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The word epiphany comes from a Greek word meaning “manifestation or appearance,” and in church history this word has become closely associated with the revelation of Christ in connection with the visit of the Magi. The season of Epiphany begins on January 6 and lasts until the Lenten season. The weeks of Epiphany are a time to reflect on the teaching and healing ministry of Christ.

Call to Prayer

From the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 

Prayer of Confession

God of the Bethlehem star, everyone is searching for your light shining in the face of Christ. The Magi sought Christ simply to worship him. But Herod sought him to appease his jealous anger. We confess that our motives in seeking Jesus are not pure. We do not come simply to worship. We come to Christ asking his benefits of reassurance, health, and wealth. We ask him to fulfill the hundred petitions for not-so-important requests that we heap before him. But the Magi sought first the kingdom. Help us, God, to follow their example, putting our own need in perspective, worshiping the Christ in love, content to be in your presence, and laying our gifts before you. Then may we journey, trusting that your goodness and light will accompany us all the days of our life. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. To all who have received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.  

Jubilate

O be joyful in the Lord, all you lands, serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song. Be assured that the Lord, he is God. It is he that has made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name. The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures from generation to generation.

Psalm: Psalm 139:1-18

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Amos 3:1-11

New Testament: I Corinthians 1:10-17

Gospel: Matthew 4:12-22

Benedictus

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. 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 in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of peace.

Intercession

For Those We Love

Almighty God, we entrust all who are dear to us to your never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come, knowing that you are doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Benediction

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

The word epiphany comes from a Greek word meaning “manifestation or appearance,” and in church history this word has become closely associated with the revelation of Christ in connection with the visit of the Magi. The season of Epiphany begins on January 6 and lasts until the Lenten season. The weeks of Epiphany are a time to reflect on the teaching and healing ministry of Christ.

Call to Prayer

From the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 

Prayer of Confession

God of the Bethlehem star, everyone is searching for your light shining in the face of Christ. The Magi sought Christ simply to worship him. But Herod sought him to appease his jealous anger. We confess that our motives in seeking Jesus are not pure. We do not come simply to worship. We come to Christ asking his benefits of reassurance, health, and wealth. We ask him to fulfill the hundred petitions for not-so-important requests that we heap before him. But the Magi sought first the kingdom. Help us, God, to follow their example, putting our own need in perspective, worshiping the Christ in love, content to be in your presence, and laying our gifts before you. Then may we journey, trusting that your goodness and light will accompany us all the days of our life. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. To all who have received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.  

Jubilate

O be joyful in the Lord, all you lands, serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song. Be assured that the Lord, he is God. It is he that has made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name. The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures from generation to generation.

Psalm: Psalm 40:1-11

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Exodus 12:21-28

New Testament: I Corinthians 1:1-9

Gospel: John 1:29-42

Benedictus

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. 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 in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of peace.

Intercession

In Times of Social conflict or Distress

Increase, O God, the spirit of neighborliness among us, that in peril we may uphold one another, in suffering tend to one another, and in homelessness, loneliness, or exile befriend one another. Grant us brave and enduring hearts that we may strengthen one another, until the disciplines and testing of these days are ended, and you again give peace in our time; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grand that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benediction

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

The word epiphany comes from a Greek word meaning “manifestation or appearance,” and in church history this word has become closely associated with the revelation of Christ in connection with the visit of the Magi. The season of Epiphany begins on January 6 and lasts until the Lenten season. The weeks of Epiphany are a time to reflect on the teaching and healing ministry of Christ.

Call to Prayer

From the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 

Prayer of Confession

O God, our guide, who once used a star to lead people to Christ, we confess our poor sense of direction. We let ourselves become confused, easily distracted, and lose our way. We fail to follow the signs you provide. Forgive our waywardness, O God. Lead us to the Christ so that we may follow his way to you. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. To all who have received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.  

Jubilate

O be joyful in the Lord, all you lands, serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song. Be assured that the Lord, he is God. It is he that has made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name. The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures from generation to generation.

Psalm: Psalm 89:1-29

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 42:1-9

New Testament: Acts 10:34-38

Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

Benedictus

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. 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 in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet in the way of peace.

