Westminster Worship Notes

Worship Notes Archives

December 23, 2007

4^th Sunday in Advent

Preparation for Worship

This is the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, in which love is the primary theme. Our central text is commonly called the Magnificat or the song of Mary. The Magnificat, so termed from the opening word of the Latin translation, is a hymn of joy celebrating what God has done in the past and what God will do in the future. An interesting aspect of the song is the way it highlights God's love on both a personal and societal level. In fact, during the 1980s the dictators of Guatemala outlawed the public reading of the Magnificat because of its revolutionary tones.

We begin our service lighting the fourth advent candle, representing love. The opening liturgy is taken from Isaiah who speaks of how God is with us in the birth of a son. The advent prayer speaks of Mary, who is so full of grace she becomes a God bearer. Our opening hymn reminds us that "Love caused Your incarnation, Love brought You down to me; Your thirst for my salvation procured my liberty. O Love beyond all telling, that led You to embrace in love all loves excelling our lost and fallen race."

The affirmation of faith is taken from the Brief Statement of Faith, a confession developed when the two branches of the Presbyterian Church (North and South) reconnected after one hundred years apart. It is a powerful statement of God's sovereign love that creates us, redeems us, and makes us heirs with Christ. "Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child, like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home." In our closing hymn, we look for "Love the guest is on the way."