Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A
From the archives of December 18, 2022 (and December 22, 2019, December 18, 2016, and December 22, 2013)
Worship Resources for December 18th, 2022—Fourth Sunday of Advent
Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25
Narrative Lectionary, Jesus as Immanuel, Matthew 1:18-25 (Psalm 23:1-4 or 23:4)
The prophet Isaiah spoke to Ahaz, the king of Judah, in Isaiah 7:10-16. Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, was attacked by the northern kingdom of Israel, but the attack failed. Soon after, the northern kingdom with its capital of Samaria would be sacked and taken into exile. Isaiah speaks words of hope to Ahaz about a new child to be born in his household, a sign of hope. Ahaz refused to ask God for a sign, so God told Isaiah to share the good news of an impending birth (most likely of Hezekiah who would become king), a child that would be named Immanuel, God is with us. While early Christians began interpreting these verses about Jesus (using the Septuagint rendering of virgin instead of young woman), reading through verse sixteen shares the context that this was hope for Ahaz and the people of his time. The two countries that threaten Judah will no longer be a threat before the boy is even grown. The sign that the current troubles will pass, and soon, is a heartening message to a king facing war.
Psalm 80 is a prayer of help. The psalmist leads the people in prayer to God who is their shepherd to come and save them as they face exile and destruction. Perhaps originating in the northern kingdom during the exile of 721 B.C.E., most likely this psalm was recited during the exile to Babylon in 587 B.C.E. Verses 17-19 call upon God to allow God’s power and authority to be “upon the one at your right hand.” This may have been referring to the people themselves to be restored to God, but it was also sometimes interpreted to be David, or of his lineage. The refrain, “Restore us, O God” was the congregation’s response, their call to God to come and save them.
Paul’s letter to the Romans begins with an introduction to himself and the Gospel (good news) that he proclaims of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Christ’s resurrection is proof that he is the Messiah, the Lord—the Son of God. And now through Christ, the faithful are called to share the good news to the Gentiles and to bring them into obedience with God’s ways, and the faithful followers of Jesus who are Jewish are also included with the Gentiles. Paul concludes his introduction by blessing those in Rome who are faithfully loved and called by God to serve in the name of Jesus Christ in grace and peace.
Both the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary use Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus for this Sunday’s reading. Matthew 1:18-25 is vastly different from Luke’s account in Luke 1-2. There is no manger, no inn, no census by the governor. Before that, no Elizabeth and visit from the angel Gabriel to Mary. Instead, we have more of Joseph’s point of view. He was engaged to Mary, but before they were married he learned she was pregnant, and planned to dismiss her. However, he was warned in a dream to not be afraid to take her as his wife. The child was conceived from the Holy Spirit, and would be named Jesus, for he would save his people from their sins. Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14 from the Septuagint (hence the use of Emmanuel instead of Immanuel transliterating from Greek instead of Hebrew and the use of virgin instead of young woman), as Matthew uses the Hebrew scriptures to prove who Jesus is as the Messiah prophesied, though often those scriptures are out of context. Again, no angels in the sky or shepherds visiting, just the birth of a son which Joseph named Jesus.
The Narrative Lectionary adds Psalm 23:1-4 (or just verse 4) as supplementary texts. The Shepherd’s Psalm has been associated with David for a long time, God as the one who tends and leads us to green pastures, still waters, and restores our soul. Even though I walk in the darkest valley, the psalmist declares, they will fear no evil, for God is with them. God is the one who brings comfort and protects them.
Though there was much to be afraid of, the angel told Joseph to not be afraid to be with Mary and to raise her son, for he was from the Holy Spirit. Isaiah told Ahaz to ask for a sign from God in the midst of war, but Ahaz was too afraid, so Isaiah told him what the sign would be—a new child born in his household, and the fears of the day gone in the near future. There is much to be afraid of, but when we call upon God, as the psalmists remind us, God will respond. God will come into our world and lives. God is already here. There is nothing to be afraid of, for even in the midst of our present struggle, as Ahaz and Joseph learned, God was with them. And God is with us.
