Second Sunday of Advent

1. On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
   announces that the Lord is nigh;
   awake and hearken, for he brings
   glad tidings of the King of kings.
2. Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
   make straight the way for God within;
   prepare we in our hearts a home
   where such a mighty guest may come.
3. For thou art our salvation, Lord,
   our refuge and our great reward:
   without thy grace, we waste away,
   like flowers that wither and decay.
4. Stretch forth thine hand, our health restore,
   and make us rise to fall no more.
   O let thy face upon us 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 Holy Spirit, evermore.

Charles Coffin 1676-1749
trans John Chandler 1806-76

The Lord comes, bringing to light things now hidden in darkness,
and disclosing the purposes of the heart.

Silence

Let us open our hearts and prepare for his coming,
confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

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.

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.

Let us pray.

Merciful God,
you 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 the prophet Isaiah.

Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
A voice says, ‘Cry out!’
And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’
All people are grass,
their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
when the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand for ever.
Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
‘Here is your God!’
See, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.

For the word of the Lord,
thanks be to God.

1. LORD, thou art become gracious unto thy land: thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob.
2. Thou hast forgiven the offence of thy people: and covered all their sins.
3. Thou hast taken away all thy displeasure: and turned thyself from thy wrathful indignation.
4. Turn us then, O God our Saviour: and let thine anger cease from us.
5. Wilt thou be displeased at us for ever: and wilt thou stretch out thy wrath from one generation to another?
6. Wilt thou not turn again, and quicken us: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7. Shew us thy mercy, O Lord: and grant us thy salvation.
8. I will hearken what the Lord God will say concerning me: for he shall speak peace unto his people, and to his saints, that they turn not again.
9. For his salvation is nigh them that fear him: that glory may dwell in our land.
10. Mercy and truth are met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11. Truth shall flourish out of the earth: and righteousness hath looked down from heaven.
12. Yea, the Lord shall shew loving-kindness: and our land shall give her increase.
13. Righteousness shall go before him: and he shall direct his going in the way.

The beginning of the second letter of Peter.

Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

For the word of the Lord,
thanks be to God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight,
and all shall see the salvation of God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

The beginning of the holy Gospel according to Mark.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,”’ John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

For the Gospel of the Lord,
praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION – THE SONG MUST GO ON!

John the Baptist was the “supporting actor” to Jesus, the main character. He was superb in this capacity because he never aspired to be anything more this this and he did what he did fearlessly and well. John the Baptist was a humble forerunner, a truthful witness and a faithful martyr when the time for this came.

It is interesting to reflect on John the Baptist “crying” in the wilderness or desert. It is a cry which resonated with many people of the time and a cry which was deeply troubling and confronting to others. Either way John the Baptist attracted a huge following because people thought him to be someone of substance and who needed to heard. Some people wondered if he were the Messiah. Even King Herod wished to hear him, if only for shallow reasons.

The cry of John the Baptist called on everyone to “prepare the way of the Lord.” This cry became timeless and it has echoed through the ages. He also posed for his hearers a question which was, in so many words, “If you were charged with ‘being a Christian’ would there be enough evidence to convict you?” This is a chilling question. A wonderful aspect of John the Baptist is that he always knew that his cry would give way to Jesus’ words which were like a song – the Gospel!

It was the role of the Church to pick up and sing this song always, until the end of time. It is a tragic aspect of human history that the song has been distorted over the centuries. Christianity is not a song people in our society are anxious to hear. Why is this? When Jesus lived among us on earth there were already plenty of other religions in vogue. We read of more of them in Acts of the Apostles. Yet Jesus “song” was so compelling and distinctive that people were anxious to hear more of it.

Jesus’ song was good news about God and us. Today our society believes that Christianity is just another religion, one which their parents or they grew up with and rejected and a religion which has been thoroughly discredited by the heinous acts of clergy and laity – often against children. The Church is not the only entity to have behaved like this but it has copped the worst criticism for its actions. Why is this?

