- Advent - Sunday 27 November to Saturday 24 December 2011

Transcription

1 St James Church Seasons of the Church Year Study Group - Advent - Sunday 27 November to Saturday 24 December 2011 Session 3 Liturgy

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3 Confession Many people do not know that Church of England priests also (but not with such regularity) conduct one-to-one confessionals. This may be particularly appropriate during Advent and Lent, the two great penitential seasons of the Church year. As a result, the Church of England has designed a range of liturgy for use when individual confession is required. Nicky will be pleased to speak with anyone concerning one-to-one confession. This will be particularly beneficial when a reassurance of forgiveness is not obtained during the normal act of confession during worship. Individual confession includes ample time to work through the things which persistently cause a person to sin and find ways to cope with and/or avoid them. Confession is always conducted in confidence. Priest and penitent (i.e. the person confessing) come together as equals under the mercy of God. Closing conclusion, shared by a member of the group Advent is a very misunderstood season! WELCOME This new series of study groups focuses on a number of seasons of the Church Year. Each season will be studied in substantially more depth than we usually manage when it comes around year by year. We start with Advent, the season prior to Christmas Each four week course will have the same structure 1 st session - Biblical background 2 nd session - History and Tradition 3 rd session - Liturgy 4 th session - Theology The remaining session of this course takes place at the Vicarage on Thursday 1 December 7.45pm-9.30pm ~~~~~~~~~~ A course on Holy Week and the Triduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Celebrations) will begin on Thursday 26 January. All are welcome!

4 Opening Prayer The prayer for lighting the 3rd Advent candle People of God: return! You are called to be God s own. From the mountains announce the good news. God comes in justice and peace, to all who follow his ways. You are God s children. Lord, make us one in the peace of Christ today and for ever. Amen. What does the word liturgy actually mean? The patterns, formats, words and actions through which public worship is conducted. The intended absence of these things The work of the people from the Greek leitourgia, their response to God that is why there are vocal responses and physical movements back and forward. Examples during St James worship: Vocal response = Amen, Thanks be to God, The Lord s Prayer Physical movement = Crossing yourself, posture (e.g. kneeling), facing Gospel, genuflecting (bending the knee) sharing the Peace. Silence = Before worship, Confession, after the Amen at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer. Coming to church is, itself, a response because we may well have a routine we put ourselves through before actually arriving at the building. THE ADVENT PROSE Response between verses: Pour down, O heavens, from above; And let the skies rain down righteousness. Turn your fierce anger from us, O Lord; and remember not our sins for ever. Your holy cities have become a desert, Zion a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation; our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised you. We have sinned and become like one who is unclean; we have all withered like a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have swept us away. You have hidden your face from us; and abandoned us to our iniquities. You are my witnesses, says the Lord; and my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know me and believe me. I myself am the Lord, and none but I can deliver; what my hand holds, none can snatch away. Comfort my people, comfort them; my salvation shall not be delayed. I have swept your offences away like a cloud; fear not, for I will save you. I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer.

5 The Blessing Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you, scatter the darkness from before your path, and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory; and the blessing of almighty God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen. No flowers Why? As with the absence of the Gloria, this gives a paired down feel to the season. It gives the flower ladies a well-deserved break! What difference does it make? It refocuses us on what is truly essential and draws the mind to penitence. What liturgy do other churches use? The Advent Prose Did you know there is such a thing? It mirrors the Lent Prose we sing during Lent. Perhaps we will use this one year. How do we prepare for church? Special clothes Right frame of mind Fears and nervousness (a form of respect) Prayer In church, what is the purpose of liturgy? To facilitate (i.e. to make easier) the worship of God To bring the glory of God to a level we can access To convey what we believe about our faith To state our fellowship as Christians in this place To focus the mind on new teachings To convict of sin To be the starting point for mission A framework on which to hang our hopes A plan of action From the Church of England website: Worship lies at the heart of the Christian life. It is in worship that we express our theology and define our identity. It is through encountering God within worship that we are formed (and transformed) as his people. One of the glories of the Church of England is its liturgical worship. What Advent themes are reflected in the Advent liturgy? Light overcoming darkness to lead the Way Preparing the Way Jesus coming now Jesus second coming

6 What liturgy do we use at St James and why? Colour We wear purple this signifies a sombre, reflective time in keeping with the traditionally penitential nature of Advent. The Advent Candles help us to count down humans need visual aides reminds us of the need to light Jesus way Centred around the white candle, standing for Jesus. Reminds us of Jesus rule over creation Usually, two purple candles are lit in a row, then a link (or blue) candle for Mary and finally, a third purple candle. The 7 Great Advent O Antiphons: O Wisdom O Adonai O Root of Jesse O Key of David O Morning Star O King of the Nations O Emmanuel these are reflected in the carol, O come, O come Emmanuel No Gloria Why? Advent is meant to be a paired down season when big gestures give way to the growing expectation of how a tiny baby will come to change the world. What difference does not having it make? It makes the service shorter, for one! We are meant to notice the difference. It connects Advent with Lent, which is the other season in which we do not sing (or say) the Gloria. We do, however, use Alleluia (not used in Lent). Sunday Gospel readings Mark 13: 24-end The Coming of the Son of Man Mark 1: 1-8 The Preaching of John the Baptist John 1: 6-8, John knows he is not the Messiah Luke 1: Mary is visited by the Angel Gabriel Please look up these passages and ask what they are saying at different points throughout Advent. The Preface (an added seasonal prayer) during the Eucharistic Prayer And now we give you thanks because you sent him to redeem us from sin and death and to make us inheritors of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may with joy behold his appearing, and in confidence may stand before him.