Call to Worship
Look, here is the sign!
A young woman shall give birth.
Emmanuel!
Do not be afraid,
For the child is conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Emmanuel!
He is to be called Jesus,
For he will save us from our sins.
Emmanuel!
All this took place to fulfill what was spoken,
And God is still speaking.
Emmanuel!
God Is With Us.
(alternative idea: have different groups respond with Emmanuel, such as seniors, children, etc)
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
God With Us, we confess that at times we feel very far away from You. War, poverty, racism, climate change—with all the struggles of the world, sometimes we wonder where You are, instead of asking the question of who we are in this world. We forget we are all Your children. We forget that You are with us, always, to the end of time. In the times of deepest struggle, may we remember that You promised us a sign of Your presence: Emmanuel, God With Us. Your covenant with us, to be our God forever, endures even when we forget. In this last week of Advent, as we draw near to Christmas, may we remember You are with us. As the promises of the world let us down, as the music stops and the celebrations cease, may we know You are with us, now and always. Emmanuel, God With Us. Amen.
Blessing/Assurance
Take a deep breath. With every breath, breathe in God’s love, breathe out your fear. With every breath, know that you come from God, and you return to God. With every breath, know that you are loved, and you love one another. Breathe deep, for the Spirit is in you. Breathe deep, knowing God’s love is within. You are made in the image of God. Breathe in hope, breathe out peace. Breathe in joy, breathe out love. With every breath, we wait for God, and know God is with us, always. Amen.
Prayer (in the northern hemisphere)
Creator God, this is the darkest week of the year. We enter this week with decreasing daylight, and we will end this week with the days beginning to grow long again. Help us in this week to know Your comfort and peace, that the darkness is a place of rest and renewal. The darkness is a place of hope, a space of growth, before the light returns. As we await the birth of the Christ-child, may we find where You are present, now, in this darkest time, a space where we are not afraid, but held in mystery: the cry of a newborn babe, the call of peace by the angels, the wonder of the shepherds, the musings of magi. Holy One, help us to sit in the dark and know You. Amen.
Prayer (in the southern hemisphere)
Creator God, as we approach our longest day, may we remember all the ways You touch our lives. May we give thanks for the year past and look forward, knowing that the days will grow short and there will be times of struggle ahead. May we hold on to the goodness in our lives and world and strive to live into Your reign on earth as it is in heaven. As we prepare for the birth of the Christ-child, may we live with the joy and wonder of the incarnation each and every day. Holy One, help us to live into Your wondrous story with the fullness of hope. Amen.
Worship Resources for December 22nd, 2019—Fourth Sunday of Advent
Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25
Narrative Lectionary: Zechariah’s Song, Luke 1:5-13, (14-25), 57-80; Psalm 113
Ahaz, the grandson of King Uzziah of Judah, was afraid of Israel and Aram, who had come to attack Jerusalem. But God told the prophet Isaiah to go with his son to speak to Ahaz. Ahaz was afraid of what God was asking of him, but Isaiah told him that God would give him a sign: the young woman would conceive and bear a son, who would be called Immanuel, God is with us. The newborn babe is a new king, a new hope for Ahaz and for all the people.
The psalmist pleads with God in Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 for the people to be restored. They have faced great hardship, and their enemies have gained ground. The psalmist calls upon God to save them, to give them life, and the people will call upon God’s name.
The beginning of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome begins with Paul’s declaration that he is a servant of Jesus Christ, sent to declare the Gospel. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, descended from David according to the flesh, but declared the Son by the power of the Spirit and his resurrection from the dead. Paul announces he has been sent to share the Gospel with the gentiles, to bring about “the obedience of faith.” He concludes his salutation with a conventional greeting, but names Jesus Christ as Lord.
