Bulletin – Sunday, November 30, 2025 – First Sunday of Advent / Communion
Sunday, November 30, 2025
First Sunday of Advent / Communion
We Gather as People of Faith
Welcome
Lighting the Advent Candle
One: This is the first Sunday in the season of Advent. Today, Christian faith communities throughout the world light the candle of hope. Today we embark on the path created by God, who in the beginning said, “Let there be light!”
All: And there was light; and God saw that the light was good.
One: For people walking in darkness a great light dawns.
All: The true light, which lightens everyone, is coming into the world.
One: The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot extinguish it.
All: Today, we light the candle of hope.
The First Candle is lit
Sung Response – “We Light This Candle” (Then Let Us Sing #55)
We light this candle for Hope.
Await the new life within.
May our hearts now live each day,
So Hope can find a way,
So Hope can find a way.
Announcements
Minute Person
Call to Worship
God awaits birthing in all our hearts and minds, in our communities and in this broken world. Be revealed to us God in the word, and the breaking open of your body in the sacrament today that we may be nurtured to be your face and food throughout the world. In song and in silence make yourself known to us that we may know your abiding love with us and share it with friend, family and stranger alike. Let us come together and honour you, God—our midwife and mother, our hope and strength.
Hymn – “Once in Royal David’s City” (Voices United #62)
Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed.
Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.
He came down to earth from heaven who, with God, is over all,
And his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall.
There among the poor and lowly lived on earth our Saviour holy.
For he is our lifelong pattern; daily, when on earth he grew,
He was tempted, scorned, rejected, tears and smiles like us he knew.
Thus he feels for all our sadness, and he shares in all our gladness.
And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love;
For that child who seemed so helpless is our Lord in heaven above;
And he leads his children on to the place where he is gone.
Prayer of Approach and Confession
In the bustling of this season of shopping and gift giving we are often worn out and weary, forgetting the sacred ceremony awaiting us. We want to please others and meet others’ expectations forgetting our own needs we rush from place to place and in so doing we turn from you Oh God, nurturer of our very being, breathe of our every breathe we forget what pleases you. We forget the peace and serenity that comes when we place our silent gaze upon your child’s face, your son—born humbly in a manger with no inn in sight. We fail to see you being reborn in the struggling stranger and in our wounded neighbour. And for this we turn back and call our.
Words of Assurance
Be with us now God! With expectant hope we turn to you for assurance of a world yet to be born into the fullness of your love. We call on you to help attune us to your spirit alive among us to see you within and in the faces and hearts of all we meet that we maybe co-creators and sustainers of your justice, and peace on earth. Amen.
Sung Response – “Come, Come, Emmanuel” (Move Voices #11)
Come, come Emmanuel, Come, Emmanuel.
Come, come Emmanuel. Come, Emmanuel.
We Hear God’s Word
Scripture Reading: Romans 13:8-14
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 24:36-44
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
May God speak to us through these readings of scripture.
Thanks be to God!
Sermon: “Watch and Wait: Know that God is Already Here Among Us”
Anthem “Be Born in Us”
In a world of darkness where light has lost its way,
And our hearts grow colder with each passing winter day;
Beneath the pain and sorrow, hope is waiting to be born
Through a tiny Babe whose life will change this world forevermore.
Be born in us, O Holy Child, and let the light of Your love shine within our lives.
Be born in us, O Prince of Peace, let the hope You bring tis world be born in me.
To a world that’s longing for a Child and King,
For the joy and comfort only heaven’s love can bring,
We must be the beacon, we must show the world the way
To the tiny Baby whose life can change each heart that humble prays:
Be born in us, O Holy Child, and let the light of Your love shine within our lives.
Be born in us, O Prince of Peace, let the hope You bring tis world be born in me.
Born for us, to deliver;
To reign in us forever
Unto us You will be given.
Come to us, that You may be.
Be born in us, O Holy Child, and let the light of Your love shine within our lives.
Be born in us, O Prince of Peace, let the hope You bring tis world be born in me.
Hymn – “Jesus, You Have Called Us”
Jesus you have called us to your table here.
By your invitation all are blest and dear.
Bringing our gifts, we meet each other here.
Christ we come rejoicing! Come, O Christ appear!
In this feast of mercy, Christ, we thirst for you.
Open wide our hearts to what your love will do.
Make us your Cup, the Manger where you lay.
Love made flesh among us, Christ be born today.
Communion
One: As we come to this table, We are reminded that this is the table of Jesus Christ, a banquet prepared for everyone. All we seek to be nourished and sustained in the journey of faith, all who seek wholeness and compassionate paths to peace and justice, are welcome here.
One: God be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift our hearts in prayer.
One: Let us give thanks to God.
