Prelude: Organ Voluntary
The Introit
Our King and Savior now draws near.
Come let us adore him.
The Lighting of the Advent Candles
Today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent and we will light the Candle of Peace. The light of peace and hope shine brightly in anticipation of Christ.
(Light the 1st, 2nd,3rd and then the 4th Candles)
God of power and mercy open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy so that we may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
The Procession: Soon and Very Soon
The Confession
Jesus said,
The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbour.
Most merciful God,
We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life.
Amen.
Trisagion
The Collect of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
The First Lesson: Isaiah 7:10-16
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18: Qui regis Israel
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; * shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, * stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O God of hosts; * show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts, * how long will you be angered despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; * you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, * and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; * show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, * the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.
17 And so will we never turn away from you; * give us life, that we may call upon your Name.
18 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; * show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
The Second Lesson: Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Sequence Hymn: Amazing Grace
The Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon: The Rev’d. Hank Tuell
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, Eternally begotten of the Father. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Prayers of the People
In joyful expectation of his coming to our aid we pray to Jesus.
Come to your Church as Lord and judge. We pray for Andrew, Allen and Mary our Bishops and for Hank our Priest. Help us to live in the light of your coming and give us a longing for your kingdom.Let us pray to the Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus and hear our prayer.
Come to your world as King of the nations. We pray for Joe our President, Kathy our Governor and Eric our Mayor. Before you rulers will stand in silence. Let us pray to the Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus and hear our prayer.
Come to the suffering as Savior and comforter. We pray for Dr. John Abraham, Harold Carrington, Gweneth Chase, Trevor Chase, Carole Cramer, George Cramer, Pat Deasey, Paul DeFelice, Francine Densieski, Arthur Elwell, Anthony Esposito, Henrietta Gowac, Dillon Gonzalez, Dice Grigg, Lillie Johnson, Pauline Johnson, Diane Khan, Chris Kilpert, and Robert Lane. Break into our lives, where we struggle with sickness and distress, and set us free to serve you forever. Let us pray to the Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus and hear our prayer.
Come to us as shepherd and guardian of our souls. Give us with all the faithful departed a share in your victory over evil and Death, especially Connie Serrano. Let us pray to the Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus and hear our prayer.
Come from heaven, Lord Jesus, with power and great glory. Lift us up to meet you, that with the Virgin Mary, Saint John and all your saints, we may live and reign with you in your new creation. Let us pray to the Lord.
Come, Lord Jesus and hear our prayer.
Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay; give new courage to your people, who trust in your love.
By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom on earth as in heaven, where you live and reign with the Father and the Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
The Announcements
Offertory Hymn: Great is Thy Faithfulness
The Great Thanksgiving - A
The Sursum Corda
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
Here a Proper Preface is sung or said on all Sundays, and on other occasions as appointed.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
The Sanctus & Benedictus: S-114
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.
He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.
Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully
receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.
All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ. By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honour and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
The Fraction Anthem S-165
The Invitation
The gifts of God for the people of God.
The Communion
Communion Hymn: Ye, who claim the Faith of Jesus
The Post Communion Prayer
Let us pray.
Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Blessing
Recessional: How Bright the Morning Star
The Dismissal
Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.
The Postlude: Organ Voluntary