The Gospel according to Matthew begins with a genealogy, from Abraham to Joseph. Matthew is convinced that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, and that he was prophesied by the prophets of old. After the genealogy, to place Jesus in the line of David, the writer turns to the birth of Jesus the Messiah by telling how Joseph was engaged to Mary, but found her to be with child. While Luke tells the story from the point of view of Mary, Matthew looks through Joseph’s eyes. Joseph is a righteous man, and does not want Mary exposed to public scorn when he learns she is pregnant. But instead of divorcing her, in a dream he is told by an angel not to be afraid. The child is conceived from the Holy Spirit, and that they are to name the boy Jesus, for he will save the people from their sins. The writer of Matthew then includes a citation from Isaiah 7:14, that a young woman will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, God with us. When Joseph awoke from his dream, he married Mary, and she gave birth to a son and named him Jesus.
The Narrative Lectionary focuses on the priest Zechariah and his song in Luke 1. Zechariah, a priest in the temple who was married to Elizabeth, encounters an angel of the Lord. Zechariah and Elizabeth had longed for a child, but had been unable to conceive. The angel tells Zechariah that Elizabeth will bear a son, and they are to name him John. Their child will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and will turn the hearts of many to God, to help prepare the people. But Zechariah asked how he would know this was to be, because he and Elizabeth were old. The angel reveals that they are Gabriel, and they stand in the presence of God, and were sent to speak to Zechariah and bring good news. But since Zechariah didn’t believe the angel’s words, Zechariah is rendered mute until the day the child is named after birth. Once the child was born, and on the 8th day when he was being circumcised, Elizabeth declared the boy’s name was John. When they questioned Zechariah, because it was unusual to not name a child after the father or someone in the family, Zechariah wrote, “his name is John,” and was finally able to speak, because he fulfilled what Gabriel had told him. Then he sang his great song of praise to God, for his son who was the prophet of the Most High, and for the one who would come, the Mighty Savior.
Psalm 113 is a psalm of blessing praising God, who is above all nations. There is none like our God, who looks down from on high, and lifts up the poor and needy, making them to “sit with princes.” God is the one who takes notice of those who are unable to have children, who brings good news for all, and raises up those who have been left out, bringing in those on the margins, and making them equal to rulers.
Christmas is almost here. We have new hope in God, for God came into our world and our lives in an unexpected way. God is doing something new, in us, now. We may act like Zechariah, questioning if this could really happen, because all we’ve known is pain and loss. We may act like Joseph, afraid that what should be good news isn’t good news for us. We may be like Ahaz, afraid that everything good will fall apart—but lo, something new is about to be born. We can be like Elizabeth and Mary, accepting that God is with us now, and asking us to participate in the reign, now. And though hardship will still befall us, what is new cannot be undone. What is born cannot be unborn. God is breathing new life into us, and into our world. Watch and wait: it is being revealed, right now.
Call to Worship
The time has drawn near.
We watch, we wait expectantly, for the Good News of God.
A child has been born for us, a son given to us:
Emmanuel, God is With Us.
For long ago we were promised that God would dwell with us forever;
The Word became Flesh and lived among us.
As we wait for Christmas, we wait for Christ to come again.
Jesus, the One Who Saves, be born in us today. Amen.
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
We confess, O God, that we are an impatient people. We are terrible at waiting. We want everything to be saved, right now. We want You to return as we expect You to return. We want to believe we are right and others are wrong. We desire justification instead of justice. Renew our hearts, O God, so that we might have hope. Grant us Your peace, O God, so that we might become more patient for what needs to wait, and pursue justice, even when it disturbs us out of our comfort. Call us to rejoice, knowing that You make all things new. In Your great love for us, O God, help us to know You are at work in all times, in all things. As Advent draws to a close, help us to wait, to watch, and to know Your hope is at work in our lives, for You are entering our world in a new way, right now. In the name of Christ, who lived, died, lives again, and is with us always, we pray. Amen.
Blessing/Assurance
Look! She has born a Savior! Emmanuel, God With Us. The Word Became Flesh and dwelled among us. Jesus, the One Who Saves. God has come to us as one of us. God has become as vulnerable as all of us, to love us. Know this: you are loved, just as you are, wholly and completely you. There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. We are all flawed and fractured, busted and broken and bruised—and God loves you. Know God’s love in your life, and share this love with one another. That’s all we have to do, and all we must do, in every breath. Know that you are loved, and love one another. For in this love, we know forgiveness and peace. Amen.
