2nd Sunday of Advent – 5th December 2021

Year C

ORDER OF SERVICE

You can click to expand or minimize the order of service below.

All are requested to join in wherever text is GREEN or when instructed by Fr. David.

Where the ✝ is shown, all are encouraged to make the sign of the cross.

Where the ✊ is shown all are encouraged to strike their breast with a closed hand following the actions of Fr. David.

Where the ✋ is shown all are encouraged to tap their breast with an open hand following the actions of Fr. David.

♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫

On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come then and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings.

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.

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.

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.

All praise, eternal Son, to thee
Whose Advent sets thy people free,
Whom, with the Father, we adore,
And Spirit blest, for evermore. Amen.

♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ✝

And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen

 

From Easter to Pentecost:

Allelulia. Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia

 

In Lent and other penitential occasions:

Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins;

His mercy endures for ever.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

 

Let us pray:

Almighty God, to whom all hearts be 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.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

This prayer is omitted during Lent and Advent:

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.  Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.  Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

 Holy God, holy and mighty ✝, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

A Reading from the book of:

Baruch 5:1-9

Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem,
and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God.

Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God;
put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting;

for God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven.

For God will give you evermore the name,
“Righteous Peace, Godly Glory.”

Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height;
look toward the east,

and see your children gathered from west and east
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing that God has remembered them.

For they went out from you on foot,
led away by their enemies;

but God will bring them back to you,
carried in glory, as on a royal throne.

For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low
and the valleys filled up, to make level ground,
so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.

The woods and every fragrant tree
have shaded Israel at God’s command.

For God will lead Israel with joy,
in the light of his glory,
with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

Canticle 16 Page 92, BCP

The Song of Zechariah     Benedictus Dominus Deus

Luke 1: 68-79

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old,

that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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.

A Reading from the book of

Philippians 1:3-11

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

All stand for the Acclamation and Gospel reading.

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight,

And all mankind shall see the salvation of God.

Alleluia!

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to:

Luke

✝✝✝

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,

and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'”

After the Gospel reading

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Baruch – and no, I’m not talking about Obama, but rather the not-so-well-known Hebrew prophet (whom we heard in today’s First Reading) who had a strong sense that things would be different.

The people suffered because their leaders were so painfully inadequate – not unlike some in our own world today, you might well think!  .  Both priests and kings, religious and secular leaders,  all so unwilling to trust God and His ways, were leading the nation into unnecessary suffering,  which would lead to eventual destruction.

Baruch connected peace with integrity, honour with devotedness.

Along with Isaiah, whom Luke quoted in the Gospel reading, Baruch was saturated with God’s vision for his world. They both had a sense of what life could be like, if genuine concern for the common good of all replaced the self-interest and national interest of the powerful and the rich; and if a sense of the inviolable dignity of every person were to replace violence, and the culture of death.

For that to happen, people’s eyes needed to be opened – to see that many familiar and unquestioned ways of doing things were not necessarily the only ways, or the best ways. People needed to be educated, their consciences formed, and their sense of mutual responsibility sharpened and activated.

The need is universal, and every bit as important now as then.

Six centuries after Baruch and Isaiah, John the Baptist appeared on the scene. Luke summed up his striking entry onto the stage in today’s Gospel:

The Word of God came to John, son of Zachariah, in the wilderness… and he went through the whole Jordan district proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Simply, people needed conversion.

John believed that the power of sin could be broken, not in some distant future time, but immediately, by one who would follow in his footsteps.

But people first needed to share his pain, and his distress at the way things were. Then they needed to become aware of their own, often unconscious sharing in the destructive networks, relationships and customary ways of doing things that destroyed their own human dignity, as they undermined the integrity of others. And thirdly, they needed to find the motivating power and the energy to do things differently: they needed to share John’s hope for change, and his confident sense of God.

John sensed that God was moving… God – the source of all being, the creator of the universe, the life-force in every living thing – was moving. Indeed, unknown to John, God had stepped into the flow of human history, in order to engage with it from withinGod had taken human flesh and blood, and become incarnate in Jesus.

The Second Reading today challenges us. Paul was writing to the faith community in Philippi, and shared a wonderful sense of the vision of Jesus – of a world in need of radical change – but a change based on Jesus’ sense of God as infinitely loving, gracious, patient, and caring for every human person – Gentile or Jew, servant or free, woman or man.

Like Jesus, he saw his vision as Good News, and he was passionate about spreading it … as he congratulated and rejoiced in the disciples at Philippi: You have helped to spread the Good News. But, with Paul locked up in prison, miles away from them, how were they to apply the Good News of God, and of the human person, to their current political, social and religious situation?  As he put it: to recognise what is best?

I suppose we could keep asking ourselves the same question in our current political, social and religious world. The issue of climate change is very much in debate at the moment.  How do we recognise what is best?

