Prelude – Emmanuel

Welcome – Advent – Where We Belong: The End of the World As We Know It

Candle Lighting – Light One Candle Worship 240
1     Light one candle to watch for Messiah:
let the light banish darkness.
He shall bring salvation to Israel,
God fulfills the promise.

Text: Wayne L. Wold, b. 1954
Text © 1984 Fortress Press, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

Prayer of the Day
Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection awaken us to the need for forgiveness and wholeness, and keep us faithful until the coming of your new day, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gathering Song – O Come O Come Emmanuel Worship 257 v. 1 & 2
1          O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

2   O come, O Wisdom from on high,
embracing all things far and nigh:
in strength and beauty come and stay;
teach us your will and guide our way.  Refrain

First Reading (Isaiah 64:1-9)
A reading from Isaiah
¹O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence—
²as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!
³When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
⁴From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.
⁵You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.
⁶We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
⁷There is no one who calls on your name,
or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
⁸Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
⁹Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord,
and do not remember iniquity forever.
Now consider, we are all your people.
Word of God, word of Life. Thanks be to God.

Children’s Time 

Hallelujah from All Creation Sings 912 

Gospel Mark 13:24-37
A reading from Mark
[Jesus said:] ²⁴“In those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
²⁵and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
²⁶Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. ²⁷Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
²⁸“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
³²“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. ³⁵Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, ³⁶or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. ³⁷And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Message – Vicar Anne

Song – The People Walk Worship 706
Refrain
The people walk throughout the world together
and cry out, “Come, O Lord”;
the people who long to claim the promise,
God’s liberating Word.

1   The poor ones of the world await the dawn of hope,
when justice will shine and make oppression flee.
The empty hands of all are raised to you, Lord God:
oh, set us free!  Refrain

2   You broke the bonds of sin, untied the captive’s hands,
released us from fear and slav’ry to the law.
We lift our hands in hope, we put our trust in you,
O God of love.  Refrain

3   The lifeblood of the world is shed in mindless war;
and fam’lies desire a home where conflicts cease.
With all the world we lift our hands in hope to you,
O God of peace.  Refrain

Text: Juan A. Espinosa, b. 1940; tr. Martin A. Seltz, b. 1951
Text © 1972, 1998 Juan A. Espinosa. Published by OCP Publications. 5536 NE Hassalo, Portland, OR 97213. All rights reserved. 

Confession and Forgiveness
All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.
Blessed be God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, whose forgiveness is sure and whose steadfast love endures forever. Amen.
Together let us honestly and humbly confess that we have not lived as God desires.
Silence is kept for reflection.

Loving and forgiving God, we confess that we are held captive by sin. In spite of our best efforts, we have gone astray. We have not welcomed the stranger; we have not loved our neighbor; we have not been Christ to one another. Restore us, O God. Wake us up and turn us from our sin. Renew us each day in the light of Christ. Amen.

People of God, hear this glad news: by God’s endless grace your sins are forgiven, and you are free— free from all that holds you back and free to live in the peaceable realm of God. May you be strengthened in God’s love, ☩ comforted by Christ’s peace, and accompanied with the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayers of the People
God of power and might, tear open the heavens and come quickly to this weary world. Hear our prayers for everyone in need.
A brief silence.

We pray for the ministry we share in Christ’s name. Open our hearts to your call for justice, peace, and healing. Attune us to the needs of the world as you draw near. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We pray for this planet in need of restoration: for devastated habitats, polluted waters, thawing ice, blazing fires, swelling floods, and long-lasting droughts. Renew the face of the earth and our relationship to it. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We pray for all people who care for others in our community and around the world. Fill them with compassion and the power to respond with justice for those who are oppressed, with welcome for those who are excluded, and with relief for those who suffer especially those we think of now………………………………………………………….. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We pray for people who are in crisis as the seasons change: for those without homes facing severe weather, for those who are unemployed or underemployed, and for those in poverty or facing food insecurity. Relieve their burdens, sustain their bodies, and ease their minds. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We pray for the people in our families and congregation who live with depression, anxiety, chronic pain, addiction, and other invisible illnesses. Ease their suffering and support them when they struggle. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We give thanks for the lives and witness of those who died while waiting for justice, peace, or healing, those whose names we know and those whose names are known only to you. Sustain all who still yearn for the completion of your redeeming work. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Draw near to us, O God, and receive our prayers for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sharing Peace
Johm riab sua.
Selam.
The peace of Christ be with you all. And also with you.

Offering – My Lord, What a Morning Natalia Peterson

Offering Prayer
Generous God, you have created all that is, and you provide for us in every season. Bless all that we offer, that through these gifts the world will receive your blessing. In the name of Jesus, Emmanuel, we pray. Amen.

Communion
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to God who is the giver of all good things and who revealed this abundance again with feeding the multitudes, who loved to the point of death and who beyond death, was raised from the dead and appeared to many, breaking bread with them in their homes, so that we might believe.

Remember, beloved ones… how in the night in which he was betrayed our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it and gave it to his disciples saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, Jesus took the cup, gave thanks and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

O God of resurrection and new life: pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on the gifts of bread and cup. Bless this feast. Grace our tables with your presence. Reveal yourself to us in the sharing of the bread. Raise us up as the body of Christ for the world. Breathe new life into us. Send us forth, burning with justice, peace, and love.

With your holy ones in all times and places, we praise you, O God, blessed and holy Trinity, now and forever. Amen.

Invitation to Communion
Even as we watch and wait, Christ is here. Come, eat and drink.

Now, if you are gathered with others, when the music begins, please share with one another first the bread and then the cup with the words,

The body of Christ, given for you. The blood of Christ, poured out for you.

If you are by yourself, I offer this invitation…
Receive the body of Christ, given for you.
Receive the blood of Christ, poured out for you.

And if for any reason you will not receive Communion bread & cup today, a blessing for you…
May God fill you up with the Holy Spirit and give you all that you need.

Communion Song – He Came Down Worship 253
1   He came down that we may have love; he came down that we may have love;  he came down that we may have love; hallelujah forevermore.

2   He came down that we may have light; he came down that we may have light; he came down that we may have light; hallelujah forevermore.

3   He came down that we may have peace; he came down that we may have peace;  he came down that we may have peace; hallelujah forevermore.

4   He came down that we may have joy;  he came down that we may have joy;   he came down that we may have joy; hallelujah forevermore.

Text: Cameroon traditional 

Prayer after Communion
Gracious and abundant God, you have done great things for us, and we rejoice. In this bread and cup you give us life forever. In your boundless mercy, strengthen us and open our hearts to the world’s needs, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Cambodian Lord’s Prayer

Blessing
May the God of all creation, in whose image we are made, who claims us and calls us beloved, who strengthens us for service, give you reason to rejoice and be glad! The blessing of God, Sovereign, ☩ Savior, and Spirit, be with you today and always. Amen.

Sending Song – Christ, Be Our Light Worship 715 v. 1, 2 & 5
1   Longing for light, we wait in darkness. Longing for truth, we turn to you. Make us your own, your holy people, light for the world to see.

Refrain
Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness. Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.

2   Longing for peace, our world is troubled. Longing for hope, many despair. Your word alone has pow’r to save us. Make us your living voice.  Refrain

5   Many the gifts, many the people, many the hearts that yearn to belong. Let us be servants to one another, signs of your kingdom come.  Refrain

Text: Bernadette Farrell, b. 1957
Text © 1993 Bernadette Farrell. Published by OCP Publications. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Charge
Go in peace. Prepare the way of the Lord. Thanks be to God

Postlude – Awake, Awake and Greet the New Morn