Prayer
O Come, Thou Wisdom from on high, and order all things far and nigh. To us the path of knowledge show, and cause us in her ways to go. O Come, Thou Wisdom, enter our lives and teach us how to live with the Good News that Jesus Christ is born again, in our hearts and in our world. Help us to heed the prophets of old and their cry for justice. Call us to listen to the stories that teach us of God’s great love that comes to us among the animals and the shepherds. Guide us to the songs of the angels, who lay down the weapons of war to sing peace on earth and goodwill to all. May we find that song in our hearts, in the rhythm of the rocking cradle. O Come, Thou Wisdom from on high, and call us to rejoice, for God is with us, Emmanuel. Amen.
Worship Resources for December 18th, 2016—Fourth Sunday of Advent
Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25
Narrative Lectionary: Jesus’ Birth Announced, Luke 1:26-49 (Psalm 113 or 113:9)
Israel is under attack by two other kings, and God has told King Ahaz to ask for a sign. But King Ahaz does not want to test God. The prophet Isaiah is a bit exasperated with the king’s reluctance to do what God has told him to do, but assures Ahaz there is a sign: a young woman will have a child who they will call Immanuel, and those other two kings will be gone. God is doing something new, and the fears of old will pass away. This passage was cited by the writer of Matthew’s Gospel account of Jesus’ birth, but in the context of Isaiah, we understand that the prophet was sharing a message of hope, a sign, for the people of his time.
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 calls upon God to be the people’s savior. The psalmist cries out that the people are suffering, that they are humiliated before their neighbors and enemies. The psalmist calls out for God to save them—by empowering the one at God’s right hand—in other words, a mighty warrior or king. The people will never turn back if God saves them, the psalmist promises.
Paul introduces himself at the beginning of his letter to the Romans in 1:1-7 as a servant of Jesus Christ, and declares that Jesus was promised by God through the prophets, and descended from David according to the flesh but is the Son of God according to the spirit. Paul also declares that they belong to Christ now, and were sent among the Gentiles, which is the primary focus of his letter to the Roman church, to show them how the Gentiles are now included in the promises of God fulfilled through Christ.
Matthew 1:18-25 contains the writer of Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth. Markedly different from Luke, Matthew’s account is shadowed in fear and suspicion. Luke follow Mary and her experience, but Matthew follow Joseph. Joseph is engaged to Mary, but finds out she is pregnant and plans to end the engagement, but he will do so quietly so as not to expose her to disgrace. But the angel of the Lord comes to Joseph in a dream and tells him, “Do not be afraid.” The child is from the Holy Spirit, and will be named “He Saves” (the literal meaning of Jesus, the Greek form of Joshua). There are no shepherds, no multitude of the heavenly host, no manger and no journey to Bethlehem in this account. Rather, it is the “less flashy, more soap-opera drama” version of Jesus’ birth narrative.
The Narrative Lectionary also focuses on Jesus, but from Luke’s account of the announcement to Mary, Elizabeth’s proclamation, and the beginning of Mary’s Magnificat. The angel Gabriel just shows up, appears to Mary, and greets her, and tells her she will conceive a child from the Holy Spirit. Mary is perplexed, but overall takes the news well. She then travels to visit her cousin Elizabeth, also miraculously blessed with pregnancy, and the child in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy when Mary enters, and Mary sings with joy, praising God who has looked upon her with favor—who has chosen her, of all people.
Psalm 113 sings praise and blessings to God who restores what has been taken. God raises up the poor from the dust, the needy from the ash heap, and makes them equal to the princes in the land. The image of God bringing children to women who could not conceive is a well-known story repeated throughout the Bible, symbolic of securing a future. In other words, this psalm praises and proclaims that God is above all, that God who created the universe is also the God of the people, and God cares for them and all of their needs.