Intercession

For Social Justice

Almighty God, you created us in your own image. Grant us grace to contend fearlessly against evil and to make no peace with oppression. Help us to use our freedom rightly in the establishment of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth. Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benediction

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

Call to Prayer

O Immanuel, O Wisdom from on high, O Lord of might, O Branch of Jesse’s stem, O Key of David, O Bright and Morning Star, O king of nations, we rejoice and are glad for truly you have come, full of grace and truth. Even now, come into our hearts again. Show us the path of knowledge. Comfort us in our mourning. Save us from our sin. Open wide our way to heaven. Turn our darkness into light. End our sad divisions and be our King of peace, so that every creature in heaven and on earth will join in a chorus of praise, and shout with joy to you, our Lord. Amen. 

Prayer of Confession

Holy God, you sent a star to guide the Magi to the child Jesus. We confess that we have not followed the light of your Word. We have not searched for signs of your love in the world or trusted your good news to be good. We have failed to praise your Son’s birth and refused his peace on earth. We have expected little and hoped for less. Forgive our doubt and renew in us all fine desires, that we may watch and wait and once more hear the glad story of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen

Assurance of Pardon

To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Carol: Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing over the plains. And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains.

Shepherd, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be, which inspire your heavenly song?

Come to Bethlehem, and see, Him whose birth the angels sing. Come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

See Him in a manger laid, whom the choirs of angels praise. Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, while our hearts in love we raise.

Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Psalm: Psalm 84

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Jeremiah 31:7-14

New Testament: Ephesians 1:3-14

Gospel: Luke 2:41-52; Matthew 2:1-12

Carol: O Little Town of Bethlehem

O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie. Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above. While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love. O morning stars together proclaim the holy birth. And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently the wondrous Gift is given. So God imparts to human hearts the blessing of His heaven. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us to day. We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell. O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel.

Intercession

For the Human Family

O God, you made us in your own image, and you have redeemed us through your Son Jesus Christ. Look with compassion on the whole human family. Take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts. Break down the walls that separate us. Unite us in bonds of love, and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature, grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Benediction

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

Call to Prayer

Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

Prayer of Confession

Holy God, you sent a star to guide the Magi to the child Jesus. We confess that we have not followed the light of your Word. We have not searched for signs of your love in the world or trusted your good news to be good. We have failed to praise your Son’s birth and refused his peace on earth. We have expected little and hoped for less. Forgive our doubt and renew in us all fine desires, that we may watch and wait and once more hear the glad story of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen

Assurance of Pardon

To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Carol: O Come Let Us Adore Him

O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, born the king of angels.

Sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation, sing all ye bright hosts of heav’n above. Glory to God, all glory in the highest.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning, Jesus, to Thee be all glory given. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.

O Come let us adore Him. O come let us adore Him. O come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

Psalm: Psalm 147:12-20

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 61:10-62:5

New Testament: Galatians 3:23-4:7

Gospel: John 1:1-18

Carol: Joy to the Word

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 world! The Savior 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 world 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.

Intercession

For Our Nation

Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage, we humbly ask that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure conduct. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom, in your name, we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail, all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word. Grant that this light, kindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benediction

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

Call to Prayer

In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 

Prayer of Confession

O God, we live as if the light had never defeated the darkness in the world or in us. We confess that we ignore the Christ you sent to be among us, to be in us. We’ve kept the birth of your Son confined to the Christmas season and do not yearn for his birth each moment in our waiting hearts. Lord, you came to us in the fullness of time. Forgive us for not opening our eyes to your coming. It’s time that we prepare for your coming. Let the earth ring with song. Let the light break forth. Let us all rejoice in the miracle of love. Let Christ come into the fullness of our time. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

The good news of this Advent season is forgiveness of sin and new life. Let us commit our lives to Christ’s way of hope and peace. Thanks be to the Advent God, who comes among us, setting us free to love and serve.

Jubilate

O be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song.

Be assured that the Lord, he is God; it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.

For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures from generation to generation.

Psalm: Psalm 146

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 35:1-10

New Testament: James 5:7-20

Gospel: Matthew 11:2-19

Canticle (The Magnificat Luke 1:46-55)

My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.

