4th. December. 2022. Service.
Inverkeithing linked with North Queensferry
Service of Worship 4th December 2022
Second Sunday in Advent
Prelude Dona Nobis Pacem
Bible Introit 786 “May the God of Peace go with us”
May the God of peace go with us as we gather in this place; may the love of Jesus keep us firm in hope and full of grace.
Collect
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Hymn 474 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
Call to Prayer
A voice in the wilderness cries out:
Prepare the way of the Lord!
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill be made low.
The crooked shall be made straight, and rough places, smooth.
A voice in the wilderness cries out:
All people shall see the salvation of God!
Lift up your hearts in expectation!
Praise to God who brings us peace.
Prayers of Adoration and Confession
God of peace and promise, giver of life, alive in us through the power of your Holy Spirit, your voice calls us from our selfish wandering and sets us once again on the paths of righteousness and peace for your Name’s sake.
You are the living water that purifies us, baptising us for service in this world so badly need of your love.
Refresh our souls and renew our minds in our time of worship together, and rekindle in us a desire to serve you each day that we live
May glory, honour and praise be yours now and always,
Holy One, Holy Three, our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier.
Merciful God, our baptism proclaims the washing away of our sin
and the start of our new life in Jesus Christ.
We confess that we still live in sin.
We sin against you and one another, often by thoughtless words, impulsive and careless actions, and sometimes in bitter reaction to things other people say or do. Sometimes we fail to do what we should, often because we lack love or compassion. We excuse ourselves and take comfort in familiar habits and traditions.
Forgive us when we mistake such comfort for the peace you offer us in Christ Jesus. Make us aware of our shortcomings and show us how we my find new and better ways of following him.
Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, proclaimed this hope: “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, giving light to those in darkness, guiding our feet in the way of peace.” Give us grace to receive God’s tender mercy today,
to trust that God’s peace will prevail in us and in all those who seek forgiveness in Jesus’ name.
Prayer for Understanding
Holy God, our holy scriptures have revealed your Word to your people in many generations. In the fullness of time, you revealed the Living Word in Jesus Christ. By the power of your Holy Spirit, make your word alive to us, illustrate it in ways our minds can grasp and embed it deep within our souls that we may discover your healing and reconciling power in our individual and communal lives today.
We thank and praise you for the blessings of this Advent season through Jesus Christ, the Saviour who comes to us full of grace and truth. In his name we pray,
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever. Amen.
Intimations
Coffee mornings this week, Tuesday 6th Inverkeithing 10:00-noon Wednesday 7th North Queensferry 10:30-noon.
Inverkeithing Christmas dinner 14th December at Noon. There are still a few places left so please speak to Joan if you wish to come.
We are hoping to put the Christmas tree up & decorate the Church on Saturday 10/12, if you can help, please come along to the Church at 12 after Choir practice.
As in previous years we are going to have a board for Christmas cards, please add you cards if you wish to & any donations will be sent to the Foodbank.
Christmas Choir Practice Inverkeithing Saturday 10th at 10:30 in the Church.
The Children’s Church Nativity Play this year includes a few non-traditional songs to familiar tunes. While the children and leaders will be doing the play themselves, it would be good to have some other adults to also help sing the songs. If you’d like a sneak preview of the play in return for helping us in this way, stick around after the service, and join us for the singing practice. Music and/or words will be provided. We also have spare copies of the music if anyone can’t join us for the practice but would still like to help with the singing. See Morag Wilkinson if you’re interested.
The Christmas Services
Sunday 18th December the Children’s Nativity and Family Services at the usual times in both congregations. There will be a Joint Carol Service at 6:30 pm in North Queensferry.
Christmas Eve: A Carol Service for both congregations will be held in Inverkeithing at 6:30pm.
Christmas Day: There will be a joint service on Christmas Day at 10:30 am in Inverkeithing.
Invitation to the Offering
This Sunday we celebrate the Advent of Peace, born for us in Jesus Christ. Think of your gifts as seeds of that peace which we can plant in the world God loves for Christ’s sake.
Prayer of Dedication
God, our Peace and our Promise, receive our gifts as seeds of gratitude for your gift to us in Christ Jesus. Bless these seeds with growth so that peace will take root in people who face conflict and danger, and places seeking to establish peace in the face of violence. Be their peace and their promise, through Christ our Lord.
All Age Talk
Look at that! There are only 21 days until Christmas! Are you ready? That’s a question we hear quite often these days, isn’t it? What do people mean when they ask if you’re ready for Christmas?
