Morning Prayer, Rite II (Sunday, December 6, 2020)

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The Prelude: Prelude in A Minor, J. S. Bach

Welcome

The Processional: On Jordan’s Back

The Confession

Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God our heavenly Father, to set forth his praise, to hear his holy Word, and to ask, for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and our salvation. And so that we may prepare ourselves in heart and mind to worship him, let us be in silence, and with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that we may obtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy.

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 us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life.

Amen

The Invitatory and Psalter

Lord, open our lips.

And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Venite: Psalm 95: 1-7

The earth is the Lord’s for he made it: Come let us adore him.

Come, let us sing to the Lord; *

let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *

and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God, *

and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *

and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, *

and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *

and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *

Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

The Jubilate: Psalm 100

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *

serve the Lord with gladness

and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The Lord himself is God; *

he himself has made us, and we are his;

we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

go into his courts with praise; *

give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

For the Lord is good;

his mercy is everlasting; *

and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

The Appointed Psalm and lessons

Psalms 148, 149, and 150

1 Hallelujah!

Praise the Lord from the heavens; *

praise him in the heights.

2 Praise him, all you angels of his; *

praise him, all his host.

3 Praise him, sun and moon; *

praise him, all you shining stars.

4 Praise him, heaven of heavens, *

and you waters above the heavens.

5 Let them praise the Name of the Lord; *

for he commanded, and they were created.

6 He made them stand fast for ever and ever; *

he gave them a law which shall not pass away.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth, *

you sea-monsters and all deeps;

8 Fire and hail, snow and fog, *

tempestuous wind, doing his will;

9 Mountains and all hills, *

fruit trees and all cedars;

10 Wild beasts and all cattle, *

creeping things and wing’d birds;

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, *

princes and all rulers of the world;

12 Young men and maidens, *

old and young together.

13 Let them praise the Name of the Lord, *

for his Name only is exalted,

his splendor is over earth and heaven.

14 He has raised up strength for his people

and praise for all his loyal servants, *

the children of Israel, a people who are near him.

Hallelujah!

1 Hallelujah!

Sing to the Lord a new song; *

sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.

2 Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; *

let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise his Name in the dance; *

let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people *

and adorns the poor with victory.

5 Let the faithful rejoice in triumph; *

let them be joyful on their beds.

6 Let the praises of God be in their throat *

and a two-edged sword in their hand;

7 To wreak vengeance on the nations *

and punishment on the peoples;

8 To bind their kings in chains *

and their nobles with links of iron;

9 To inflict on them the judgment decreed; *

this is glory for all his faithful people.

Hallelujah!

1 Hallelujah!

Praise God in his holy temple; *

praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts; *

praise him for his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him with the blast of the ram's-horn; *

praise him with lyre and harp.

4 Praise him with timbrel and dance; *

praise him with strings and pipe.

5 Praise him with resounding cymbals; *

praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath *

praise the Lord.

Hallelujah!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * as it was in

the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The First Lesson: A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 5: 1-7

Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watch-tower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.

And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?

And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Canticle 9: The First Song of Isaiah Ecce, Deus, Isaiah 12 :2-6

Surely, it is God who saves me; *

I will trust in him and not be afraid.

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *

and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *

from the springs of salvation.

And on that day you shall say, *

Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;

Make his deeds known among the peoples; *

see that they remember that his Name is exalted.

Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *

and this is known in all the world.

Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *

for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen

The Second Reading: A Reading from the Second Letter of Peter 3: 11-18

Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The Song of Mary: Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my

Savior; *

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *

the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *

to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen

The Third Reading: A Reading from the Gospel of Luke 7: 28-35

I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ (And all the people who heard this, including the tax-collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism. But by refusing to be baptised by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves.)

‘To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling to one another, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.”

For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, “He has a demon”; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.’”

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Remarks and Announcements

The Organ Voluntary: Blessed Jesus, We Are Here, J. S. Bach

The Glory to God: Gloria in excelsis

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Apostle’s Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth;

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray,

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 Suffrages

V. Show us your mercy, O Lord;

R. And grant us your salvation.

V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness;

R. Let your people sing with joy.

V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;

R. For only in you can we live in safety.

V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;

R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.

V. Let your way be known upon earth;

R. Your saving health among all nations.

V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;

R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;

R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

The Collects

The Collect of the Day

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.

A Prayer for Sundays

O God, who makest us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of thy Son our Lord: Grant us this day such blessing through our worship of thee, that the days to come may be spent in thy favor; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for Peace

O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A Prayer for the Human Family

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Prayers of the People

I ask your prayers for God's people throughout the world; for our Bishop(s) Andrew, Allen and Mary; for this service; and for all ministers and people.

Pray for the Church.

Silence

I ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations; and for the wellbeing of all people.

Pray for justice and peace.

Silence

I ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and those in prison.

Pray for those in any need or trouble.

Silence

I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of him. Pray that they may find and be found by him.

Silence

I ask your prayers for the over 270,000 souls who have died from COVID-19, for Wilfred Goodridge and all who have who have died. Pray for those who have died.

Silence

I ask your prayers for those who suffer from any grief, trouble, or illness especially for Mother Rhoda, Fr. Roy Cole, Arthur Ellwell, Trevor Chase, Jennifer Sprosty, John Owens, Fr. Free, Nelly Johnson, Rev. Roslyn Dimerson, Maggie White, Violet Cheeks and all those on our prayer list and for all who are suffering from Covid-19.

Pray for their healing.

Silence

Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honoured and whom we remember today. Pray that we may have the grace to glorify Christ in our own day.

Silence

The General Thanksgiving

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages.

Amen.

The Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting.

Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The Blessing

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21

The Recessional: Comfort, Comfort Ye, My People

The Postlude: Fugue in A Minor, J. S. Bach