'Flowers have been rejoicing with us, mourning with us, celebrating with us for thousands of years. Thomas Browne… traced the practice of making wreaths… back beyond the Greeks and Romans to the ancient Egyptians, and geographically as far east as ancient India… their functions convivial, festival, sacrificial, nuptial, honorary or funerial… the wreath was essentially connective, an intertwining of elements which linked nature and man, man and the gods, binding all together into a common story…
'On Christmas Eve… I go out to fetch greenery from the garden… ivy to make the garland for the mantlepiece… branches of holly, covered with brilliant scarlet berries; pungent fans of blue-green juniper, snippings of silver variegated holly from the standards… fronds of yew trimmed from the big trees by the garden gate …
'After the Twelfth Night feast, all the winter greenery brought from the garden on Christmas Eve is ceremonially burned on the fire: garlands of shining holly and black-fruited ivy, branches of pine, juniper and yew, banked up in the grate until the whole room is filled with the pungent smell of resin, the sparks shooting into the dark night sky like a gigantic Roman candle…'
© Katherine Swift, The Morville Hours
SOURCES
Common Worship, Church House Publishing,
© The Archbishops' Council 2000
Part of a Litany for Advent from the Benedictine Office of Lauds,
© The Community of the Holy Cross, Leicestershire
Biblical quotations from the NRSV, © Oxford University Press
Seasonal prayers, © Terry Garley
You are invited to join in the responses written in bold print. Please note the responses after readings
PREPARATION
Then God said, Let there be light - and there was light. And
God separated the light from the darkness and called the light
Day and the darkness Night. And there was evening and there
was morning, the first day.
(Genesis 1: 3-5)
If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,' even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
(Psalm 139: 11-12)
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined.
(Isaiah 9: 2)
I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness.
(John 12:46)
If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Normal 0 0 1 1 11 Twenty-Five Educational 1 1 13 11.518 300 1920x1200 0 0 0 (1 John 1:7)
Grace, mercy and peace
from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ
be with you
All: and also with you.
This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
All: and also with you.
Jesus says, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.'
So let us turn away from our sin and turn to Christ, confessing our sins in penitence and faith.
All: Lord God, we have sinned against you;
we have done evil in your sight.
We are sorry and repent.
Have mercy on us according to your love.
Wash away our wrongdoing
and cleanse us from our sin.
Renew a right spirit within us
and restore us to the joy of your salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed is the Lord,
All: for he has heard the voice of our prayer;
therefore shall our hearts dance for joy
All: and in our song will we praise our God.
HYMN
THE WORD OF GOD
FIRST READING
Response at the end of the reading:
Reader: Your word is a lantern to our feet
All: and a light to our path.
LITANY
Blessed are you, Sovereign Lord. Of old you spoke by the mouth
of prophets, but in our days you speak through your Son:
All: Lord, we pray that your word
may dwell richly in our hearts.
Grant us so to walk in the light of your word that we may be
found ready and watching, when your Son comes again in glory and judgement.
All: Lord, we pray that your word
may dwell richly in our hearts.
The prophets foretold the coming of the Kingdom. Help us also to share the good news of your power and love.
All: Lord, we pray that your word
may dwell richly in our hearts.
© CHC
All: Immortal God, have mercy on our mortality.
Eternal God, have mercy on our transience.
All: Infinite God, have mercy on our limitations.
© TDG from Kyrie Variations I
Lord, have mercy.
All: Christ have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
HYMN of the Magnificat (Luke 1: 46-55)
SECOND READING
Response at the end of the reading:
Reader: Your word is a lantern to our feet
All: and a light to our path.
Responsory
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
the Lord is the strength of my life.
All: The Lord is my light and my salvation;
the Lord is the strength of my life.
The light shines in the darkness
and the darkness has not overcome it.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
All: The Lord is my light and my salvation; the Lord is the strength of my life.
TALK / ADDRESS / PRESENTATION / DIALOGUE OR MEDITATION
HYMN
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Let us declare our faith in God.
All: We believe in God the Father,
from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named.
We believe in God the Son,
who lives in our hearts through faith
and fills us with his love.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
who strengthens us
with power from on high.
We believe in one God;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. (c.f. Ephesians 3)
PRAYERS
INTERCESSIONS
Using this or other suitable response: Lord, hear us.
All: Lord, graciously hear us.
THE COLLECT FOR THE DAY
A COLLECT FOR THE MONTH:
A collect or prayer in recollection of a saint or for a special intention of the month may be said.
A PRAYER FOR THE SEASON:
God our untiring Father, who gave
hours of darkness for our rest
and times of winter for silent growth,
we give you thanks
for the creativity of relaxation
and for the hours that refresh us.
We ask you to encourage us
through the hard times,
when prospects are bleak
and the landscape is barren. By the grace of your Spirit,
bring us out of these growing places
into a space where we may flourish
with renewed understanding of your deep desire, for the sake of your Son, in whose name we pray.
Amen.
© TDG
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
as our Saviour has taught us, so we pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever.
Amen.
HYMN
CONCLUSION AND BLESSING
The Word of life which was from the beginning
All: we proclaim to you.
The darkness is passing away
and the true light is already shining;
All: the Word of life which was from the beginning.
That which we heard, which we saw with our eyes,
and touched with our hands,
All: we proclaim to you.
For our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
All: The Word of life which was from the beginning,
we proclaim to you.
The Lord bless us and watch over us;
All: the Lord make his face shine upon us and be gracious to us; (cf Psalm 67:1)
the Lord look kindly on us and give us peace.
All: Amen.
The Lord provides for those he loves, while they sleep.
Let us bless the Lord. (cf Psalm 127:2)
All: Thanks be to God.
