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Second Sunday of Advent: The Candle of Peace

The second of the Advent Candle liturgies we are using on the South and Central Belfast Circuit, this week based on the lectionary reading Isaiah 11:1-10.







VOICE 1: A green shoot will sprout from the seemingly dead stump of Jesse;
VOICE 2: from his roots will bud a fruitful branch.
VOICE 1: The life-giving Spirit of the Lord will settle upon him—
VOICE 2: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
VOICE 1: the Spirit of guidance and strength,
VOICE 2: the Spirit that knows and fears the Lord—
VOICE 1: a fear that brings joy and delight.
VOICE 2: He will not judge by outward appearances,
VOICE 1: Or make decisions on the basis of hearsay;
VOICE 2: But will make righteous judgments on behalf of the needy,
VOICE 1: He will bring with justice to bear for the sake the poor.
VOICE 2: His word will cause upheaval across the earth;
VOICE 1: His spirit will slay the unscrupulous.
VOICE 2: His stout belt is righteousness
VOICE 1: And he is cloaked with faithfulness.
VOICE 2: In his world the wolf will live with the lamb,
VOICE 1: the leopard will change his spots and lie down with the kid,
VOICE 2: the calf and the lion will play together;
VOICE 1: and a little child will tend to them.
VOICE 2: The cow will feed with the bear,
VOICE 1: Their calves and cubs will grow up together,
VOICE 2: and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
VOICE 1: The infant will play fearlessly near the cobra’s den,
VOICE 2: and the toddler will safely put its hand into the viper’s nest.
VOICE 1: No animal nor human will harm nor destroy on all God’s holy mountain,
VOICE 2: for the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will
                  as wide and deep as the oceans.
VOICE 1: When that day comes that shoot from the Root of Jesse 
                  will stand tall as a rallying flag for all nations:
VOICE 2: The world will rally to him, 
                  and the place where he rests will be glorious to see.

The first two candles are lit.

Let us pray:
Lord we thank you for the picture that you give us
Of a world at peace;
A place of perfect justice
With humanity and nature living in harmony,
enmity and fear a thing of the past.
May you shape our lives by this picture of peace.
AMEN

Shalom
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