They might wonder what you need to do to be ready. So, what do you need to do to be ready for Christmas? But what I wonder is, are you ready for Christ?
In our Bible lesson today, we hear the voice of John the Baptist crying out to the people, “Prepare the way for the Lord. Fill in the valleys and level off all the mountains. Make the crooked roads straight and the rough places smooth.”
Do you think John the Baptist really wanted the people to work on the roads? What John really wanted was for the people to get ready for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He was telling people to get their hearts right and return to God.
No matter how good people may think they are, there are always some crooked ways and rough places in their lives. There are things such as dishonesty, selfishness, pride, jealousy, and many more. John wanted the people to make those crooked ways straight in preparation for Jesus’ coming.
During the Christmas season, we, too, can prepare by looking at our hearts and smoothing out rough places like dishonesty and selfishness. And the good news is, God will help us. Let’s ask Him to do that right now.
Dear Father, we want to be ready for You. Make our crooked ways straight and our rough places smooth. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Hymn 282 “Christmas is coming” (chorus & verses 1-2 )
Reading: Isaiah 11:1-9
11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him –
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord –
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash round his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea. Amen.
Hymn 284 “Hope is a candle”
Reading: Matthew 3:1-12
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.”’
4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt round his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the River Jordan.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The axe has been laid to the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 ‘I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’ Amen, this is the Word of the Lord, to him be all glory and praise.
Hymn 334 “On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry”
Sermon
If you like watching film, you know there has been a glut of fantasy movies in recent years. Superheroes galore: Superman, Batman, Spider-Man in which the battle between good and evil has an assured victory for the hero. I’m told that there are over 30 superheroes in the movies. Then add fantasy and sci-fi worlds — places where hobbits abound, or where the “force” is empowering people and creatures across the universe, or where blue skin is the norm. You get the idea: if it can be imagined, then someone will make a film about it. There are so many ways to alter reality in movies: scary worlds, wonderful worlds, worlds where nothing is as it seems.
Having enjoyed Tolkien and C S Lewis in the past, I thought I’d enjoy Amazon’s new Rings of Power, but I found it boring. It is easy to walk away from a film and know that it is just fantasy. But what about when a scripture seems too good to be true? Do we simply dismiss it as fantasy? Do we say, “Yes, that will never happen?” Or do we approach this as people of faith in an unfailing and awesome God who can, indeed, do anything? You will probably not be surprised that I am taking us into that last possibility today.
Last week we spoke about The Peaceable kingdom a depiction of Isaiah’s vision of a future creation. Today we look some more at what Isaiah has to say and our scripture begins with a promise of a new beginning. “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” The “Jesse” mentioned there was the father of King David. David himself was long dead by Isaiah’s time, but the verse about the shoot from the stump is apparently a reference to a new king to come from the Davidic line who will be empowered to help God’s people.
There are questions about which historical event in Isaiah’s time, if any, is meant by the image of the “stump,” but whatever is intended, the prophet points to a new beginning for Judah’s monarchy. Isaiah describes it like this: “The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him [the “shoot”], the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.”
Isaiah goes on to describe this individual upon whom the spirit of the Lord rests. He shall judge the poor with righteousness and decide with equity for the meek. With the “rod of his mouth” he will strike the earth and with this breath he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness and faithfulness will be part of his everyday attire. All of which is to say, things will be drastically different than they are right now! The inequities and harsh realities of the present will be dealt with in a way that is both fair and just.
While all that sounds great, what follows sounds amazing! The wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the goat, the calf and the lion, the cow and the bear, all living together peaceably … and a little child leading them. The young — all lying down together, the lion eating straw, the baby playing over the hole where a snake dwells and the weaned child putting his hand on the poisonous adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on God’s holy mountain; “for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
What is this? Fantasy… or a vision of things to come? Do we dare hope for such a thing? It’s easy to talk about hope as though it is an easy thing to come by, but of course it’s not that simple, and it’s not easy. No, but nonetheless here’s what it is: a matter of faith.
We’ve all seen works of art with wolves and bears and other dangerous animals quietly feeding together, and they are all being led by a baby whom we know to be the infant messiah. Sometimes images like that make it on cards wishing us a joyous Christmas filled with blessed hope. This reading from Isaiah 11 has become tied to Advent and Christmas because when read through the lens of the New Testament, the shoot from the stump of Jesse can be heard as a prophecy about the coming of Jesus, the Messiah from David’s line.
