An order of service for Advent - 350 drum beats

Advent Service in the Ecumenical Centre
16 December 2009
Towards Original Blessing

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. Gen. 8.22

Introduction and welcome
Au commencement était la parole!
In the beginning was the Word
Am Anfang war das Wort
In the beginning was the Word

God of creation
God of history
God is here with us
God of mystery
God of blessing
God is here with us
God in Jesus
God named Emmanuel
God is here with us

Au commencement était la parole!
In the beginning was the Word
Am Anfang war das Wort
In the beginning was the Word

Sing
Oh! viens, Jésus, oh! viens, Emmanuel,
Nous dévoiler le monde fraternel,
Où ton amour plus fort que la mort,
Nous régénère au sein d'un même corps.
Chantez! chantez! il vient à notre appel,
combler nos coeurs Emmanuel."

Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in its ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of humankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Genesis 1 1-5
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

The blessings of creation.
For each day of creation there is a different colour of the rainbow. During the 350 drum beats pieces of cloth in the colours will be laid down to gradually form a rainbow, sign of God’s covenant. As we listen to the drumbeats of creation we give thanks for the beautiful world God has given us and pray that the human race and our international leaders may take decisive action to safeguard the life of our fragile green planet.

Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen
Aus einer Wurzel zart.
Wie uns die Alten sungen,
Aus Jesse kam die Art
Und hat ein Blümlein bracht,
Mitten im kalten Winter,
Wohl zu der halben Nacht.

Das Röslein das ich meine,
Davon Jesaias sagt:
Maria ist's, die Reine,
Die uns das Blümlein bracht:
Aus Gottes ewigem Rat
Hat sie ein Kindlein g'boren
Bleibend ein reine Magd.

Reading Isaiah 9 2-8
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. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Par la parole ardente
Du prophète Esaïe,
Dieu, de sa voix clémente,
Promettait un Messie,
Roi de Jérusalem :
Fils de Marie, la Vierge,
Il naît à Bethléhem.

Jésus sans apparence,
Des pauvres tu es Roi.
Tu connais nos souffrances,
Guéris-nous par la foi.
Nous t'en prions, Seigneur,
Comble notre espérance
Pour un monde meilleur.

The blessing and promise of light

Advent Antiphones
O wisdom, coming forth from the Most High,
filling all creation and reigning to the ends of the earth;
come and teach us the way of truth. Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus.

O Lord of Lords, and ruler of the House of Israel,
you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush, and gave him the law on Sinai:
come with your outstretched arm and ransom us. Amen.
Come Lord Jesus.

O root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the nations;
kings will keep silence before you for whom the nations long;
come and save us and delay no longer. Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus.

O key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel;
you open and none can shut; you shut and none can open:
come and free the captives from prison, and break down the walls of death. Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus.

O morning star, splendour of the light eternal and bright sun of righteousness:
come and bring light to those who dwell in darkness and walk in the shadow of death. Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus.

O king of the nations, you alone can fulfil their desires: cornerstone, binding all together: come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust of the earth. Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus.

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, hope of the nations and their saviour:
come and save us, O Lord our God. Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus.

Sing
Gloire à Dieu au plus haut des cieux
paix sur la terre, sur la terre,
bonne volonté envers le monde
Amen Alleluia

A promise of blessing told by angels

Luke 2
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Sermon ~ Original Blessing ~ Revd Theodore A. Gill

Prayers
Sung response Mayenziwe Ntando Yako

Silence
We keep silence, hoping and praying that the drum beats will stop, that each of us and the whole of humanity will take action to not exceed the 350parts per million of carbon that is the limit of what God’s beautiful and fragile creation can bear without irrevocable change.

Lord's prayer (said by each in their own language)

Offering for the work of Agora - the ecumenical service for refugees in Geneva

Long ago, prophets knew
Christ would come, born a Jew,
come to make all things new;
bear the people's burden,
freely love and pardon.
Refrain:
Ring, bells, ring, ring, ring!
Sing, choirs, sing, sing, sing!
When he comes,
when he comes,
who will make him welcome?

God in time, God in man,
this is God's timeless plan:
He will come, as a man,
born himself of woman,
God divinely human:
Refrain

Mary hail! Though afraid,
she believed, she obeyed.
In her womb, God is laid:
till the time expected,
nurtured and protected,
Refrain

Journey ends! Where afar
Bethlehem shines, like a star,
stable door stands ajar.
unborn Son of Mary,
Saviour, do not tarry!
Refrain:
Ring, bells, ring, ring, ring!
Sing, choirs, sing, sing, sing!
Jesus comes!
Jesus comes!
We will make him welcome!

Blessing