Welcome to your online worship for The Second Sunday of Advent, December 4, 2022.
Our Advent Bible Study continues this Wednesday, 7pm to 8:30pm, in the lounge. Read more here.
And lastly, a reminder that if you are at all uncomfortable being in-person for worship, or if you are not feeling well, please join us here online.
Today’s Opening Sentence
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. All flesh shall see the salvation of God.” – Luke 3.4,6
Today’s Reading – Matthew 3:1-12
“In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.’ ”
Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.””1
Your Online Message and Prayers
Click on the above image to view our online worship on YouTube.
Thank you again to Ryan Van Dijk for his wonderful music which accompanies this weeks video, and for his music ministry at St. Mark’s as our Music Director. Read more about him here.
And lastly, a reminder that if you are at all uncomfortable being in-person for worship, or if you are not feeling well, please join us here online.
Thank you again for joining with your parish family in our online worship today.
God Bless you and have a blessed week. Be well!
Peace,
The Rev’d Rob Park
- Scripture quotation is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.