Sunday Worship 15 December 2024

December 15, 2024 colind

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Today’s service is led by the Revd George Watt

Introduction

Hello, my name is George Watt. I am Moderator of Thames North Synod of the United Reformed Church which involves overseeing the 110 churches in North London and the surrounding counties and its ministers. I can usually be found out preaching in one of those churches every other Sunday. I have been a minister for over 30 years having served in Southampton, South London, and Surrey. On this third Sunday in Advent we are looking at John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus. He prepared people for the coming of Jesus and we are in that season of preparation with Christmas not far away. We will also hear from the prophet Zephaniah and the Apostle Paul who will also be teaching us about preparing.

Lighting of Advent Candles

As we light the third candle of Advent, we look forward to the coming of the Light of the World, and give thanks for those who in the past brought light into our dark world. We rejoice in the prophets including John the Baptist who spoke God’s Word to us. We pray for the increase of light which finds fulfilment in Christ.

Call to Worship

Surely God is our salvation.
We will trust, and we will not be afraid.

For the LORD GOD is our strength and our defence.
He has become our salvation.

With joy we will draw water from the wells of salvation. On that day we will say: Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name.

Make known what he has done among the nations.
Proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done glorious things.
Let this be known throughout the world.

Shout out loud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel who lives amongst you.

Hymn Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Charles Wesley 1744, Public Domain, sung by Lythan and Phil Nevard and used with their kind permission.

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious new realm bring.
By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.

Opening Prayers

Let us pray: Lord, we look forward with anticipation as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We want to shout out ‘are we nearly there yet?’ But waiting and patience is part of life and your plans.

We thank you that this is not wasted time. It gives us the opportunity to write or email Christmas greetings to friends and family. We have time to think about what presents we should be buying to show our love for others. There is all the food to prepare for the big day.

But it is also a time to hear you speaking to us through the prophets. A time to get ready to receive the king of kings, born into our world, so that Christmas isn’t just yet another day. Lord, we are bowled over that Jesus should come and live amongst us and we are not worthy to receive him into our midst.

So, we have an opportunity to look at ourselves and how we act to see if we are worthy to meet with him.

We are blessed that we are so rich, although we don’t recognise it. We have not just two coats but a wardrobe full of clothes, while others even in this country go cold. We have stuff, lots and lots of stuff and yet we look for even more this Christmas, when others don’t even have a place to call home. Our tables will groan with foods of all descriptions as we rightly celebrate with others, but there are those who will grow hungry.

Challenge us about our consumerist lifestyles and help us look to the example of John the Baptist who lived, ate and dressed simply. As we enjoy so many good things may we not desire more but share with others what we already have.

Here is good news that although we do not deserve God’s love, yet he has lavished it on us with the sending of Jesus into the world. He sends his prophets to challenge us and gives the opportunity to change our lives around, so that not only are we blessed but we can bless others. Thanks be to God.

We gather up our prayers now as we say together the Lord’s Prayer in whatever version or language you are familiar with:

Our Father …

Reading Zephaniah 3:14-20

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away the judgements against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors at that time.
And I will save the lame and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.

Hymn Joy to the World, the Lord is Come!
Isaac Watts 1719 sung by the choir of Bessacarr Evangelical Church

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room,
and heav’n and nature sing (x3).

Joy to the earth, the Saviour reigns!
Your sweetest songs employ,
while fields and streams, and hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy (x3).

He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness
the wonders of His love (x3).

Reading Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Reading St Luke 3:7-18

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’ And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

Hymn Hail to the Lord’s Anointed
James Montgomery (1821) Public Domain, sung by the virtual choir of St Mark’s United Methodist Church, Houston, USA

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, great David’s greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed, his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression, to set the captive free;
to take away transgression, and rule in equity.

He comes with succor speedy to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying, are precious in his sight.

He shall come down like showers upon the fruitful earth;
love, joy, and hope, like flowers, spring in his path to birth.
Before him on the mountains, shall peace, the herald, go,
and righteousness, in fountains, from hill to valley flow.

To him shall prayer unceasing and daily vows ascend;
his kingdom still increasing, a kingdom without end.
The tide of time shall never his covenant remove;
his name shall stand forever; that name to us is love.

