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Advent Wreath 1

Advent 1

27 November 2022

Advent Wreath 1

Let us pray (in silence) [that we long for the advent of Christ]

Pause

Almighty God, [or God of hope or God of justice and peace]
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 the which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
so 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 lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit now and for ever.
Amen.

This is my rendering of a historic collect for Book of Prayers in Common.

Here is the commentary for that collect: Advent collect – reflection from the collect/opening prayer or read below.

Original, Southern Hemisphere Advent collects
An outline example and resources for an Advent Eucharist
Advent in the Southern Hemisphere

Advent wreath blessing
Southern Cross Advent Wreath blessing

Advent penitence

O Antiphons chants

A Brief History of Advent

Lectionary Reading Introduction

This site provides something different: many sites and books provide a brief summary of the reading – so that people read out or have in their pew sheet an outline of what they are about to hear. They are told beforehand what to expect. Does this not limit what they hear the Spirit address them? This site provides something different – often one cannot appreciate what is being read because there is no context provided. This site provides the context, the frame of the reading about to be heard. It could be used as an introduction, printed on a pew sheet (acknowledged, of course), or adapted in other ways.

Isaiah 2:1-5

The irony and boldness of the prophecy needs an understanding that the central image of this text speaks of the small hill overlooking the city of David on which is built the temple of Solomon. 

Romans 13:11-14

The Bible regularly has three zones of our humanity that are called to be in accord: heart and eyes (thought); mouth and ears (word); hands and feet (deed). [Feelings are part of heart and eyes.] Paul’s call to honourable lifestyle can be categorised into these interlinking areas. 

Matthew 24:36-44

The context of Matthew’s hearers is about half a century after Jesus’ death and rising, after the failed revolt of the Judeans against the Romans and the destruction of the Temple by Titus and his Roman legions. His culture lived in the present and his hearers were challenged about the delay in the return of the Son of Man.

Resources beyond this site:
Resourcing Preaching Down Under
Textweek
Girardian Reflection on the Lectionary

Food for Faith offers daily a short written reflection as well as a Lectio Divina podcast and weekly Homily Studio podcast.

If you have any other Advent suggestions or resources, please add them in the comments below.

Commentary on Advent 1 Collect

Prior to 1549 the Latin Missal had a “Stir up” collect. The collect is based on Romans 13:12, still retained as the second reading in Year A. It holds together cast off darkness – put on light, mortal life – life immortal, great humility – glorious majesty. The fulcrum is our own present “now” (this “now” in the 1549-1928 versions was also contrasted with “in the last day”, words retained in some contemporary versions but removed in NZ).

The conclusion may have been derived from a postcommunion prayer in the Gelasian Sacramentary (1145) [Gregorian Sacramentary (813) Other prayers for Advent] “that they who rejoice at the advent of your only-begotten according to the flesh, may at the second advent, when he shall come in his majesty, receive the reward of eternal life.”

The requirement to repeat the collect after other collects (sic.) every day in Advent is a 1662 innovation by Bishop Matthew Wren. This was softened to “may be said” in the Table to Regulate Observances p.941 NZPB. That whole Table has been removed in the 2005 edition by General Synod in 2004. But the suggestion has, for some reason, been retained in the Lectionary. There is no suggestion or mention of it in General Synod’s replacement text on precedence in liturgical observance. I most strongly advocate that contemporary renewed understanding of the function of the collect means that there is only one collect in the Gathering in a Eucharist. To do otherwise disempowers a collect, diminishing it to the level of another one of the leader’s favourite prayers. [See also Celebrating Eucharist Chapter 6]

Common Worship version CofE:

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.

Book of Common Prayer 1979 version The Episcopal Church (USA)

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness,
and put on the armor of light,
now in the time of this mortal life
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility;
that in the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

New Zealand Prayer Book version

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast off the works of darkness
and 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;
so that when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit
one God now and for ever.
Amen.

NZPB p. 550c

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