St Paul's
Beaconsfield

Anglican Church near Fremantle, Western Australia

First of Advent 29 November 2009

Our parish is a community that seeks God and the fullness of creation by finding ourselves in relation to others. Our giving to the common, to the other, our sharing of ourselves is our commitment to this endeavour.

Year B

Sunday, 9.15am Holy Communion see also Readings

Regular Services

Lectionary

The full text of the readings for Sunday are available in our Sunday's Readings section.

Other Resources

Textweek The Text This Week - Revised Common Lectionary, Scripture Study and Worship Links

Online Revised Common Lectionary Vanderbilt Divinity Library

Earlier Thoughts      Year B 0506      Year C 0607      Year A 0708

Sunday, 9.15am Holy Communion

LITURGICAL NOTE: From the start of Advent we follow the YEAR C readings in the three-year lectionary cycle. See the inside back cover for more about the liturgical year.

Before entering the sanctuary or the vestry…
Please allow the Choir to complete the ‘postlude’ and any additional songs that are part of our offering in worship – Our holding the sacred space is part of our common union - our being together in communion

The Lord’s Prayer
To give us the opportunity to reflect on this prayer, the prayer will be ‘restated’ by the Liturgical Assistant after we have joined together in sharing the prayer during the service. It also provides us with a reminder (or with permission) to revisit our traditional understandings… and to see the ancient wisdom of our tradition in a contemporary context

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Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

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Advent (from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming") is the first season of the liturgical year.... It is our beginning... a period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus.......
The lighting of the Advent Candles gives a symbolic expression to the movement and momentum of advent... week by week the “coming of the light” grows more intense as we come toward Christmas with an expectation that the Divine Incarnation will bring light into a world of darkness......
For the Church and for each of us.... this time of reflection and preparation is an opportunity to look toward the future.
Each and every future can be a continuation of the past..... history repeating itself..... It can also be a time of renewal, re-creation and of making all things new.
The Future Belongs to those who believe in the Beauty of their Dreams

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HOPE PEACE JOY LOVE

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Prepare the way of the Lord

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ADVENT Liturgy

We invite young ones from the community to join in lighting the ADVENT Candle – and together Pray for the HOPE that it represents

A candle is burning, a flame warm and bright,
A candle of Hope in December’s dark night.
While angels sing blessings from heaven’s starry sky,
Our hearts we prepare now, for Jesus is nigh.

We acknowledge our oneness as we join in the Advent anthem that names the coming of the Divine

O come, o come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lowly exile here, until the Son of God appear.

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The grace of Advent is hope, the virtue by which we human beings can recognise and welcome God present in the world but not experienced with our senses. The corresponding stage in Jesus' life which we celebrate in this season is when he was in the womb of Mary. It was a time in the history of salvation when the Word was made flesh, but was not visible, his presence was real but an object of hope, like the tiny mustard seed which we trust will eventually become a great tree in whose branches the birds of the air will shelter. Michel de Verteuil (2004) Lectio Divina with the Sunday Gospels

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I wonder at the maker who can be
Before I am and yet a child of me.
Sidney Carter

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ADVENT Candles
HOPE - we light the first Advent candle, which represents our mothers and fathers in faith from ancient times and distant places, matriarchs and patriarchs who sought God and were found by God.
As spiritual children of Sarah and Abraham, we thank God for their other children, Jews and Muslims, and in a world of many faiths we pray for grace to cherish the disclosure of God in the Child of Bethlehem and the Christ of the Cross.

Take time to dream to find the vision of which you are a part
Adapted from Advent Candlelighting by Rev David Wood

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ADVENT…. as we busy ourselves with preparations for Christmas so our attention is drawn toward gift GIVING……. And toward those we LOVE…
We also pause – in the busy-ness - and think of the new year, and of what Christmas might bring for us in terms of Gifts and New Life….
Please consider your GIFT, and yourself as GIFT, to our Community for together we are The Body of Christ

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The Promise of Advent
Stir up our hearts, we beseech you, to prepare ourselves to receive your Son. When he comes and knocks, may he find us not sleeping in sin, but awake to righteousness, ceaselessly rejoicing in his love. May our hearts and minds be so purified, that we may be ready to receive his promise of eternal life. The Gelasian Sacramentary c.500

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The Elm Dance

After the choir sings the postlude on Sunday morning, those who wish to join in “The Elm Dance” gather in the circle dance area outside the church before going up to coffee in the hall. The Elm Dance

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The Divine Gift of Life, Light and Love
Our offering - a reflection of the gifts we have received
and an orientation of our giving to the life of this community.

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There is nothing in all the Universe so much like God as silence.
Meister Eckhart

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Sacred Space, Liturgy & our Community @ Worship
As we seek to offer our best in worship these guidelines may be helpful.

1. Silence before worship enables us to be ‘gathered’ into the introit sung by the choir
2. Conversations with others are often our way of avoiding those more divine words that search for us.
3. The sanctuary ‘space’ is ‘held’ by those who lead our worship, please keep to a minimum any movement in this ‘space’ and, at the end of our service, please wait until the choir have finished singing before entering.
4. NOTICES are an important part of our community story… however please use the service sheet to convey notices so that we can minimise the number that have to be given in church.

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We meditate on the glory of the Creator;
Who has created the Universe;
Who is worthy of Worship;
Who is the embodiment of Knowledge and Light;
Who is the remover of all Sin and Ignorance;
May The Divine enlighten our Intellect.

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Peace
Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi

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May creatures all abound in wealth and peace;
May all be blessed with peace always;
All creatures weak or strong,
All creatures great and small;
Creatures seen or unseen,
Dwelling afar or near.
born or awaiting birth,
May all be blessed with peace!
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Giving made easy
Direct debit forms are available from the back of the church and the hall for anyone who wants to use this facility. 
St Paul’s bank account details are:
30004913 Beaconsfield - for the East End account
30003006 Beaconsfield - for regular giving
For Internet or other bank transfers you will also need the BSB which is the same for each account – 706-001
Please contact Bob Matthews if you have any questions.

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