Third Sunday of Advent, Year A
From the archives of December 11, 2022 (and December 15, 2019, December 11, 2016, and December 15, 2013)
Worship Resources for December 11, 2022—Third Sunday of Advent
Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:46b-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
Narrative Lectionary: Light to the Nations, Isaiah 42:1-9 (Matthew 12:15-21)
Today is Gaudete Sunday, which means “Rejoice.” Often, the third candle of the Advent wreath is a pink candle, or rose candle, as it is also called Rose Sunday. In the early tradition of Advent, the season was forty days, mirroring Lent, and a period of fasting. Gaudete Sunday was a day to break the fasting and celebrate, for Christmas is drawing near.
The readings from the Hebrew Scriptures continue to follow Isaiah in this Advent season. The prophet turns to hope of return from exile in 35:1-10. Before the “voice cries out in the wilderness” in 40:3, the prophet notes the wilderness and desert rejoice and blossom because of the glory of God. The prophet encourages the people to have courage because God is coming to deliver them, to lead them out of exile to home. Isaiah uses images of people with physical disabilities, including those who are blind, deaf, mute, or paralyzed, to symbolize spiritual limitations. In the time of Isaiah, people with disabilities were often excluded from the greater community, unable or unallowed to participate. The prophet uses these images to show that the limitations have been removed from the people. As twenty-first century readers, we need to focus on the liberation from the limitations of societal participation, for that was the image Isaiah was invoking, not a miraculous curing. All will be called to God’s Holy Way. The unclean—those who will not keep God’s ways—will fall away, but all others will follow God’s holy way into liberation.
Psalm 146:5-10 sings of God who made heaven and earth and is mindful of the most vulnerable among us. God is a God of justice: feeding the hungry, supporting those who are disabled, and removing oppression. God watches over the strangers and the widows and orphans, all those who are pushed to the margins of society. Those who do not follow God’s ways will meet their end, but those who are faithful will know God’s faithfulness.
An alternative to the psalm is Mary’s Magnificat in Luke 1:46b-55. Mary, echoing the Song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2, responds to God working in her life and sings of God doing wonderful, mighty things for all the people. God’s justice flips over the tables and fills the hungry and sends the rich away empty. God’s justice brings down the powerful and lifts up the lowly. For those who are in places of privilege and have all the resources they need, this will not be good news, but for the oppressed and marginalized, God has come to help them. This is in accordance with the promises God made to their ancestors and to the people forever.
James 5:7-10 encourages the believers to be courageous and be patient, for the day of the Lord is near. James warns the believers not to grumble against one another, because God takes notice of everything. Earlier in the letter, James warned against judgment because God is the ultimate judge, and God is drawing near, so James repeats this warning. This passage concludes with James reminding the faithful of the endurance and suffering of the prophets before them.
John wonders if Jesus is the one to come, or if they were supposed to wait for another in Matthew 11:2-11. John, who was in prison at the time, sent word through his own disciples to Jesus questioning if he was the Messiah. Jesus’s response to the messenger was simply to tell John what he witnessed: the disabled are included and have good news, the dead are raised, and the sick are healed. In Jesus’s day, disabled people could not work, they could only beg. Good news was brought to those who had been left out, as they would not be left out of God’s reign. Perhaps John and others were still expecting a Messiah who would bring about a worldly kingdom, wearing the robes of kings or perhaps the powerful voice of a prophet commanding leaders, but Jesus was at work among the poorest, most vulnerable people. John the Baptist may have been the greatest prophet to be born, but the least in the kingdom of heaven would be greater than he—John could not envision a kingdom not of this world.
The Narrative Lectionary also focuses on Isaiah in 42:1-9, the first of the “Servant Songs” of Isaiah. While later Christians looked at these passages and saw Jesus represented, the people of Isaiah’s day, returning from exile, saw themselves—the people of Israel—as the one who had served God and had suffered. God’s spirit was among them as they returned from the exile, a witness to the nations around them. The people had survived and became a light to the nations, a witness of how God is the Liberator, the one who hears the cries and relieves the suffering. There is no other God, and God is bringing forth something new.
