we can be certain. But when?

Many people want to know the time and spend much energy trying to discern the time. The recent wildfires and shootings in California and political turmoils in our nations around the world have brought about another rash of people only too ready to tell us that the time is here. This has been going on for centuries and will continue, no doubt. Most of these predictions are about Bad News. Earthquakes, fire, and torment. The stuff of good movie effects but not-so-good theology. Indeed not good biblical study. The Book of Revelation takes great precedence in their work, but the focus is on the Bad News, the signs, and not on the Good News, which John trumpets at the beginning of the Book, “The revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Millions have been made on the “Rapture” series of books sold in many Christian bookstores. They make much of the last times and trade on fear and anxiety. They may be an exciting read but not a good biblical one. The authors would do well to read today’s text from Matthew. We will not know the time, and to assume that we can is to presume to know more than the Son of God. To want to know is to stand alongside Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and long for the fruit of the tree that would allow them to know more than God meant them to know.

The desire to know the end is very much a part of our society. If we know when the end will come, we can do pretty much as we like now. If we know the end, we can make a final rush and do as we like now. Retirement and pensions funds give the certainty that the end for many of us will hold off at least until we are 80. The problem is we do not know which of us will live to see today’s sunset.

Today’s text from Matthew speaks of the ordinariness of his coming. People will be eating and drinking, getting married, baptizing their children, and working in the field.

Martin Luther is supposed to have said that if he knew the end of the world was coming tomorrow, he would plant an apple tree this afternoon. Luther was not given to speculation of the end times. Instead, he focused on the purpose of the world that God intends for the present time. What may happen in the future does not excuse you from what God requires of you here and now.

If we know the end is near, the temptation is to hole up in a bomb shelter or armed fortress in the mountains and wait. We would create a fortress mentality of us against them. Instead, we are to live with uncertainty. An uncertainty of what will happen but within a certainty that Jesus Christ is in the midst of it with us.

When we stop trying to figure out when we have the energy to listen to what God is calling us to do today. Advent preparation is about removing the noise from our lives so that we can hear and see the coming of Jesus Christ among us today. Matthew spells it out very clearly in the 25th Chapter, which follows. In the Judgment Scene, those condemned say to Jesus, “If we had only known that it was you in the poor and the hungry, of course, we would have fed you!” Jesus comes to us today in the least of our sisters and brothers. Advent is a time to watch lest we miss his coming. If we ignore and trample our neighbors today in our eagerness to be religiously prepared to welcome Jesus tomorrow when he returns from heaven, we will not be prepared at all.

We are to live in constant readiness, attentive to Jesus, who gives us hope for today and for tomorrow. If this were your last day on earth, how would you spend it? If you aren’t, why not?

Worship in our local communities and congregations has been very much on my mind this past week. Paul tells us not to neglect being together. We prepare each time we come together the promises and the hopes that carry us through the difficult time of death.

“You are the treasured people of God.”

“This is a foretaste of the feast to come.”

“The Lord bless you and keep you.”

“The peace of the Lord be with you.” And so many more.

We need to make time for getting together in our local churches for worship. We need to take our time together seriously but with hope and joy. Our hope is in the one who came, who is among us, and who will come again. We are to heighten our awareness of his coming. We are to “Live in the light of that day even before it appears,” as Paul said today in Romans. Yes, we are to live with uncertainty, but an uncertainty about those things that really do not matter if our certainty is in the one who is with us and will continue to be with us, Jesus Christ.

Advent is a time to refocus and regroup. Christ came as a baby, and we celebrate. Christ will come again, of that we are assured. Christ comes into our midst today, and that is where the living is today. And so we begin Advent—preparing for the revelation—that is, the full disclosure—of Jesus in the joy and sorrow, the laughter and the tears, the comedy and the tragedies of our daily lives here and now.

