Advent Worship and Corporate Action: The second Sunday of Advent

By Carl Park

*These Advent devotionals are shortened versions of a church Advent resource provided by Carl Park, Great Commission Community Church, and adapted for our readers. We at AACC hope that these Advent devotionals can serve as an encouragement to our readers during this Advent Season. Please refer to our initial article for the full resource HERE.

Invitation 

Today is the second Sunday of the Christian season of Advent. Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” We celebrate two advents of Christ during this season – and, really, every day. The first advent happened 2000 years ago when Jesus came to us, in total oneness with us, in a body like ours, in a humble birth and later a shameful death. The second advent is the one we’re still waiting for, when Jesus will arrive again, to re-create everything and make the world and us fully one with him. During Advent it’s right to feel so much gratitude as we look back at the first coming, or advent, of Christ, and it’s right to feel deep anticipation and excitement as we look forward to Christ’s next advent. Please stand with us, and please feel the Holy Spirit making us grateful and making us long for Jesus.

Reading from the Gospels about Christ’s First Coming

Matthew 21:1–11. (Read Italics Aloud)

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, 

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

The crowds answered, 

“This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you came to us gentle and humble, even coming into the city on a donkey, instead of riding a war horse like other leaders would have. You are the maker of peace. 

Lord, you came to us as fully human, taking on all of our vulnerabilities, hurts, diseases, and shame. You came to make peace between us and you, and peace between people and peoples. 

We honor you for your humility and peace. We embrace your ways, Lord. You are our Lord, our teacher, our trailblazer. We receive your peace and the life that is truly life, together, from you. Amen.  

Sermon

Read Micah 4:1–5

Prayer and Explanation of our Corporate Action to Obey the Word

One of the most obvious, alarming kinds of violence we see in this country is gun violence. It often may not even feel surprising to hear about a mass shooting anymore. It happens at malls, elementary schools, college campuses, and parades. There was a shooting at the University of Nevada Las Vegas just a few days ago. Our children’s schools do shooter drills; we as a church just did a drill recently. 

Take a moment to reflect on Micah 4:1–5 and consider how your church may take corporate action to promote justice in your community. Pray for:

• Peace in our country and the end of gun violence

• Resolve and action to call on representatives for legislation that reduces gun violence (see postcard in full resource) 

• Mercy and peace for those who have lost loved ones due to gun violence 

Pray the italics aloud: 

God, Habakkuk cried out to you with a prayer we are repeating now. How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Lord, in your mercy…

Lord, hear our prayer.

Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore, the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. Lord, in your mercy…

Lord, hear our prayer.

Lord, as we think about violence in our world, we feel heavy, confused, angry, saddened. Psalm 34:18 says the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. So, we know you are near to the brokenhearted. Be near to us and to those who grieve for friends, sisters, brothers, parents, children, grandchildren, the 630 shooting victims of this year alone. Lord, in your mercy…

Lord, hear our prayer.

Give us the gift of tears that moves us beyond sadness into compassion. Inspire and empower us, not only to cry about others, but also to weep with them. Teach us to lament, so that we do more than regret our circumstances; we resolve to cooperate with you to change them. Make us instruments of your peace. Lord, in your mercy…

Lord, hear our prayer.

God, we believe that you are our shelter and strength and that you never leave us in the time of need. Your love is compassionate and faithful, never-ending. You are near to the brokenhearted. You comfort those who mourn. You work justice for those who are oppressed. So, we bring these prayers of lament as our act of faith. Because we trust in you, and we know that redemption is in your hands. Lord, in your mercy…

Lord, hear our prayer.

 Send your Holy Spirit to renew us and to proclaim your good news with word and action. Have mercy on us, grant us the peace of Christ, and transform us by your Spirit to follow in Christ-like love, peace, mercy, and service to one another, our community, and our world. Lord, in your mercy…

Lord, hear our prayer.

 Amen.

Communion

On the night Jesus was betrayed…

Read Aloud this summary of Christ’s story. 

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day, he rose again from the dead.

He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.”

Sent

Go, in the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, to take actionable steps to reduce gun violence, to call on your representatives to promote change, and to be a voice on behalf of those who have been impacted by gun violence.

Photo by MAHDI HAJIZADE on Unsplash

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Carl Park serves as a pastor to Great Commission Community Church in Arlington, VA, and faculty for the Institute for Worship Studies.