Mexborough Baptist Church Sunday 5th December 2021 Second Sunday in Advent.
Welcome to our email service for the Second Sunday in Advent. In church this morning Love Mexborough is leading a Family Christmas Service.
The first carol invites us, even instructs us, to make haste to bring praise to Jesus; we sing together 'What Child Is This' click on the link
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we worship you. Almighty God, you love the world you created so much that you came into it as a helpless human baby. You brought your kingdom down to our world, taught us how to live, suffered under our weakness, selfishness and jealousy, died an excruciating death and rose again from the dead - all because you love us so much. We worship you and long for you to return in your power and glory as King of all. Amen.
The Bible reading today is Luke 1:26-38 - The Birth of Jesus Foretold....
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’
‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’
The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.’
‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’
‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’
The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.’
‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.
Pause and think. What do you think that experience was like for Mary? Maybe it was something like this. click on the link
The angel Gabriel told Mary that her son would be called the Son of the Most High, would be given the throne of his ancestor David and would reign over Israel forever. What did Mary understand from that? How much did she know of what it would mean for her and Jesus? We sing together 'Mary did you know' click on the link
Our closing carol reminds us that the Baby of Bethlehem is the eternal God - 'Of the Father's Love Begotten' click on the link
A Loving Benediction
Be people of love.
Let love live in your heart and share the love of Christ with all you meet.
Share love by loving those you see regularly. Start by loving your community.
Share love by loving those you do not know. How do your actions affect the rest of God’s creation?
Share love by praying for our world.
In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share love.
As you go out into the wonder of God’s creation, share love and hope with those you meet. Amen.
Be people of love.
Let love live in your heart and share the love of Christ with all you meet.
Share love by loving those you see regularly. Start by loving your community.
Share love by loving those you do not know. How do your actions affect the rest of God’s creation?
Share love by praying for our world.
In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share love.
As you go out into the wonder of God’s creation, share love and hope with those you meet. Amen.
Rev. Susannah DeBenedetto
Comments
Post a Comment