Third Sunday of Advent Third Sunday of Advent – 12 December 2021 The Faith Nurture Forum would like to thank Revd Professor Charlotte Methuen, Professor of Ecclesiastical History, University of Glasgow, Assistant Priest at St Margaret Newlands, SEC, Convener of the SEC Inter-Church Relations Committee, for her thoughts on the third Sunday of Advent. Weekly Worship, based on the Revised Common Lectionary, is for everyone – in any capacity – who is involved in creating and leading worship. It provides liturgical material that can be used for worship in all settings. Our writers are asked to share their approaches to creating and delivering this material to equip leaders with a greater confidence and ability to reflect on their own worship practice and experience and encourage them to consider how this material might be adapted for their own context. We would encourage continual reflection on the changing patterns of worship and spiritual practice that are emerging from disruption and how this might help identify pathways towards development and worship renewal. We may not all be gathered in the same building, but at this time, when we need each other so much, we are invited to worship together, from where we are – knowing that God can hear us all and can blend even distant voices into one song of worship.

Introduction ................................................................................................... 3

Zephaniah 3:14-20 ......................................................................................... 3

Isaiah 12:2-6 .................................................................................................. 4

Philippians 4:4-7 ............................................................................................ 5

Luke 3:7-18 .................................................................................................... 6

Sermon ideas ................................................................................................. 7

Prayers .......................................................................................................... 8

Alternative Material – post COP26 ................................................................ 12

Musical suggestions ...................................................................................... 22

Reflecting on our worship practice ................................................................ 23

Useful links ................................................................................................... 25

Introduction Advent is the period of preparation leading up to Christmas, in the same way that Lent is the prayer of preparation leading up to Easter. It is the season in which we prepare to celebrate the incarnation whilst also reflecting on the Christ’s second coming and therefore on the end of the world. As a season of preparation it is also a penitential season, which is why the liturgical colour is purple. This can sit somewhat uncomfortably with the busyness of preparing for Christmas, especially if people are already caught up in a round of Christmas parties, Christmas lunches and carol services. One of the challenges, as Paula Gooder puts it so well in The Meaning Is in the Waiting: The Spirit of Advent (2010), is to keep a sense of anticipation, in the sense of waiting, rather than anticipating Christmas by beginning to celebrate it during Advent, or even earlier. (When did you see the first Christmas tree this year or hear your first Christmas carol? Christmas chocolates appeared in German shops the first weekend in October, as I was preparing this material.) How do we keep the focus on preparation? One way is to think carefully about what music to use, keeping to Advent carols and hymns rather than choosing Christmas carols in the run up to Christmas. Another is to use an advent wreath, lighting one candle each Sunday through Advent and a fifth Christ candle on Christmas morning. The sequence of Advent 1, The Patriarchs; Advent 2, The Prophets; Advent 3, John the Baptist; Advent 4, The Virgin Mary gives a pattern to Advent which also offers an overview of salvation history. Another tradition of naming the candles on the Advent wreath sees them as representing hope, love, joy and peace (or hope, peace, love, joy, or various other orders! Be careful when choosing resources to make sure they match). Advent 3 is Gaudete Sunday: “Rejoice!” For that reason it may have a pink candle. It is named after the first word of the Latin translation of Philippians 4:4, the introit traditionally set for this Sunday: “Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say rejoice!” (Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.) The juxtaposition of the exhortation “Rejoice!”, which permeates the readings from Zephaniah and Philippians, with John the Baptist’s words of warning in the gospel reading (“You brood of vipers! … Bear fruits worthy of repentance!”) may provide food for thought in preparing worship and preaching for Advent 3.

Zephaniah 3:14-20 The Old Testament lesson is full of rejoicing. Zephaniah, a prophet associated with the reign of King Josiah, proclaims the time of redemption, the time in which all Israel’s sins will be forgiven and God will remove disaster, deal with oppressors, save the lame and gather the outcast. Commentators point out, however, that this explosion of joy comes at the end of a

