Notes from Meeting Sunday 6th December 2020

Lee Street Church

Notes of Meeting 6th December 2020

Under current Tier 2 arrangements, we were pleased to welcome 5 additional church members to join with the Worship Team at the Church.

The service was led by Sue Clarke and the Worship Team.

Today we are thinking about advent and the meaning behind the tradition of lighting candles. This year, Advent actually started last Sunday. Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas.

In Latin, Advent means “Coming”. This is the coming of Jesus into the world. It’s a time of waiting, preparation, anticipation, expectancy and hope. An expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the second coming, when He shall rule over all the earth in peace!

During advent, Christians prepare for Jesus’ coming.

We light candles, sing and reflect in the moments of darkness, before the season of light, holding on to hope and promises yet to be fulfilled.

Matthew 4 v16 “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned”

Light of the world      1419

You stepped down into darkness,

Opened my eyes, let me see

Beauty that made this heart adore You,

Hope of a life spent with You.

So here I am to worship,

Here I am to bow down,

Here I am to say that You’re my God;

And You’re altogether lovely,

Altogether worthy,

Altogether wonderful to me.

King of all days,

Oh so highly exalted,

Glorious in heaven above;

Humbly You came

To the earth You created,

All for love’s sake became poor.

And I’ll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross.

Traditionally candles are placed in an advent wreath or advent crown and are lit each week; one the first week; 2 the second week and so on. The wreath is made of evergreen leaves, which represent the hope of eternal life brought by Jesus Christ, and it is shaped in a circle, to represent God’s infinite love.

The four candles around the outside of the wreath symbolise the passage of the four weeks and represent the four virtues of hope; love; joy and peace.

The white, fifth candle in the centre, usually lit on Christmas Day, symbolises the arrival of Christmastime and is known as the Christ candle. This represents the light of God coming into the world through the birth of Jesus Christ.

Into the darkness     821

Into the shadows of the night;

Into this loveless place You came,

Lightened our burdens, eased our pain,

And made these hearts Your home.

Into the darkness once again –

Oh come, Lord Jesus, come.

Come with Your love

To make us whole,

Come with Your light

To lead us on,

Driving the darkness

Far from our souls:

O come, Lord Jesus, come.

Into the longing of our souls,

Into these heavy hearts of stone,

Shine on us now Your piercing light,

Order our lives and souls aright,

By grace and love unknown,

Until in You our hearts unite –

Oh come, Lord Jesus, come.

O Holy Child, Emmanuel,

Hope of the ages, God with us,

Visit again this broken place,

Till all the earth declares Your praise

And Your great mercies own.

Now let Your love be born in us,

O come, Lord Jesus, come.

(Last Chorus)

Come in Your glory,

Take Your place,

Jesus, the Name above all names,

We long to see You face to face,

O come, Lord Jesus, come.

Maggi Dawn.

Copyright © 1993 Kingsway’s

                Thankyou Music.

The first candle, the Candle of Hope is purple. Purple is a traditional colour symbolising regret for sins and atonement for those sins. This candle reminds us that God keep His promises. He promised a Saviour and He sent one. Different Christian traditions give the advent candles different names, and can be used to represent different biblical themes, but in most popular traditions, this first candle is referred to as the prophesy candle symbolising the Hope of a Messiah proclaimed by the Old Testament prophets like Isaiah.

Isaiah 9 v2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned”.

Jesus Hope of the nations    1385

Jesus, comfort for all who mourn,

You are the source

Of heaven’s hope on earth.

Jesus, light in the darkness,

Jesus, truth in each circumstance,

You are the source

Of heaven’s light on earth.

In history, You lived and died,

You broke the chains, You rose to life.

You are the Hope, living in us,

You are the Rock, in whom we trust.

You are the Light,

Shining for all the world to see.

You rose from the dead, conquering fear,

Our Prince of Peace, drawing us near.

Jesus, our Hope,

Living for all who will receive,

Lord, we believe.

Brian Doerksen Copyright © 2002 Integrity's Hosanna! Music/Sovereign Music UK

Matthew 2 v6 "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel."

