Sunday, December 17 – Advent 3

A picture of an Ethiopian mural depicting John baptizing Jesus.

You can join the service, live or later, via YouTube. The stream begins at about 9:45 am, and the service begins at 10 am. You will also be able to watch or re-watch the stream on YouTube at any later time.

The order of service is available here. You might like to have it handy while joining the stream, as it includes the readings, all of the responses, and the words to the hymns–it makes it easier to join more fully into participating via the live-stream. It also includes particular prayers you might like to use while those physically present are receiving the Eucharist.

Today is the Third Sunday of Advent. Sundays and Seasons offers this reflection on the what we do as gather to worship together:
“Rejoice always,” begins the reading from 1 Thessalonians. Isaiah and the psalmist make clear that God is turning our mourning into laughter and shouts of joy. “All God’s children got a robe,” go the words of a spiritual. It is not so much a stately, formal, pressed outfit as it is a set of party clothes, clothes we are happy to wear. We receive that robe in baptism, and in worship we gather for a foretaste of God’s party
.