book which is characterised by doleful prophesies and dire warnings. The majority of the book is taken up by what Carol Dempsey describes as “proclamations of judgment and imminent disasters” (1:2 - 3:8): against Jerusalem and Judah, Philistia, Moab and Ammon, Ethiopia, and Assyria, followed by God’s reproach against Jerusalem. Then comes God’s promise of future purification (3:8-13), culminating with the proclamation of hope, salvation, and restoration that forms today’s reading (3:14-20).[1] Zephaniah depicts God as “completely disgusted with Judah and Jerusalem because of their false and sensual worship (1:4-6; 3:1-5) and is enraged with the nations because of their unjust treatment of Judah (2:8) and their corrupt deeds (3:7).” However, “the rage and fury eventually dissipate as daughter Zion looks forward to salvation and restoration in the sight of all peoples.”[2] The joy and rejoicing expressed in today’s reading are in that sense a response to a period of difficulty and trauma in which the people of Judah felt cut off from or rejected by God. This might be an angle to explore against the backdrop of recent experiences such as the pandemic, petrol shortages and supply chain issues, and in the awareness that increasing numbers of people are experiencing mental health issues or a deep sense of isolation. What does redemption look like in these circumstances? What would cause us to rejoice? What would truly change our lives for the better? [1] Carol J. Dempsey, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk (Collegeville,

MN: Liturgical Press, 2013), introduction [2] Ibid

Isaiah 12:2-6 The psalm is replaced today by a canticle drawn from the First Isaiah (i.e. Isaiah 1-39). Gérard Nissim Amzallag argues that this canticle can best be understood as a text intended to be sung antiphonally, where the first part of each line is given in verses 1-3 and the response in verses 4-6.[3] (It would therefore be preferable to use the whole chapter, i.e. Isaiah 12:1-6, rather than beginning at verse 2.) Amzallag arranges the canticle thus (his translation, slightly amended with the “responses” in italics): You will say on that day: // And you will say on that day: I give you praise in singing, YHWH // Praise YHWH in singing, Call upon his name; for though you were angry with me, // make known his deeds among the nations; your anger was turned away, and you comforted me // proclaim that his name is exalted. Surely God is my salvation; // Sing praises to the Lord, I will trust, and will not be afraid, // for his glorious deeds; For my strength and my song is YHWH; // let this be known and he has become my salvation. // in all the earth.

You will draw water with joy // Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, From the wells of salvation. // For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.[4] As with Zephaniah, Isaiah 12 concludes a series of prophetic warnings with a song of hope, which also has an eschatological dimension. Amzallag finds that Isaiah 12 also points forward to themes that will be central to Second Isaiah, or Deutero-Isaiah (Isaiah 40–55), the source of many of the Old Testament readings associated with the Christmas season. Isaiah 12 affirms that “the blind destruction unleashed by the divine anger is none other than the first stage of a process that culminates with the emergence of an improved reality. … Isaiah 12 not only sends the survivors a message of hope but also urges them to take an active part in … a process of world redemption.”[5] Active hope is a strong theme in many Advent reflections: Isaiah 12 offers another way into thinking about what active hope might look like. [3] Gérard Nissim Amzallag, ‘The paradoxical source of hope in Isaiah 12,’ Revue biblique

123 (2016), 357-377 [4] Ibid., 365 [5] Ibid., 372

Philippians 4:4-7 Part of the closing exhortation in the letter to the Philippians, Paul in this passage calls his readers to joy and peace. Charles B. Cousar comments “We have encountered the word ‘joy’ so many times in this letter that it has to be considered a major theme of the epistle.” He also notes that in this letter, “joy is highly paradoxical; it appears when it is least expected—in times of trial and struggle.” It is “an eschatological reality,” and “often used in conjunction with hope.” Finally, “joy entails mutuality. One does not experience joy alone, but in the company of God’s people.”[6] Paul is writing these words from prison, although he does not say where; Cousar thinks that Ephesus is more likely than either Rome or Caesarea.[7] Wherever he is, Paul’s being in prison offers a reminder, as Grant R. Osborne comments, that deep joy can be experienced even in the most adverse circumstances: It is not our situation but the presence of God that determines the joy we feel. Like Paul, we are called to greet all the vicissitudes of life not with a weary sigh (though sometimes we just can’t help it!) or an angry shout, but with songs of joy— for no matter the situation, we are “in the Lord”.[8]