Sermon

A phrase that popped into my mind in preparing for this service which is one you don’t hear very often is ‘betwixt and between’ meaning neither here nor there. And that is how we can sometimes feel as Christians that we don’t feel we belong in this world and yet we haven’t entered into the new world that has been promised for us. It is all the more frustrating when the scriptures paint such an exciting picture of what God’s kingdom will be like. Zephaniah talks about the time when God will bring us home. John the Baptist points to a clearing out so that the kingdom might be a fruitful one.

All of this reminds me of the Gospel song:

This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through,
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

And that is how we might feel with all that is going on around us with conflicts, injustice and general sadness. We don’t belong here and long to be somewhere else.

But those same scriptures which are about future vision and hope are also ones which point to the possibility of transformation now. And how can we say that the world is not our home when this is where God sent his son Jesus to. Jesus who was willing to give up everything to come here to live amongst us. God did not give up and still does not give up on this world. The vision of what might become a reality now if we cooperate with God in making it happen.

Zephenaiah speaks of a world of healing and justice for the marginalised and overlooked. God says, ‘I will save the lame and gather the outcast.’ Echoes of Jesus words that the first will be last and the last will be first. During COVID I was queuing up literally down the length of the street outside the Doctor’s surgery for my flu jab. An elderly couple started making their way down the road to the end of the queue. With one voice we told them to turn around and go to the front of the queue. So what if it meant that we had to wait a bit longer. If only that were applied to other parts of life. God condemns the prejudices and self-centredness of much of our lives. We don’t always recognise our privileges and we are quick to demand our rights. But the life of discipleship means we are called to change our thinking and the way we act. ‘After you..’ shouldn’t just be a politeness but a genuine, deliberate act.

Paul, of course isn’t saying that rejoicing belongs in the future but should be a facet of our lives now. We can focus on the negative and have a face like we are eating ‘soor plooms’ (translated to sour plums, a Scottish sweet.) Not that we should go around with an inane grin. But the warmth of a smile can convey the joy that we know and lift others’ spirits, because we have much to rejoice about. And if the people we encounter are lacking joy then it is not just a smile that they need but our encouragement and sometimes practical support.

John the Baptist doesn’t always get good press and when he calls his listeners a brood of vipers, that doesn’t strike you as being very encouraging. But sometimes you need prophets like John to say it like it is. The problem comes when that is all they say. John, as brash as he is, also brings a word of good news. There is the possibility of a fresh start, a new beginning. That is what repentance is about, turning away from how we used to act and do things differently.
John responds to the people’s question – ‘What should we do?’ He offers very practical advice. He says to some, if you have two coats then give one away to someone who doesn’t have any. If you have surplus food give it to those who are hungry. If you are a tax collector, don’t demand more than you should. If you are a soldier don’t abuse your position and extort money by threatening or blackmailing.

John begins with what we might see as charity, if you have something spare give it away. But it is more than charity it is a just redistribution of wealth. His reference to tax collectors and soldiers is perhaps surprising. John is saying that those who are sometimes regarded as outside of the kingdom can be part of the kingdom. The Tax Collector working for the Romans and the Roman soldiers can be holy in the way they carry out their work. We live in a world where some careers are held in greater esteem than others. John doesn’t say give up your jobs, but do them with integrity and reflecting God’s values.

Betwixt and between, neither here nor there. But that is not how God wants us to be. We look forward to being part of the kingdom in all its fullness, but may we open our eyes to see how the kingdom is here and each one of us, yes, each one of us are called to build that kingdom here on earth.

What should we do? We should value the marginalised and overlooked. We should rejoice about what God has done, is doing and will do. We should live our lives well, so that others are blessed and God is honoured.

Affirmation of Faith

We believe in the parent God
who loves us and cares for the least and the lost.
We believe in Christ who stepped into the world
because he believed change was possible
and began the transformation.
We believe in the Holy Spirit
who sets our hearts on fire
to build God’s kingdom here on earth as in heaven.
We believe in the Church, not the institution,
but the radical bunch of disciples who listen to what we should do.

Hymn Christ’s is the World in Which We Move
John Bell ©1989 WGRG, Iona Community, Govan, Glasgow G51 3UU, Scotland OneLicence. Unknown performer on YouTube.