It is important to listen to Paul’s response: My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more. Why?  He goes on: my prayer is that your love should never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception, so that you can always recognise what is best. For Paul, the necessary condition to improve our knowledge and to deepen our perception in order to recognise what is best, is to love.

My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more so that, as I ponder on what is happening in parliament and in the media, as I reflect on my own approach often in the past, (and, when I’m not on my guard, in the present), love often doesn’t enter into the equation; or, what says the same thing, mutual respect or appreciation for others.

Too easily, we seem to delight in debate, to win the argument [but notconsensus], to seek reasons to justify conclusions we have already reached (for God knows what real reasons), or to ridicule those with whom we disagree.  To me, there can be too little evidence of listening to each other, and of searching together to get as close as possible to the truth of things. Our need to prove ourselves right and the other wrong often serves only to underline our sense of self-righteousness.

In Jesus’ mind, and in Paul’s opinion, that attitude is what needs to change. We need to bring to bear on the situations we confront, our sense of the gracious, inclusive God, and our love and respect for others who might differ from us.

If we are to recognise what is best, to improve our knowledge, to deepen our perception, we need to seek together in love.

I get so frustrated at the way people often trivialise Christmas, replacing the awe-inspiring mystery of incarnation with Santa Claus, and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer!

Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. That is not an invitation to nostalgia. It is a call to radical conversion and active commitment!

God’s Kingdom is possible. But we do not get captured by that realisation in the midst of noise, frantic movement or distraction.

During the coming days, it is important that we try to incorporate some quiet time in the midst of all the noise; some stillness in the midst of the frantic movement; some peace in the midst of the endless distraction.  Let us pray that God will give us peace in our hearts, and space for calm reflection in our frenetic world, driven as it is by commercial considerations, where ‘Glory to God in the high street’ has drowned out the sound of what really matters.  Grant, O Lord, that we may never lose sight of the eternal as we pass through things temporal.

Amen

Please stand for the Nicene Creed.

Let us together affirm the faith of the Church. ✝

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven:

was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,

and became truly human.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

✝ and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

Advent II – Year C

a. Let us pray to the Lord for the word of salvation to be made known to all people.

b. Strengthen your faithful people as messengers and ministers of your word, that all may hear and believe…Confirm our fellowship in the Gospel, and keep us constant in truth until the coming of Christ.

We pray for the welfare of your church here on earth; guide and govern it by your Spirit, so that all Christians may be led in the way of truth, and hold the faith in the unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in the righteousness of life.

We ask your blessing on +Vsevolod our Bishop, on this, our parish of St. George – for its work, its worship and its witness. We pray particularly for Fr. David in his ministry to us, and for all members of our congregation, be they near or far.

1 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

c. Make straight the crooked ways of the world, where people stumble without guidance, and make smooth the rough places where life is hard….Come with your power to bring joy to the nations, and knowledge of salvation to all people.

d. Give grace to us, our families and friends, to live together in love, and to desire all that is goodCleanse us from all that holds us back from you.

We pray for the leaders of all the nations of the world, most particularly for the King and Government of Thailand at this time of unrest, and also in the countries from which we come. We remember also all the people in countries that have had problems of any kind during this past week, most particularly all those caught up in the tragic situation in Afghanistan.

Grant wisdom to those in authority in every land, and give to all people a desire for righteousness and peace, the will to work together in trust, to seek the common good, and to share with justice and equity the limited resources of the earth.

2 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

e. Have mercy on all who are held so fast by sin that they cannot repent…Grant them the true sense of your mercy, and good news of forgiveness…Free those who cannot forgive themselves, and give them confidence in your redeeming love.

We pray for all who are prevented from, or persecuted for practising their faith, wherever they may beWe pray for our fellow Christians, both here in Thailand, and also in our own home countries.

3 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

We pray for all those who suffer in body, mind and spirit;  the sick; the poor; the depressed; the lonely;  the afraid, the unloved; the persecuted; the unemployed and those who care for them.  Those who grieve; and those who have nobody to pray for them.

4 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

We remember all those who have been touched by the COVID 19 pandemic; particularly here in Pattai-Ya. We give you thanks that Thailand has now reopened to visitors from abroad, as the outbreak is showing gradual signs of decline, and for the progress which has been made with the vaccination programme, where greater numbers are being safeguarded more speedily, and hopefully being spared the worst of the unpleasant side-effects.

Amongst the sick we remember;

Fr. Tom,  Brian, Kyoko, Colin, Mavis, Patricia, Eric, Kent, Elizabeth, Conrad, Griselda, Jun, Martyn, Dave, Carole, and any others, known personally to each and every one of us…

5 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

f. We pray for the departed, whose fellowship is now complete in you…Grant them salvation in the spirit after the death of the body.

We bring to you all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, especially the millions who have perished in the COVID pandemic –for  Maurice (3),  ……… and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time, and for any known personally to us, collectively or individually

Give them joy in the fellowship of your heavenly Kingdom, where Christ reigns for ever.