Kathy Grieb points out that we may need to keep our eyes open to recognise joy, but also that a sense of mutual joy can be cultivated. She describes how an Alabama pastor sought “to embody Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians in the daily life of his community”: He rises early every day for Bible study, prayer, and quiet time. At the end of that time, he writes a letter to someone in the congregation, giving thanks to God for something that person said or did that served to build up the body of Christ. Since he tries to write to a different person each day, the discipline helps him to be on the lookout for people and events that provoke thanksgiving and joy and to be prompt about acknowledging those gifts in the other. I can only imagine how the congregation’s life together has been affected over the years by this practice, especially when the letter goes to someone who disagrees with the rector about some policy or practice of the church. Both the rector and members of the congregation he serves would be subtly shaped to notice the gifts and deeds of the people around them.[9] Grieb concludes that what matters in the life of a congregation “is not … unanimity of opinion, … but … communal imitation of the Christ-like pattern of looking to the interests of others.” When this is present, she suggests, “Conflict does not disappear, but it is transformed into self-critical reflection that enables the community as a whole and everyone in it to grow more joyful and thankful over time.”[10] [6] Charles B. Cousar, Philippians and Philemon: A Commentary (Louisville KY:

Westminster John Knox Press, 2009), 84-85 [7] Ibid., 9-11 [8] Grant R. Osborne, Philippians Verse by Verse (Bellingham, WA, Lexham Press, 2017) [9] A. Katherine Grieb, “Philippians and the Politics of God,” Interpretation 61 (2007),

256-269, at 268-269 [10] Ibid., 269

Luke 3:7-18 Gail R. O’Day reflects that the Gospel lessons during Advent “move the congregation from the imminent judgment of the cosmos to the imminent birth of the Christ child.” The journey along that arc takes us through the stories of John the Baptist and of Mary, who encourage us to reflect on what we need to do to prepare for the coming of Christ, but also for the coming of the kingdom. John preaches repentance, and this is a repentance that looks forward and is active. For John there exist “explicit connections between repentance and bearing fruit.” He reminds his listeners that simply having a background in religion, or a religious heritage, is not enough: coming from a religious background cannot “void the need

for repentance or guarantee that one is fruitful.” As with Zephaniah, so also for John, the new order is rooted justice. He “demands a world where everyone comports themselves with an eye towards the well-being of the other and not their own advancement,” and these acts of justice are “preparation for the coming of the Messiah.”[11] For Viv Randles, John’s message is all about proper and appropriate preparation for the coming of Christ, and the coming of God’s kingdom: The crowds asked John what they should do to prepare themselves for an encounter with divine liberation. They realized their unpreparedness, knew they could not enter fully into the joy that was coming unless they were changed, allowed their priorities to be changed, renewed their relationships, with neighbours, between rich and poor, between native and foreigner, between powerful and powerless.[12] This is what Advent preparation should mean for us too: it is about “far more than a family party, a long weekend and the exchange of presents.”[13] [11] Gail R. O’Day, “Back to the Future: The Eschatological Vision of Advent,”

Interpretation 62 (2008), 357-370, at 366-368 [12] Viv Randles, “13th December: 3rd Advent,” Expository Times 121 (2009), Pages 79-80,

at 80 [13] Ibid

Sermon ideas The focus of this Sunday’s sermon will depend in large part on what has preceded it. It may be helpful to plan the preaching for Advent as a whole. Gail R. O’Day suggests that Advent “invites worshiping Christians to let go of conventional linear understandings of time and to enter into God’s time.” Particularly in this season, she suggests, “through the intersection of religious story and time in the liturgical year, … past, present, and future relate to each other cyclically …, not along an always-lengthening timeline.”[14] The “already but not yet” of Advent might offer a space to reflect on how we experience time, and how God works through time. This week’s readings provide some important insights into the intersections and interrelations between pain and joy, or between experiences of oppression and liberation, and our experience of time. Anyone who has experienced deep grief knows that moving through it is not a linear process. Reflecting on experiences of joy and sorrow may help us to see that in our own lives we also have profound experiences of “already but not yet”.

