BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT / AGAPE MEAL
NOVEMBER 28, 2021
The video recording of this service can be found here.
You can also dial-in by phone to listen to the audio recording at 613-820-8104
Gathering Music / Carol Sing:
O Come All Ye Faithful (vs. 1, 2) VU 60
(Words in English: Frederick Oakeley, 1841; Music: John Francis Wade, 1743)
1 O come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him,
born the King of angels.
Refrain:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
2 God of God, light of light,
lo, he abhors not the virgin's womb,
very God, begotten, not created. R
Angels We Have Heard on High VU 38 (vs. 1, 2)
(Words & Music: from a French Carol, 1860)
1 Angels we have heard on high
sweetly singing o'er the plains,
and the mountains in reply,
echoing their joyous strains.
Refrain:
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
2 Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
which inspire your heavenly song?
Refrain:
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Acknowledgement of Territory Rev. Lorrie Lowes
As we begin our worship today, we remember that in this congregation, we live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin and Anishinaabe Peoples. We give thanks for their stewardship of the land and the water, the plants and the animals, through many generations. We also acknowledge their story, and our place in it, with sorrow. As we continue to live on this land with respect for it and for its people, may we commit to working toward truth, justice and reconciliation. All my relations.
Welcome & Announcements Rev. Kim Vidal
Good day everyone! I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, on this first Sunday of Advent - a time of waiting, of preparing, of getting ready, as we welcome and celebrate the birth of Jesus. As our usual practice, there will be an agape meal later in the service today. Please make sure you have some bread or crackers ready along with your favourite juice or drink.
Advent Poinsettia Memorial Flower Fund is back. You may donate a minimum donation of $10 to remember a loved one who had passed. A virtual poinsettia will be included in the online version of the service until Dec 19 with live poinsettia flowers will adorn our sanctuary. Please send in your request with a memorial note to the church office now until Dec 16.
If you are planning to attend the Christmas Eve Service, please register as soon as possible by calling or sending an email to the office. The list will help us plan for the service.
We continue worshipping in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings at 10 am. If you wish to attend the service, you are more than welcome. As a faith community called to love and serve others, we highly recommend getting vaccinated as one of the best precautionary measures to protect yourself and others. Let us continue to be mindful of the health protocols such as masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell.
During this time of pandemic, the work of the church carries on. Please take time to keep in touch with each other through prayers, phone calls, emails or via Zoom. Check also the many announcements on our website including Sunday School resources for your children at bcuc.org.
Friends, in the quiet of this moment, in the stillness of our hearts, I now invite you to centre yourself in the presence of God as we prepare to receive the gift of Advent hope. Let us gather in worship.
Lighting of the Advent Candle: Hope Acolytes: The Wightman Family
(Eric Hebert-Daly, Gathering ACE 2021-2022. Used with permission.)
Reader 1:
Today we light the candle of Hope.
Hope admits that we’re not quite there yet.
Hope means that something good is within reach.
Reader 2:
Hope calls out to us, so that we come to see the good that awaits.
God is our hope.
Reader 3:
Let us taste, see, hear, feel, smell and anticipate that hope.
May hope be found in a manger and throughout the world.
(The first Advent candle is lit)
Sung Response: Hope is A Star (Verse 1) VU 7
(Words: Brian Wren, 1985; Music: Joan Collier Fogg, 1987)
Hope is a star that shines in the night,
leading us on till the morning is bright.
When God is a child there’s joy in our song.
the last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,
and none shall be afraid.
Call to Gather Rev. Lorrie
(David Sparks, Gathering, ACE 2021-2022)
It is Advent. Be alert.
In times of joy and abundance, we are ready.
In the midst of difficulty and danger, we are ready.
In times of uncertainty and fear, we are ready.
In times of apathy and despair, we are ready.
With anticipation and with hope,
We look for God’s long promised one.
We will not be disappointed,
We will not be disheartened.
Jesus’s birth is coming and we are ready!
Opening Prayer and Silent Confession
(Larry Doyle, Bob Root & Darrow Woods, Gathering, ACE 2013-2014, Used with permission.)
