13 December 2026
Bible readings for today
Liturgical colour: VIOLET |
CollectE te Atua Kaha rawa,
i tonoa e koe tāu pononga a Hoani Kaiiriiri hei whakapai i te huarahi mō te haerenga mai o tāu Tama; tukua ki a rātou e kauwhau nei i tāu kupu ā, arahina ō mātou waewae ki te ara o te rangimārie, kia tū tangata ai mātou i mua i tōna aroaro mō tōna taenga mai i runga i te korōria o tōna kīngitanga; E īnoi ai mātou i roto i a te Karaiti tō mātou Kaiwhakawā, me tō mātou Kaihoko. Āmine. Almighty God, you sent your servant John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of your Son; grant that those who proclaim your word may so guide our feet into the way of peace, that we may stand with confidence before him when he comes in his glorious kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Judge and our Redeemer. Amen. |
Third week of Advent
Joy / KoaOur te reo word for the week is koa, which means joy.
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Advent worship resourceAn amazing collection of Intergenerational Christmas Service ideas from the Uniting Church in Australia (South Australia), particularly useful for those following the lectionary readings this Advent. The resource can be found on this website or by clicking on the image below
Gaudete SundayIf your congregation uses a pink candle in its Advent wreath, then you could explain that today is Gaudete Sunday.
Make the link to the theme of the day ‘Joy’, and to the Maori word of the day. BibleProject: Joy videoBibleProject: Joy
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Media: Joy to the world!
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Who is John the Baptist? (John 1:6-8,19-28)
These verses talk about John the Baptist, and the description he gives to the Jewish leaders as to who he is. When questioned if he was a prophet, or Elijah, he tells them that while he baptises people with water, he will not be worthy to baptise the One who is coming.
Who was John the Baptist?John the Baptist anticipated a messiah who would be greater than himself. John is portrayed as the forerunner of Jesus who prepares the people for Jesus' ministry. John baptised Jesus and was beheaded by Herod.
Gospel ConversationsAdvent 3, and already we've deserted Mark and started dipping into John's Gospel! This week we have some of his glorious opening chapter, zooming in from cosmic beginnings to the actions of one man on the banks of the Jordan River. Gillian Townsley, Graham Redding and Sue Fordyce join Michael Godfrey to lead us through some fascinating insights into what meaning this man, John the Baptist, and the wilderness he works in, may have for us today.
Intergenerational WorshipAn intergenerational resource to evoke the senses of Advent 3, written by Elizabeth Waldron Anstice for Intergen Australia. View here
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BibleProject: John 1From the BibleProject: John begins his Gospel account by introducing Jesus as the Word of God, echoing the opening chapters of Genesis, where God created life through his spoken word. This beginning was good, but when God’s creatures rejected his instructions, all creation spiraled into death. The world needed a new beginning, so God's divine word spoke again, but this time, the word became a human named Jesus.
For more information on John 1, check out the following BibleProject resources: John 1 Study Notes John 1 Script References John 1 Blog Post John 1 Podcast Episode ActivitiesYou can find more about John the Baptist in Matthew 3! Here are some activities that you may like to include, if you end up doing a deep dive on John.
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Mary's Song (Luke 1:46-55)
This passage is repeated next week too...
Seven Minute SermonA short sermon from Rev. George Penk, on how Mary praises God in song. She celebrates his goodness, faithfulness, and power. Listen here
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Isaiah 61: 1-4,8-11
These verses talk about the good news for the oppressed, and are fulfilled in the life of Jesus.
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