Some additional worship resources for December 9, the second
Sunday of Advent. Scroll down to find:
- Responsive Reading – Luke 1:68-73, 78-79
- Responsive Reading – 1 Nephi 7:55-58, 64
- Confession – Based on Malachi 3:1-4 / 3 Nephi 11:4-7
- “Second Witness” Scripture Readings and Sermon Helps
- Sending Forth – Adapted from Philippians 1:6, 9-11
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RESPONSIVE READING
Luke 1:68-73, 78-79
This reading might be
used as a Call to Worship, during the Focus Moment, or at the lighting of the
Candle of Peace.
Leader: Praise to you, Holy One, God of Israel!
All: You have blessed your people; you have set us free!
Leader: You have given us a Savior, mighty and
strong,
All: from the family of David, your servant.
Leader: By doing this, you have kept the promise you
made long ago through the prophets—
All: that you would rescue us from all our enemies.
Leader: You have given us the blessing you promised
to our ancestors.
All: You have kept the sacred promise you made to Sarah and
Abraham.
Leader: In your compassion, O God,
All: you have sent us light from heaven, rising like the sun.
Leader: The light shines on all who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death.
All: The light shows us the path of peace.
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RESPONSIVE READING
1 Nephi 7:55-58, 64 (contemporary language)
This reading might be
used during the Focus Moment or at the lighting of the Candle of Peace.
Leader: The time is coming soon when God will lead
the faithful
All: like carefree calves to the safety of their stall.
Leader:
The Holy One of Israel will rule
supreme—
All: strong, and powerful, and glorious!
Leader:
He will gather his children from every
part of the earth.
All: They will come to him, like sheep that recognize their
shepherd’s call.
Leader:
He will count them, to be sure that none
have been lost.
All: They will form a single flock, with a single shepherd.
Leader:
All nations, all tribes, all language
groups, all people
All: will live safely in the Holy One of Israel.
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CONFESSION
Based on Malachi 3:1-4 / 3 Nephi 11:4-7
Reader:
The Lord, for whom you are waiting,
will come suddenly to his temple.
The messenger of God’s promise—
the one who brings you joy—
is coming, says the Lord.
All:
Jesus, we long for your coming!
[Pause
for silent prayer and reflection.]
Reader:
But when he comes,
he will be like a purifying fire,
or like corrosive soap.
Who will be able to endure the cleansing?
When he appears,
who will be able to stay on their feet?
All:
Jesus, make us able
to stand without shame in your
presence.
[Pause
for silent prayer and reflection.]
Reader:
He will purify those whom God has chosen to be priests,
like a metalworker purifies gold and silver in a furnace.
He will make the priests ritually clean,
so that they can offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.
All:
Jesus, we want to serve you.
Change
us into what you need us to be.
[Pause
for silent prayer and reflection.]
Reader:
Then the offerings of God’s people
will once again be pleasing to the Lord,
as it was in days past,
as it was in years gone by.
All:
Jesus, we have brought you offerings.
Do they please you?
[Pause
for silent prayer and reflection.]
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“SECOND WITNESS” SCRIPTURE READINGS
and SERMON HELPS
Either of the D&C
selections below might be read in tandem with Luke 3:1-6 (the suggested
preaching text) in the “two witnesses” style. For an example of this style, see this post.
Sermon help: Both D&C
selections echo the call from Luke (quoting Isaiah) to “prepare the way of the
Lord, make his paths straight.” In the D&C, that call is presented as part
of the message that Latter Day Saints proclaim as they carry out the church’s mission to
invite people to Christ. What situations in today’s world require us, as
Christ’s witnesses, to raise voices of warning and calls for change?
Option A: D&C
32:2c-f
Contemporary language:
Truly I say to you
that the field is white, ready to harvest.
Therefore, thrust in your sickle and reap
with all your might, mind, and strength.
Open your mouths, and they will be filled.
You will become like Nephi, from long ago,
who journeyed from Jerusalem through the desert.
Open your mouths; do not hold back . . .
for I am with you.
Open your mouths . . . , saying:
“Repent, repent!
Prepare the way of the Lord!
Make his paths straight,
for God’s kingdom is near!”
Traditional language:
Verily I say unto you,
that the field is white already to harvest;
wherefore, thrust in your sickle, and reap
with all your might, mind, and strength.
Open your mouths and they shall be filled;
and you shall become as Nephi of old,
who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness;
yea, open your mouths and spare not . . .
for lo, I am with you;
yea, open your mouths . . ., saying,
Repent, repent
and prepare ye the way of the Lord,
and make his paths straight;
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Option B. D&C
33:1c-2b
Contemporary language:
I have called you to proclaim my gospel—
to lift up your voice like a trumpet,
long and loud.
Call a crooked and perverse generation to repentance!
Prepare the way of the Lord for his second coming!
Truly I say to you:
The time is coming soon
when I will arrive in a cloud,
with power and splendor;
and at the time of my coming,
all nations will tremble. . . .
Therefore, lift up your voice,
do not hold back—
the Lord God has commanded it!
I will give you words to speak
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And if you are faithful,
I am with you until I come.
Truly, I am coming quickly.
Traditional language:
You are called of me to preach my gospel;
to lift up your voice as with the sound of a trump,
both long and loud,
and cry repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation;
preparing the way of the Lord for his second coming;
for behold, verily, verily I say unto you,
the time is soon at hand,
that I shall come in a cloud
with power and great glory,
and it shall be a great day at the time of my coming,
for all nations shall tremble. . . .
Wherefore lift up your voice
and spare not,
for the Lord God hath spoken.
Therefore prophesy
and it shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost;
and if you are faithful,
behold, I am with you until I come;
and verily, verily I say unto you, I come quickly.
Sermon help, incorporating Luke 3:1-11 IV: The lectionary reading from Luke (3:1-6) includes a quotation from
Isaiah 40:3-5. In the Inspired Version, the Luke passage is expanded (3:1-11)
to include what is, in effect, a commentary on the Isaiah quotation. The IV interprets
the Isaiah quotation as a prophecy of Christ’s ministry, which, according to the
IV passage, includes:
- preparing the way for the universal proclamation of the gospel.
- gathering “those who are lost,” “the dispersed and afflicted.”
- being “a light unto all who sit in darkness.”
- bringing to pass the resurrection.
- “administer[ing] justice unto all.”
- convincing people of their “ungodly deeds.”
How do we bear witness
to, and participate in, these aspects of Christ’s ministry?
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SENDING FORTH
Adapted from Philippians 1:6, 9-11
Note: If the “Amen”
responses are omitted, this reading could be used instead as a preface to the
Disciples’ Generous Response.
1st Reader:
May God, who has begun a good work in us,
bring that work to completion
by the time Christ returns!
All: Amen!
2nd Reader:
May our love increase to overflowing!
May we have the knowledge and insight
to recognize perfectly what is good!
All: Amen!
3rd Reader:
May Christ bring forth in us
an abundant harvest of good deeds,
for the praise and glory of God!
All: Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
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