The supplemental passage is Matthew 12:15-21, in which the writer of Matthew’s gospel quotes Isaiah 42, linking the suffering servant to Jesus as he ministered among the people, healing those who were sick and suffering from disease. Quoting from the Septuagint, this translation suggests that “the Gentiles will have hope.” Looking at Isaiah’s time, the understanding would be that the hope was in understanding God as the God of liberation, the one who rescues and redeems the faithful, and that Israel was a light to all nations. For Matthew, the writer is trying to foreshadow Jesus’s own work in grafting the Gentiles into the family tree of Israel.
On this Sunday, we rejoice in God our Savior, a God who has remained faithful to all of us through the promises made to our ancestors in the faith long ago. God continues to work for our liberation from oppression in this world, the world we have made. God continues to pay attention and be most mindful of those our society often marginalizes and leaves out: those experiencing poverty, widows, orphans, disabled folks—and God prepares a way for them. When we see good news for all people, including the “least” among us, then we see the Gospel. If there isn’t good news for the poor, the disabled, all those who are pushed out, those who fear for their lives such as LGBTQ persons—if it’s not good news for them, it isn’t the Gospel. The Gospel is one who remembers and lifts up those who have been pushed out. We are still waiting for the day of the Lord, and in the meantime, as James warns us, we need one another. We need to find a way forward together, but especially for those we have often left out.
Call to Worship (from Luke 1:46b-47, 49, 52-52, 55a)
Our soul magnifies the Lord,
And our spirit rejoices in God our Savior.
For the Mighty One has done great things for us,
And holy is God’s name.
God has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
And lifted up the lowly.
God has filled the hungry with good things,
And sent the rich away empty.
According to the promise God made to our ancestors,
We worship our God of liberating love!
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
God of the People, we rejoice with Mary’s song every year, yet we do not allow her words to break open our hearts. We still prop up the rich and powerful while the hungry beg on our streets. We still push people to the margins, especially the most vulnerable, and we imprison those who are in most need of help. May we hear Mary’s call, O God, and may our hearts break open. May we be challenged by these words and in our desire for peace and harmony recognize that if there are people oppressed among us, there can be no peace and there is no good news. May we live into Mary’s song and work to let the oppressed go free, to bring in those from the margins, to fill the hungry with good things and send the rich away empty—even if it means for those of us with privilege to let go. Help us to do this holy work, O God, and work in us this Advent season to live into Your reign here on earth and bring the good news. Amen.
Blessing/Assurance
In accordance to the promises God made to our ancestors of faith, may we know that God’s steadfast love never ceases and God’s mercies are renewed every day. May we seek in this season to repent and turn back to God’s ways, and repent to each other of where we have gone wrong. May we work to bring reparation and healing in our relationships and in this world. May we live into God’s love, made known to us in the Word made Flesh that dwelled among us, and know God’s forgiveness and restoration in our own lives. Amen.
Prayer
Joyful God, we rejoice in You this season! We are glad for the wonder and awe that Advent brings us as we prepare for Christmas. As we are still in a pre-post-Covid world, we’ve experienced much loss and grief in recent years. While we’ve eased up on some restrictions, we still take precautions, and we may be a bit timid in truly embracing joy. God, help us to know that while we may still be cautious, while we may still be careful for the well being of others and ourselves, we can fully rejoice in You, knowing that You are making all things new. We look to the future with hope, and we prepare our hearts to make room for You, for You are our Joy to the World! Amen.
