This is part of the worship series,
"Amazing Love—An Advent Series Based on Hosea"
Series Introduction
Advent 1 | Advent 2 | Advent 3 | Advent 4
First Sunday of Advent
God’s Love Rejected
Scripture
Hosea 1:1–2:1
Song Suggestions for Week One
“My Soul in Stillness Waits” Haugen
Note: Of the various stanzas, choose two or three weekly to tie in with the sermon theme or the candle-lighting ceremony.
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel,”(st. 1–3) Latin, 12th cent.
“God, Be Merciful to Me” Psalter 1912
“Comfort, Comfort, Now My People” Olearius
“Hark, the Glad Sound! The Savior Comes” Doddridge
“My Lord, I Did Not Choose You” Conder
“Lord of All Hopefulness” Struther
Call to Worship
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind—just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
—1 Corinthians 1:3–9 NRSVUE
OR
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
—Psalm 122:1–2 NRSVUE
Call to Confession:
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us!
Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
O Lord God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn[a] of our neighbors;
our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
the one whom you made strong for yourself.
Then we will never turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call on your name.
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
—Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19 NRSVUE
OR
Advent Litany of Confession
In this Advent season of waiting on the Lord,
we trust the Lord’s goodness. We rely on God’s mercy. We find shelter in God’s steadfast love.
In this Advent season of waiting on the Lord,
we walk in the Lord’s way. We follow God’s example of love. We keep our covenant promises.
In this Advent season of waiting,
Lord, forget our sins. Remember your love. Remember each one of us. Remember your people everywhere.
In this Advent season of waiting,
Lord, we wait for your salvation. We wait for your leading. We wait for your coming.
—based on Psalm 25:1–10
Prayer of Confession
O Lord, forgive our sins, even though they are great. We come before you, knowing that we have failed to follow you. Lord, turn to us and be gracious to us, for without you we are lonely and distressed. We look to you for refuge, because our hope is in you.
—based on Psalm 25:11–22
Lighting the Advent Wreath
Child: Why do we light the first Advent candle?
Parent: We light one candle today because this candle represents our time of waiting for the coming Savior. This first candle reminds us of the light of hope that the prophets promised to us in the Old Testament. Each Sunday in Advent we will light one more candle as the promise unfolds.
Child: Who will bring this light of hope to the world?
Parent: Jesus is coming! The promise of the prophets is coming true. Jesus, the light of the world, has come to earth and will come again.
Advent Candle Song:
“Light One Candle”(st. 1) Sleeth
Note: This song is best used by adding one stanza each week and adapting the music where needed to end appropriately.
Sermon Helps: “God’s Love Rejected”
This sermon began with an illustration that attempted to evoke a sense of the vastness of the universe by describing what some writers have called “millions of sheets of galaxies layered one on top of the other.” Such sheets of galaxies are “hundreds of thousands of light years thick.” Christian belief says that the God who created sheets of galaxies is also intimately involved in the lives and history of human beings.
That took us to one of those people, God’s prophet Hosea. Hosea took God’s disturbing message of Israel’s relationship with God as the motif of his marriage to the prostitute Gomer. Through marriage Hosea rescued Gomer from the streets, as God rescued (“elected”) Israel from a rebellious humanity. But Gomer returned to the streets, as Israel turned its back on God. The meanings of the sad names of Hosea and Gomer’s first two children emphasize God’s emotional and spiritual involvement with his people. God is not distant. God grieves, as does his servant Hosea. God is angry, as Hosea is angry.
This provided opportunities to identify with ways God’s people today often lessen their devotion to God, throwing their wedding rings off and grieving the abandoned spouse. Yet the rest of the message is that God invites his people back—changing their names and their lives.
Dismissal
May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father and God’s Spirit, who have given us such encouragement and bright hope, strengthen us in every good word and deed.
Lord, fill us with hope, enlarge our vision that we may trust and reflect your promises. Immanuel, come quickly.
Revised Common Lectionary
Year B: Advent—First Sunday of Advent
