A Traditional Service For Advent Part II

The following service is a creative adaptation of the traditional pattern and texts for worship in the season of Advent. It will be of particular help for those who plan more formal Advent worship. For others, the commentary included with this service will provide a guide to thoughtful planning for the Advent season.

CELEBRATING THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD Commentary: The following liturgy for Communion is presented according to traditional rubrics: the invitation, the prayer of thanksgiving, the institution, etc. Other rubrics or divisions of the Communion liturgy are suggested in other services for the Christian year printed in this volume. The basic pattern of the liturgy remains the same, but the rubrics chosen to label a section of the liturgy may highlight different aspects or emphases of that liturgy. These traditional rubrics highlight the continuity of this liturgy with that of the church of all ages. Offertory Leader 1: Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and make good your vows to the Most High (Ps. 50:14). People: We now present the offering of our lives to our Lord. Presentation of Gifts People [singing]: (The Doxology) Commentary: At this point, the elements for Communion and the gifts that have been received may be brought forward. The doxology may be sung using either a traditional text, such as "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow," or a doxological stanza of an Advent hymn, such as the final stanza of the hymn "Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding." Invitation to the Table Leader 1: "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins" (Isa. 40:12). Sisters and brothers in Christ, the Lord's promise gives us comfort and one who has and is fulfilling this promise brings us joy. His table is spread before us. Come now to the joyful feast of our Lord. Prayer of Thanksgiving Leader 1: Lift up your heart. People: Lift them up to the Lord. Leader 1: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People: It is right of us to give thanks, it is our joy and our peace, at all times and in all places to give thanks to you, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Christ, our Lord. Leader 1: We praise you, O God, for creating this world and for creating us in your image. We bless you for your promises to crush the head of the serpent, our tempter, with the one who will rule on David's throne. We worship you for your promise to wipe away all the darkness of sin and terror of injustice by the one who is the Light of the world and the Prince of Peace. Since the time is at hand when the promised one shall come, since the day of our deliverance has begun to dawn, with full confidence in your promises we live in joy and we sing your praise. Commentary: This section of the prayer of thanksgiving is a prayer to God, the Father, in praise of the acts of creation and redemption. This particular prayer is comprised of phrases that recall Old Testament messianic promises. These phrases may be exchanged for others that are more central to the worship of a local congregation on a given Advent Sunday, perhaps recalling the text of the sermon of the day or of the readings associated with the lighting of the Advent candles. People: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Commentary: The text "holy, holy, holy … ," which is often referred to by its Latin name, Sanctus, and the text, "Blessed is he … ," which is often referred to by its Latin name, Benedictus, have been set to music countless times throughout the history of the church. Worship planners will likely want these texts to be sung by a choir or the congregation. Occasionally, an alternate acclamation of praise may be chosen to reflect the specific theme of a given service, such as the final doxological stanza from the Advent hymn, "Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding." Most hymnals include musical settings for many portions of the Communion liturgy, including "Holy, Holy, Holy" (Sanctus); "Blessed Is He Who Comes" (Benedictus); "Christ Has Died, Christ Is Risen" (the Memorial); "O Lamb of God" (hymn at the breaking of bread). These may be appropriately sung anytime the sacrament is celebrated. Examples of these musical settings can be found in The Worshiping Church (Carol Stream, Ill.: Hope Publishing, 1990),795–845; The Hymnal 1982 (New York: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1982), S76–176; The Presbyterian Hymnal (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1990), 565–605; United Methodist Hymnal (Nashville: UMC Publishing, 1979), 17–31; Rejoice in the Lord (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985), 564–67; Lutheran Book of Worship (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1978), 56–119; and many other hymnals. Leader 1: We praise you for Jesus Christ, our Lord, who came in the fullness of time to dwell among us: Emmanuel, God with us. He became our Wonderful Counselor, our Prince of Peace, healing the sick and befriending the outcast. He gave of himself freely, as a servant, even to death on a cross. He rose on the third day, and now reigns as Lord of creation. He will come again in power and strength to establish his kingdom forever. We bring our praise to you, Lord Christ, and we offer our thanksgiving for the