Morning Service for Advent 3 2022
HYMN On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry NEH 12/AMR 50 – Winchester New
1 ON Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come then and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of kings.
2 Then cleansed be every Christian breast,
And furnished for so great a guest!
Yea, let us each our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.
3 For thou art our salvation, Lord,
Our refuge and our great reward;
Without thy grace our souls must fade,
And wither like a flower decayed.
4 Stretch forth thine hand to heal our sore,
And make us rise, to fall no more;
Once more upon thy people shine,
And fill the world with love divine.
5 All praise, eternal Son, to thee
Whose advent sets thy people free,
Whom, with the Father, we adore,
And Spirit blest, for evermore. Amen.
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen
PRAYERS OF PENITENCE
We recall our Lord’s command to love and in a moment of silence we confess
the many ways we fail to keep his command:
Most merciful God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess that we have sinned
in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
that we may do justly, love mercy,
and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen
May the God of love and power
forgive us and free us from our sins,
heal and strengthen us by his Spirit,
and raise us to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE COLLECT
O Lord Jesus Christ, who at your first coming sent your messenger
to prepare your way before you: grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries
may likewise so prepare and make ready your way
by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,
that at your second coming to judge the world
we may be found an acceptable people in your sight;
for you are alive and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
FIRST READING – Isaiah 35.1-10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
HYMN Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates – NEH 8 – Gonfalon Royal – Alternative AMR 53
1 Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates;
behold, the King of glory waits;
the King of kings is drawing near;
the Saviour of the world is here!
2 Fling wide the portals of your heart;
make it a temple, set apart
from earthly use for heaven’s employ,
adorned with prayer and love and joy.
3 Redeemer, come, with us abide;
our hearts to thee we open wide;
let us thy inner presence feel;
thy grace and love in us reveal.
4 Thy Holy Spirit lead us on
until our glorious goal is won;
eternal praise, eternal fame
be offered, Saviour, to thy name!
GOSPEL – Matthew 11.2-11
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
This is the one about whom it is written,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
SERMON
In the wonderful story of Alice And Wonderland one of the characters is a lock. The Lock is very restless and can not be still for a single moment. It is obviously hunting for something as it looks behind every rock and tree. As Alice watches the lock, her curiosity is aroused and she asks, “What is the matter?” The lock replies, “I am looking for something to unlock me.”
So John languishes in prison, he has dedicated his life, will give his life, to being a prophet of warning. He knows himself to be a herald, to urge people to take God seriously because he fears for them in the awful day of judgement he sees coming. He takes himself to the desert and lives on the margins of life. He calls out in obedience to God’s will but also in his love and compassion for his fellow man. He is as uncompromising as his message, unbowed and unimpressed by authority and worldly power – of course, as a public person with the ear of the people he couldn’t be allowed to live.
John undoubtedly knew what his fate was to be but naturally wants to know how the story will end, whether his instincts about Jesus were right. He had predicted the coming of judgement and doom but instead has heard of Jesus eating and drinking with everyone from tax collectors to Pharisees, prostitutes to the intelligentsia. John demands to know what’s going on. In his prison cell he cannot see beyond his own understanding, his own perception of how things should be – and this Jesus doesn’t sound like the long prophesied son of man coming with the clouds of heaven bringing power and glory and dominion for ever and ever. So naturally John asks ‘are you the one or do I look for another.’
Jesus replies with another set of prophecies, a different sort of future, and a different kind of son of man – God’s saviour rather than God’s judge, God’s healer rather than God’s warrior, God’s love rather than God’s anger.
It is easy to be a prisoner, we are all prisoners of our education, our experience, our limited imaginations – we can’t help it, it’s part of being human. But we must leave the door to the cell ajar, we mustn’t stay in our closed-in world of assumption and presupposition. If there is one thing that Christianity teaches it is that God always comes as a surprise – that’s certainly the message of Christmas. There has never been a prophet, and much less a preacher, who has ever guessed God right.