Christ’s is the world in which we move;
Christ’s are the folk we’re summoned to love;
Christ’s is the voice which calls us to care,
and Christ is the one who meets us here.

To the lost Christ shows his face,
to the unloved he gives his embrace,
to those who cry in pain or disgrace
Christ makes, with his friends, a touching place.

Feel for the people we must avoid –
strange or bereaved or never employed.
Feel for the women and feel for the men
who fear that their living is all in vain.

To the lost Christ shows his face,
to the unloved he gives his embrace,
to those who cry in pain or disgrace
Christ makes, with his friends, a touching place.

Feel for the parents who’ve lost their child,
feel for the women whom men have defiled,
feel for the baby for whom there’s no breast,
and feel for the weary who find no rest.

To the lost Christ shows his face,
to the unloved he gives his embrace,
to those who cry in pain or disgrace
Christ makes, with his friends, a touching place.

Feel for the lives by life confused,
riddled with doubt, in loving abused;
feel for the lonely heart, conscious of sin,
which longs to be pure but fears to begin.

To the lost Christ shows his face,
to the unloved he gives his embrace,
to those who cry in pain or disgrace
Christ makes, with his friends, a touching place.

Prayers of Intercession

We are living in a dark world. | The light of the world is coming.

Lord, John the Baptist warned against snakes. Those who plan and plot evil. We pray for those who are their victims, victims of crime, violence and exploitation. This is not how you want things to be. We pray for freedom for them, so that they need not be afraid.

We remember especially those who have suffered as a result of crimes of genocide and flouting of human rights, which was marked in the last week.

We pray for those who speak out for justice in this country and across the world. We give thanks for those who offer protection to others. For Police Officers, Social Workers, parents, teachers and others.

We pray for the perpetrators, that they might have a change of heart and mind.

We are living in a dark world. | The light of the world is coming.

Lord, John the Baptist warned against the consequence of bad decisions. We pray that we would learn to take care of this planet. You have sent prophets to warn us of the consequences of not changing. Help us to make the right decisions about how we live our lives so that as we act together we can step back from the brink of destruction.

We pray for governments and corporations that they would be good stewards of resources, so that the future of the planet might be ensured. But also that there would be a just and fair sharing of those resources so that there would be an end to poverty, hunger and homelessness.

We are living in a dark world. | The light of the world is coming.

Lord, John the Baptist encourages us to live our lives in a way which reflects that we are following in the footsteps of Christ. We pray that you would show us the way of peace and love. We sometimes think that we can’t do very much to bring about change. But help us and all those of faith and goodwill to stand up for what is right even if they feel they are a lone voice.

We pray for relationships under strain or breaking. We pray for peace within families so that children can grow up with security.

As we prepare to celebrate International Migrants Day we pray that you would help us not just to love those close to us, but to love those who are strangers. We thank you for those who come to our country and enrich it with their presence and contribute to our nation. We pray especially for those coming to seek refuge who don’t always find a welcome. Help them to feel safe and accepted here. For them and for all migrants separated from their loved ones may they still feel them close and held in each other’s hearts.

We are living in a dark world. | The light of the world is coming.

All these prayers we offer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is present with us now but will come in all his glory to establish his kingdom in all its fullness. Amen.

Hymn Hark the Glad Sound the Saviour Comes
Philip Doddridge 1735 Public Domain Liverpool Metroplitan Cathedral Choir

Hark, the glad sound! The Saviour comes,
the Saviour promised long!
Let every heart prepare a throne,
and every voice a song.

He comes the pris’ners to release,
in Satan’s bondage held;
the gates of brass before Him burst,
the iron fetters yield.

He comes the broken heart to bind,
the bleeding soul to cure,
and with the riches of His grace,
to enrich the humbled poor.

Our glad Hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim;
and heav’n’s eternal arches ring,
with Thy beloved Name.

Dedication Prayer

Lord we bring to you all that we are and all that we have to be used by you to build your kingdom. We may not have very much, but what we have we bring to you, knowing that you can multiply our small offering. Use us and our gifts to make a difference.

Blessing

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Sunday Worship 15 December 2024

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