At this time of year, we are all so busy preparing for Christmas (especially us women!) This year it’s possibly requiring more thought and preparation, as we’ll be limited as to whom we can go and visit and the gift cards are probably off the agenda!

Amidst all the COVID and anxiousness that that is bringing, let us not lose the preciousness of this time and let us remember that we should be looking forward to the celebration of our Saviour’s birth. Jesus should be at the forefront of all our thoughts and plans for this Christmas.

Jesus be the centre    1377

JESUS, BE THE CENTRE,

Be my source, be my light,

Jesus.

Jesus, be the Centre,

Be my hope, be my song,

Jesus.

Be the fire in my heart,

Be the wind in these sails;

Be the reason that I live,

Jesus, Jesus.

Jesus, be my vision,

Be my path, be my guide,

Jesus.

Michael Frye

Copyright © 1999 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire)/ Adm. by CopyCare

The third candle is the Candle of Joy. This candle remembers the multitude of angels that joyfully announced the birth of Christ.  Because of this, it is also known as the Shepherd’s candle and it reminds us of the joy that came into the world when Jesus was born. This candle is pink as this colour represents joy. This colour change reveals a shift away from repentance towards celebration.

Luke 2 v9-11 “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord””.

Romans 5 v15-17 “But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ”.

We have the knowledge of this incredible gift given for each of us.

Love songs from heaven      914

Bringing great hope to all nations.

Evil has prospered, but truth is alive;

In this dark world the light still shines.

Nothing has silenced this gospel of Christ;

It echoes down through the ages.

Blood of the martyrs has made Your church strong;

In this dark world the light still shines.

For You we live,

And for You we may die;

Through us may Jesus be seen.

For You alone we will offer our lives;

In this dark world our light will shine.

Let every nation be filled with Your song:

This is the cry of Your people.

We will not settle for anything less,

In this dark world our light must shine.

Noel & Tricia Richards.Copyright © 1996 Kingsway’s

                Thankyou Music.

Almighty God      16

For Your Son, the Word of God,

By whose power the world was made,

By whose blood we are redeemed.

Morning Star, the Father’s glory,

We now worship and adore You.

In our hearts Your light has risen;

Jesus, Lord, we worship You.

Austin Martin.

Copyright © 1983 Kingsway’s

            Thankyou Music.

The fourth candle is the Candle of Love., representing the love of God! It was out of His incredible love that God sent His only son Jesus. This is also referred to as the Angels candle commemorating their declaration in the skies over Bethlehem, of Peace on earth, goodwill to men.

Luke 2 v13-14 “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests" “.

We are blessed as we have the knowledge of not just the birth of Jesus but the subsequent life; death on the cross; and the resurrection- which in turn fills us with the tremendous hope that the knowledge of that incredible gift of love gives us.

2 Corinthians 4v6 “For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ”.

 1 Peter 2 v9-10 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Psalm 36 v7-9 “How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”

Lord the light of Your love is shining    362

In the midst of the darkness, shining;

Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us,

Set us free by the truth You now bring us,

Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine,

Fill this land with the Father’s glory;

Blaze, Spirit, blaze,

Set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, flow,

Flood the nations with grace and mercy;

Send forth Your word,

Lord, and let there be light.

Lord, I come to Your awesome presence,

From the shadows into Your radiance;

By the blood I may enter Your brightness,

Search me, try me, consume all my darkness.

Shine on me, shine on me.

As we gaze on Your kingly brightness

So our faces display Your likeness.

Ever changing from glory to glory,

Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story.

Shine on me, shine on me.

Graham Kendrick. Copyright © 1987 Make Way Music.

In the Bible, light has always been a symbol of holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, grace, hope, and God's revelation. By contrast, darkness has been associated with evil, sin, and despair.

Poem: The light that shines in the darkness- read by Florence

There’s a destiny waiting at the end of the road.

There’s a meaning in the middle of this emptiness.

There’s a reason you’ve been asked to carry this heavy load.

Lessons are taught when we reach out

Farther than we thought we’d ever dare.

Faith abounds when we confront our deepest doubts,

Enduring more than we deemed we could ever bear.

