Collect Readings and Prayers for Advent Sunday
Collect
Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Readings
Isaiah 2:1-5
2 1The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
3 Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
Romans 13.11-14
An Urgent Appeal
11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; 13 let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Matthew 24:36-44
The Necessity for Watchfulness
36 ‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day] your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Prayers
Lord, prepare us for your Advent coming. In our prayers we try to come to you, sure that you will come the rest of the way to meet with us.
- Eternal God, in this the first week of a new Church year as we come before you with our prayers and praises, we sing with joy in anticipation for the coming of God to earth at Christmas. Help us to sow peace around us, live like Jesus and pave the way for the King as he comes to reign as the Prince of Peace, giving people a glimpse of his kingdom. Amen
- We long for You, O Most High, to teach us the ways of peace, as we weep in a world at war. We long for you, Lord Jesus, to return and put our world right, that children may live in peace and plenty. Creator God drive away despair from our politics, revive our dreams of justice and truth, and restore our passion for what is good and right. Establish your just and gentle rule throughout the world where there is conflict and where peace has been powerless and violent people hold sway. We pray for all those who lead the nations of the world and for those in authority, that they may always work for peace and for the good of their people. Amen.
- As we remember all the deadly conflicts currently taking place in a world we pray that you will give wisdom to those who seek to bring them to a just and fair end and in particular we pray for the peace negotiations taking place to end the war in Ukraine, that any settlement agreed will be with the full participation and consent of Ukraine and retain the integrity and dignity of that land. Amen
- Lord Jesus, You ask us to join you in being the light of the world. Help us to bring hope and joy to others during Advent. Help us to shine as Lights for Christ.
When we’re at work, Help us to shine.
When we’re at home, Help us to shine
When we’re out and about, Help us to shine
When we’re with our friends, Help us to shine
When we’re with our families, Help us to shine.
Help us to shine to the glory of God the Father. Amen
- Lord prepare us for your coming. Clean out the unnecessary clutter of our church and personal lives, the piles of dead habits, the cupboards full of prejudice, the cobwebs of compromise and the sad rota of forgotten dreams. Open our churches and our own lives to the free flow of your refreshing spirit. Give us a new vision and hope for the future. Amen
- Faithful God, we pray for all who sing a sad song today: the grieving, the lonely, the lost and the bereaved. We pray especially for those who have lost their voice and feel silenced or oppressed. May we bring light into dark places, restore hope and vision to all who struggle, and bring well-being and comfort to all those who suffer. Amen
- Prayer for Hope: Almighty God, grant us the grace to hope in you with unwavering trust. As we begin this season of Advent, may our hearts be filled with the hope that comes from knowing your promises are true. Come into our world of darkness Light up our lives with your coming. Fulfil all our longings with the joy of your birth, Strengthen our resolve to work for change in our world and to share the hope of your birth that each Advent brings. Amen