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First Sunday of Advent

Preaching
First Sunday of Advent - B
Isaiah 64:1-9
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37
George M. Bass
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III
Wake up and watch is the biblical/liturgical theme for this First Sunday of Advent. It is a time to think seriously about the promise of the risen Christ to return again to judge, reign, and rule over the earth. There is a "Wake-up!-It's-later-than-you-think!" motif in the biblical fabric of the Advent season, and that note is clearly sounded on this Sunday. Future eschatology is the theological clue supplied by the church year and this First Sunday of Advent.
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John Jamison
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (v. 25)

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For April 11, 2021:

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Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Do not be faithless, but believing.’ That’s pretty rough when all he did was insist on proof. When I was growing up, I was taught to rely on the scientific method, a type of inductive reasoning — the bedrock of all of that is proof. When you discover something in an experiment, you’ve got to be able to repeat it, or it’s at best an interesting coincidence. Everything is suspect until you’ve got evidence, and it’s got to be good evidence. In debate, the easiest attack on your opponents is to question the solidity of their sources.

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Call to Worship:

When Jesus appeared, he said "Peace be with you." Let us take hold of his peace today and share it with each other.

(The children could be encouraged to share the Peace at this point)

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we don't bother to think about you.
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Jesus, sometimes we we get things wrong.
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Special Occasion