There’s a dawn waiting at the edge of every midnight.

There’s a seed planted with every fallen leaf.

With every wrong there’s a chance to make a right.

With every hour of suffering there’s an eternity of relief.

Our darkest moments give us the opportunity

For seasons of our greatest growth.

Every day we work towards continuity

Of acceptance and persistent hope.

And there’s a light that shines in the darkness.

There’s a star that guides the way.

There’s a gate that’s open to forgiveness.

There’s a shepherd who saves those who’ve gone astray.

When Jesus was on the earth he spoke saying: “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8v12) and “Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.”  (Romans 13:12) Also “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord.” (Ephesians 5 v8)

Here, Paul reminds believers that they were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. It is interesting to consider that he does not say believers were “in” darkness, but they “were” darkness. That is the character of every believer before coming to Christ. There has been a definite character change in the life of every true believer. By using the term “children of light,” Paul reminds us that we should all be reflecting God’s light in our lives.

1 John 1 v5-7“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin”.

Ephesians 5: 1 & 2 “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”.

Great is the darkness    742

Great is the darkness that covers the earth,

Oppression, injustice and pain.

Nations are slipping in hopeless despair,

Though many have come in Your name.

Watching while sanity dies,

Touched by the madness and lies.

Come, Lord Jesus, come, Lord Jesus,

Pour out Your Spirit we pray.

Come, Lord Jesus, come, Lord Jesus,

Pour out Your Spirit on us today.

May now Your church rise with power and love,

This glorious gospel proclaim.

In every nation salvation will come

To those who believe in Your name.

Help us bring light to this world

That we might speed Your return.

Great celebrations on that final day

When out of the heavens You come.

Darkness will vanish, all sorrow will end,

And rulers will bow at Your throne.

Our great commission complete,

Then face to face we shall meet.

Noel Richards & Gerald Coates.

Copyright © 1992 Kingsway’s

                Thankyou Music.

The fifth candle is usually lit on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to celebrate His birth and the light He Brought to the world. The candle is traditionally white which can represent purity and festivity.

Poem –Candles at Christmas – read by Dawn

What would Christmas be like without candles?

Have you ever considered the thought?

Are you young enough still to remember the thrill

You got as a child when you got your first sight

Of the lights on the tree and the windowsill?

What would we do without candles?

The shadowy glow of their light.

The reds and the blues, the greens and the white,

In clusters on tables they make quite a sight.

At Christmas we’d miss their soft light.

In the beginning, God made the light.

With care He divided the day from the night.

The sun and the moon, the stars in the sky,

All created in love for man to enjoy,

The light in the world, and the light in man’s eye.

But man in his folly brought darkness to earth,

And sin in man’s soul meant sorrow and death,

Then God showed love in a baby’s birth,

A star showed the way to the manger stall

Where the Light of the World was born for us all.

So this Christmas time when the candles glow,

Remember the lesson the candle-light shows

In the carols we sing, and the joy we bestow,

 We are lights in the world to show men the way

To the Light of the World born on Christmas Day

Psalm 118 v27 “The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us”.

Prayer- using the words from song 389:

Lord, may we be a shining light to the nations, a shining light to the peoples of the earth. Until the whole world sees the glory of Your name, may Your pure light shine through us.

May we bring a word of hope to the nations.  Until the whole world knows there’s salvation through Your name, may Your mercy flow through us.

May we sing a song of joy until the whole world rings with the praises of Your name.

We’ll walk this land    583

WE’LL WALK THE LAND

With hearts on fire,

And every step

Will be a prayer.

Hope is rising,

New day dawning,

Sound of singing

Fills the air.

Two thousand years,

And still the flame

Is burning bright

Across the land.

Hearts are waiting,

Longing, aching,

For awakening

Once again.

Let the flame burn brighter

In the heart of the darkness,

Turning night to glorious day.

Let the song grow louder

As our love grows stronger,

Let it shine, let it shine.

We’ll walk for truth,

Speak out for love;

In Jesus’ name

We shall be strong,

To lift the fallen,

To save the children,

To fill the nation

With Your song.

Graham Kendrick.

Copyright © 1989 Make Way Music.