The focus on joy as the fulfilment of suffering could be a particularly important message in current circumstances, although this needs to be handled with care in order not to exclude those who do not currently experience joy in their lives. Read sensitively, Zephaniah, Isaiah and Philippians all speak a message of hope to those in difficult situations. Repentance is another important theme in the readings, with the focus on the reality of the new future that God promises and offers. There are parallels between Advent and Lent as penitential seasons which may provide a useful balance as Christmas nears and the pressure to consume increases. Kathy Grieb’s pastor offers a model for celebrating joy and thanks which could be used in an interactive sermon, or as an Advent commitment for the congregation. The key Advent theme of waiting is present in all these readings: Advent exists in the tension between the incarnation as a historical event, our experience of God with us now, and our expectation of the second coming. Advent hope is future but also already fulfilled. God’s promise is sure. [14] O’Day, “Back to the Future,” 258

Prayers In my Anglican/Episcopalian tradition we are not required to write prayers for the Sunday service, apart from intercessions, and for me this aspect of the brief is challenging. Some of the prayers that follow are based on the lectionary readings; others are drawn from resources available elsewhere. Prayers will need to be adapted to take account of the situation in December. Approach to God Surely God is my salvation: Let us sing praises to the Lord, I will trust, and will not be afraid: For God has done glorious deeds. God is my strength and my song: We proclaim God’s name. God has become my salvation:

Throughout all the earth. You will draw water with joy: Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, From the wells of salvation. Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

(adapted from Isaiah 12, in accordance with the reading of Gérard Nissim Amzallag) Prayer of preparation God of hope, who brought love into this world, be the love that dwells between us. God of hope, who brought peace into this world, be the peace that dwells between us. God of hope, who brought joy into this world, be the joy that dwells between us. God of hope, the rock upon which we stand, be the centre, the focus of our lives always, and particularly in this Advent time. Amen

from: https://www.faithandworship.com/prayers_Advent.htm#gsc.tab=0 Advent wreath prayers from Wild Goose Worship Group/Christian Aid First Sunday of Advent: We light this candle for all God’s people, struggling to be bearers of hope in a troubled world. God, as we wait for your promise, Give light, give hope. Second Sunday of Advent: We light this candle for all God’s prophets confronting injustice and restoring the dream of a world of freedom and peace. God, as we wait for your promise, Give light, give hope.

Third Sunday of Advent: We light this candle for all God’s messengers, preparing the way for change, signs pointing to a new age to come. God, as we wait for your promise, Give light, give hope. Fourth Sunday of Advent: We light this candle for all God-bearers, saying ‘yes’ to God’s challenge, accepting the pain and joy of an unknown future. God, as we wait for your promise, Give light, give hope.

Available online from Christianaid.org.uk Confession Introduction: God is the source of our joy, But our sin often hinders our joy and the joy of others. Let us confess our sins before God and one another. Confession: Gracious God, with joy You brought us into being. You created the world and called it good. And yet we have done so much to quell that goodness: we have fought with one another and failed to live in peace; we have shut out the stranger and disparaged the immigrant; we have ignored the needy and judged the poor; we have fallen short of Your command to be Your Beloved Community. Forgive us, Merciful God, and bring us back to the joy we find in You. This we pray in Your holy name. Amen. Assurance of Pardon and Forgiveness: The prophet Zephaniah reminds us of these truths: God rejoices over us with gladness; God renews us in love; God will exult over us with loud singing.

In the name of Jesus Christ, I proclaim: Our sins are forgiven. Amen

based on prayers by Stephen M. Fearing http://www.stephenmfearing.com/liturgy/advent3c

Intercessions Watchful at all times, let us pray for strength to stand with confidence before our Maker and Redeemer. That God may bring in his kingdom with justice and mercy, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That God may establish among the nations his sceptre of righteousness, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That we may seek him in the scriptures and recognise Christ in the breaking of the bread, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That God may bind up the broken-hearted, restore the sick and raise up all who have fallen, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That the light of God’s coming may dawn on all who live in darkness and the shadow of death, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That with all the saints in light we may shine forth as lights of the world, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.

From the Church of England Common Worship: Times and Seasons - Advent Blessing The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

(a traditional blessing, based on Philippians 4:6)

Alternative Material – post COP26 This material is provided by the Church of Scotland’s Resourcing Worship Team: Felicity Burrows and Phill Mellstrom. Advent is a time of waiting, and for centuries people have lived in the hope of justice, peace and freedom. Rather than being broken by this time of waiting, they have lifted up their pain, turning towards God and Scripture to sustain and comfort them. We know what was revealed at Christmas, and we can choose how we use this time of waiting, how we prepare to welcome God Incarnate. During this time of hope and expectation, how can we seek to take an active role in bringing about the promise of salvation and the restoration of God’s creation? In the weeks following COP26, can we find ways to cultivate an attitude of peace, hope, joy and love? The people of the Old Testament were waiting in darkness; in times of tribal warfare and foreign occupation, of injustice and institutionalised hypocrisy – longing for the Messiah to come in triumph to deliver them from their misery. We know that Christ came in humility, demonstrating love for the outcast and demanding justice for the vulnerable and oppressed. After the COP26 gathering of world leaders, we may feel that our own situation today is hopeless; we may feel anger at the lack of international action; or despair or helplessness at the scale of the global crisis. In our Advent readings, we see how despair and helplessness can resolve into a sense of hope for salvation and restoration, and joy comes when it is least expected. We can all bear good fruit, but we also need to let go of what is burdening us or holding us back so that we can make the promise of salvation and restoration of God’s intended order a reality.