This Advent, Lord, come to the manger of my heart. Fill me with Your presence from the very start. As I prepare for the holidays and gifts to be given, remind me of the gift You provided when You sent Your Son from Heaven. The first Christmas gift was the greatest gift ever. You came as a baby born in a manger. You were wrapped like the gifts I find under my tree, waiting to be opened to reveal Your love to me. Restore to me the wonder that came with Jesus’ birth, when He left the riches of Heaven and wrapped Himself in rags of earth. Immanuel, God with us, Your presence came that night. And angels announced, “Into your darkness, God brings His Light.” “Do not be afraid,” they said to shepherds in the field. Speak to my heart today, Lord, and help me to yield.

Make me like those shepherd boys, obedient to Your call. Setting distractions and worries aside, to You, I surrender them all. Surround me with Your presence, Lord. I long to hear Your voice. Clear my mind of countless concerns and all the holiday noise. Slow me down this Christmas; let me not be in a rush. In the midst of parties and planning, I want to feel Your hush. This Christmas, Jesus, come to the manger of my heart. Invade my soul like Bethlehem, bringing peace to every part. Dwell within and around me as I unwrap Your presence each day. Keep me close to You, Lord. It’s in Your wonderful Name, I pray. Amen.

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Scripture taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)® Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Sermon contributed by Rev. Roger Haugen.
Jesus comes to us in three ways—three times.  At his birth, at the present, at his second coming.  It is now that is of present concern to us.

The Morning Prayer for Sunday, November 27, 2022

 

The Morning Prayer
Sunday, November 27, 2022

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

— Psalm 25:8–9 (NIV)

Lord our God, dear Father in heaven, we thank you that we may be your children, led by you. We thank you for guiding us in times of grief and never forsaking us. Now, as of old, you are with us, Lord our God, and you show us the way in every situation. Protect us in this present time, and grant us strength to go on patiently even when our lives hold much suffering and distress. We thank you for your guidance and rejoice in your help for our time. Reveal your hand in power, for soon, very soon, your right hand will change everything. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Sunday, November 27, 2022

 

Verse of the Day
Sunday, November 27, 2022

Colossians 3:16

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Whatever we say to one another—whether we do so through sermons, lessons, testimonies, songs, or just casual conversation—should be with the purpose of spurring each other to love God more. We cannot grow in our relationships with Jesus or mature in our walks without the encouragement, help, and instruction of others.

Read all of Colossians Chapter 3

Listen to Colossians Chapter 3

Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Travel the World from Home — Where Jesus Was Born — Bethlehem

 

The Holy Land:
Connecting the Land with Its Stories
Where Jesus Was Born — Bethlehem
Season 1 — Episode 5

In episode 5, visit the city of Bethlehem, a land filled with stories of provision and solutions. Meet Maher Canawati, an elected member of Bethlehem’s City Council, to explore the Church of the Nativity, the traditional site of Jesus’ birth. Uncover the connection between Old Testament and New Testament stories as you explore the oldest and most holy church in the world. Climb the church tower for views of Bethlehem that aren’t open to the public and reflect on how this land continues to remind us of the solution God provided through His Son, Jesus.

 

Season 1 — Episode 5 | Where Jesus Was Born — Bethlehem

That The World May Know | Volume 1 | Episode 3 | First Fruits

 

That The World May Know

First Fruits

Volume 1 | Episode 3

The ancient land of Israel is a testimony, an evidence if you will, of the greatness of what God did in that country, a testimony to the truth of the words that we find in the pages of the Bible.

In Volume 1 | Promised Land, travel to Israel and radically change your understanding of the Scriptures. Wet your feet in the Jordan River and impact the culture with life-giving water. Show your trust in the Lord’s provision by offering up first fruits at Jericho. And cleanse the land by confronting evil and using the tools of society to redeem your world for God. In this first volume of the That the World May Know series, historian and teacher Ray Vander Laan will show you how God guided his people to a specific place—the Promised Land—to impact the world both in ancient times and today. Experience the Bible in historical context!

In Episode 3, as Jericho was God's first gift to the Jews in the land of Israel, we are to devote to Him our first fruits - the possessions and talents He has given each of us.

 

Volume 1 | Episode 3 |  First Fruits