Intercession

For the President and all in Civil Authority

O Lord our Governor, whose glory fills all the world: We commend this Nation to your merciful care, that we may be guided by your providence, and dwell secure in your peace. Grant to the President of this nation, the Governor of this state, and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them continually mindful of their calling to serve this people in reverent obedience to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

O Lord, Jesus Christ, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise make ready your way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient toward the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world, we may be found a people acceptable in your sight; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benediction

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7 (NIV)

I’ve been studying the finer details of the Christmas story and have run across some fascinating information from work done by Ken Bailey. Mr. Bailey was an acclaimed author and lecturer in Middle Eastern New Testament studies who spent 40 years living and teaching in seminaries and institutes in Egypt, Lebanon, Jerusalem, and Cypress.

The insights I learned about the layout of the houses in the era when Jesus was born is new to me, but it makes so much sense in helping me understand why the Christmas story happened the way it did that I thought I would share it with you.

The key is in the use of the words “guest room” in the NIV translation. Other translations use the word “inn” to tell us where Mary and Joseph hoped to spend their first night in Bethlehem. According to Ken Bailey, a Jewish family was quite hospitable, and Joseph likely had relatives living in Bethlehem. These relatives would have been more than willing to offer Joseph and his young wife a place to stay, but with the town congested with other travelers also needing to register for the census, their guest room was already taken by the time Joseph arrived.

The family offers him a place to stay anyway, giving him and Mary space to lie down in the living room. This fact is significant because of the house’s floor plan. The living room would have been in the center of the house with steps down to an area designated for use as a stable. The family’s living room and stable were one large space with the floor of the living room raised to the perfect height for the feeding of the livestock. Indentations in the living room floor served as mangers for the animals while they stayed in the stable under one roof with the family overnight, safe and secure. In the morning, the door to the stable would be opened, and the livestock were released to graze throughout the day while the stable was cleaned out.

According to this explanation, Mary probably gave birth in the living room, and her baby was then wrapped in cloth and laid in one of the mangers to keep him safe from getting stepped on or from rolling off the living room floor into the stable.

This explanation of the setting of Jesus’ birth challenges the notions of a grumpy innkeeper, and of the remote barn or cave as Mary and Joseph’s final destination. We may either accept it or reject it, but it makes a good point about God’s desires on the night Jesus appeared as a baby.

The Lord was born at home in the commotion of family life. God had orchestrated for him to arrive in a crowded place of transient folks coming and going, their temporary need for housing adding to the disorder of the household as well as that of the entire town.

It is here that Jesus comes, quietly, unobtrusively. He slips into places that already appear overcrowded and agitated, but these places are actually where we should start our search for him.

The Lord was born in a home that was common. Everyone lived in homes like this one with no evidence of social class, and no extravagance or individual displays of success. Just ordinary. Anyone could have lived or lodged there. Anyone’s baby could have been born there.

This is just the way God wanted it. His world is full of normal, everyday people. We live in ordinary houses and deal with the same relational and financial issues as everyone else. No one is less deserving or more sinful than the next person. God sent his Son into an ordinary home to show that Jesus came for the type of people who would live in such a home. He came to save the common, the unknown, the struggling, and the average.

The commonplace is another of the Lord’s favorite destinations. For those who wonder if they will ever get ahead, or who live a life lacking distinction, Jesus is near. The moment of his birth marked the beginning of his message. He came for the humble, the meek, the ones who mourn, the ones who long for something better. He is their Lord. He is our Lord.

If you find yourself today in a tight place overflowing with unrest or agitation, the message of Christmas is for you.

If you often feel ordinary, overlooked, struggling to make it, and like you blend in with the background to the point of hardly being noticeable, the message of Christmas is for you.

Salvation has come. Jesus is here, and he has come to seek and to save the lost.

Jesus’ own mother identified with the common and ordinary person. When she visited Elizabeth during her pregnancy, she sang a song of praise to the Lord for his notice of her, his favor for her, and his power to accomplish marvels on behalf of the powerless. This song is called the “Magnificat.” Here it is from Luke 1:46-55. The lyrics of this song give us a fitting prayer of praise for the works God has done on behalf of his struggling, agitated, unnoticed, sinful people.

My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.

Call to Prayer

In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 

Prayer of Confession

O promised Christ, we are a world at war. Our peace depends on your coming. We are a sinful people. Our pardon depends on your coming. We are full of good intentions but weak at keeping promises; our only hope of doing God’s will is that you should come and help us do it. Lord Christ, Word made flesh, our world waits for your peace, for your pardon, and for your grace. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

The good news of this Advent season is forgiveness of sin and new life. Let us commit our lives to Christ’s way of hope and peace. Thanks be to the Advent God, who comes among us, setting us free to love and serve.

