Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Advent II
This is the second Sunday of Advent. If you’re lighting an Advent wreath, light the second purple candle.
Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 126)
One: Welcome to this time of worship, for the Lord has done great things
for us! Let us rejoice with our hearts, our minds and our voices.
Many: Yes! The Lord has done GREAT things for us.
One: We may have wept for moments or for days,
but now it’s time to rejoice!
Many: We no longer focus on our grief, but turn to God with shouts of joy!
One: The Lord is doing great things.
Many: Let’s offer our praise to the Lord our God.
Opening Prayer
Holy God, thank you for bringing us to this day!
We’ve gathered to lift your name, to claim your presence,
to lean into your love and to celebrate all you give to us each day.
In this time, tune our hearts to sing your praise.
Direct our minds to honor your presence in our midst.
Feed us with the bread and the cup of Jesus Christ,
and empower us with the gift of your Holy Spirit, that this might be a day filled with the joy of laughter and the delight of knowing we are forever held in your loving arms. AMEN
Moment for Stewardship
In Advent and during the Christmas season stories are often told of people eager to offer something to the baby Jesus.
The story of the poinsettia comes from Mexico, focusing on two young children, so poor they picked weeds on the side of the path they walked to church. When they arrived to offer their weedy gift, they found the weeds blossomed into brilliant red when they laid them at the manger bed.
The classic story of “The Other Wise Man” by Henry Van Dyke details the travels of Artaban, who wanted to join the wise men following the star. He had several gifts when he began his journey. Side-tracked when he used a gift to help a dying man, Artaban finally got to Bethlehem, only to discover Jesus and his family had left for Egypt. Artaban traveled for 33 years, searching for Jesus until he finally comes to Jerusalem, where his last gift is used to redeem a woman who was up for sale as a slave.
What story might be told because of the gifts you bring to offer to the Redeemer today?
Let us share our gifts with joy.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
With grateful hearts, O God, we bring our gifts and ourselves to offer our lives back to you.
Thank you for redeeming us.
Thank you for claiming us as your own beloved children.
Accept this offering.
Help us put it and ourselves to use this week,
that we might share the Good News of your peace with the world. AMEN
Invitation to Communion
A voice cries out in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
All who are waiting, Hear!
All who hope, Listen!
The promise has been breathed into the fabric of history.
Its fulfillment is at hand:
The lonely will be comforted, the orphan will be championed,
a light will shine in the darkness.
The lost will be searched for and will be found.
The path of salvation will be restored.
If in the depths of your spirit you are crying out,
“Come thou long expected Jesus,”
this table has been laid for you.
For those who sing, “born to set your people free,” who desire to be set free;
this table of the Lord has a place for you.
If your heart aches to be released from fear and sin,
receive the Bread of Heaven and the Cup of Salvation.
The feast of communion is prepared.
Come, taste and see the Lord is good.
Adapted from https://www.liturgylink.net/2011/12/01/opening-invitation-for-advent-communion/
created by Christopher Harrison, Glendale Presbyterian Church, Glendale, CA