Activities Prayer and action have been described as the inward and outward breath of the Christian. We can take our despair or anger to God in the assurance that God will hear us and speak into our emotions; we can ask for guidance and wisdom in how to act.

• Watch a short (3 minute) video in which Jo Love of the Iona Community speaks about praying prophetically

• A United Nations press release on 9 August 2021 concluded:“If we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe. But, as today’s report makes clear, there is no time for delay and no room for excuses. I count on Government leaders and all stakeholders to ensure COP26 is a success.”https://www.un.org/press/en/2021/sgsm20847.doc.htmWe have the promise of peace, and a message of joy. How do we continue to develop a culture of hope and joy in our local church or community in the context of climate justice?

• Reflection Taken from Pray Now 2011 – Saint Andrew Press, 2010“On Christmas Eve 1968, Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to orbit the Moon. One of the astronauts took a photograph, “Earthrise”, which became an icon of our new understanding of our place in the universe. It shows the gorgeous, cloud-flecked, blue-green Earth rising over the dead lunar horizon with the cold, starlit infinity of the universe behind it. In it, we could grasp both the tininess and the egregious hospitality of our home.”Watch Amanda Gorman recite her poem Earthrise (4:30 mins)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwOvBv8RLmo“Globalisation means interconnectedness. It means a world society; the vast multiplication of our capacities and abilities, the expansion of markets, the explosion of information technologies, tidal flows of capital into and out of local economies as global conditions change. It means new possibilities, new inequalities, new ways of exploitation and of liberation. It demands new ways of believing and doing, and it offers to faith new possibilities of understanding.But faith also illuminates these things. Global resources are God’s good gifts, and signs of our human relatedness and interdependence, not riches to be quarried and strip-mined from a victim Earth. Air, water and food are necessities which are the material reflection

of God’s care. Power – our ability to use God’s world – is also responsibility; to restore, to protect, to produce and share justly. Language, and its explosion into communications technology, has the potential for Babel-like misunderstanding and paralysis, but also for the slow discovery of the other, the different, as sister, brother, family. A truly global vision is of a unity, not of those-like-me, but of those different from me, whom God loves, and whom God challenges me to take seriously and treat justly.”

• Ask if any members of the congregation were involved in actions around COP26, or have

ever been part of a protest movement, taken part in a march or other activism, or lobbied their MP/MSP. Invite them to share their experiences.

• Invite individuals of your congregation or representative of local action groups to give a short introduction to how they are engaging with the issue of climate chaos, or discuss in small groups what work is being done in your local area for climate justice.

• There is a strong sense of hope linked to action among young people. Look at what other groups around the country are doing to raise awareness of climate change and how they are fighting for the interest of others. For example, look into the passion and community involvement of the Portobello and Joppa Parish Church Eco Group, convened by two 12-year olds https://www.facebook.com/PortobelloandJoppaParishChurch/ or the enthusiasm and actions of the ecumenical St Andrews Churches Eco Network

• Design a climate justice banner; if you have a craft or banner group, they might like to

make one to hang in church or display outside; look for craftivism groups (e.g. Stitches for Survival) that all ages can take part in or start your own craft project.

• Write a climate pledge that your congregation can sign up to (example). What

permanent changes can we pledge to make as a church and in our daily lives to encourage and demonstrate hope and joy?

• Working in pairs or small groups (e.g. families or home groups), write a prayer for the

care for creation based around the themes of the Advent candles of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, that can be used as a regular part of worship.