6 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

[DAVID] – g. Repenting of our sins, and trusting in the mercy of Christ, we make our prayers through him.

Grant that what we have asked in faith we may by your grace receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

THE CONFESSION:

God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy, welcoming sinners and inviting them to the Lord’s table.

Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, confident in God’s forgiveness.

Merciful God, our maker and our judge, we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, and in what we have failed to do: we have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves; we repent and are sorry ✊ for all ✊ our sins ✊, Father forgive us, strengthen us to love and obey you in newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

**(Note: all are encouraged to strike their breast 3 times following the lead of Fr. David as he utters the words: ‘sorry for all our sins’)**

Almighty God, who has promised forgiveness to all who turn to him in faith, pardon you ✝ and set you free from all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

THE PEACE:

The congregation stands.

We are the Body of Christ.

His Spirit is with us.

 

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Please greet each other with a sign of peace.

Lord, thy word abideth,
And our footsteps guideth;
Who its truth believeth,
Light and joy receiveth.

When our foes are near us,
Then thy word doth cheer us,
Word of consolation,
Message of salvation.

Who can tell the pleasure,
Who recount the treasure
By thy word imparted
To the simple-hearted?
Word of mercy, giving
Succour to the living;
Word of life, supplying
Comfort to the dying.

O that we discerning
Its most holy learning,
Lord, may love and fear thee,
Evermore be near thee!

♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫

THE OFFERTORY

Blessed are you, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have these gifts to share. Accept and use our offerings for your glory and the service of your kingdom.

Blessed be God forever.

 Let us pray

We do not presume to come to your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies.  We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table, but you are the same Lord whose nature is always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us.  Amen.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER C

The Lord be with you.

and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your living Word, through whom you have created all things; who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour.

By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son, born of the blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us; he opened wide his arms for us on the cross; he put an end to death by dying for us; and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life; so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people.

Proper Preface

Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying:

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of power and might, heaven 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.

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body ✝ which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: 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. Do this, as often as you drink it,

in remembrance of me.

Great is the mystery of faith:

Christ has died:

Christ is risen:

Christ will come again.

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice, made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.

As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of [N and] all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us pray with confidence to the Father, as our Saviour has taught us:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.  

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

**(Note:  All are encouraged to tap their breast three times following the example of Fr. David as he utters the words ‘…have mercy, …have mercy and …grant us peace’)**

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.

Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

This is the Lamb of God ✝, who takes away the sins of the world;

Happy are those who are called to his supper.

Lord, I am not worthy ✊ to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

**(Note:  All are encouraged to strike breast following the example of Fr. David as all utter the words ‘not worthy’)** 

After Communion the celebrant and the congregation say

 

Let us pray.

Father of all we give you thanks and praise that when we were still far off you met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world. 

Keep us in this hope that we have grasped; so we and all your children shall be free, and the whole earth live to praise your name.

Father, we offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice through Jesus Christ our Lord. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory.

To follow

The Gathering

We meet in the name of Jesus Christ,

who died and was raised to the glory of God the Father.

We join with those in every place

in remembering before God our brother/sister N;

to give thanks for his/her life;

to commend him/her to God our merciful redeemer and judge;

to commit his/her body to the flames,

and to comfort one another in our grief.

God of all consolation,

your Son Jesus Christ was moved to tears

at the grave of Lazarus his friend.

Look with compassion on your children in their loss;

give to troubled hearts the light of hope

and strengthen in us the gift of faith,

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

All   Amen.

Almighty God,

you judge us with infinite mercy and justice

and love everything you have made.

In your mercy

turn the darkness of death into the dawn of new life,

and the sorrow of parting into the joy of heaven;

through our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

All   Amen.

The Thanksgiving

 

O God, we thank you for the life of your servant………..

For the example of service and dedication, and the friendship which he/she extended to so many.

For his/her zest for life and courage in the face of adversity.

We thank you that he/she has now been relieved of the burden of earthly suffering, and pray that he/she may now be numbered with your Saints in Light.

We ask this in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen

 

For those who mourn

 

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort; Deal graciously, we pray thee, with those who mourn, that casting every care on you, they may know the consolation of your love ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hark! a herald voice is calling:
‘Christ is nigh’, it seems to say;
‘Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day!’

Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.

Lo! The Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heaven;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiven.

So when next he comes in glory,
And earth’s final hour draws near,
May he then as our defender
On the clouds of heaven appear.

Honour, glory, virtue, merit,
To the Father and the Son,
With the co-eternal Spirit,
While unending ages run. Amen.

♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ✝, be amongst you and remain with you always.

Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord:

In the name of Christ.  Amen.

Music

Here is the music for this week’s hymns, if you would like to practice beforehand.

Performed by Fr. David Price

NOTE: The introductory music is ‘Gottes Sohn ist Kommen’ BWV 600. The tune is the German version of our Offertory Hymn.