John’s self doubt and confusion in the dank, dark misery of his dungeon is a highly appropriate image for Advent. As we consider the concept of the second coming we must remember that the first was hard enough to spot! Perhaps we do well to concentrate on the words of Jesus and come to understand with all our hearts that when “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them” then there is God in our midst – in short, whenever there is healing of body, mind or spirit, wherever there is new hope, new love and new life – there is God.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Let us declare our faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures;
he was buried; he was raised to life on the third day
in accordance with the scriptures;
afterwards he appeared to his followers,
and to all the apostles: this we have received,
and this we believe. Amen. 1 Corinthians 15.3-7
HYMN The Lord will come and not be slow NEH 15/ AMR 52 – St Stephen
1 THE Lord will come and not be slow,
His footsteps cannot err;
Before him righteousness shall go,
His royal harbinger.
2 Truth from the earth, like to a flower,
Shall bud and blossom then;
And justice from her heavenly bower,
Look down on mortal men.
3 Rise, God, judge thou the earth in might,
This wicked earth redress;
For thou art he who shalt by right
The nations all possess.
4 The nations all whom thou hast made
Shall come, and all shall frame
To bow them low before thee, Lord,
And glorify thy name.
5 For great thou art, and wonders great
By thy strong hand are done:
Thou in thy everlasting seat
Remainest God alone.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION –
Lord, you are the source of all hope and healing. As we gather today, and winter approaches fast, may you warm our cold hearts and strengthen our weak spirits. Lead us away from the dark places where our doubts take us, and take us instead along your holy, hope-filled way. Amen.
Lord we pray for an end to the continued conflict in Ukraine and for all those who have been displaced as a result. As the temperatures drop over there and with power supplies significantly disrupted due to air strikes, we pray for the people suffering as a result. And we pray for Ukrainians now based in the UK who are missing family members this Christmas.
We also pray for the people of Haiti as their capital city’s population is living with the constant threat of violent kidnaps by desperate gangs, famine and the increasing risk of cholera. Lord protect the innocent victims caught in this abhorrent situation and help to bring some order and structure back to the City.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
This week we have seen more tension around different industrial strikes. As people react to this situation and with potential for ongoing pay disputes, we ask for calm and fair negotiations. We pray for those who mediate disputes and look to resolve them. May they listen carefully and speak with wisdom.
We also pray for those who are anxious about the cost of living, particularly with the colder weather and Christmas approaching. Help all who are struggling and worried about what the future holds. We pray for all charities supporting families in crisis.
Lord help those in positions of power to make fair and well thought through decisions regarding our nation’s financial situation.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
We pray for the primary schools in our Benefice, as they enjoy Advent and the Christmas celebrations. We pray especially for Amber Cole, the newly appointed Executive Head at John Keble and Ampfield Schools.
We pray that all the festive services and events which are taking place in the Benefice this month. Help us to make our churches warm and welcoming to new visitors.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
We pray for anyone who is sick in mind, body or spirit. Lord let them feel your presence and lift their spirits. In a moment of silence, we remember particularly those who are ill in our Benefice and ask that you support and protect them and their family, friends and carers. We pray especially for Roger Loman, Diana Axford……………
We pray for all those who have lost their lives in recent weeks thinking particularly of Philip House and Diane Bentley. We remember the family and friends who have lost loved ones recently and we ask that your presence brings them comfort, strength and hope in their grief.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Lord, we pray for William, the Rector of our Benefice serving our church community at this busy time. We also give thanks for Keith, Warwick and any others who minister for us in our churches. We pray especially for all those who sing or play the organ for our Benefice and give thanks for their skills and the time they give up for us.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
Lord, as we go out into the world, may we be signs of your coming kingdom. As we struggle through the dark, may we know that you are there with us. And, as we walk the way of faith, may we know that your faithfulness is deeper than our doubts. Amen.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, Amen
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
BLESSING
Christ the Sun of righteousness shine upon you,
scatter the darkness from your path,
and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory.
And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be among you, and remain with you always. Amen
HYMN – Christ whose glory fills the skies NEH 234/AMR 7 – Ratisbon
1 Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar, in my heart appear.
2 Dark and cheerless is the morn
Unaccompanied by thee;
Joyless is the day’s return,
Till thy mercy’s beams I see;
Till they inward light impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.
3 Visit then this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, radiancy divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.