For the people of the first century, under the rule of Rome, under the local rule of the Herodians who did not have the people’s interests at heart, they longed for a king like David, but also longed for someone to speak to them like the prophets of old. They longed for someone to tell them that God’s promises would be fulfilled, that God was going to do something new. And when Jesus came along, they looked back for signs of how God had worked through their ancestors. Miraculous conceptions and births. Promises of newborn kings who would lead the people in a new way. And so, we are now waiting and hoping expectantly for what God is birthing new in this world, and in our lives. We are waiting for the return of Christ in an unexpected way, so we read the birth narratives over and over again, year after year, as the people read the prophets of old. We read the old, old stories, and look for the newness of God to break through.
Call to Worship
We are waiting for the birth of the Christ-child;
We are waiting for Jesus, the One Who Saves, to come again.
We are waiting for the angels to sing, for the shepherds to come;
We are waiting for Jesus, who is Emmanuel, God With Us.
We are waiting for the wise men to come from the east with their gifts;
We are waiting for Jesus to be born again in our hearts.
Come, for our time of waiting is almost complete;
Come, worship Christ, for Christ is coming again,
into our hearts, into our world, in new and glorious ways!
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
We confess to You, God of our Ancestors, that we are still searching for the same things our ancestors sought You for: protection, guidance, love and assurance. We still long to know that we will live in eternity with You, that You will see us through whatever troubles lie ahead. We still are waiting for peace to come and for Your kingdom, Your reign, Your beloved community to overtake us so that we will fight no more, struggle no more. And we confess that the feelings of hope and joy and peace that we have right now may fade in another month. We are still people of chronological time. Help us to move to Kairos time, to know that Advent is the season we are all expectantly waiting in, no matter what time of year. May we continue to participate in the coming of Your beloved community, Your reign on earth as it in heaven, knowing that You have already come, and are at work in each of us now. In the name of Christ, who was born, and who is coming again, we pray. Amen.
Blessing/Assurance
God has assured us through the prophets that restoration will come. God has assured us through Christ that resurrection is at hand. God has assured us through the Holy Spirit that new life begins now. Go, be full of the Spirit, know Jesus Christ as Savior, and believe that God’s love is with you always, because it is. Simply be. Simply love. Simply go with God and share the Good News. Amen.
Prayer
God of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, we know that You are continuing to work in our world to bring all things into the fulfillment of Your glory. We know that You are at work in each of us. Help us to let go of the ways of the world that revolve around numbers, whether they be seconds, hours, minutes or days, or the numbers of the stock market, or the numbers needed to achieve some goal—for You are beyond measure. Help us to let go of what is countable, and turn instead to what is unmeasurable—Your love and grace through Jesus Christ. For it is in Christ’s name that we have all hope, all peace, all joy, and all love. Amen.
Worship Resources for December 22nd, 2013—Fourth Sunday of Advent
Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Matthew 1:18-25; Romans 1:1-7
We have reached the last Sunday of Advent. Our passage from Isaiah is about a new king for the people of Israel, one who would be called God Is With Us: Immanuel. Ahaz, the king of Judah, desires to have a sign from God and tells Isaiah to ask God for a sign, and Isaiah tells him that the sign will be a young woman who will have a child named Immanuel. By the time this child is old enough to eat solid food, the child will choose good over evil. However, in this season of Advent we must remember to read these passages from Isaiah in context and to read the whole passage, we understand the hope that Isaiah had for his people in his time—for a king in his day. Isaiah speaks of other signs, of other things to come, that pertained to the people in his time, but we often ignore those to look to images that remind us of Jesus. Our Gospel lesson will refer back to this passage, remembering the hope in Isaiah’s time, and giving Jesus, “He Saves,” the name Emmanuel, “God Is With Us.”
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 is a song pleading for God’s deliverance, as the people have felt God’s absence. They have grieved and mourned and suffered tremendous loss and humiliation. The psalmist pleas for God to restore the people, that the one at God’s right hand—as they perceive their king—will feel God’s presence with them, and lead them into life.
