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Adam and Eve on the Jesse Tree
SERVICE OF LIGHT
Greeting/Invocation
Each evening this week, we light the First Candle on the Advent Wreath, and say or sing:
Light and Peace in Jesus Christ our Lord! ~Thanks be to God!
Let your face shine on us, O God; ~And we shall be saved.
ADVENT EVENING HYMN
All may sing or alternate the verses of the Advent Evening Hymn
Comfort, comfort, O my people, Speak of peace, now says our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness, Mourning ‘neath their sorrows load.
Speak unto Jerusalem Of the peace that waits for them;
Tell of all the sins I cover, And that warfare now is over.
Hark, the voice of one who’s crying In the desert far and near,
Bidding all to change direction Since the “Kin-dom” now is here.
O that warning cry obey! “Now prepare for God a way;”
May the valleys rise to meet you And the hills bow down to greet you.
O make straight what long was crooked, Make the rougher places plain;
Let your hearts be true and humble, As befits this holy reign.
For the glory of this Love Now o’er Earth comes from above;
And all flesh shall see the token That God’s word is never broken.
Text: Isaiah 40:1-8; Tröstet, tröstet, meine Lieben, Tr. Catherine Winkworth (1827-78) alt.
Tune: GENEVA 42 (Genevan Psalter, 1551)
SERVICE OF THE WORD
PSALMODY
An Advent Antiphon may be sung with the Evening Psalm.
Refrain: God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved
Psalm 79/80
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
You who guide the flock of Joseph,
shine forth from your cherubim throne
upon Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh.
Adonai, rouse up your might,
Adonai, come to our help. (Refrain)
Adonai Sabbaoth, how long
will you seem to frown on our plea?
You have fed us with tears for our bread
we drink our tears by the barrel.
You let our oppressors mock us,
our enemies laugh us to scorn. (Refrain)
You brought out a vine from Egypt;
cleared out nations to plant it.
Before it you cleared the ground;
made it take root to fill the land.
It overshadowed the mountains
and covered the cedars with its boughs,
stretched out its branches to the sea,
its roots to the river Euphrates.
Then why are its walls now destroyed?
Those who pass help themselves to its grapes.
Wild boars tear up its roots
and beasts devour its fruit. (Refrain)
God of might, turn again we implore,
lean down from the heavens and see:
visit this vine and protect it
cherish this vine once again.
Restore once again our life
and we will invoke your Name.
Restore the light of your presence,
and we shall be saved.
Glory to the ONE through the WORD
in the BREATH of Love;
as always before,
so now and evermore. Amen. (Refrain)
READING James 5: 7-9
Be patient, my sisters and brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmers await the precious yield of the soil. They look forward to it patiently while the soil receives the winter and spring rains. You too, must be patient. Steady your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Look! the judge stands at the gate.
Silent Reflection
Responsory
R. God of hosts, bring us back; Let your face shine on us, and we shall be saved.
Canticle of Mary Luke 1:46-55
Antiphon:
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
It is customary to make the sign of the cross at the beginning of the Gospel Canticle.
My heart + is radiant with the Lord,
My whole being delights in God my Savior.
All people now will call me blessed
For God has loved this humble handmaid.
The Almighty has shown me great favor
Holy is the NAME,
Whose mercy embraces the faithful,
From one generation to the next.
The mighty arm of God,
Scatters the proud in their own conceit,
Pulls tyrants from their thrones
While lifting up the lowly:
Fills the famished with bounty,
And reveals the emptiness of riches.
Rescues lowly Israel,
Sharing such loving kindness,
As promised to our ancestors
To Abraham and Sarah, and their descendants forever.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Litany
How long the path which leads to you!
~ Come to meet us, be our way.
How heavy the burden of our misery!
~ Come to meet us, be our rest.
How darkly hard the journey to our star!
~ Come to meet us, be our light.
How lonely do we wander, stumbling together in the chaos!
~ Come to meet us, be our companion.
How long, Lord Jesus, do we wait for your return!
~ Come to meet us, be our hope’s fulfillment.
Prayer of Jesus
Let us pray together as our Lord, Jesus Christ has taught us to pray:
Our Father …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
O Holy One, prepare in the wilderness of our hearts the path for your return.
Tear down the mountains of our pride with your humility;
Fill the valleys of our despair with your hope;
Straighten the winding roads of our lives with your truth.
Then we will see your glory in all of creation,
and welcome you in all our brothers in sisters. ~ Amen
All may make the sign of the Cross as we say:
May the peace of the Holy ONE+ which surpasses all understanding + guard our hearts and our minds in Jesus,+ our Emmanuel.
Let us bless Adonai. ~Thanks be to God.
Those who wish may end evening prayer with the Marian Antiphon for Advent.
Marian Antiphon
Loving Mother of our Savior, holding open heaven’s only hope, Star for steerage in this vastness, rise to help us, save the sinking. Nature’s greatest Wonder: you have borne your own true Maker, giving human life to him. Virgin ever, before and after, that Good News from Gabriel, Word of Life for living, tell it now: mercy to all people!
The angel of the Lord brought the message to Mary. ~ And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Let us pray. We ask, O God, that we who have been privileged to receive the Good News of the Incarnation of Christ, your Word, may be prepared through his passion and cross to approach also the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.