gift of this feast. Commentary: This paragraph, which traces the history of Christ's life on earth, may be replaced by a hymn that does the same, such as "Savior of the Nations, Come." Making this change may require that the "Holy, holy, holy," which precedes it, be spoken to allow for a smooth transition. If such a change were made, the congregation should be informed how the hymn functions as an integral part of the Communion liturgy. Institution Leader 1: For the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, he took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Memorial Leader 1: We join in obeying our Lord's command. People of God, as you come to the table, what do you proclaim? People: Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again. Commentary: The memorial is a direct response to the institution, allowing the people to express the nature of their testimony in coming to the Table. The text printed here for the people's response is traditional and may be found in many musical settings in the sources listed above. If the text is spoken, it may be altered to reflect the nature of the season. An appropriate response for Advent would be: "We proclaim the death and resurrection of our Lord. We long for his coming in glory." Prayer of Consecration Pastor: Lord God, send your Holy Spirit to us we pray, that in this feast we may meet our Lord. May we come ever more to know him by faith, to minister to each other in love, and to yearn for the coming heavenly feast in hope. Amen. Breaking of the Bread and the Pouring of the Cup Commentary: At this point, the pastor prepares the bread and cup for the people. This will most often include breaking the common loaf of bread and pouring the wine or juice from a large pitcher into the common cup. These gestures should be rehearsed so as to convey both a spirit of reverence and of joyful welcome to the Table. Words appropriate to this action are found in the Maundy Thursday service in this series of services, if desired. Invitation Pastor: Friends in Christ, the Lord has prepared his Table for his church. All who love him and trust in him alone for their salvation are now invited to come to the Table of the Lord. People: We come with gladness. Thanks be to God! Pastor: The gifts of God for the people of God. Sacrament Pastor: (as the people take the bread) The bread of heaven, the body of Jesus Christ, hope of the world, for you. Pastor: (as the people take the cup) The cup of salvation, the blood of Jesus Christ, hope of the world, for you. Commentary: During the sacrament, appropriate instrumental, choral, or solo music may be played or sung, or the congregation may sing a series of Communion hymns. Preference should be given to texts that focus on the coming of Christ, the participation in the heavenly banquet that will follow his second coming, and the subject of the sermon of the particular Sunday. Canticle: "The Song of Mary" (Luke 1:46–55) Commentary: Though traditionally sung by the church during service of evening prayer, the song of Mary (often named by the first word of its Latin text—Magnificat) also provides a fitting response to the Sacrament, especially during Advent and Christmastide. This may be spoken from Luke 1:46–55, either by a single voice or by a chorus of voices, or sung by choir, soloist, or the congregation. Settings of this canticle can be found in nearly every hymnal. (One very effective metrical setting of this canticle that is printed in many recent hymnals is "Tell Out, My Soul, the Greatness of the Lord.") PREPARING FOR SERVICE IN THE WORLD Charge to the People Leader: The Law of God (reads from Exod. 20; Deut. 5; or Matt. 22:37–40) Go now into the world, full of expectation for the coming of our Lord and full of joy in his service. Commentary: This charge may be appropriately given from near a doorway leading out of the worship space. It is most often appropriate to use a text that summarizes the call of the Gospel that was the basis for the sermon of the day. Hymn of Dedication (Recessional) "Hark! the Glad Sound! The Savior Comes" Commentary: The final hymn of the service should reflect the essential theme of service of the particular Sunday and should direct the attention of the worshipers to their mission in the world. During this hymn, worship leaders may recess from the front of the worship space toward the exits as a symbol of their movement into the world. Benediction Pastor: May the God of peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:23). People: Amen. OR Pastor: May Jesus Christ, whose second Advent you await, make you steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love, through the power of the the Holy Spirit. People: Amen. Commentary: The first option points to the nature of Advent as a season of penitence and renewal; the second, to Advent as a time of waiting for Christ's second coming. Selection should be based on the unique focus of the individual service. Dispersal of the Congregation (organ, piano, or instrumental postlude) Commentary: The music that is played as the congregation exits the worship space should reflect the nature of the service. If the service presented a call to penitence in preparation for Christ's coming, the music should be meditative. If the service presented a bold challenge to proclaim God's promise of salvation, the music should be more assertive.