We enter, O God, into this season of preparation and anticipation, longing to skip ahead and celebrate the coming of your light into our darkness. You would have us first slow down, breathe deeply and prepare ourselves to receive your gift. We know that your Holy Spirit comes in powerful and unexpected ways and so we pray we might recognize you moving in and through the season. In Jesus’ name and in Jesus’ way, we pray in hope.
Let’s take a moment of silent confession…
Silent Confession
Words of Assurance
(Catherine Tovell, Gathering, ACE 2017-2018, used with Permission)
Even within the deepening shadows of this season, the light of God abounds.
We are a pilgrim people; we set out on journeys that lead to new insights and reveal new experiences, knowing that God will be with us wherever we go.
Let us not be discouraged. Let us be open to the light. Let us give thanks to God. Amen.
Advent Hymn: O Come, O Come Emmanuel (vs 1-4) VU 1
(Words: trans by John Mason Neale, 1851; Music: 15th Century plainsong melody)
1 O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
2 O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go. R
3 O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to your tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times did give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. R
4 O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o'er the grave. R
Storytime for the Young at Heart Rev. Lorrie Lowes
Did you hear what Rev. Kim said?? This is the first Sunday of Advent!! That means Christmas is coming up really soon and we need to get ready! That’s what “advent” means after all. It’s more than getting to open a window on the calendar every day and getting a chocolate treat… well, maybe that’s what it is for you kids, but I’m not a kid anymore and Advent means getting things ready. I’ve already started decorating but there are some other things… so many things to do!
Let’s see… I need to make a list…
Put up the lights
Send cards
Shop for food
Bake sweets
Wrap gifts
Oh, wait! First, I need to buy those presents!
So, here’s my list. It’s making me tired just thinking about it! I think I will be exhausted by the time Christmas gets here. I am getting tired just thinking about it! Sometimes I wish I was still a kid and could just enjoy the season…
There must be something I can do. I don’t think Jesus would want us to celebrate his birth by being anxious and tired… I think maybe I need to change this list. Let’s see… not much I can leave out really, but maybe there is something else I can do to make it better …
Put up the Lights (BE the Light)
Send cards (Send LOVE)
Shop for food (DONATE food)
Bake sweets (USE sweet WORDS)
Wrap gifts (Wrap someone in a HUG)
Maybe if I do all these things, I can get through my busy to-do list and still feel the happiness of this season. Yes! I can…
Buy presents (BE present)!
And then I can ENJOY THE SEASON!
So… this is the first Sunday of Advent and we light the first candle in our Advent Wreath – a purple or blue candle that stands for HOPE.
Jesus brought hope to a world that was hurting more than 2000 years ago. Our world is still hurting today, isn’t it? We are dealing with a pandemic, worrying about climate change, hearing about terrible weather causing floods and landslides in BC and now threatening the east coast as well. I think we could all use a little hope today too. So, let’s open our hearts to the love of Jesus and the lessons he taught so that we can be the hope our world needs today.
Let’s finish with a body prayer:
(From Advent Unwrapped – United Church of Canada)
Holy One, (reach up and look out)
May your hope encircle me; (spread arms wide and then move arms in an arc))
May your hope grow within me; (spread arms wide, then put them on your heart)
May your hope reach beyond me. (spread arms wide, the stretch them out in front of you)
Amen (head down, hands folded in prayer)
Hymn: Lord Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary MV 18
(Words & Music: John W. Thompson and Randy Scruggs, 1982)
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,
pure and holy tried and true; with thanksgiving,
I’ll be a living sanctuary for you.
Prayer for Illumination Reader: Rev. Dr. Karen Boivin
Help us, O God, to be alert to signs
of your reign breaking into our lives.
May your Word of hope inspire us to bring
your promises to life in our waiting world. Amen.
The Gospel Reading: Luke 21:25-36 (NRSV)
25“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees;30as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, 35like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
May the hope of God dwell where the word is spoken. Thanks be to God!
Sermon: “Advent’s Imagination: Notice, Attend, Look!” Rev. Kim
Gracious God, thank you for the gift of your Word and as we reflect on them, open our hearts and our minds to hear your message for us in this Advent time. Amen.
