MICAH 6.8

The Peaceable Kingdom Hopeful Expectation The Realm of God Is Near Second Sunday Of Advent December 4, 2022 A Liturgy For Worship and Meditation ☩ SONG—All Earth Is Waiting, by Alberto Taulé (1972)—(CLICK HERE FOR MUSIC) 1. All earth is waiting to see the Promised One, and open furrows await the seed of God. All the world, bound and struggling, seeks true liberty; it cries out for justice and searches for the truth. 2. Thus says the prophet to those of Israel: 'A virgin mother will bear Emmanuel,' one whose name is 'God with us' our Saviour shall be; with him hope will blossom once more within our hearts. 3. Mountains and valleys will have to be made plain; open new highways, new highways for the Lord. He is now coming closer, so come all and see, and open the doorways as wide as wide can be. 4. In lowly stable the Promised One appeared; yet feel his presence throughout the earth today, for he lives in all Christians and is with us now; again, with his coming he brings us liberty. ☩ AN ADVENT PRAYER God of timeless grace, you fill us with joyful expectation. Make us ready for the message that prepares the way, that with uprightness of heart and holy joy we may eagerly await the Kin-Dom that you will brng to fulfillment in all hope and peace and love and joy, now and for ever. Amen. ☩ SONG—Veni, Veni—(Click Here) Veni veni, Emmanuel captivum solve Israel, qui gemit in exsilio, privatus Dei Filio. R. Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel, nascetur pro te Israel! Veni, O Sapientia, quae hic disponis omnia, veni, viam prudentiae ut doceas et gloriae. R. Veni, veni, Adonai, qui populo in Sinai legem dedisti vertice in maiestate gloriae. R. Veni, O Iesse virgula, ex hostis tuos ungula, de specu tuos tartari educ et antro barathri. R. Veni, Clavis Davidica, regna reclude caelica, fac iter tutum superum, et claude vias inferum. R. Veni, veni O Oriens, solare nos adveniens, noctis depelle nebulas, dirasque mortis tenebras. R. Veni, veni, Rex Gentium, veni, Redemptor omnium, ut salvas tuos famulos peccati sibi conscios. R. O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that morns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. R. Rejoice! Rejoice! O Israel, to thee shall come Emmanuel! O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high, and order all things far and nigh; to us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go. R. O come, o come, Thou Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times did give the law, in cloud, and majesty, and awe. R. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse's stem, from ev'ry foe deliver them that trust Thy mighty power to save, and give them vict'ry o'er the grave. R. O come, Thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heav'nly home, make safe the way that leads on high, that we no more have cause to sigh. R. O come, Thou Dayspring from on high, and cheer us by thy drawing nigh; disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadow put to flight. R. O come, Desire of the nations, bind in one the hearts of all mankind; bid every strife and quarrel cease and fill the world with heaven's peace. R. ☩ PRAYER OF THE DAY We pray for the Spirit of Wisdom to rest upon us A spirit of understanding and knowledge Grant us to live in harmony God’s mercy prevail We pray for God’s steadfastness to gird our spirit May peace prevail like lamb and wolf Grant us to live in harmony God’s mercy prevail Let us pray, for voices crying out in the wilderness Women living in fear, children hiding Grant all a place of harmony God’s mercy prevail Let us pray, repent of harm done to the innocent Clear the chaff of abuse and hurt Bear the Spirit of harmony God’s mercy prevail We pray for the God of hope, joy and peace to fill All hearts, one voice glorify God, prepare the way God’s mercy prevail —adapted from Terri, revgalblogpals.org ☩ SONG—Hallelujah—(Click Here) ☩ READING—Isaiah 11:1-10 1 Then a shoot will sprout from the stump of Jesse; from Jesse’s roots, a branch will blossom: 2 The Spirit of YHWH will rest on you— a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and reverence for YHWH. 3 You will delight in obeying YHWH, and you won’t judge by appearances, or make decisions by hearsay. 4 You will treat poor people with fairness and will uphold the rights of the land’s downtrodden. With a single word you will stike down tyrants; with your decrees you will execute evil people. 5 Justice will be the belt around this your waist— faithfulness will gird you up. 6 Then the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; the calf and the lion cub will graze together, and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear; their young will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like the ox. 8 The baby will play next to the den of the cobra, and the toddler will dance over the viper’s nest. 9 There will be no harm, no destruction anywhere in my holy mountain; for as water fills the sea, so the land will be filled with knowledge of YHWH. 10 On that Day, the Root of Jesse will serve as a symbol to the peoples of the world—nations will flock to you, and your home will be a place of honor. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. ☩ PSALMODY—Psalm 72.1-7, 18-19 1 O God, give your anointed one your judgment—and your justice. 2 Teach your chosen one to govern your people rightly and bring justice to the oppressed. 