• Learn a new song on the theme of care for creation to sing as a regular part of the

worship service. For example https://www.resoundworship.org/projects/doxecology or https://music.churchofscotland.org.uk/inspire-me/playlist/creation-time

Spiritual resources, Meditations and Prayer activities Taken from Pray Now 2011 – Saint Andrew Press, 2010 The world is increasingly interconnected through the required resources all human beings have in common. Necessities such as physical shelter and sustenance, as well as global resources like power and water, air and food, cannot be denied as much-needed, but are often unavailable to many. However, even in the face of starvation and drought, poverty and disaster, there is an ability in humanity to draw strength and solace from somewhere beyond the physical and even the emotional. When people have used all means at their disposal and when they face desperate and devastating circumstances, it is in these times that the spirit comes into its own. Beyond material, beyond emotional, beyond humanity even, the spiritual dimension to life seems to make most sense when people feel they cannot go on, when human energy is spent and the weight of life’s questions is too much. It is in these moments that our spirituality is our greatest resource as we connect what lies within us to the God who recreates, refreshes and restores, bringing hope, peace, joy and love. HOPE Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… [1 Peter 1:3] There! There, between the moment I call ‘now’ and the moment that comes next, sits hope, between the days whose weight has borne down on us, in lack of movement, lack of change, the lumpen oppression of the ‘aye been’ and the sheer terrorism of ‘and what’s going to change?’ – there hope sits. For Hope is the possibility that should not be, that to this eternal, hopeless ‘now’ linked by steel chains to what was, and what shall be, ‘same old same old …’

there is a beyond. Whether we recognise it or not, Lord, hope is the mark of your sovereignty, and our liberation. Hope is your gift. There, between the faith that is trust, and the love that is self-giving, sits hope: this trust, with only God for ground, that things shall be different, and all things shall be new. This knowing we are lived, that lets us love; this knowing-without-seeing of what God is like; not fully, but in part. Enough … to be getting on with … Prayer activity Sit in front of a wall in your home, or wherever you are, on the other side of which there is a space – a room, or a corridor – which you know well enough to visualise clearly. The important thing is the wall, and the known space on the other side of it. Now sit before it, and still yourself. Look at the wall. Take in its features. Dwell on its solidity. Touch it, if you wish, and feel its reality, its actuality. Visualise what is on the other side of the wall. Do so in detail. Look again at the wall and grasp the fact there is something beyond this. You may wish now to reflect on one of the scripture passages. How do they relate to the realisation that there is a ‘beyond’ to the human situations they invoke? PEACE And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:7] Lord, bless me with your peace. Centre me in your love that I may be secure in whose I am. Still my raging mind that I may be free to focus on what really matters. Quieten my prodigal tongue that I may be careful in the words I choose. Calm my body

that I may be rested and ready to journey. Open my heart that I may be responsive to those who need me. Make me a well of your peace. Lord, bless me with your peace. And may that peace become hospitality for others. May I offer serenity and security to those who crave shelter form the storm. May I be a discerning listener to those who need to talk. May I be a reconciling presence to those who have their differences. May the peace you have gifted me spill over into those I meet. Make me a channel of your peace. Lord, bless me with your peace. But may that peace galvanise me to fight for world peace. Take my mind and make it think how I can help others live with dignity. Take my tongue and make it speak for those who have no voice or power. Take my body and send me out To work against injustice and abuse. Take my heart and make it bleed for those who are broken by poverty. Make me an instrument of your peace. Prayer activity Take a moment of quiet. Concentrate on your breathing. See Jesus standing in front of you. He says: “Peace be with you, …” and says your name. Feel the peace of Christ wash over you. Breathe in the peace of Christ, letting it fill the centre of our being. Be at peace in the love that will never let you go. Rest in that peace for a moment. Reflect – What opportunities for peace-making did you notice or become involved in today/this week?

Give thanks for the peace that was made, or pray a simple prayer of “Peace be with …” and say someone’s name or name a situation. Breathe in the peace of Christ, letting it fill the centre of our being. Be at peace in the love that will never let you go. When you are ready, take that peace with you. For Christ’s peace has focused, strengthened and prepared you for whatever lies ahead. JOY Sing for joy, O heavens and exult, O earth; Break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people, And will have compassion on his suffering ones. [Isaiah 49:13] A sudden break within the dreary pattern A fracture of deadening reality by the feather’s touch of joy; Your gift! And all life comes to life. Joy has surprised me, Lord, but I can revisit it. It can resource – restore – my soul. I can go back to places when, and times where, I have glimpsed what-is as of-you. Of God. And sometimes still I am surprised by joy. I see what-is as good – no longer ‘just there’. So what … Did you not make great whales for sheer fun? For the joy of what they were, not what they were for? Might you not have made us like that too – to give you joy, and know the joy of being, and – even more – to know, in being, the joy of life in you? ‘To glorify God and enjoy him forever…’ Our joyless world: we take glorifying for grovelling, instead of a reverberant ‘thank you!’ that shakes the soul with joy. We have no place for joy. Joy is expelled before necessity, routine, and (what we take for ) reality…