Alas! Advent is here. We think that the opening of the new liturgical year would be cheery, or celebratory, or joyful particularly as we anticipate the birth of Jesus. But before we jump for joy as the hymn goes – please be reminded that each year, the gospel reading in the first Sunday of Advent gives us a taste of “little apocalypse”. Darkness, fear and foreboding define the landscape of the first Sunday of Advent, falling over the human spirit. Advent, as a path towards Christmas, is filled with dark tales; risky and dangerous journeys - fear and uncertainty in Mary’s heart, anguish in Joseph’s mind, shepherds stumbling through the Bethlehem night, rumors from foreigners that alarm Herod and ignite his rage, the Refugee Baby and his parents in their flight to Egypt and so on.
This year, Luke will be our storyteller telling us first of a “fear and foreboding” scenario. We read of celestial signs, natural catastrophes, distress on earth, the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Luke has an important message to tell. He wants his audience to know that the followers of Jesus must be on guard – to look, to take notice, to pay attention, to be alert at all times, ready for the coming of the end. They should therefore not be caught up in either the excessive pleasures or worries of the day, but rather remain watchful and confident, eager for the events Luke describes as they signal the approach of the deliverance of Jesus’ followers. Eugene Peterson’s version of this verse makes sense for today’s hearing. He writes: “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping.” Indeed, the events Luke describe will be most worrisome for the "world" and the "powers of heaven". As I ponder on this text, however, rather than assuming there will be an end of time, I am far more convinced in the idea of God's time and God's actions throughout time. Rev. Patricia de Jong puts it this way: “The advent of God's time is not solely about God's coming at the end of time, but God's intrusion into our human story in this time – here and now.”
Luke is not offering these images in order to scare the pants off people but rather to assure his listeners that the healing of the world is at hand, and that we need to stay awake, stay alert, and learn to watch for the signs of what is ahead. Are we looking forward to such experience as Luke’s community had been forewarned?
Watch for the signs! Fear and foreboding too have fallen over our world in these past weeks and months. The COVID variant pandemic tops the line; the flooding in BC; the drowning of 27 migrants crossing the English Channel; the continuing plight of the Indigenous people; climate change protests, running down, killing and injuring people at a Christmas Parade in Wisconsin. We who are watching and listening are terrified. Anguish and panic have arisen among world leaders giving voice to our fears, our desire to keep peace at hand, to keep violence away from us. And many rises to offer us false hope, the false assurance that we can keep ourselves safe if we keep certain evil people away.
Barbara Kingsolver has a new book of essays called "Small Wonder," and it is a poetic proclamation of the power of hope. It is also a harsh criticism against the excessive self-centeredness of America. Taking a sharp look at the wars, the natural disasters, the political violence of the 21st century, she writes a modern translation of Luke's little apocalypse. By the end of the book, the reader is confronted about the wastefulness of food consumption, the natural disasters caused by genetic crop engineering, the distortion of patriotism, the horrors of war and capital punishment. But she ends with good news - soaring words of hope--a call to self-discipline and compassion and tolerance and moral living--a vision that matches the energy of Jesus' words for us today. Rather than feeling hopeless, Kingsolver suggests that we should bang on the door of hope and refuse to let anyone suggest that no one is paying attention. She writes, "What I can find is this and so it has to be: conquering my own despair by doing what little I can. Stealing thunder, tucking it in my pocket to save for the long drought. Dreaming in the color green, tasting the end of anger." She concludes: "Small changes, small wonders. These are the currency of my endurance and my life. It is a workable economy."
Inspired by Kingsolver’s wisdom, I thought to myself, what if we prepared differently this year? I read about a project called the "Advent Conspiracy." It was started by a group of Christians who conspired to change the way we celebrate Christmas. These co-conspirators discovered that North Americans spend over $450 billion each year buying Christmas presents. They also learned that the greatest health problem in the world today is the lack of clean water. It would cost $10 billion to solve that problem. They wonder--what if we bought one less Christmas gift this year--you know, the sweater that will never be worn, the candle that will never get lighted, or the knickknack that will get returned the day after Christmas? They wonder--what if we took the money saved by not buying that gift and gave it to help someone in need, like folks who need clean water? They wonder--since Christmas began with a group of people who follow the ways of Jesus Christ, what if we conspired together to begin this season of preparation by walking the talk? Why not make this year a better Christmas story for you? What if we conspired with the folks in Chimpembi to support their building project? What if we conspired to support the Christmas Hampers to feed the hungry? What if we conspired to buy less and donate to the Mission and Service Fund? What if we conspired as advocates of truth and reconciliation? Instead of paying more attention to “doomsday conspiracy”, let us start our own "Advent conspiracy" as we anticipate the birth of Jesus.