Worship Resources for December 15th, 2019—Third Sunday of Advent
Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:46b-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
Narrative Lectionary: Rebuilding the Temple, Ezra 1:1-4; 3:1-4, 10-13 (Luke 2:25-32)
Isaiah speaks of the hope of return from exile in 35:1-10. This passage probably belongs with Second Isaiah, after chapter 40, as it speaks of encouragement to those who have waited so long, “be strong and do not fear.” The prophet uses images of people with physical disabilities, including those who are blind, deaf, mute, or paralyzed, to symbolize spiritual limitations. In the time of Isaiah, people with disabilities were often excluded from the greater community, unable or unallowed to participate. The prophet uses these images to show that the limitations have been removed from the people. As twenty-first century readers, we need to focus on the liberation from the limitations of societal participation, for that was the image Isaiah was invoking, not a miraculous curing. All will be called to God’s Holy Way. The unclean—those who will not keep God’s ways—will fall away, but all others will follow God’s holy way into liberation.
The psalmist continues this theme of liberation in Psalm 146:5-10. God is the one who made the whole earth, and also cares for the oppressed and the poor. God executes justice, setting the prisoners free, and feeding the hungry. God watches over those who are marginalized—widows and orphans especially. God lifts up those who have been bowed down, and opens the eyes of the blind—God removes the societal limitations, whatever has held us back from knowing God.
Mary’s song praises God for liberation in Luke 1:46b-55. Mary sings of God bringing down the powerful from their thrones and lifting up the lowly. God fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty. God scatters the proud, and looks with favor upon the lowly servants such as she. Mary’s response to God is not only what God is doing for her, but for all people through her.
The short reading from James points to the season of Advent, of watching and waiting for Christ’s return. In James 5:7-10, the writer reminds us not to grumble against one another, to not judge, for the One who judges all is coming. We are called to strengthen our hearts, endure, and wait, for God is coming into our world and lives in a new way.
Jesus is questioned by John the Baptist via John’s disciples in Matthew 11:2-11. John was in prison, starting to wonder if Jesus really was the Messiah. Jesus wasn’t acting like the Messiah many expected, who would overthrown the Romans and rule a worldly kingdom. Jesus tells them to tell John what they have seen—the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and lepers are cleansed, and the dead are raised. There is nothing that can hold anyone back from God, not even death. All those who are on the margins of society, who have been oppressed, have found good news. They’ve been liberated from the societal limitations placed on them. In Jesus’ day, if you were disabled, you were also poor—you could not work, you could only beg. You were often considered unclean, apart from society. Jesus included them all. Jesus addresses the crowds about John, that he was sent to be the messenger, but rather than revere John who was now in prison, they ought to be concerned about all being part of the kingdom of heaven—especially those who have been left out, especially the disabled, poor, and oppressed.
The Narrative Lectionary focuses on the rebuilding of the temple after return from the Exile in Ezra 1:1-4, 3:1-4, 10-13. Cyrus, ruler of Persia, allowed the exiled Israelites to return home after the fall of Babylon. The temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt, but it took several years after construction stalling due to disputes among the returned exiles. When it was finally completed, some of the elders, who remembered the first temple, wept aloud, while others rejoiced at the completion of the new temple. There was a mixed response from the people—those who were so glad at the rebuilding, feeling it signified how God had returned everything to the people, and those who wept, because they remembered what it used to be, before the fall of Jerusalem and the exile.
In Luke 2:25-32, an elder named Simeon came to the temple guided by the Holy Spirit, and took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God. Jesus had been brought by his parents to the temple to be presented, as were all baby Jewish boys, for his circumcision. But the Holy Spirit had told Simeon that this baby was the Lord’s Messiah. He’d waited his whole life for this moment, knowing he would see the Messiah before he died.
Advent is a season of watching and waiting for what God is doing in our world and in our lives. We see the signs of God at work, sometimes in miracles without explanation, but more often in the work of liberation. God is at work liberating us from the forces of evil and sin in this world that hold us back. As Bishop Robert Bannon said, “I don’t think we’ll see Advent correctly until we see it as a preparation for a revolution.” The stories of miracles in the Bible aren’t just to direct people to a wondrous God—they liberate people who’ve been oppressed. Feeding 5000 people liberates 5000 people from hunger. The stories in our Bible that include healing of people with disabilities aren’t about curing disabilities, but about freeing people from society’s oppression. The work of healing happens when we make accommodations and accessibility for all a priority. The work of healing happens when we house the homeless and provide food for the hungry—because good mental health depends on not being afraid of where you are sleeping or where your next meal is coming. The work of healing happens when we can see more than just where our next meal is coming from, but when we can envision a future with hope.
