PRAYER CHAPEL: ADVENT MASS

If you are unable to attend a Church Service, why not follow the service below and make Spiritual Communion with Our Lord Jesus Christ?
Perhaps you have been working in essential services, are caregiver at home or ill in bed.
All your intentions have been held before the LORD.

Advent Ceremony
The fourth advent wreath candle has been lit, as we prepare for the Advent of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Advent Mass

THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD
Priest; Grace and peace to you
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed are those who will come
from east and west, from north and south,
to feast in the Kingdom of God.

Entrance Hymn;
The King shall come when the morning dawns

The King shall come when morning dawns
And light triumphant breaks,
When beauty gilds the eastern hills
And life to joy awakes.

Not as of old a little child,
To bear and fight and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun
That lights the morning sky.

Oh, brighter than the rising morn
When Christ, victorious, rose
And left the lonesome place of death
Despite the rage of foes.

Oh, brighter than that glorious morn
Shall dawn upon our race
The day when Christ in splendor comes
And we shall see his face.

The King shall come when morning dawns
And light and beauty brings.
Hail, Christ the Lord! Your people pray:
Come quickly, King of kings.

Priest: "Our Lord Jesus Christ said: 'The first commandment is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." 
The second is this, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these.' 'I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.'
Congregation: Amen. Lord, have mercy.

Confession
Priest: "Let us confess our sins to God,
trusting in His Mercy and Forgiveness."

Congregation:
"Holy and forgiving God,
we have sinned against you and each other
in thought and word and deed.
We have turned from Your life-giving Word,
and ignored the message of those You sent.
We are unprepared for the coming of Your Son.
Have mercy upon us and forgive us,
that strengthened by your love
we may serve you more faithfully;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Priest: ' "I am making all things new," says the Lord.
This is Christ's gracious Word:
'Your sins are forgiven.' 

Congregation: "Amen. Thanks be to God."

Priest;
"Let us pray; God of mercy and power,
Whose Son rules over all,
grant us so to live in obedience to Your Holy Will.
that at His Appearing
we may be raised to eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Congregation: "Amen."

Reading: 
Luke 3
John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
    every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
    the rough ways smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”

7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

Priest: This is the Gospel of Christ.
Congregation: Praise to Christ our Lord.

Words of Comfort:
"The call of John the Baptist echoes to us to prepare a way for the Lord.
  The prophet calls from the waterside in remembrance of the deliverance of Moses from water, and the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery through water.
  John calls from the rocks and wilderness from which Israel was liberated.
  John preached true liberation - the advent of the Son of God Who was coming to liberate the nations from the tyranny of the evil one.
 John quoted Isaiah, who prophesied the coming of the great King. There would be preparations of the road on which God would come.
   Each of us needs to face our own sinfulness, our inherent personal weakness.
  The world more than ever needs people who face up to the challenges of the gospels.
  The healing of nations comes when Christians live out their gospel lives with authenticity.

  We cannot remain silent in the face of injustice: we must speak.
  The people of God do not face doom or destruction: rather, we face eternal life after our departure from earth's terminus.
  God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to set us free.
  What do you need to do in order to prepare your own way for the Lord?
  Perhaps you are called to work on a project of peace. Or to visit a prisoner. Someone may be in need, and require help.
  Whatever we are called to do, helps to prepare the way for the Lord and to make His paths straight.
  We need to be worthy of the King who comes: let our character become more and more stamped with the Face of the Christ Whose advent at Christmas changed our world."


Intercessions
Priest: "Let us pray.
In joyful expectation of His coming to reign
we pray to our Lord, saying,
Come, Lord Jesus."
Congregation: "Come, Lord Jesus."

Priest: "Come to Your world as King of the nations.
We pray for all countries in our world.
Before You rulers will stand in silence.
Come, Lord Jesus."
Congregation: "Come, Lord Jesus."

The Lord's Supper
Priest: "Let us pray.
We do not presume 
to come to this Your table,
merciful Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness,
but in Your manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy
so much as to gather up
the crumbs under Your table.
But You are the same Lord
Whose Nature is always to have mercy.
Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,
to come to this table in order
to be fed by Your Gracious Son, Jesus Christ." 
Congregation: "Amen."

Priest: "We praise You, Lord God, King of the universe,
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who, on the night in which He was betrayed,
took bread, gave thanks, broke it,
and gave it to His disciples, saying,
'Take and eat.
This is My Body given for you.
Do this in remembrance of Me.'

In the same way, after supper,
He took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it to them, saying,
'Drink from it all of you.
This is My Blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many,
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, whenever you drink it,
in remembrance of Me."

Congregation: "Blessing and honor and glory and power be Yours, O Lord, for ever and ever. Amen."

The Lord's Prayer
Priest: "We pray together the prayer that Jesus gave us:"
Congregation: "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, the Power, and the Glory,
for ever and ever."
Congregation: "Amen."

The Peace
Priest: "May the God of peace make you holy
and keep you free from every fault
as you wait in joyful hope
for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The peace of the Lord be always with you."
Congregation: "And also with you."

The Breaking of the Bread
Priest: "Like those who look for the morning
so we wait for the Lord.
Be known to us, Lord, in the breaking of the bread."


Communion
Priest: "The Body of Christ keep you in eternal life."
Congregant: "Amen."

Priest: "The Blood of Christ keep you in eternal life."
Congregant: "Amen."

Prayer
Priest: "Let us pray.
We thank You, Lord,
for feeding us with the Bread of Heaven
and the Cup of Salvation.
Keep us in Your Grace
and at the coming of Christ in glory
bring us with your saints
into the life of Your Kingdom."
Congregation: "Amen."

Blessing
Priest: "Christ the Sun of Righteousness
shine upon you
and prepare our hearts and souls
to meet Him when He comes in glory;
and the blessing of God,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be yours, now and always."
Congregation [with great joy]: "Amen!"

Hymn: On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry

On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
announces that the Lord is nigh;
awake and hearken, for he brings
glad tidings of the King of kings.

Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
make straight the way for God within,
prepare we in our hearts a home
where such a mighty Guest may come.

For thou art our salvation, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward;
without thy grace we waste away
like flowers that wither and decay.

To heal the sick stretch out thine hand,
and bid the fallen sinner stand;
shine forth and let thy light restore
earth's own true loveliness once more.

All praise, eternal Son, to thee,
whose advent doth thy people free;
whom with the Father we adore
and Holy Ghost for evermore.



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