One of the ancient signs of hope is the fruitfulness of fig trees. Fig trees can live hundreds of years and are some of the oldest living trees on the planet. It was believed that Rabbis often studied Torah under the cool shelter of fig trees, and the tree was associated with a quiet place to seek wisdom. In today’s parable, Jesus compares the signs of hope to the budding leaves of a fig tree, to note that we also must be patient with the work of God. One day you look closely and the first tiny, yellow-green leaves unwrap themselves and spread toward the sky. Then you know the seasons are changing. Soon there will be juicy figs ripening in the sun. For Jesus to use this symbol of fruitfulness and growing life, is a bit unusual. The rest that we yearn and the peace in the world we long for, does not always come quickly. We have to be watchful, paying attention to the signs of hope in our midst – it could be in the form of nature, or through music or a warm smile from a child. Signs of hope are everywhere if we only notice them.
Advent reminds us, that although we are to watch for the signs, we must, like the fig tree that Jesus evokes in this passage, be rooted in the life of the earth. What signs of hope have you been called to imagine, to look, to notice, to pay attention to? Perhaps you’ve seen shooting stars and comets that give you some sign of being called to a vocation? An earthquake that shook your faith? A red cardinal with a message pecking at your window pane? A fog that caused you to panic but still you arrived home safely? Signs are everywhere and all we need to do is to be alert and to pay attention. All of these signs unveil or reveal something. A message is there for us to discover. Jesus calls us in each moment through these signs that will stir up our imagination and hopefully nudge us to keep our faith alive. There is a sense, after all, in which we as Christians live the apocalypse on a daily basis.
Friends, we have lit a candle of hope this morning, and during the coming week it is our job to keep that flame of hope burning. As we come to God’s table of grace on this first Sunday of Advent, how is God inviting us to be imaginative and attentive at the same time? How are we preparing for the birth of Jesus? What are the things or experiences that keep us centered in God? What is it that we long for in these Advent days? Sometimes we must be patient with God, like waiting three or four years for the fig tree to bear fruit. Hope is like planting and tending a fig tree, paying attention and being patient that we may reap a lifetime of good fruit. Nancy Rockwell says it beautifully: “Be part of the fruitful time, not part of the terror. Be a fig tree, stand in the darkness and begin to blossom, do not join the world in its fear and foreboding, but let your faith in God’s coming shine in you. Let your light shine.” Welcome to Advent. Amen.
Sources that helped me with my sermon:
The BCUC Lectionary Group
Nancy Rockwell, “Fear and Foreboding”, patheos.org.
Rev. Bill Britt, Wake Up! Christmas Is Coming, Day 1. Org
Barbara Kingsolver, Small Wonder.
Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Rev. Kim
(Source: faithandworship.com)
Advent God, as we wait, we journey with you,
to Bethlehem’s stable,
ears attuned to the song of angels,
eyes alert for Bethlehem’s star.
This is Advent, the season of preparation.
The shops are full of gifts that we might give or receive.
Streets are decorated and carols are being played.
Forgive us, if on our journey,
we are distracted by the tempting offers of this world.
Prepare our hearts not only for the celebration to come,
but also, for sharing that Good News with family, friends and strangers.
Grant us courage and a real willingness to talk about the love
that came down to earth and walked among us.
Let us be your agents of mercy and healing.
May we conspire to help those who lack resources for medical care,
for the homeless, for the hungry,
for those who are broken in body, mind, or spirit,
for those who are grieving and for all who are struggling.
Let us not overlook all those who need compassion and comfort
and those who yearn for hope.
