1. A DVENT 1B N OVEMBER 30, 2014 Isaiah 64:1-9 1 Corinthians 1:1-19 Mark 13:24-37 Saint Andrew Apostle & Martyr 1 st Century AD

2. Collect for Advent 1B Almighty God, give us grace to resist dark works & don the armor of light throughout this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he returns in glorious majesty to judge both the living & the dead, we may rise to life immortal; through him who lives & reigns with you & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen. Collect for Advent 1B Almighty God, give us grace to resist dark works & don the armor of light throughout this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he returns in glorious majesty to judge both the living & the dead, we may rise to life immortal; through him who lives & reigns with you & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA -- Adult Lectionary Forum 2014 Prayer for Advent 1B Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed your Son Jesus Christ’s call & brought his brother with him: Give to us--who your Word also calls--grace to follow him without delay, & bring those near us into his gracious presence; who lives & reigns with you & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen. Prayer for Advent 1B Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed your Son Jesus Christ’s call & brought his brother with him: Give to us--who your Word also calls--grace to follow him without delay, & bring those near us into his gracious presence; who lives & reigns with you & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen.

3. A DVENT 1B: W E A RE H IS C LAY [I SAIAH 64:1-9] Time Stamp: 706 BC Israel suffers because of sins they have committed. On their behalf, Isaiah pleads with God for mercy. Threat & Reproof Vv 18-20 Vv 1-2: Prays that God will intercede against their enemies Vv 3-5: Acknowledge what God had done in past & was ready to do again Vv 6-7: Sinful & unworthy of God's favor, they merit verdict they now face Vv 8: Defer to God’s mercy as a Father; submit to his power V 9: Ask God’s pardon 6 We have all become like one who is unclean & all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf & our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us & have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. 8 Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay & you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2014 3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. 5 You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways.

4. A DVENT 1B: A POSTLE ’ S S ALUTATION [1 C ORINTHIANS 1:1-9] Time Stamp: 57 AD Paul gives thanks for new believers who have received many spiritual gifts. He encourages them to remain faithful as they await the Lord's coming. Don’t Stop Now V 4: Thanks for their conversion Corinthians must understand they have been given spiritual gifts --Help them live faith in present time --God given gifts to aid them on long journey to reveal Christ --Corinthians forgot Christ would come again—focused on here & now --Intent on what God did through Jesus they no longer awaited or anticipated 2 nd coming Bottom line: Journey isn’t over…yet Like Corinthians, we must be mindful we too still live in a time in between Don’t just look back, but forward too More truths to be revealed & we, too, have been given spiritual gifts to toughen us for journey ahead. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2014 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 3 Grace to you & peace from God our Father & the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech & knowledge of every kind— 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

5. 24 “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened & the moon will not give light, 25 and the stars will fall from heaven & the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power & glory. 27 Then he will send out the angels, & gather his elect from the 4 winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. A DVENT 1B: B E P REPARED ! [M ARK 13:24-37] Synopsis Jesus urges disciples to remain faithful and be prepared, for no one knows the time God has chosen for the coming of his kingdom. Only God Knows When 2 nd Coming not just doctrinal testimony Should be a defining element Mark urges us to settle in for long haul Think about it always since we don’t know when it will occur But it WILL occur! St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2014 32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come… 35 Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”