Sunday,
November 30, 2014 1st Sunday of Advent, Cycle B
Sunday School
Themes
Explain how it
is the beginning of the Christian New Year
Review the 6
church season, quiz them about the liturgical colors of the season
Introduce the
Advent Wreath custom.
Provide kit
and instruction for family Advent Wreath
Provide Advent
Prayers for Daily Family Devotions for the lighting of the Advent Candle before
the beginning of the evening family meal.
Advent Candles
as an Advent Calendar to count down the weeks before Christmas
Introduce the
Jesse Tree Custom
Construct your
own version of a Jesse tree and have them collect or color or make symbols of
salvation history to place of the genealogy of events and personalities before
Jesus
The Gospel
theme is about being prepared for the arrival of someone important.
Discussion:
Have children discuss what happens at home in preparation for the visit of a
guest.
We clean the house and make special food
because we want to do the very best for our guest.
Then develop the theme of Advent as
preparation for the Comings of Jesus, his coming birthday celebration at
Christmas, but also the future event of the coming of Christ. This future coming expresses our strong
belief that justice and love is so normal that it will one day triumph.
Puppet Show:
John and Mary
John: I
decided that I have a favorite calendar.
Mary: Is there
more than one calendar?
John: Yes,
there a many, many calendars. The NFL,
Baseball, School, Television schedules,
Soccer and every group and organization have their own calendar because they
want to remind and invite people to participate in their events.
Mary: Okay, so
what is your favorite calendar?
John: My
favorite calendar is the Advent calendar.
Mary: I’ve
never seen one of those.
John: O yes
you have.
Mary: When did
I see an Advent Calendar?
John: The
Advent Candles and Wreath is the Advent Calendar.
Mary: How so?
John: It is a
weekly count down calendar to my favorite holiday.
Mary: I get it….no hard math for you. Just four candles plus the Christ candle for
Christmas. I’m glad you can count to
five.
John: Sarcasm
will get you nowhere. I like the weekly
and daily countdown for Christmas. An
Advent calendar reminds us to get our lives in order and not to rush too soon
to Christmas.
Mary: It
reminds us that some people need more basic gifts than fancy new ipads or remote
control drones. Some people just need
food and clothing.
John: Yes, the Advent wreath with the candles help
us to prepare our neighborhood by making sure people have enough food, clothing
and shelter. Wouldn’t it be really nice
if for one Christmas, we could celebrate the birthday of Jesus when everyone
had enough food, clothing and shelter.
Mary: Yes and wouldn’t it be nice if all war and
violence stopped for the birthday of Jesus.
John: So you see Advent is a season of preparation
and our world still needs lots of preparation to get ourselves in order for the
visit of Jesus as our special guest.
Mary: John, I like your Advent Candle too. I can’t wait until we can light the Christ
candle to celebrate again the birthday of Jesus.
St. John the
Divine Episcopal Church
17740 Peak
Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family Service
with Holy Eucharist
November 30,
2014: The First Sunday of Advent
Gathering Songs: Light
a Candle, Soon and Very Soon, O Come,
Let Us Adore Him, When the Saints
Song: Light A Candle
(tune: Jimmy Crack Corn)
1 Light a
candle for hope today, light a candle for hope today, light a candle for hope
today. Advent time is here. (Sing three times while first Advent candle
is being lit)
Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
People: And
Blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever.
Amen.
Liturgist: Oh God,
Our hearts are open to you.
And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.
Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship
you.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Liturgist: The
Lord be with you.
People: And
also with you.
Liturgist: Let us pray
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness,
and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which
your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and
the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Litany
of Praise: Alleluia (chanted)
O God, you are Great! Alleluia
O God, you have made us! Alleluia
O God, you have made yourself known to us! Alleluia
O God, you have provided us with us a Savior! Alleluia
O God, you have given us a Christian family! Alleluia
O God, you have forgiven our sins! Alleluia
O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead! Alleluia
Liturgist: A reading from the first letter of Paul to the
Corinthians
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of
God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been
enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind-- just as the testimony
of Christ has been strengthened among you-- so that you are not lacking in any
spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will
also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Liturgist: The
Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 80
Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, * the
son of man you have made so strong for yourself.