Yet you, Lord, invade our grey souls, our alienated lives, with joy. As we trek across the wilderness, it flecks our path as though fallen from heaven. It is our manna, promise of plenty beyond the desert, and enough to live on – for now – joyfully. Prayer activity By its nature, joy possesses a ‘gift quality’. It comes from its object, suddenly and unexpectedly: an event, a painting, a piece of music, a piece of mathematics suddenly understood, an elegant goal, or try, or rally watched in a game; something an animal suddenly does, something in a landscape, the simple fact of another person’s existence. Joy takes us out of ourselves. Ultimately, it points us to God. For all these reasons, an ‘activity’ centred on joy is hard to conceive. Yet joy can be recollected. Simply list things which have given you joy. Then ask yourself how open you are to what joy God might give next. LOVE And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. [1 Corinthians 13:13] Love, Thrown around, a word everyday. I love your hair … I love coffee … I love that song… I really do not like that, God, that over-the-top diluting of the word … Because then, the word is inadequate when the stomach flips and breath is caught and beauty is clear, as if for the first time, in clouds, flowers, sunsets. ‘Love’, over-used, quickly attributed does not live up to: the confused realisation, the subverted perspective, the sacrificed ego when self fades from the fore.

‘Love’ – just another word with conditions, comparisons, caution. God who made love – not chemistry, biology, personality or history but mystery … eros, philia, agape. Beyond hyperbole, beyond words at all your love is all and more. God who made love, show us again how love is great so we can reclaim the word and the way. Prayer activity Love is complex and beautiful. Expressed and experienced in different ways, relationships and context. The Ancient Greeks had around 30 words to describe love in all its shades as opposed to our singular word. Ask God to move you towards a deeper understanding of Love (God is Love), as you reflect on how you have experienced and expressed love in different ways. Agape – the love of humanity: The kind of love which connects us to others on the basis of our shared experience as human beings. Storge – family love: The love shared between those in family context. Pragma – love which endures: The love between partners which develops over a long period of time – which endures in sickness and in health. Philautia – self-respect: The love and care that we give to ourselves. Eros – romantic and erotic love: Based on passion, attraction, magnetism and romance. Philia – shared experience: The love we feel for people we share a purpose or common goal with – our co-workers, team mates and colleagues. ECO EXAMEN • Centre yourself – take a few minutes to be still; silence can help, or closing your eyes, or

listening to some music. • Get rooted – set your feet flat on the ground and consider that God, in the person of

Jesus walked on this same earth. • Breathe – take a moment to notice your breathing – be aware of the air you breathe, for

some it is polluted and others it will be fresh.

• Let distractions fade – take a moment to notice the noise around you – it may be road noise, bird song, children at play or the comings and goings of others – notice it and let it fade to background.

• Get comfortable – notice where you may be tense and try and relax, and become as comfortable as possible wherever you are.

I give thanks to God for creation, for God’s work in creating you and the universe. Where did I notice the presence of God in creation today? I ask for the grace to see creation as God does. What beauty did I experience? Where did I hear the cries of the earth and the poor? I ask for the grace to look closely to see how my life choices imprint upon creation and other people. Where did I leave a mark today? What left its mark on me? Where did I trespass? Where did I walk humbly? I ask for grace as I recognise where I have fallen short in caring for creation and for others. Where did I sin – hinder love, mercy and justice? How did I work towards restoration? I ask for the grace to reconcile my relationship with myself, with humanity, with creation and with God, and to stand in solidarity through my actions. How can I repair my relationship with, and make choices consistent with my desire for reconciliation with myself, with humanity, with creation and with God? I offer a closing prayer God of all creation Holy is Your name. Your purpose and wisdom be known and Your original order be restored to this earth, our home. Help us all to have enough for today. Forgive us when we have trespassed and forgive those who mistreat and marginalise. Help us to be selfless and united in purpose In the pursuit of justice and equity.