Call to Worship (from Luke 1:46-47, 49, 52-55)
Our souls magnify the Lord, and our spirits rejoice in God our Savior.
For the Mighty One has done great things for us; Holy is God’s name.
God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.
God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
God helps all those who serve, in remembrance of God’s mercy,
According to the promises God made to our ancestors, and to us.
Come, worship God, who is turning the world upside down;
Worship God, who makes all things new.
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
Mighty God, we confess that we continue to oppress others through our ignorance. We assume incapability because of disability. We assume poverty is due to laziness. We assume homelessness is due to drugs or alcohol, or blame mental illness or poor planning. Forgive us for our assumptions that are destructive and harmful. Mold us into people with compassion and kindness in our hearts. Quiet our minds that want to jump to conclusions, and instead, create in us a spirit of listening, of openness to the humanity of others. Call us into people of liberation—who seek Your desire to lift up the lowly, to fill the hungry with good things, to bring good news to the poor and release to the captives. Stir in us Your Spirit, O God, and break down the oppressive patterns that have infiltrated our lives. Free us to be Your people. Amen.
Blessing/Assurance
God has liberated us from the power of sin and death through Jesus Christ. As we celebrate the awe and wonder of this season, know that you are free. Death does not have a hold on you. Evil does not have the final word. Love, in the form of a newborn babe, in the form of one who fed five thousand, in the form of one who embraced Mary while she wept at her brother Lazarus’ death, has the final word. Life will go on. The hungry will be fed. The dead will be raised. You are free in Christ. Go and share the good news. Amen.
Prayer
O God, we rejoice that You have given us a Savior! We rejoice that Christ changed our lives and our world forever, and that Christ is at work anew. We rejoice that evil will not have the final word. We rejoice that as long as we live and breathe, we breathe in Your Spirit that makes all things new. We rejoice that the troubles of this present age will not last forever. We rejoice that You continue to work in us, to free us from the sins of this world that oppress and harm. We rejoice that You are moving us into people of compassion, who work for justice for all. We rejoice that the Spirit is still at work, and is doing something new in our world and in our lives, now. Rejoice, and again, we say, rejoice! In thanksgiving we praise You, O God. Amen.
Worship Resources for December 11, 2016—Third Sunday of Advent
Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:46b-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
Narrative Lectionary: Spirit of the Lord Upon Me, Isaiah 61:1-11 (Luke 4:16-21)
The prophet Isaiah speaks a vision to the time when the people will return from exile, when God’s promises will be fulfilled, and the people restored. Isaiah uses the images of blossoms in the desert, rivers in the wilderness, and the highway in the desert to show that God is making a way where none could be seen or found. The blind will see, the deaf hear, the lame leap, and the speechless sing for joy—in a time when those who were disabled were cut off from society, this was good news that God would find a way for them. For no one would go astray, and no one would be lost, from the way that God was making.
Psalm 146:5-10 is a blessing for those who put their trust and hope in God. For the same God who made heaven and earth is the God of justice, who restores what was taken from the poor and hungry and releases the prisoners. God looks after the widows and orphans—all who are oppressed, all who are on the margins of society, and God will reign forever.
Luke 1:46b-55 is Mary’s Magnificat, her song of praise, in which God is praised following the good news of her pregnancy and the revelation of Elizabeth. Mary sings of God who fills the hungry with good things and leaves the rich empty. If you are rich, if you have much, if you are powerful—this song does not sing good news for you. Rather, God’s ways of justice are restoration, equity—a leveling out—and for the poor, oppressed, and marginalized—this is good news.
