The Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 7, at 10:00 am
The form for this service can also be found in The Book of Common Prayer, page 355. Spoken responses are in bold typeface.
Prelude: “Non Komm, Der Heiden Heiland” J.S Bach
The Word of God
Hymn 56: “O come, O come, Emmanuel”
3. O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel!
4. O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel!
Opening Acclamation
Celebrant ✠ Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
People His mercy endures for ever.
The Collect for Purity
Celebrant
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Kyrie
The Collect of the Day
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant 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 Liturgy of the Word
First Lesson: Isaiah 11:1-10
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
1 Give the King your justice, O God, *
and your righteousness to the King's Son;
2 That he may rule your people righteously *
and the poor with justice;
3 That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *
and the little hills bring righteousness.
4 He shall defend the needy among the people; *
he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.
5 He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one generation to another.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *
like showers that water the earth.
7 In his time shall the righteous flourish; *
there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, *
who alone does wondrous deeds!
19 And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! *
and may all the earth be filled with his glory.
Amen. Amen.
Second Lesson: Romans 15:4-13
Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”; and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Hymn 67: “Comfort, comfort ye my people”
1. Comfort, comfort ye my people,
speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
comfort those who sit in darkness
mourning ’neath their sorrows’ load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
of the peace that waits for them;
tell her that her sins I cover,
and her warfare now is over.
2. Hark, the voice of one that crieth
in the desert far and near,
calling us to new repentance
since the kingdom now is here.
Oh, that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way;
let the valleys rise to meet him
and the hills bow down to greet him.
3. Make ye straight what long was crooked,
make the rougher places plain;
let your hearts be true and humble,
as befits his holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
now o’er earth is shed abroad;
and all flesh shall see the token
that the word is never broken.
Tract
The choir sings the Tract, then all repeat it.
A verse follows, then all repeat the Tract.
The Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12
Celebrant The ✠ Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
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.”
Celebrant The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon The Rev. Daniel T. Moore
The Nicene Creed
The Prayers of the People
With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying “Lord, have mercy.”
For the peace from above, for the loving-kindness of God, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the holy Church of God, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For ___ , and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For ___ , for the leaders of all the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For this community, for every city and community, and for those who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For those who are on our prayer list, especially ___ , and for those who have commended themselves to our prayers, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For our sister church of St. Mary’s, Sololá, and for the churches and provinces throughout the Anglican Communion, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, ✠ and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and degradation, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
That we may end our lives in faith and hope, without suffering and without reproach, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
In the communion of the ever-blessèd Virgin Mary, Mother of God, blessed Paul the Apostle, and of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.
Silence
To you, O Lord our God.
Silence. Additional petitions may be included here.
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
Confession of Sin
Celebrant
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Celebrant and People
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.
The Celebrant stands and gives an absolution.
The Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
The ministers and the people greet one another with a sign of peace.
The Holy Communion
The Celebrant begins the Offertory with a sentence of Scripture.
An Offertory antiphon and verse is sung by cantor and choir.
Unto thee, O Lord, lift I up my soul; O my God, in thee have I trusted, let me not be confounded: neither let mine enemies triumph over me; for all they that look for thee shall not be ashamed.
During the Offertory an anthem is sung, and the Altar is prepared with the elements of Holy Communion.
The Offering is brought forward. The people stand and are censed by the acolyte.
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Offertory Anthem: “Ave Maria” Tomas Louis de Victoria
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum;
Benedicta tu in mulieribus
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus [Christus]
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus
Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus [Christ].
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners, now and at the
hour of our death. Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer B
The people stand and the Celebrant sings
The Celebrant continues
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.
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:
Sanctus: “Holy, holy, holy Lord”
The Celebrant continues
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,
Celebrant and People
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
The Celebrant continues
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 the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, blessed Paul the Apostle, 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.
Celebrant And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
People and Celebrant
The Fraction
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.
Celebrant Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People Therefore let us keep the feast.
The Agnus Dei
Celebrant and People
A Communion antiphon and verse is sung by cantor and choir:
The Lord shall shew loving-kindness: and our land shall give her increase.
Spiritual Communion: Act of Reception
During Communion, you are invited to say the following prayer form for receiving Spiritual Communion. Know that the grace of God is made present in your heart, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth.
In union, blessed Jesus, with the faithful gathered at every altar of your Church where your blessed Body and Blood are offered this day, I long to offer you praise and thanksgiving, for creation and all the blessings of this life, for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection, for the means of grace and the hope of glory.
I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament, and, since I cannot at this time receive communion, I pray you to come into my heart. I unite myself with you and embrace you with all my heart, my soul, and my mind. Let nothing separate me from you; let me serve you in this life until, by your grace, I come to your glorious kingdom and unending peace. Amen.
Come Lord Jesus, and dwell in my heart in the fullness of your strength; be my wisdom and guide me in right pathways; conform my life and actions to the image of your holiness; and, in the power of your gracious might, rule over every hostile power that threatens or disturbs the growth of your kingdom, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Communion Anthem: “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” Linda Spevacek
Lo, how a rose e’er blooming,
From tender stem hath sprung;
of Jesse’s lineage coming,
As men of old have sung.
It came, a flow’ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.
Isaiah ’twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind.
With Mary we behold it,
The Virgin Mother kind.
To show God’s love aright,
She bore unto us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.
This flow’r, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air;
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere.
True man, yet very God;
From sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.
Hymn 328: “Draw nigh and take the Body of the Lord”
1. Draw nigh and take the Body of the Lord,
and drink the holy Blood for you outpoured.
2. Saved by that Body and that holy Blood,
with souls refreshed, we render thanks to God.
3. Salvation’s giver, Christ, the only Son,
by his dear cross and blood the victory won.
4. Offered was he for greatest and for least,
himself the Victim, and himself the Priest.
5. Approach ye then with faithful hearts sincere,
and take the pledges of salvation here.
After Communion, the Celebrant says
Let us pray.
Celebrant and People
Almighty and everliving God,
we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food
of the most precious Body and Blood
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ;
and for assuring us in these holy mysteries
that we are living members of the Body of your Son,
and heirs of your eternal kingdom.
And now, Father, send us out
to do the work you have given us to do,
to love and serve you
as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.
To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Welcome & Announcements
Blessing & Dismissal
The Celebrant blesses the people and dismisses them.
The people respond Thanks be to God.
Postlude: “Choral Prelude on ‘Es ist ein Ros entsprungen’” Johannes Brahms
Service Participants
Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Daniel T. Moore
Eucharistic Minister: Christopher McCall
Thurifer: Alex Kelly
Crucifer: Grant Massey
Torchbearers: Whitley Massey, Susannah Moore
Lector: David Taylor
Ushers: Joe DeTato, Michael Kelly
Altar Guild: Sara Frister, Carol Fox
Advent Wreath: Kay Johnson
A/V: Emery Kohut
Counters: Kay Johnson, Matt Baldasari, Kathy Sullivan
Organist: W. Edward McCall
Choir: Trudie Benton, Wendy Brumbaugh, Alexander Famous, Carol Fox, Margery Hoffman, Laura Pankoe, Shelley Reed, Mike Roberts, Sue Roberts, Annie Rogers, Anne Shute, Jim Shute, Matthew Siebenhuhner, Caitlin Stein, Ed Warren, Marian Wentworth
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