Jubilate

O be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song.

Be assured that the Lord, he is God; it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.

For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures from generation to generation.

Psalm: Psalm 72:1-19

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 11:1-10

New Testament: Romans 15:1-13

Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12

Canticle (The Song of the Redeemed) Revelation 15:3-4

O ruler of the universe, Lord God, great deeds are they that you have done, surpassing human understanding.

Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, O King of all the ages.

Who can fail to do you homage, Lord, and sing the praises of your Name? For you only are the Holy One. All nations will draw near and fall down before you, because your just and holy works have been revealed.

Intercession

For the Peace of the World

Eternal God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed, kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Benediction

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

This first Sunday in the season of Advent marks the start of a new year. The Gregorian calendar we follow to keep track of the months, weeks, and days in a year tells us that a year ends on December 31 with the start of the next year as the first of January, so that the transition into a new year happens after Christmas.

But according to the Church calendar, the shift into a new year happens four weeks before Christmas with the first day of the new year landing on a Sunday early in December.

In this year of 2019, the first Sunday in Advent and the first day of a new Church year happens to be the date of December 1. The season of Advent will span the days from December 1 to December 23, the fourth and last Sunday before Christmas. The term Advent, from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival,” is the four-week season of preparation for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.

What is the best way to prepare for the coming of a King? The world presents multiple opportunities for preparation in the form of shopping, entertainment, parties, and eating. While these events are all fun and may enhance our enjoyment of the Christmas season, they don’t go deep enough in helping us get ready for Jesus.

He wants to make his home in us, to come and live with us. This is what the name Emmanuel means, God with us, living here among us. This means it isn’t our houses or Christmas trees or schedules that need preparation, but our hearts.

Advent is a time for discipline. Contrary to what the world offers during this season, our hearts need regulation and training, much like a loving parent would give to a dear child.

Advent is also a time for repentance. We must climb the daring slope of self-awareness, and take a good look at our behavior, our character, and our weaknesses, and admit to the Lord how desperately we need him. Repentance makes space for the holy, and this is exactly the conditioning our hearts need in order to be ready for Christ to enter into them.

In addition to this somber work of the season, Advent is also a time for the joyous watch of expectation. We wait in confidence and hope because Christ is coming again. He came once as a baby. He will come the next time as the King. Advent contains this tension of celebrating what has already happened while hoping for what is yet to come.

As Romans 13:11 tells us, we now know what time it is, how it is now the moment for us to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first became believers.

The order of prayer in the remainder of this blog is intended to help you focus, to prepare, and to wait in hopeful expectation for the day of the Lord’s coming.

Call to Prayer

In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, always with us, always coming: We confess that we do not know how to prepare for your Advent. We have forgotten how to hope in miracles; we have ignored the promise of your kingdom; we get distracted by all the busyness of the season. Forgive us, God. Grant us the simple wonder of the shepherds, the intelligent courage of the Magi, and the patient faith of Mary and Joseph, that we may journey with them to Bethlehem and find the good news of a child born for us. Now, in the quiet of our hearts, we ask you to make us ready for his coming. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

The good news of this Advent season is forgiveness of sin and new life. Let us commit our lives to Christ’s way of hope and peace. Thanks be to the Advent God, who comes among us, setting us free to love and serve.

Jubilate

O be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song.

Be assured that the Lord, he is God; it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.

For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures from generation to generation.

Psalm: Psalm 122

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Scripture Readings

Old Testament: Isaiah 2:1-5

New Testament: Romans 13:8-14

Gospel: Matthew 24:29-44

Canticle (The Song of the Redeemed) Revelation 15:3-4

O ruler of the universe, Lord God, great deeds are they that you have done, surpassing human understanding.

Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, O King of all the ages.

Who can fail to do you homage, Lord, and sing the praises of your Name? For you only are the Holy One. All nations will draw near and fall down before you, because your just and holy works have been revealed.

Intercession

For Joy in God’s Creation

O heavenly Father, you have filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Collect

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benediction

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sources

The Book of Common Prayer. (Huntington Beach, CA: Anglican Liturgy Press, 2019).

The Worship Sourcebook. (Kalamazoo, MI: Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2004).

Worship the Lord, The Liturgy of the Reformed Church in America. (Reformed Church Press, 2005).