And so will we never turn away from you; * give us life,
that we may call upon your Name.
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; * show the light of your
countenance, and we shall be saved.
Litany Phrase: Thanks
be to God! (chanted)
Liturgist:
For the good
earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks
be to God!
For our families
and friends. Thanks be to God!
For the talents
and gifts that you have given to us.
Thanks be to God!
For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!
For health and
for a good night’s sleep. Thanks
be to God!
For work and for play. Thanks be to God!
For teaching and
for learning. Thanks be to God!
For the happy
events of our lives. Thanks be to
God!
For the
celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.
Thanks
be to God!
Liturgist: The
Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said
to his disciples, Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time of the
visit of the Son of Man will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he
leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the
doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake-- for you do not know when
the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at
cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.
And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."
Liturgist: The
Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Sermon – Father Phil
Children’s Creed
We did not make
ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.
Since God is so
great and we are so small,
We believe God
came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.
We need God’s help
and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We believe that
God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.
We believe that we
are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is
welcome.
We believe that
Christ is kind and fair.
We believe that we
have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.
And since we all
must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever. Amen.
Intercessory Prayer
Litany Phrase: Christ,
have mercy. (chanted)
For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.
For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.
For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.
For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children
in our world. Christ, have mercy.
For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.
For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.
For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.
For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.
Liturgist: The
Peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Song during the preparation of the Altar and the
receiving of an offering.
Offertory Song: Soon and Very Soon, (Renew # 276)
1 Soon and very soon, we are going to
see the king; soon and very soon, we are going to see the king; soon and very
soon we are going to see the king.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, we’re going to see the king.
2 No more crying there, we are going to
see the king; no more crying there, we are going to see the king; no more
crying there, we are going to see the king.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, we’re going to see the king.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all
creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost.
Prologue to the
Eucharist
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them
belong the kingdom of heaven.”
All become members of a family by birth or adoption.
Baptism is a celebration of our birth into the family of
God.
A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.
The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to
his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up to
the Lord.
Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made
us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts. Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all
of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord, God of Power and Might. Heav’n and
earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the
highest. Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the
highest. Hosanna in the Highest.
(Children may gather around the altar)
Our grateful
praise we offer to you God, our Creator;
You have made us
in your image
And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to
live by faith:
Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob
and Rachael.
And then you gave
us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph
And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.
Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us
this Holy Meal so that when we eat
the bread and
drink the wine, we can know that the
Presence of Christ is as near to us as
this food and
drink that becomes a part of us.
And so, Father, we
bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy
Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so
that we may love God and our neighbor.
On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said
the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said,
"Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the
remembrance of me."
After supper,
Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of
you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance
of me."
Father, we now
celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and
Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of
Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.
Let this holy meal
keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your
Son Jesus Christ. May we forever live
with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.
By Christ, and
with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory
is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
And now as our
Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,
(Children rejoin their parents and take up
their instruments)
Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)
Our Father who art
in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.
Done on earth as
it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Give us this day
our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.
And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.
As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.
Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.
But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.
Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy
name.
Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
Breaking of the
Bread
Celebrant: Alleluia.
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
People: Therefore let us keep the feast.
Alleluia!
Words of Administration
Communion Song: O Come, Let Us Adore
Him, (Renew! # 1)
O come, let us adore him; O come, let us adore him; O
come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
We’ll give him all the glory. We’ll give him all the glory. We’ll give him all the glory, Christ the
Lord.
For he alone is worthy.
For he alone is worthy. For he
alone is worthy, Christ the Lord.
We’ll praise his name forever. We’ll praise his name forever. We’ll praise his name forever, Christ the
Lord.
Post-Communion Prayer
Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus
asked us to keep;
We have remembered
his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.
And His Presence has been known to us.
We have remembered
that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers
and sisters in Christ.
Send us forth now
into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the
bread and wine spreads into each time,
place and person in our lives,
As we are ever
blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Closing Song: When the Saints, (Christian Children’s
Songbook, # 248)
1-O, when the saints go marching in, O when the saints go
marching in. Lord I want to be in that
number, when the saints go marching in.
2-When the boys go marching in….
3-When the girls go marching in….
Dismissal
Liturgist: Let
us go forth in the Name of Christ.
People: Thanks
be to God!
