Prelude: Organ Voluntary
The Processional Hymn 57: Lo! He comes with clouds descending, Bulletin, Page 18
The Lighting of the Advent Candles
The Advent candles will be lit by Debra and Tiffany Kaplan.
Today is the Second Sunday of Advent and we will light the Candle of Peace. Last Sunday we lit the candle of hope. The light of peace and hope shine brightly in anticipation of Christ.
(Light the 1st and then the 2nd 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 Opening Acclamation
The Collect of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
The Kyries: Schubert
The Liturgy of the Word
Please be seated for the lessons.
The First Lesson: Baruch 5: 1-9
Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God. Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God; put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting; for God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven. For God will give you evermore the name, "Righteous Peace, Godly Glory." Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height; look toward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them. For they went out from you on foot, led away by their enemies; but God will bring them back to you, carried in glory, as on a royal throne. For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God. The woods and every fragrant tree have shaded Israel at God's command. For God will lead Israel with joy, in the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Canticle: The Song of Zachariah, Benedictus Dominus Deus, Canticle 16
Blessed be the Lord, the /God of /Israel; * he has come to his /people and /set them /free.
He has raised up for us a /mighty /saviour, * born of the /house of his /servant /David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us /from our /enemies, *. from the /hands of /all who /hate us.
He promised to show /mercy to our /fathers * and to re-/member his /holy /covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our /father /Abraham, *
to set us /free from the /hands of our /enemies,
Free to worship him /without /fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the /days of our /life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the /Most /High, * for you will go before the /Lord to pre-/pare his /way,
To give his people /knowledge of sal-/vation * by the for-/giveness /of their /sins.
In the tender /compassion of our /God * the dawn from on /high shall /break up-/on us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the /shadow of /death, * and to guide our feet /into the /way of /peace.
The Second Lesson: Philippians 1: 3-11
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Sequence Hymn 75: There’s a voice in the wilderness crying, Bulletin, Page 19
Please stand as you are able.
The Gospel: Luke 3: 1-6
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Please be seated.
The Sermon: The Rev. 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 worshipped 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.
In peace, we pray to you Lord God.
Silence
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.
For this community, the nations, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless and the needy.
For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.
For the special needs and concerns of this congregation, especially we pray for John Houng (Gladys) Adams, Asma Ahmed, Nicky Baxter, Rev. Keith Coates, Trevor Chase, Carole Cramer, George Cramer, William Feeney and Mihaek Ginotes .
Silence
Hear us, Lord;
For your mercy is great.
We thank you for all the blessings of this life, today we especially give thanks for all who support St. John's with their time, treasure, and talents.
Silence
We will exalt you, O God our King;
And praise your Name for ever and ever.
We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom;
Silence
Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
Silence
The Concluding Collect
Almighty and eternal God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully accept the prayers of your people, and strengthen us to do your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Confession
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.
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
Please be seated for the announcements.
The Announcements
Please stand, as you are able.
Offertory Hymn: 436, Lift up your heads, Bulletin, Page 20
The Great Thanksgiving - B
The Sursum Corda
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and every- where 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-130, Schubert
Please kneel, as you are able.
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
On the night before he died for us, 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, according to his command, O Father,
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with John and all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.
By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor 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 Presider breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.
The Fraction Anthem: S-164, Schubert
The Invitation
The gifts of God for the people of God.
The Communion
Note: As mandated by The Bishop, only the Celebrant will administer Communion (Bread Only). The Clergy’s hands have been properly washed and sanitized. Please wait to be directed.
Communion Hymn: 324, Let all mortal flesh keep silence, Bulletin, Page 21
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
The Presider gives a blessing. At the conclusion, the people respond, Amen.
Recessional 72: Hark! The glad sound!, Bulletin, Page 22
The Dismissal
Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.
The Postlude: Organ Voluntary