Matthew 1:18-25 is Matthew’s version of Jesus’ birth narrative. After a lengthy genealogy in the first seventeen verses, Matthew’s Gospel tells a different version than found in Luke’s Gospel. Luke tells the story as the women Mary and Elizabeth experience Mary’s pregnancy and proclamation from God through the angel Gabriel. Matthew’s story includes more about Joseph, and Joseph’s intention of divorcing Mary after her pregnancy was known. Joseph, not unlike his namesake in the Hebrew Scriptures, experiences a vision from God through a dream, discovering that Mary is pregnant because of the Holy Spirit. Matthew quotes Isaiah, saying that this happened to fulfill what was said by the prophet. Matthew, however, takes one verse out of the section and uses it as a way of pointing to Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures. The writers does this throughout this Gospel, and it’s always a good idea to read the entire passage in context, as Matthew skips over other details in the Hebrew Scriptures. But what we learn is this: the writer of Matthew and many other early Christian writers saw Jesus as the Messiah, and looking back in the Hebrew Scriptures, found verses and images that reminded them about Jesus.
The letter to the Romans begins with Paul’s declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, promised by God through the prophets and the scriptures, descended from David, who has come to bring resurrection from the dead and grace to all people. Paul is giving his statement of faith as a welcome to the Roman church that he has not yet met. Paul is clear about what he believes about Jesus, and what the Gospel is, and who the Gospel is given to, especially including the Gentiles along with the Jews; but Paul is clear most of all about who Jesus is, declaring boldly that Jesus is declared to be the Son of God (vs. 4).
We have reached the moment where we read the story of the Incarnation: God among us. But we struggle in reading all of our Scriptures. Our early Christian ancestors looked back in the Hebrew Scriptures and the prophets speaking of hope in the time of exile, the prophets who looked to new kings and saw hope for new leadership—these seemed to remind the early Christians, especially our Gospel writers, about Jesus. And we have read these specific passages from Isaiah throughout Advent, passages about the future king of Israel; the early Christians saw these qualities of a Godly king in Jesus. But some of the Gospel writers, including Matthew, took verses out of context to proclaim that the prophets were talking about Jesus, and we have to be careful to understand that. As Christians, we must confess and acknowledge that in our rush to find Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures, we have claimed that our interpretation is the true one and that our Jewish brothers and sisters interpretation is false. We have carried out atrocities in the name of Jesus. Instead, as Christians we ought to look to the Gospel accounts of Jesus, rejoice that the prophet’s description of their ideal king has many similarities with Jesus, and also rejoice that Jesus came not as an earthly king, but as the One who leads us into life, and the hope of resurrection. Jesus is not the one that Isaiah hoped for in his time, but Jesus is God with us.
Call to Worship:
The day we have been waiting for is almost here!
Jesus has come, and Jesus is coming again!
The time we have been expecting is almost fulfilled
Christ has come, and Christ is doing something new!
The news we have been waiting to hear has almost arrived
The Gospel of Jesus is the Good News of God’s Love
We worship and celebrate the Good News of God’s Love for us all, revealed to us in Jesus the
Christ!
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
God of Time, Space, and All Creation: we confess that we have put our own expectations, desires and demands upon the Scriptures, upon others and upon You. We have made You into our image. We have turned Your Scripture to say what we want it to say. We have picked over and chosen bits of tradition and history to claim as Truth while ignoring the rest. Call us to repent. Call us to seek forgiveness. Call us to seek Your guidance on this journey of faith, to let go of our need for power and control. In the name of the God who came as vulnerable as any of us come into this world, we pray. Amen.
Blessing/Assurance of Pardon
Emmanuel, God is with us. There is no place we can go where God is not with us. There is nothing we can do that will cause God to abandon us. There is no darkness where God’s light cannot shine. We are loved, forgiven, and restored. Amen.
Prayer
Love Above All, in the north this is the darkest day of the year; in the south, this is the longest day of the year. Light shines in the darkness, and darkness cannot overcome it. God, You are coming into our world as light into darkness. Help us to grow in the light to see You at work in new ways, in our world and in our lives. Word That Became Flesh, help us to live more fully into this life of promise that You have created us for, that You have blessed us with. Be born anew in us this day and every day. Amen.