All: It is good to give God thanks and praise.
One: Let us pray: Blessed are you, Breath of peace, Giver of all life, Source of love that knows no boundaries. Your song of wisdom rang out before the world began; throughout the ages, your song of liberation has impregnated us with your hope for a world where: those considered last and least are first and most; violence is overcome by the power of your ancient love; and, all siblings work together for peace.
One: You bring our longings to birth, and send prophets to awaken us to your approaching Advent among us.
One: We thank you for those who, like Mary, have the strength and courage to give birth to your love in the world; for those who, like the shepherds, dare to seek out the Child of Bethlehem; for those who, like the wise ones, actively challenge violent and oppressive powers.
One: We praise you that your everlasting light is shown to us in womb and tomb, in cradle and cross, In tenderness and compassion. We join in the Advent prayer of all your people,
All: O come, Emmanuel.
One: And, as we wait and watch for your coming among us, we proclaim your goodness.
One: At this time, we also remember all with whom your have us share your feast. We pray for all who are in sorrow or in pain…All who are ill or alone…All who are close to our hearts…All our sisters who live with fear, oppression, or hunger…All whose lives have been blighted by violence, racism, or poverty…For all whom the world counts as last and least.
One: We pray for the church and its many ministries, For nations as they strive for peace and justice, For an end of violence against women.
One: God of hope, make this bread the means of our rebuilding, This wine the medium of our transformation, This table the foundation of our renewal, And this community the place of our rebirth. Amen.
One: At this time, we remember Jesus, who on the night before he died, took a loaf of bread, gave you thanks, broke it, and said, “Take and eat; whenever you do this, remember me.” Likewise, after supper, he took the cup, saying, “This is the new covenant; remember me.”
One: Gracious God, Breath of peace, Source of love, we pray for your Spirit.
All: Make us, while many, one. Make us, though broken, whole. Make us, despite death, alive.
One: And so we pray:
All: Come, Holy Spirit, come.
One: And so we join with our siblings around the world in the prayer of Jesus:
All: Our Mother and our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Sharing the Bread and Cup
One: The body of Christ,
All: The Bread of life.
One: The lifeblood of Christ,
All: The cup of blessing.
One: Let us eat and drink together for our strengthening in the faith, and for the sake of the world.
Communion is served.
Prayer after Communion
All: We thank you God, for breaking into our world and pouring into our lives and our experiences. We thank you, God, for this meal of thanksgiving and the stories of love, grace, and hope that it tells. Amen.
We Respond to God’s Word
Invitation to Share
Offering Sung Response – “In This Advent Time of Waiting”
In this Advent time of waiting may we serve the Prince of Peace.
Share our gifts with those around us, joy and hope in all increase.
Dream the vision, tell the story, healing bring to those in need.
Share the promises once more, Christ is near, who came before.
Offering Prayer
Oh God of Life, and hope, bless these sacred Gifts we offer you with open hearts. They represent our commitment to build your home of love without constraints of walls, so that all here and beyond can be fed, and those wounded can be healed. We are grateful through these gifts to be one with your spirit in the service of others.
Prayers of the People
Passing of the Peace
We Go Into God’s World
Hymn – “Holy Child within the Manger” (374)
Holy Child within the manger, long ago, yet ever near,
Come as a friend to ev’ry stranger, come as hope for ev’ry fear.
As you lived to heal the broken, greet the outcast, free the bound.
As you taught us love unspoken, teach us now where you are found.
Once again we tell the story—how your love for us was shown,
When the image of your glory wore an image like our own.
Come, enlighten with your wisdom, come and fill us with your grace,
May the fire of your compassion kindle ev’ry land and race.
Holy Child within the manger, lead us ever in your way,
So we see in ev’ry stranger how you come to us today.
In our lives and in our living give us strength to live as you.
That our hearts might be forgiving and our spirits strong and true.
Commissioning
Let us go out into the world filled with hope in the power of the risen Christ with the heart and eyes of our Loving God that we may love as God loves and give birth to Christ again and again in the stranger waiting for God’s loving gaze.
Benediction
Let us go with the blessings of God the Creator, our hope and strength Jesus the Christ, wisdom incarnate with the power of the Holy Spirit embodied Bond of Love, forever. Amen.
Sung Response – “A World of Hope”
May we be filled with hope in our hearts, in our lives.
May we be filled with a world of hope.
May we be filled with hope in our hearts, in our lives.
May we be filled with a world of hope.
Hope, now the promise begins.
Hope is the light within.
Hope in the mystery.
Hope hold all that can be.
May we be filled with hope in our hearts, in our lives.
May we be filled with a world of hope.
May we be filled with hope in our hearts, in our lives.
May we be filled with a world of hope.
