Sunday,  November 30, 2025
First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 2:1-5 | "Raised Above"

Call to Worship
One: As the sun rises on this new season, we turn within 
and ask God to renew hope in each one of us.

Many: For the sake of my relatives and friends, proclaim with joy, 
“Let us go to the house of our God and find hope within!”

One: Though the days are hard, and the news, grim, 
We turn to our siblings here asking them to trust God, 
as we have so many times in the past.

Many: For the sake of my relatives and friends, we proclaim with joy,
 “Peace be within the walls of this house, 
that our hope might spread beyond!”

One: In our fears and our desperation, in our exhaustion and our pain, 
God wraps us in bands of hope, holding us together 
so we may continue the struggle for justice and peace.

Many: For the sake of my relatives and friends, we proclaim with joy,
 “I will seek all that is good within the house of God,
 and I will carry it with me wherever I go!”

Invocation
Emmanuel, we come here today to renew ourselves in the generosity of God’s hope. We will climb the mountain hand in hand that we may learn again of God’s promise to be with us, both in the valley and on the peaks. Let us set down our despair and rest in the light of God until we are renewed!

Prayer for Transformation and New Life
God, it is not a year abundant with hope. We cry out for solace, for rest, for strength; we curse in anger at the horrors we see perpetrated in your name; we turn our backs on those who suffer, and we scorn those who bring suffering upon others. We are lost and demoralized, aching for the hope in your Word, and yet when you speak, we do not hear. We do not quiet the spirit within or allow your peace to fall upon us. We root ourselves in devastation when true strength is born out of your tender grace. Forgive us, God, for abandoning hope in favor of fear and a desire for retribution.

Words of Grace
God does not turn us away when we falter. We are, instead, taken in and given sanctuary so that we may revive in God’s tender mercy. God will be our shelter while we rest, as well as when we are ready, once again, to rise up. Thanks be to God!

Lighting the Candle of Hope
Today, we light the candle of Hope. 

We think of Hope as anticipation of something future, 
but in truth, Hope can be the incarnation of trust. 

We trust in our Wonderful Counselor -
that when we seek guidance, we will find answers. 
We trust that when we are exhausted, 
our Emmanuel will send someone 
to carry our burdens for a while.
We trust our Creator to renew our faith in community, 
in the goodness of others, 
and in the power of our empathy and action.

We trust in our Beloved God, that, when everything around us 
seems too difficult, too broken, too devastating 
for us to put to rights on our own, 
Hope will appear, and we rush forward, 
arms open wide to receive grace.

Invitation to Generosity
Hope is not only fuel that sustains our spirits. Hope lives within the tangible gifts we give each week to support the most vulnerable among us. In our generosity, we act on God’s behalf, ensuring the needs of our community are met.  

Prayer of Dedication and Thanksgiving
Beloved Creator, we offer these gifts to you in the spirit of Hope. We place our trust in you and in those who faithfully care for your people, that these gifts will be used to protect and uplift those who are in need. Help us to remember our role to act as agents of your grace each and every day.
Amen

Words of Institution
Jesus gathered his disciples together on his last night. He made room at the table for those who loved him, those who questioned him, those who followed him, and for the one who would betray him. As witnesses to his teachings, his earthly struggles, and his prophetic justice shifting ministry, they came.

As they were eating, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, then gave it to them, saying “This is my body broken for you, do this in remembrance of me.” 

In the same manner, following their meal, Jesus took the cup and blessed it and poured it out for each one of them and said, “This is the cup of the new covenant, sealed in my blood, given for you and for all for the forgiveness of your sins.”

“As often, then, as you eat this bread and drink this cup, do so in memory of me.” 

Come now, bringing Hope within. All are welcome at Christ’s table. We gather to renew our spirits with this sacred meal and offer a place at the table for all.

Prayer of Communion
Gracious and Eternal God, we share this meal as a symbol of Hope. In each of us, we find the beloved, the follower, the doubter, and the betrayer, and yet we know that we are welcome at this table. This meal is open to all, that it may offer sustenance as well as refuge. May we leave this table refreshed, ready to take your radical ministry of extravagant hope, everlasting peace, exuberant joy, and abundant love into the world.
Amen

Benediction
When we leave this place today, let us carry the flame of Hope within us, no matter how small it may seem. We feed it with the knowledge that God’s love is incendiary. Our Beloved’s breath blows through us, allowing the flames to rise and catch and give us strength all the days of our lives.  Amen

Raised Above: Service Prayers for the First Sunday of Advent Year A was written by the Maria Mankin.