James 5:7-10 looks to the prophets as an example of patience, and reminds the reader to be patient in waiting, for God is near. James reminds the reader not to grumble against others, but rather to look at ourselves, to strengthen our hearts, and to not judge others, because God is the judge who is drawing near.
Jesus responds to John the Baptist in Matthew 11:2-11, for John, in prison, has started to doubt who Jesus is. He wonders if they are supposed to wait for another, because Jesus doesn’t seem to fulfill the image of the Messiah that John had in mind. Jesus sharply replies to John that there is good news—healing and restoration—and if that isn’t the work of the Messiah, what is? But Jesus doesn’t badmouth John for his lack of faith—instead, he speaks to the crowds about John the Baptist, that he is the one who came to prepare the way.
The Narrative Lectionary focuses on the post-exile Isaiah in chapter 61, bringing good news. God has brought the people out of exile, has turned their mourning to dancing, and will lead them to rebuild what was destroyed. God will make an everlasting covenant with them. The people will be known by God’s blessings, and they are the garden in which God’s blessings are springing to all nations. The people will all become priests and ministers to God, sharing the Good News with all.
Jesus reads the same scroll from Isaiah in Luke 4:16-21, but declares that the words have been fulfilled in their hearing. However, following this passage, after the people at first give their approval for Jesus’ interpretation, they later turn on him when he speaks of good news to the gentiles, and not to those hearing.
God’s justice is good news for the poor and the marginalized, the oppressed and the lost. However, God’s justice doesn’t seem like good news if you are rich, if you are on the inside, if you have power. God’s justice is restorative. God judges with equity. And this is good news for the world, even if it doesn’t seem like it to the powerful and wealthy.
Call to Worship (from Luke 1:46-47,49,52-55)
Our souls magnify the Lord,
And our spirit rejoices in God our Savior.
The Mighty One has done great things for us,
Holy is His Name.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
And has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And has sent the rich away empty.
According to the promises God made to our ancestors,
Good News has come to all! Come, worship our Savior as we prepare for His coming again!
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
Mighty One, we confess before You that Your ways of justice are hard for us. It calls us to look at the needs of others and what we have. It causes us to check our privilege and to remove ourselves from the center. It moves us to bring those on the margins in. We confess that often we do not want to do this. We want to hang on to our privilege, remain in the center of power, hold on to our possessions. Help us to let it go. Help us to trust in You. Help us to move into Your ways of justice, love, mercy, and peace. In the name of Christ our Savior we pray. Amen.
Blessing/Assurance
Martin Luther King, Jr. said that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” We are being bent towards God’s justice, and when we let go of what holds us back, we find that God’s love and grace will hold us as we bend. Let yourself go, let your worries go, let your reservations go, and bend towards justice. Know that you are loved, forgiven, and restored, for you are God’s beloved. Go in peace, justice, and joy.
Prayer
God of Beauty, God of Wonder, God of Creation: help us to take hold of the instruments You have given us to create beauty in this world. Your image in us is that creative spark that inspires us to write, to make art, to dance, to sing, to build, to dream, to envision. Nurture those gifts in us, so that we might fully rejoice in You as our Creator and Savior. In this season of Advent, as we watch and wait, call us into active participation in Your creative work in this world. May we create something new, as You create something new in us, blossoming into the fullness of Your joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Worship Resources for December 15th, 2013—Third Sunday of Advent
Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:46b-55; Matthew 11:2-11; James 5:7-10
The thirty-fifth chapter of Isaiah contains beautiful verses of poetry about the return of the exiles. All of creation will rejoice at the return of the people. The prophet encourages the people to prepare for this joyous return, to not be afraid for God will be with them. God will save them, and God will carry them home. The way home will be for God’s people, and no one will go astray. Sadness and grieving will be no more, but singing and joyful celebration will last forever. For a people who have been through so much, these words of the prophet break joy in through the darkness and the suffering.
Psalm 146:5-10 sings of the good news of God for those who look to God. God is the Creator, and also the judge who grants justice: God lifts up the poor, gives food to the hungry, frees the oppressed and watches over the marginalized. This is the God we follow, the God who creates and reigns.