3 The mountains will bring the people peace and the hills justice! 4 Your anointed will defend the oppressed among the people, save the children of the poor, and crush the oppressor. 5 The reign of your anointed will endure as long as the sun and moon—throughout all generations. 6 The rule of the chosen one will be like rain coming down on the meadow, like showers watering the earth. 7 Justice will flower through the days, and profound peace, until the moon be no more. 18 Blessed be YHWH, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous deeds! 19 And blessed forever be God’s glorious Name; may the whole earth be filled with God’s glory. Amen, amen! —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. ☩ READING—Luke 1.26-38 26 Six months later, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a young woman named Mary; she was engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. 28 Upon arriving, the angel said to Mary, “Rejoice, highly favored one! God is with you! Blessed are you among women!” 29 Mary was deeply troubled by these words and wondered what the angel’s greeting meant. 30 The angel went on to say to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God. 31 You’ll conceive and bear a son, and give him the name Jesus—‘Deliverance.’ 32 His dignity will be great, and he will be called the Only Begotten of God. God will give Jesus the judgment seat of David, his ancestor, 33 to rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his reign will never end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have never been with a man?” 35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you—hence the offspring to be born will be called the Holy One of God. 36 Know too that Elizabeth, your kinswoman, has conceived a child in her old age; she who was thought to be infertile is now in her sixth month. 37 Nothing is impossible with God.” 38 Mary said, “I am the servant of God. Let it be done to me as you say.” With that, the angel left her. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. ☩ PRAYER Cut off from home and heritage, cut down to build somebody else’s prosperity, O God we come. Cut off from songs, traditions, and culture that kept us together for so long, O God we come. Cut off by a world that expects more misery and more money, O God we come. Cut off by systems that delight in evil and ignore righteousness, O God we come. But because we serve God who judges people like us with righteousness, God will send a righteous judge, like a shoot out of a stump. Because God is with us, the wolf will dwell with the lamb, like a shoot out of a stump. Let your spirit of wisdom and understanding rise up in us, like a shoot out of a stump. We expect you to help us grow powerful and united, righteous and holy, even in a sinful world, like a root out of a stump. —Tim Warner, The Africana Worship Book, Valerie Bridgeman Davis and Safiyah Fosua, eds. Hope and Expectation Mary It must have been a surprising encounter. It had to be a most unexpected experience. Mary, young and still in some ways quite innocent, certainly did not know what to make of the angelic visitation. I mean, what person, barely a teenager, were visited by a heavenly being with such a message as Gabriel brought? It was six months following the angel’s visit to Zechariah. And, while he was still speechless, Elizabeth surely knew that she was carrying a child within her womb. What she did not know was that her niece, Mary, would find herself in the same circumstance. “Rejoice, highly favored one! God is with you! Blessed are you among women!,“ announced the angel. Such a greeting was almost as startling as Gabriel’s presence. And with the wisdom and insight of that angelic messenger from God, it was clear that Mary was disturbed. “What does this mean?” are the words she stumbles to. The introductory rejoice now becomes a word of consolation. “Fear not, Mary, you are like the apple of God’s eye!” Still, Mary was other than unshaken. Yet the message would become even more unsettling. The angel’s words turn to the point at hand. “Mary, you will conceive and bear a son, and this will be no ordinary child.” Wait! What? “How can this be? I have not had marital relations with anyone. Pregnant? Me? Impossible!” Ah, this is where it gets even more weird. “The Holy Spirit will be with you in a way that makes this all possible, the power of God will overshadow you. Thus, the child will be the offspring of God . . . God’s own son.” Talk about impositions! Mary did not invite this visit of Gabriel yet alone the message he brought. How dare him? How dare God? And I would suggest that this is the point. The presence of God is often like an imposition. I mean, who really wants God to come and take control of their life? To yield oneself totally to another, yet alone the Divine One, is not something we would do without reservation. And to invite God to bring forth a child in one not yet sure of how to care for self yet alone provide the care a child need would need. But God is One who acts through human people to bring about the very thing God desires. God did not need Mary to bring a son into the world. Nonetheless God chose to act in and through Mary to bring the act of redeeming grace into our here and now. And so it was, the Branch of Jesse was to be new life coming forth from one who in innocence was thought to barren. The Only Begotten One of God, the Savior, would be named Jesus (meaning “YHWH is my salvation”). Deliverance is coming. Labor pains are yet to be. But we are in the pregnant Season of Advent. ☩ PRAYER Creator of the universe, from whom all things come, to whom all things return, give your people such unity of heart and mind, that all the world may grow in the life of your eternal Kin-Dom. Amen. ☩ SONG—Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, Charles Wesley—(Click Here For Music) 1. Come, Thou long expected Jesus Born to set Thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee. Israel's strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art; Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart. 2. Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King, Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring. By Thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By Thine all sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne. ☩ PRAYER OF INTERCESSION For all people everywhere: that through your love freely given we may courageously live in love of you and one another and be instruments for the transformation of the world. Silence For the renewal of our minds and hearts: that your Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, of Counsel and Strength, and of Knowledge and Reverence will transform us more and more into children of the light. Silence For a greater awareness: that your Spirit will help us recognize the many roots that have nourished and helped our faith to blossom so that we may continue to deepen our discipleship and bear abundant fruit. Silence For the grace of repentance: that you will lead us to the silence of the desert where we can listen to the One who is our source of life and our hope for the future. Silence For a spirit of hospitality: that we may welcome one another as your people as sisters and brothers, each a child of God. Silence For the prophets in our day, for those who call us to face the truth, live the truth, and speak the truth to one another: that the Spirit will strengthen them, inspire their words and deeds, and guide them in presenting a convincing message to hungry hearts. Silence For the recreation of our deepest selves: that you will help us to look honestly at our lives, guide our process of disengaging from the old and cooperating with your saving action so that we may live and act in new ways. Silence For the renewal of all of creation: that you will heal the divisions amongst peoples and the wounds within nature so that your plan for the earth may flower and that we may benefit from the blessings of creation. Silence For the transformation of society: that leaders may recognize the root causes of evil, poverty, racism, greed, and abuse so that new and constructive efforts may produce a just and life-giving society. Silence For all who are ill: that the coming of your Realm will bring healing, freedom from addiction, and courage to live life fully each day. Silence For all who are mourning and in the grif of loss: that they may be comforted in your presence and supported by family and friends and that the morning of joy will once again rise within their life. Silence For an end to violence in our cities and families: that your Spirit will transform hearts, help people to recognize the dignity of each person, and disrupt the plans of those who seek to injure or kill others. Silence For the advancement of justice: that you will inspire us with a new understanding of justice and help us to show through deeds of compassion that with you, all things are possible. Silence For an end to discrimination: that you will open minds and hearts, end the marginalization of people, particularly those in the LGBTQ community, and help us to work together to show God’s mercy and compassion in our world. Silence For nations and peoples at war and in conflict: that your Spirit will awaken all to the need to live in one accord for the common good of all people. Silence For your Creation: that each of us would come to know and understand our need for stewardship and environmental justice taking care of the Earth as your gift for life for all that is part of your creating work. Amen. ☩ SONG—We Wait the Peaceful Kingdom, Kathleen Rae Moore—(CLICK HERE FOR MUSIC) 1. We wait the peaceful kingdom, when wolf and lamb shall lie in gentleness and friendship without a fear or sigh, when lion shall be grazing, when snake shall never strike; a little child shall lead us both strong and weak alike. 2. Where is the peaceful kingdom? When will this new day start? We long for peace and comfort to reign within each heart. Yet not in our lives only, nor simply in our home: we pray that all creation will one day find shalom. 3. When wars of desolation and hate come to an end, when nation meets with nation and calls the other "friend," still peace in all its fullness will only have begun: shalom for all creation begins with justice done. 4. That little child shall lead us to walk the chosen way, to share the peaceful kingdom, to greet God's newborn day. The child born in a stable is sent to break our chains, to bring through word and table the day when justice reigns. ☩ SENDING FORTH Go in peace to share the coming of God's Kin-Dom in all it's fulness. And the blessing of the Holy, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, be with you forevermore. Amen.