We are nearing the time of year when an official holiday is designated for giving thanks. Celebrations include a day off from work, possibly a church service in the morning and a football game in the afternoon, a large mid-day meal, and time spent with family.

The Thanksgiving holiday we observe in the 21^st century is actually a combination of three earlier traditions. These are the New England custom of rejoicing after a successful harvest, the commemoration of the Pilgrims’ landing in Massachusetts, and religious observances involving prayer and feasting.

The first thanksgiving was decreed by Governor Bradford in 1621 to commemorate the Pilgrims’ harvest. Later George Washington proclaimed November 26, 1789, as a national day of thanksgiving, but the holiday wasn’t repeated on a national basis until Abraham Lincoln named it a national Harvest Festival on November 26, 1861. After that time, the holiday was proclaimed annually by the President and the governors of each state. Finally, in 1941, Congress passed a bill naming the fourth Thursday of each November as Thanksgiving Day. [1]

The Thanksgiving holiday is one area where our heritage as a nation and our heritage as children of God intersect. The rhythm of pause for gratitude to the Lord is built into our functioning as Americans. This pattern goes all the way back to the earliest people to settle here. They were English Puritans, reverent in their Calvinist faith, and disappointed with the Church of England because attempts at reform didn’t go far enough to model the church of the 1600’s after the ancient church as depicted in the New Testament. These plucky Pilgrims may appear a bit extreme in their radical determination to cling to their vision of a pure church. They risked prison and breaking the law in their defiance of English politics. And yet, they survived with a gentle awareness of God’s provision for them.

This excerpt from a letter written by Edward Winslow, one of the participants in the first thanksgiving, to a friend in England, reinforces their ability to see God’s providence in their experiences:

And God be praised, we had a good increase. Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling so that we might rejoice together . . . These things I thought good to let you understand, that you might on our behalf give God thanks who hath dealt so favorable with us. [2]

Imagine that first year as a pilgrim to North America. Most of their colony had left England several years prior and settled in the cities of Holland where they found a nurturing place for their high ideals. But these folks were farmers, and they feared the effects the city would have on their younger generations, so sought a place where they might preserve their culture as well as their religious standards.

The journey meant risk. The arrival on the other side meant hardship since they would be landing in the winter. Half of their group died, consecrating their pious commitments with grief and sorrow. The ones that survived built a village, planted crops, and with the help of their Indian neighbors, reaped a harvest enough to sustain them through the second winter.

But before the temperatures dropped and the cold wind blew snow in from low clouds, the community at Plymouth paused, feasted, and gave thanks for God’s favorable dealings with them.

The experiences of those early settlers teach us to realize what we have. We could just as easily not have it. Health, family, and daily provisions could not be taken for granted in those early years in Plymouth. When those benefits were bestowed, the people understood what they had been given and offered thanks for them. They gave thanks while also enduring grief. There were losses, and they hurt. But the event of this first thanksgiving shows us how to thank the Lord for what we have while also grieving what we’ve lost. Even when the losses appear to outnumber the blessings, we must still choose to offer the Lord our gratitude for who he is and the work he has done.

Like the pilgrims when the seasons changed, we must welcome the seasons of growth. They are straight from the Lord and intended to make us aware of his goodness and his favor.

A traditional Thanksgiving hymn from Germany, written in the 1600’s during a time of war and suffering, helps us understand what it means to give thanks even while dealing with hardship and loss:

Now thank we all our God with hearts and hands and voices, who wondrous things hath done, in whom His world rejoices; who from our mothers’ arms hath blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us, with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us; and keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed, and free us from all ills in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God the father now be given, the Son and Him who reigns with Them in highest heaven—The one eternal God whom earth and heaven adore—for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Father in heaven, we give thanks for life and the experience life brings us.

We thank you for our joys, sorrows, trials, failures, and triumphs.

Above all we thank you for the hope we have in Christ,

that we shall find fulfillment in him.

We praise you for our country, its beauty, the riches it has for us,

and the gifts it showers on us.

We thank you for your peoples, the gift of languages we speak,

The variety of people we have,

The cultural heritage we cherish.

Enable us to use these things for the good of the human race and to bring glory to you.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

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[1] Amazing Grace by Kenneth W. Osbeck, p. 349.

[2] The Thanksgiving Primer, a Plimouth Plantation Publication, p. 5.