During Holy Communion Choir You are the centre, you are my life,You are the centre O Lord of my life. Come, Lord and guide me, Lord of my life

Send me your Spirit, Lord of my life. You are the centre, Lord of my life. Margaret Rizza Congregation 370 Help us O Lord to learn

Prayer after Communion Almighty God, purify our hearts and minds, that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as judge and saviour we may be ready to receive him, who is our Lord and our God. Amen.

Recessional hymn 15 The Lord will come and not be slow * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Next Saturday : 16th December Ispiration Sale – the last of the year! Bric-a-brac, books, clothes, toys and other items of iterest – do come along Also: Victorian Christmas Bistro – Saturday 16th Dec. 6.30pm – 9pm. Come along for a home cooked traditional Christmas dinner and bring your friends.

Christmas Services Carol Service – Next Sunday 17th December at 6.30 pm Christingle and Nativity Play – Sunday 24th December at 5.00 pm Midnight Mass – Sunday 24th December at 11.00 pm Said Mass – Christmas Day at 8.30 am (from the Book of Common Prayer) Parish Mass for all – Christmas Day at 10.00 am

pick up your January – March Bible reading notes today. £4.50

Advance Notices Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in November 2018. Pick up a leaflet at the back of church to find out more

IN OUR PRAYERS : Pray for those who are sick in body, mind or spirit;

Leah Theakston, Linzy Bromfield, Roy Askew, Amiee Fields, Joanne Fisher, Alfie Hughes, Oliver Rooney, Marie King, Bruce Askew, Francine Jacobs, Katie Tinkler, Lorraine & Andrew Johnson, Shania Dempsey-James and Tom Luxton. We also pray for the recently departed, and for those whose anniversary falls at this time, especially Fernando Bell, L Emmanuel, Vera Woody, Johnny Johnston and Leonard Leighton.

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Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included in this service is

copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000.Scripture readings from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible copyright

© 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

The Prayer of the Day is copyright 1997 ICEL. all rights reserved.

11th December 2017

2ND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

A very warm welcome to St Andrew’s this morning, especially any visitors. Do please stay for coffee and juice after the service.

Entrance hymn 55 Hail to the Lord’s anointed (Omit verse 4)

Priest In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. All Amen.

Priest The Lord be with you All and also with you.

Prayers of Penitence at the Advent Wreath

Priest People of God: be glad! Be strong in hope; for your God comes to save.

Heavenly Father, you call us to repent of our sins: All soften our proud and stubborn hearts.

Priest Lord Jesus,you declared the forgiveness of God: All teach us to forgive one another.

Priest Holy Spirit, you search our hearts and show us the truth: All direct us in your way of righteousness.

The first & second Advent candles are lit

All Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy, Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy,

The priest pronounces the absolution

Prayer of the Day Father in heaven, your sent your Son to redeem the world and you will send him again to be our judge: give us grace so to imitate him in his humility and purity that, when he comes again we may be ready to greet him with joyful love and firm faith; We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Readings next Sunday: Advent 3 Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 • Psalm 126 • 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 • John 1:6-8, 19-28

First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lod, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

This is the Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Psalm 85:8-13 Please join in saying the bold text

8 I will listen to what you have to say O God,for you speak peace to your faithful people and to those who turn their hearts to you.

9 Truly, your salvation is very near to those who revere you,that your glory may dwell in our land.

10 Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth shall spring up from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

12 You, O God, will indeed grant prosperity,and our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness shall go before you,and peace shall be a pathway for your feet.

Second Reading 2 Peter 3:8-9, 14 -15a But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him.

This is the Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel Acclamation : Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Creator of the stars of night, Your people’s everlasting light, Our tower of strength and Dayspring bright. Alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

All praise eternal Father, Son, And Holy Spirit ever one, Your power be known, your Kingdom come. Alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Gospel Reading: Mark 1:1-8 The Lord be with you And also with you Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark

Glory to you O Lord.

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

This is the Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you O Christ.

Offertory hymn 1. Onward, Christian pilgrims, Christ will be our light;

see, the heav'nly vision breaks upon our sight! Out of death's enslavement Christ has set us free, on then to salvation, hope and liberty.

Refrain Onward, Christian pilgrims, Christ will be our light; see, the heav'nly vision breaks upon our sight!

2. Onward, Christian pilgrims, up the rocky way, where the dying Saviour bids us watch and pray. Through the darkened valley, walk with those who mourn, share the pain and anger, share the promised dawn! Refrain

3. Onward, Christian pilgrims, in the early dawn; death's great seal is broken, life and hope reborn! Faith in resurrection lightens pilgrims' hearts, every load is lightened, every fear departs. Refrain

4. Onward, Christian pilgrims, hearts and voices raise, till the whole creation offers perfect praise: swords are turned to ploughshares, pride and envy cease, truth embraces justice, hope resolves in peace. Refrain

text Michael Forster (b 1946) © 1999 Kevin Mayhew Ltd. reproduced with permission, CCLI license 2306354.