If we find a quiet time in the weeks leading up to Christmas, do we stop and think about scenes like the one on the card or those in works of art in a museum. Or have we become inured by cynicism to the idea. Do we dare to stop and say a prayer asking God for that vision to become reality.
A few things to note as we pray those prayers. First, it doesn’t take long to realize that much of life is unfair. Every child in school or in the community, and continuing throughout their life, becomes aware of the inequalities that exist at every level of life in privilege, possessions, authority and ability. They learn about prejudice, sometimes based on skin colour, and sometimes based on what your last name is or which part of the town you live in.
Also, we live in a world where hatred and crime and war are always in the news. Throughout this year, we have seen Russian troops invade Ukraine and recreate horrors reminiscent of the 20th Century wars. We see anger dividing people in our own land and throughout the world. Crime rates soar, daily we read of teenagers being killed on the streets of English cities. There are many places where it is simply unsafe to walk the streets. We say that some people are acting like animals, although that may be unfair to animals. And in the animal world the animals are acting like animals — wolves eating sheep and hawks swooping down on their unsuspecting prey, but that is how they feed and breed.
Where does Isaiah’s vision fit into a world filled with such violence that never seems to end? A Messiah! They needed one when Isaiah wrote these words, and we need one today!
When we read the words of Isaiah 11 from a New Testament viewpoint, we realize the Messiah described here is a Messiah for all peoples, just as the image of peace is one for all the earth. That is true throughout all the years since Isaiah wrote these words. The need for both a Messiah and for peace is clear.
We believe, of course, that the Messiah has come in Jesus. The problem for many of us is that, while the Messiah has come, there is no denying that the need for the Messiah remains. Or to put it another way, the work and mission of the Messiah is not yet finished, and it seems we are going backwards. This week the report of the 2021 t census in England indicated that now only 46.2% of the population there claim to the Christian. More people are indifferent to the notion of a Christian Messiah than those who accept this. You risk being scorned if you believe what we are talking about today!
We believe that Jesus was born, lived among us, died on the cross, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven. Jesus is the Messiah who saves us from our sin. But the sins of the world remain for all to see. Every day we see evidence and consequences of sin and evil around us.
But the evidence of the Messiah is all around us as well. Every day the Messiah makes a difference in our lives because the Messiah changes people and gives us hope. There are so many ways this happens. There are places around the world where such things are common. Here is a claim about one way that people are influenced by the Messiah through the church in America:
According to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, there are an estimated 350,000 churches in the U.S. This includes about 24,000 Catholic and Orthodox churches, and 314,000 Protestant and other Christian churches. So roughly, one church for every 1,000 people in the United States. The churches range in size from just a handful of people to congregations where thousands meet each week. But one of the remarkable things is that people’s need for worship and fellowship and service are being met in every one of those congregations. For many, attending worship is a respite from a world that is increasingly divided and not interested in the individual. In the church they call “their church,” people are known and loved and have opportunities to serve God and to serve others in many ways.
It is still true that churches meet spiritual needs through worship, through small groups and in creative ways that lift people and feed their souls.
We often forget that the medical care we enjoy and care for the poor started with Judaism, Christianity and indeed Islam. The ethos of Judaeo-Christian faith has permeated our society such that even without specific faith in God or Christ, loving compassion is still active.
Physical needs are met through food banks, clothing distributions and through community and state hospitals and schools. What is sad is that compassion and caring agencies are now being privatised for the benefit of investors so that they become less and less a consequence of disinterested love.
But nonetheless Christians continue to remain committed to the way of Christ. Through churches, youth and senior activities, Bible study classes and weekly worship and groups for all kinds of interests grow out of church fellowship and spread again into communities.
Jesus looked at the state of the world in his day, and he did not focus upon bringing about Isaiah’s vision by political power. He specifically indicated that faith in him and following his teaching would not bring about the paradise of the new creation in purely physical terms. Rather he predicted hostility and rejection such he endured as the outward outcome of our faith. Instead, he asserted that the Kingdom of God is realised within us in this life and manifests for us there. It’s ultimate realisation is in eternity, but it is an ideal for this life that we practise in this dualistic realm.
We hold on to our faith during this life in which terrible things continue to occur. We learn of grace compassion, love and forgiveness through it all. Love is a surer way to win people. Just the other day I came across documentary about the massive post Salazar era drug problem in Portugal and the cartel induced drug abuse in the Philippines. The Portuguese, as a desperate last resort, decided to de-criminalise hard drug use whilst president Duterte of the Philippines opted to imprison and murder both users and dealers. By treating drug addicts as people in need of care and love, Portugal has decreased its addict population by more than 75 % whilst the drug use in the Philippines, it was admitted there recently, is now totally out of control. Norway has adopted Portugal’s example with similar results.
