Saint Leonard’s Advent Service Welcome to our OpenCast church service - on-line. There are prayers, readings, hymns and music; just as you would have in church. As you read through this service you may care to say aloud the bold text. To hear the music and the readings, click on each title (red, underlined text) (and remember to adjust the volume on your speakers).

Welcome

As we approach this Advent of expectation, draw us together in unity, that our praise and worship might echo in the internet and also through our lives. As we approach this Advent of expectation, draw us together in mission, that the hope within might be the song we sing and be the melody of our lives. As we approach this Advent of expectation, draw us together in service, that the path we follow might lead us from a stable to a glimpse of eternity. Amen.

Hymn

” O Come, O Come, Emmanuel “

Intercessions

Advent God, as we prepare to journey with you to Bethlehem’s stable and glimpse a new-born King, with ears attuned to the song of angels, with eyes alert for Bethlehem’s star; forgive us if on our journey if we are distracted by the tempting offers of this world. Keep our hearts aflame with the hope of Christmas, and the promise of a Saviour. Amen God of hope, be with us in our Advent journey to the stable and beyond, be with us in our meeting and in our travelling together, be with us in our worship and our praying together. Be with us in our Advent journey to the stable and beyond. Amen Restore us, O Lord, we pray, and bring us back to that place where we once met, as shepherds to the stable after hearing angels sing. Bring us back to that place when our love was fresh, not embarrassed to express itself in praise to our heavenly King. Restore us, O Lord, we pray. Amen

Reflection

First

published

in

‘The

New

Yorker’

(November

1990)

entitled

"Short

and

Sweet"

At

my

mother’s

Thanksgiving,

of

course,

after

the

food

was

put

on

the

table

my

father

prayed,

in

a

singsong

voice,

thanking

the

Almighty

for

many

blessings, of which he would list a few.

Apart

from

the

blessings

of

faith,

there

are

fundamental

human

comforts

to

be

grateful

for

-

food,

the

love

of

those

around

us,

life

in

a

free

country

-

and

my father did not hesitate to cite them.

I do, too.

But,

as

I

take

the

rolls

out

of

the

oven

and

nuke

the

gravy

for

a

minute

in

the

microwave,

I

try

to

imagine

a

little

prayer

for

my

dinner.

The

wild-rice

dressing,

the

gorgeous

bird,

the

yams

-

do

I

really

intend

to

take

all

the

credit

for this?

A

dinner

this

good

requires

a

half-minute’s

graceful

pause

as

we

watch

the

sparks

rise

into

the

stars

and

we

feel

grateful

and

we

confess

that

life

is

good.

Even when it’s confused, it’s good.

And, in this country, too; as we anticipate Christmas - make out our shopping lists, struggle to get to one of many local supermarkets, shop in, cash out, and return home through the traffic - prepare our Christmas meals, struggle to eat so much good food, put off the washing-up - do not avoid the opportunity to pause (and make it “a grateful pause”) - then “feel grateful and confess that life is indeed good”. Thank God, it is. Garrison Keilor Veteran American broadcaster and wit

Worship Song

“ Awaken and Prepare Us ” Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) Christ has no body now but ours. No hands, no feet on earth but ours. Ours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Ours are the feet with which he walks about to do good. Ours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Ours are the hands, ours are the feet, ours are the eyes, We are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but ours.

Blessing

Father God, every word in scripture points to the gift of hope that we have because of Christ Jesus. The Christmas story wasn’t the beginning of that message of hope because the old testament is full of glimpses of your plan to redeem your people and restore them into a relationship with you, but we are able to truly begin to see and understand just how great your love for us is when we read the story of Jesus’ birth in scripture. Help us to see that you are with us. Nothing is too difficult, too messy, or too dirty for you. Jesus came to give us the gift of eternal life through the salvation that only you, our Heavenly Father, can give when we believe on your Son, repent of our sins, and confess Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Help me to enjoy Advent and look forward to you coming into my life for a further year. Amen.