A morning service during the Covid-19 restrictions
4th Sunday of Advent - December 20 , 2020

Advent Candle Lighting Ceremony
Reader 1: Today we light the fourth candle in our Advent wreath, the candle reminding us of God’s gift of love. Before we do that, let us remember God’s gifts symbolized by the other candles in the wreath: the light of hope, the light of peace, and the light of joy. (The first three candles are lit.) 

Reader 2: The fourth candle helps us to remember that God is love. (The fourth candle is lit.)
 
Reader 1: The Bible tells us that Jesus came because God loved the world so much. The angel Gabriel announced the pending birth to Mary, saying “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!” Mary was deeply troubled. She had many questions. It was a big responsibility. God had chosen Mary to help gift the world with love. She responded: “I am God’s servant. Let it be as you have said.” 

Reader 2: This fourth candle reminds us how much God loves us. Jesus was born into our world to show us how to love one another. 

Congregation:  God, thank you for loving us, and for sending us Jesus to teach us about your love. Help us to remember that your love will never come to an end. Strengthen us to love others as you love us. Amen. 
   #48 O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing

O for a thousand tongues to sing my dear Redeemer’s praise,				
the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace.

Jesus! The name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease,
‘tis music in the sinner’s ears, ‘tis life, and health, and peace.

He speaks, and listening to his voice, new life the dead receive,
the mournful broken hearts rejoice, the humble poor believe.

Hear him, ye deaf, his praise, ye dumb, your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your Saviour come; and leap, ye lame,f or joy!

My gracious Master and my God, assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad the honours of thy name.  Charles Wesley 1707-1788

The kingdom of God is at hand: O come, let us worship.

Venite Psalm 95.1–7
 Come, let us sing to the Lord; *  
	let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation. 
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *  
	and raise a loud shout to him with psalms. 
For the Lord is a great God, *  
	and a great king above all gods. 

In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *  
	and the heights of the hills are his also. 
The sea is his for he made it, *  
	and his hands have moulded the dry land. 
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *  
	and kneel before the Lord our maker. 
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *  	
	Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! 
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * 
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be for ever. Amen.

The Psalm for the day, Psalm 89:1-4,19-26
The Readings for the day: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, Romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-38
A reflection on the readings (see attached - written by the Ven. Glen Miller)

  #495 Tell Out My Soul

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord! Unnumbered blessing give my spirit voice;	
tender to me the promise of his word; to God my Saviour shall my heart rejoice.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name! Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
his mercy sure, from age to age the same; his holy name - the Lord, the mighty one.

Tell our, my soul, the greatness of his might! Powers and dominions lay their glory by;
proud hearts and stubborn will are put to flight, the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word! Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.
Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord to children’s children and for ever more.                                Timothy Dudley-Smith b. 1926. Words reprinted with permission granted under OneLicense

Hear, O Israel
Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, 
with all your mind, and with all your strength.
This is the first and the great commandment, the second is like it:
Love your neighbour as you love yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.

Prayers (see litany below)
Our prayers have been requested for: Thelma, Joanne, Wendy, Vivian, Spruce, and Patricia, Helen, the homeless and the efforts of supporting organizations who serve those disadvantaged people.
		 
The Collect for the day
Heavenly Father, who chose the Virgin Mary, full of grace, to be the mother of our Lord and Saviour, now fill us with your grace, that we in all things may embrace your will and with her rejoice in your salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer
 #401 Joy to the World

Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her King!				
Let every heart prepare him room, 
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! The Saviour reigns; let men their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground;
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the earth with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, and wonders, wonders of his love.
Isaac Watts 1674-1748

Dismissal
Then may be said or sung,
Officiant Let us bless the Lord. People Thanks be to God!

Litany for Advent.
(In joyful expectation, let us pray to our Saviour and Redeemer, saying ‘Lord Jesus, come soon!’)
O Wisdom from the mouth of the Most High, you reign over all things to the ends of the earth: come and teach us how to live. Lord Jesus, come soon!

O Lord, and head of the house of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and you gave the law on Sinai: come with outstretched arm and ransom us. Lord Jesus, come soon!

O Branch of Jesse, standing as a sign among the nations, all kings will keep silence before you and all peoples will summon you to their aid: come set us free and delay no more. 
Lord Jesus, come soon!

O Key of David and sceptre of the house of Israel, you open and none can shut; you shut and none can open; come and free the captives from prison. Lord Jesus, come soon!

O Morning Star, splendour of the light eternal and bright Sun of righteousness: come and enlighten all who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death. Lord Jesus, come soon!

O King of the nations, you alone can fulfill their desires: Cornerstone, you make opposing nations one: come and save the creatures you fashioned from clay. Lord Jesus, come soon!

O Emmanuel, hope of the nations and their Saviour: come and save us, Lord our God. Lord Jesus, come soon! 

The text above is taken from the Book of Alternative Service published by the Anglican Church of Canada and used with permission. The words of the Hymns are all in public domain unless otherwise noted.