All creation is Yours, help us dignify others and glorify You in everything we do, always. Amen. or “The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Musical suggestions Our online music resource is on the Church of Scotland website; you can listen to samples of every song in the Church Hymnary 4th edition (CH4) and download a selection of recordings for use in worship. You will also find playlists for this week and liturgical seasons and themes on the Weekly Worship and Inspire Me tabs. You can find further musical suggestions for this week in a range of styles on the Songs for Sunday blog from Trinity College Glasgow.

CH4 has a dedicated section entitled “Christ Incarnate – Promise of the Messiah” (numbers 274-292), which are suitable for Advent. Advent hymns are also listed in the topical index, under Christian Year/Advent.

• CH4 277 – “Hark the glad sound! The Saviour comes” – another classic Advent hymn

which picks up the themes of justice and joy

• CH4 281 – “People, look East” – a beautiful modern Advent hymn by Eleanor Farjeon which picks up some of the themes of the Zephaniah reading

• CH4 282 – “Christmas is coming” and

• CH4 284 – “Hope is a candle” are intended to accompany the lighting of the candles of the Advent wreath.

• CH4 334 – “On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry” – the classic hymn of John the Baptist, which resonates with many aspects of this week’s readings

• CH4 449 – “Rejoice! the Lord is King” – this Christological hymn sits a little uneasily with Advent, but it takes Philippians 4:4 as its refrain, and could be sung as a response to that reading

• CH4 474 – “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” – another traditional Advent hymn, rejoicing over the benefits brought by Christ

• CH4 772 – “In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful” – resonates with Isaiah 12 • Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Standard Edition 342 – “Awake, awake, fling off the

night” – often used at baptisms, this hymn speaks to the Advent theme of preparation. Tune, Grenoble

• Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Standard Edition 470 – “Hills of the North, Rejoice!” – an uplifting hymn of joy at Christ’s coming to the whole world. Tune, Little Cornard

Reflecting on our worship practice Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, the way we worship has changed and we need to reflect on the changing or newly established patterns that emerged and continue to emerge as a result of the disruption. We can facilitate worship for all by exploring imaginative approaches to inclusion, participation and our use of technologies in ways that suit our contexts. This is not an exhaustive list, but some things we could consider are:

• Framing various parts of the worship service in accessible language to help worshippers understand the character and purpose of each part. This is essential for creating worship for all (intergenerational worship) that reflects your community of faith.

• Holding spaces for reflection and encouraging prayer to be articulated in verbal and non-verbal ways, individually and in online breakout rooms.

• In online formats the effective use of the chat function and microphone settings encourages active participation in prayer, e.g. saying the Lord’s Prayer together unmuted, in a moment of ‘holy chaos’.

• While singing in our congregations is still restricted, we can worship corporately by using antiphonal psalm readings, creeds and participative prayers.

• Using music and the arts as part of the worship encourages the use of imagination in place of sung or spoken words.

• Use of silence, sensory and kinaesthetic practices allow for experience and expression beyond regular audio and visual mediums.

The following questions might help you develop a habit of reflecting on how we create and deliver content and its effectiveness and impact, and then applying what we learn to develop our practice. • How inclusive was the worship?

Could the worship delivery and content be described as worship for all/ intergenerational? Was it sensitive to different “Spiritual Styles”?

• How was the balance between passive and active participation?

• How were people empowered to connect with or encounter God? What helped this? What hindered this?

• How cohesive was the worship? Did it function well as a whole? How effective was each of the individual elements in fulfilling its purpose?

• How balanced was the worship? What themes/topics/doctrines/areas of Christian life were included?

• How did the worship connect with your context/contemporary issues? Was it relevant in the everyday lives of those attending and in the wider parish/ community? How well did the worship connect with local and national issues? How well did the worship connect with world events/issues?

• What have I learned that can help me next time I plan and deliver worship?

Useful links Up to date information for churches around COVID-19 can be found here

You can listen to samples of every song in the Church Hymnary 4th edition (CH4) and download a selection of recordings for use in worship here

You can find an introduction to spiritual styles online here You are free to download, project, print and circulate multiple copies of any of this material for use in worship services, bible studies, parish magazines, etc., but reproduction for commercial purposes is not permitted. Please note that the views expressed in these materials are those of the individual writer and not necessarily the official view of the Church of Scotland, which can be laid down only by the General Assembly.