Advent 3 - the true light that gives light to everyone

This Service for the third week of Advent was put together by Béatrice Mukhtar from Sudan, she's been working as a youth intern in the WCC worship office for the past 12 months.
(instructions in itallics and bold for responses said by all.)

“The True light that gives light to everyone”

Words of Welcome
Call to Worship

This is the season of holy waiting.
We wait for the time when the desert will bloom abundantly.
We watch for the day when all God’s people will come together with singing.
We wait while the dawning light appears on the horizon.
Come let us walk in the light of God!

Song: Siyahamba ~ we are walking in the light of God ~ Thuma Mina 107; sung first in Zulu then in English

Bible Reading - Isaiah 35:1-10 (read in Spanish and Swahili)

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”

Song Response: Kindle a Flame from Iona

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way, the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Song Response: Kindle a Flame

Gospel Reading - John 1:1-9 (Read in Arabic)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Song Response: Kindle a Flame

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

Carry the Light - a dance by Ngu Wah Kyaw

Lighting the Third Candle ~ Time to Change

We light three candles to remind us of John the Baptist.
He told people that Jesus was coming but that meant things would have to change. He said that we should make the world a fairer place for poor people who don’t have enough to eat and who get treated badly by people with more power. Life is still unfair for lots of people and it doesn’t help if we all think nothing can ever change.

Prayers of intercession
(Through the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle this week we pray for the peoples and churches of Benin, Ivory Coast, and Togo.)

Let us pray for homes where things are changing.
(Silence)

Where there is a new baby.
Where someone has left home or is moving.
Where someone is ill or someone has died.
Where someone has lost the job or has a new job.
Where people are considering a change in their lives.
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Sung Response: Lumière de Dieu (Thuma Mina 150 - in French)

Let us pray for countries where things are changing.
(Silence)

Where there is a new government and new hope or new fears.
Where prices are going up.
Where schools or hospitals are closing.
Where there is war and violence.
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Sung Response: Lumière de Dieu (Thuma Mina 150 - in German)

Let us pray for people who make things change.
(Silence)

Leaders who have power but don’t always do good things with it.
People who try to change the law,
so that it will be better for poor women and men.
People in the media who say things that people listen to.
Ordinary people who make the world a better place.
People who have changed situations
whereby poor and marginalised people have been helped and
given opportunities to be self-supporting.
God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Song Response: Lumière de Dieu (Thuma Mina 150 - in English)

We say the Lord’s Prayer, each in our own language.

Song: El cielo canta alegria (Thuma Mina 54 - all verses in Spanish)

Blessing
Hold your light out to the world
And let people of all nations feel the warmth of God’s love
as they encounter the Word made Flesh through Christ our Lord.

Follow, where the Spirit of Hope leads us.
Listen, as the Child of Peace cries for us.
Rejoice, as the love of God embraces us
and let us go
with Hope, Peace and Love in our hearts
and the blessing
of Creator, Child and Spirit for ever within us.
Amen.