Keep our hearts aflame with the hope of Christmas,
and the promise of birth. All these we ask in the name of Jesus Christ and in the words of this ancient prayer that we recite together:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory,
Forever and ever,
Amen.
Communion Hymn: One Bread, One Body VU 467
(Words and Music: John B. Foley, 1978)
Refrain:
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the earth
We are one body in this one Lord
1 Gentile or Jew, servant or free
Woman or man, no more. Refrain
2 Many the gifts, many the works
One in the Lord, of all. Refrain
3 Grain for the fields, scattered and grown
Gathered to one, for all. Refrain
The Agape Meal Rev. Kim Vidal & Rev. Lorrie Lowes
(Kim)
“Agape” is the New Testament Greek word for “self-giving love”. The kind of love that comes from God and models God’s loving choice for our well-being and all of Creation. In the Christian tradition, agape is also the name for informal meals and times of togetherness and mutual sharing which remind us of all those meals Jesus shared with his friends and the unity that his Spirit continues to give us even today.
Invitation (Kim)
(Peter Chynoweth, The Gathering, ACE 2019-2020. Used with permission)
Sharing food is an important part of our holy celebrations and gatherings with friends and family. We know that eating at table is one of the ways we experience companionship, share love and stories, nurture our social connections and satisfy our physical needs for sustenance. Today, we are invited by God to gather at this table where we share bread and drink as important symbols of our existence as a faith community, symbols of welcome to those who come to worship and eat at table with us. This is God’s table! These are God’s gifts. May we know and experience the welcome that is intended.
Prayer of Consecration (Lorrie)
Loving friend and companion, we welcome your presence with us. May these gifts of bread and cup, nourish our bodies, hearts and minds. And may our spirits be refreshed as we live in the light of your presence, with us now, and at all times and places. Send now your Holy Spirit upon this bread and this cup, O God that they might be our remembrance and our proclamation of the presence of Jesus Christ with us, through us and in us. Amen.
The Sharing of the Bread and the Cup (Kim)
Let us now share and partake the bread and the cup reminding us of God’s unconditional love. This is the bread – food for the Advent journey. Take, eat and be nourished by God’s love.
This is the cup – drink for the Advent journey. Take, drink and be sustained by God’s grace.
Prayer after the Meal (Lorrie)
(Rt. Rev. Richard Bott, Gathering, ACE 2015-2016. Used with permission.)
With this taste of the bread of life,
with this taste of the cup of Love,
send us into the world, God –
so that we might whisper your coming,
so that we might sing your Advent.
so that we might live your birth,
now and forever. Amen!
Invitation to Offer Rev. Lorrie
We are the work of God's hands, the psalmist says, and God continues to shape us each day into a people of goodness and peace. That is why we bring gifts this morning: to be part of creating a more beautiful world through the ministry of this church and the witness of our lives each day. Let us gather our time, talents and treasures together and present them as an offering to God.
If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the slot by the kitchen door of the church or mail them to BCUC. You can also send in your support through e-transfer. Thank you for your continued love and support to BCUC.
Offertory Prayer: (spaciousfaith.com)
Holy One, this Advent season we wait in hope.
And we give in hope.
Hope for your coming reign;
Hope because of your presence with us even now.
Receive these generous offerings,
And use them for your work of healing and hope in our world. Amen.
Sending Forth Rev. Kim
(Bob Root, Gathering, ACE 2018-2019, Used with permission.)
And now, may the brightness of hope
be our gift as we leave this time and place.
May we go out strengthened because we have been together
and touched by God’s Spirit.
May we continue to be a light of hope to the world,
that everyone might see the good ness of God!
Go in hope. Amen!
Hymn: O Come, O Come Emmanuel (vs 5-7) VU 1
(Words: trans by John Mason Neale, 1851; Music: 15th Century plainsong melody)
5 O come, O Key of David, come
and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe for us the heavenward road
and bar the way to death's abode.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
6 O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light.
Refrain
7 O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace. Refrain
Carol: In the Bleak Midwinter VU 55
(Words: Christina Georgina Rosetti, 1872; Music: Gustav Theodor Holst, 1906)
Advent Memorial Flowers
Departing Music: Minuet (G. F. Handel)
Announcements