A huge problem for the Church is that it has allowed itself to become a moral guardian of society. Nothing is more despised than a lapsed moral guardian! As people born after 1950 began to grow up they wanted much more freedom and they became rebellious. Many family routines were jettisoned, including ‘going to church’. There was a spirited questioning and rejection of Christian morality. ‘Respectability’ was spurned and other spiritual paths were followed eagerly.

What happened to Jesus’ song? What is the song of Jesus? What is the good news? These are vital questions to ponder if we are serious about wanting to attract new people to the Church and even others to return.

Fr Graeme Kaines, Locum Priest.

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 for the world to come. Amen.

With John the Baptist, all the people of God, the church throughout the ages bearing witness to the great light of God shining dark places, we commend to God all for whom we pray, saying,
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

For the people of our nation, our city and our community
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

For artists, writers, prophets and all who think on the edge of society
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

For the church, for this assembly and our sisters and brothers at St Andrew's Kiyosato
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

For preachers and teachers of a light-bearing word of Christ, for our wardens and parish councillors
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

For the imprisoned, for those whose only home is the streets and for those caught by addiction
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

For the lonely and excluded, for the marginalised and unloved
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

For the hungry, for those who cannot feed their children, for the unemployed
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

For agencies of assistance and relief working in the city of Adelaide
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

For those living with COVID 19 and everyone caring for them
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

For those in need who have asked for our prayers, for those on our parish list, for the grieving and all those in anguish or despair
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

For all the saints in glory, especially Mary Magdalene, and all those whom we have known and loved who, though dead are alive in Christ
O merciful God, hear our prayer.

God our strength,
we are nothing without you.
Receive all we offer you this day
as you sustain us with your mercy;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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 him thanks and praise.

Worship and praise belong to you, God our maker.
Out of nothing, you called all worlds to be,
and still you draw the universe to its fulfilment.

Dawn and evening celebrate your glory
till time shall be no more.

In Christ your Son
the life of heaven and earth were joined,
sealing the promise of a new creation,
given, yet still to come.

Taught by your Spirit,
we who bear your threefold likeness
look for the City of Peace
in whose light we are transfigured
and the earth transformed.

As children of your redeeming purpose
who await the coming of your Son,
we offer you our praise,
with angels and archangels
and the whole company of heaven
singing the hymn of your unending glory:

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.

Glory and thanksgiving be to you,
most loving Father.
In Jesus you showed us yourself.
Our hope is built on him,
the first, the last, the living one.
Obedient, even to accepting death,
He opened the gate of glory
and calls us now to share the life of heaven.

Before he was given up to suffering and death,
alight with the vision of a feast
that heralded a kingdom yet to come,
at supper with his disciples
he took bread and offered you thanks.
He broke the bread,
and gave it to them, saying:
"Take, eat.
This is my Body: it is broken for you."

After supper, he took the cup,
he offered you thanks,
and gave it to them saying:
"Drink this, all of you.
This is my Blood of the new covenant;
it is poured out for you, and for all,
that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in remembrance of me."

We now obey your Son's command.
We recall his blessed passion and death,
his glorious resurrection and ascension;
and we look for the coming of his Kingdom.
Made one with him, we offer you these gifts
with them ourselves,
a single, holy, living sacrifice.

Hear us, most merciful Father,
and send your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon this bread and this wine,
that, overshadowed by his life-giving power,
they may be the Body and Blood of your Son,
and we may be kindled with the fire of your love
and renewed for the service of your Kingdom.

Help us, who are baptised into the fellowship of Christ's Body
to live and work to your praise and glory;
may we grow together in unity and love
until at last, in your new creation,
we enter into our heritage
in the company of the Virgin Mary,
the apostles, and prophets,
and of all our brothers and sisters
living and departed.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory be to you,
Lord of all ages,
world without end. Amen.

Let us pray with confidence to the Father
in the words our Saviour gave us:

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.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
We who are many are one body,

for we all share in the one bread.

While the bread is broken Agnus Dei is said.

Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Redeemer of the world, grant us your peace.

Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

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

My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love you above all things and I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart. I embrace you as if you were already there, and unite myself wholly to you. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.