2021 sermons advent 1

Livestream Service 2021-11-28: The First Sunday of Advent

Join us as we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent.
The Service will go live on Sunday morning at approximately 9:55am

Opening hymn

O come, O come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here,
until the Son of God appear:

Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave:

Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight:

Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery:

Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Lord of Might,
who to thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
in ancient times didst give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe:

Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

Collect

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The first reading

Jeremiah 33.14-16

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

This is the word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God

The second reading

1 Thessalonians 3.9-13

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13 And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

This is the word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God

Gradual Hymn

Come, thou long-expected Jesus

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.

Born thy people to deliver;
born a child and yet a king;
born to reign in us for ever;
now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thy own eternal Spirit,
rule in all our hearts alone:
by thy all-sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

Gospel

Luke 21.25-36

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke

All: Glory to you O Lord

‘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. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’

29 Then he told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as 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. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven 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 does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be 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.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord

All: Praise to you O Christ

Offertory Hymn

The Lord will come and not be slow

The Lord will come and not be slow,
his footsteps cannot err;
before him righteousness shall go,
his royal harbinger.

Truth from the earth, like to a flower,
shall bud and blossom then;
and justice, from her heavenly bower,
look down on mortal men.

Rise, God, judge thou the earth in might,
this wicked earth redress;
for thou art he who shalt by right
the nations all possess.

The nations all whom thou hast made
shall come, and all shall frame
to bow them low before thee, Lord,
and glorify thy name.

For great thou art, and wonders great
by thy strong hand are done:
thou in thy everlasting seat
remainest God alone.

Communion Hymn

Jesu, priceless treasure

Jesu, priceless treasure,
source of purest pleasure,
truest friend to me;
ah! how long in anguish
shall my spirit languish
yearning, Lord, for thee?
Thine I am,
O spotless Lamb,
I will suffer
naught to hide thee,
naught I ask beside thee.

In thine arms I rest me,
foes who would molest me
cannot reach me here.
Though the earth be shaking,
every heart be quaking,
Jesus calms my fear;
lightnings flash
and thunders crash;
yet, though sin
and hell assail me,
Jesus will not fail me.

Satan, I defy thee; death,
I now decry thee;
fear, I bid thee cease.
World, thou shalt not harm me
nor thy threats alarm me
while I sing of peace.
God’s great power
guards every hour;
earth and all its depths adore him,
silent bow before him.

Hence with earthly treasure!
Thou art all my pleasure
 Jesus, all my choice.
Hence, thou empty glory!
naught to me thy story,
told with tempting voice.
Pain or loss, or shame or cross,
shall not from my Saviour move me,
since he deigns to love me.

Hence, all fear and sadness!
For the Lord of gladness,
Jesus, enters in;
they who love the Father,
though the storms may gather,
still have peace within;
yea, whate’er
I here must bear,
thou art still my purest pleasure,
Jesu, priceless treasure!

Today's Anthem sung by the choir

Advent Message - Martin How

Post Communion Collect

O Lord our God, make us watchful and keep us faithful as we await the coming of your Son our Lord; that, when he shall appear, he may not find us sleeping in sin but active in his service and joyful in his praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Recessional Hymn

Hark, a thrilling voice is sounding

Hark, a thrilling voice is sounding;
‘Christ is nigh,’ it seems to say;
‘cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day.’

Wakened by the solemn warning,
let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all ill dispelling,
shines upon the morning skies.

Lo, the Lamb, so long expected,
comes with pardon down from heaven;
let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
one and all to be forgiven;

That when next he comes with glory,
and the world is wrapped in fear,
with his mercy he may shield us,
and with words of love draw near.

Honour, glory, might, and blessing
to the Father and the Son,
with the everlasting Spirit,
while eternal ages run.

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St Mary Magdalene receives no funding from external sources, all monies required for the day to day running costs, maintaining, and keeping our beautiful church looking its best and also giving to external, worthwhile mission work is raised through our stewardship giving and fund-raising activities. We are a registered charity; audited accounts are published each year and filed with the Charity Commission and we are so grateful for the generous and sacrificial giving that makes our work possible.

Our clergy support, guide and strengthen us; they are there for us at times of need. We find solace in our beautiful building, which has provided the setting for so many memorable occasions in our lives. Every week we are moved by the beautiful music performed by our talented choir and organists. All of this has helped us to grow in faith, to discover the joy in following Christ, experience a feeling of belonging and a sense of purpose in serving others.

In an age where thousands feel isolated, suffer the effects of poverty, feel worthless and hopeless, what we do at St Mary Magdalene, Enfield is more important than ever. We want to share this with others in our community – but we need the resources to do this.