In Jesus’ name we are called to create his peace and his kingdom within and to let it spread, not by coercion or imposition, but person by person. That is how Christianity spread in the first place. The grace of God spreading through interpersonal relationships.
In this way, the still, small voice of God coming to one person can make a difference. Leslie, a busy young professional woman believed God was telling her to knit scarves for a local men’s halfway house. There were about 50 residents, and Christmas was coming in less than four months. So, she started knitting whenever she could. She knitted furiously and, with about three weeks to go before Christmas, she realized she wasn’t going to get them all done. She sent a text to some of her knitting friends and was overwhelmed by their response. With a week to go, she and some of her friends delivered about 55 scarves. God cared about those men, but God also cared about Leslie and led her to give of her time and talents and resources to help others.
Yes, scarves are small items, but the impulse to help others leads some followers of Jesus to work for peace and social justice, to be present with those who are suffering, to do good works. The needs are real and overwhelming, but God calls us to serve the Messiah, Jesus Christ and to serve others. It’s not a fantasy. It’s a glimpse of things to come. God will bring the peaceful kingdom, but the time to start working toward that vision is now, and it is me and you together who are called to do that work and not wait for some supernatural future event. Amen
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
We thank and praise you O God, as your reign draws near
with the promise of justice, peace and security for all.
You created the earth and its inhabitants, and through the voice of the prophets crying in the desert, you have called us to prepare the way for your coming.
Through the scriptures, you have spoken words of steadfastness and encouragement, filling us with hope in your visions of peace.
You have come to us in your child, Jesus — the new branch growing from the stump of Jesse’s line — and have baptised us with Holy Spirit and fire.
Though he was killed, you raised him to life, and clothed him in righteousness and faithfulness so that as his reign dawns, justice may be found on the earth, peace may outlast the moon, and the knowledge of your wonderful grace flood the earth as the waters cover the sea.
God of the peaceable kingdom which Isaiah envisioned, where predator and prey are reconciled,
and children play in safety, we thank you for every step taken towards reconciliation among people who are estranged. We thank you for all who work to counter climate change or care for the vulnerable of the earth giving us all hope for an enduring future in the world in which so much is out of balance. God of peace and justice, make us better stewards of the gifts you give us.
God of John the Baptist’s rallying cry, you raised up John in the wilderness as a voice calling us to conversion. We thank you for signs of renewal and change in the church, and in communities grappling with historic injustice and current outcry.
Inspire advocates of change with courage and compassion. As we await the coming of Christ,
Show your church to new ways of undertaking ministry and mission and give us the energy and resources to implement them. God of peace and justice, make us better stewards of the gifts you give us.
God of steadfast encouragement, St Paul called the followers of Christ to live in harmony,
and welcome those perceived as strangers to you and to them.
Thank you for welcoming us when we were strangers into a new community, a new church or a life changed by unexpected circumstance. We pray for people who dread this Christmas season
because life has changed for them or live in circumstances that leave them feeling lonely and discouraged. Be with people we know are suffering in body, mind or spirit, and guide us to reach out to anyone who needs comfort or encouragement. God of peace and justice, make us better stewards of the gifts you give us.
God of justice and equity, the psalms, the prophets and the gospels proclaim your care for the poor, and your expectation that your people will look to the needs of the vulnerable. We thank you that our land has resources to share and pray that our leaders will tackle longstanding injustice and urgent need without excuse or delay. We pray for places torn apart by war, and for communities devastated by storm, flood, fire or drought. Challenge everyone who would hoard scarce resources or profit from the needs of others. Open our hearts to share what we can, even in these difficult times. God of peace and justice, make us better stewards of the gifts you give us.
Hear, O God, and strengthen us to serve you in faith and obedience as we offer our prayers through our Lord Jesus Christ to whom we give our worship and praise. Amen.
Hymn 476 “Mine eyes have seen the glory”
Sending out and Benediction
Go now and prepare the way of the Lord.
Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you,
and bear fruits worthy of repentance.
And may God grant you harmony with one another.
May Christ Jesus fill you with joy and peace in believing.
And may the Holy Spirit empower you and fill you with hope now and evermore. Amen.
“May God’s blessing surround you each day”
Postlude There’s a voice in the wilderness crying