Luke 1:46b-55, the Magnificat, is an alternate reading for this Sunday. There is a great rendition of this scripture by the Salt Project that I encourage you to view and share, or even use in worship! The Magnificat is Mary’s song of praise before Jesus’ birth. Much of her song echoes Hannah’s song upon the birth of her son Samuel in 1 Sam. 2:1-10. Mary sings not of what God is doing for her, but what God is doing for the whole world. She sings of God’s justice, which is not punitive, but restorative—the hungry are filled with good things and the rich sent away empty. God has remembered the people, and God will do great things. Mary never mentions Jesus in this song, but simply proclaims that God is doing great things for her, and for all people.
Matthew 11:2-11 tells of a time when John the Baptist, in prison, sends his own disciples to Jesus, questioning whether Jesus really is the Messiah. The popular idea of the Messiah was a new king, someone who would come in and establish a new order, who would overthrow the Roman Empire and rebuild the kingdom of Israel. But Jesus comes not to organize an army, but instead healing the sick, raising the dead, bringing good news to the poor and lifting up the oppressed. Jesus comes proclaiming the Good News, but the Good News was not the news the people expected to hear. Jesus praises the work of John the Baptist, but also challenges the crowds to change their expectations of the Messiah and the messengers of God. What God is calling them to do is the work that John the Baptist began: to repent, turn back to God, and seek forgiveness for their sins. Don’t look for the royalty in robes or a warrior on a horse; instead, look to the ones living out the Good News and caring for all of God’s children. This is the work of the Messiah.
James 5:7-10 reminds us that we have to be patient, and not only with God, but with each other. James warns the readers not to grumble against each other. James uses the prophets as an example—the prophets proclaimed the work God was doing and the works God would do—but they often did not see it come to fruition in their lifetime. So we also wait, seeing that God is actively at work now, but that the fruit of our labor may not be in our sight. We have to be patient.
The Good News is the Gospel, and it is given for all people. But to those who have privilege, who have power and wealth, it may not seem like good news. The good news we may want is more power and control, but through the prophets, through Mary, through John the Baptist and now Jesus, we hear that God’s justice is restorative. God will bring down the high and raise up the low. God will fill the hungry and send the rich away empty. God will call us to look to our own sins and seek forgiveness and repent. It’s not easy. It may not sound like Good News at all. But to the poor, the meek, the lowly, the oppressed, the marginalized—this is Good News. This is news that calls us all to rejoice!
Call to Worship (from John 3:16-17):
Hear the Good News!
For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son
Hear the Good News!
So that everyone who believes will not perish but have eternal life
Hear the Good News!
God did not send his son in order to condemn the world
Hear the Good News!
But that the whole world might be saved through him.
Let us celebrate the Gospel News in this time of worship.
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
Creator God, we have unequally held power and wealth. We have rewarded the rich and the healthy and punished the poor and the sick. We have forgotten the oppressed and the marginalized and focused on what is in it for us. Forgive us for when we are self-centered. Forgive us when we feel entitled. Forgive us when we don’t recognize our power or privilege. Help us to bear the Good News to all people and to live into the Gospel. In the name of Jesus, who offers us forgiveness and restoration, we pray. Amen.
Blessing/Assurance of Pardon
Our soul magnifies the Lord! Our spirit rejoices in God our Savior! The Mighty One has done great things for us, and holy is God’s name. We are forgiven. We are loved. We are challenged to go forth and live into the Good News. Amen.
Prayer
Almighty God, we struggle with the Good News. We want to be good people and live good lives but it is hard to put others before ourselves. It is hard to see the places where we may have privilege. It is hard to see how the way we live may have a direct effect on other’s lives. Call us into awareness. Call us into right-living. Call us into the ways of justice, so that all people may be lifted up, so that all may receive the Gospel, so that all may rejoice in You our Savior. In the name of Jesus the Anointed One, we pray. Amen.