Thanksgiving for the Renovations
(so
far)
The
Holy Eucharist
The
Gathering of the Community
The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and
the love of God,
and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be
with you all.
And also with you.
Almighty
God,
to you all hearts are open, all
desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. 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.
Hymn
525:
The Church’s One Foundation
The
Collect of the Day
Let
us pray.
Almighty God, give us grace to cast
away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility,
that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge
both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The
Proclamation of the Word
A
Reading From The Book Of Isaiah
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and
Jerusalem. In days to come the mountain of the Lord's house shall be
established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the
hills; all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say, "Come, let us go up to the
mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us
his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go
forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between
the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords
into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the light of the Lord! 2:1-5
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to
God.
Psalm
122
Refrain:
I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the
Lord."
I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house
of the Lord." Now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. R Jerusalem is
built as a city that is at unity with itself; To which the tribes go up, the
tribes of the Lord, the assembly of Israel, to praise the Name of the Lord. R For there are
the thrones of judgement, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace
of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. R Peace be within
your walls and quietness within your towers. For my brethren and companions'
sake, I pray for your prosperity. Because of the house of the Lord our God, I
will seek to do you good." R
A
Reading From The Letter Of Paul To The Romans
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the
moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when
we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay
aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live
honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery
and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. 13:11-14
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to
God.
Choir: O Come to us, O God of Hope
The
Holy Gospel
The
Lord be with you.
And also with
you.
The
Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
Glory to you,
Lord Jesus Christ.
But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the
angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah
were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the
flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the
day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept
them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in
the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding
meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on
what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house
had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed
awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must
be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. 24:36-44
The
Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you,
Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon
Thanksgiving
and Blessing of the Renovations
The
Prayers of the Community
Beginning with the Cycle of Prayer
For
the Church universal, of which these buildings are a visible symbol,
We thank you, Lord.
For
your presence whenever two or three have gathered in your name,
We thank you, Lord.
For
this place where we may be still and know that you are God,
We thank you, Lord.
For
the fulfilling of our desires and petitions as you see best for us,
We thank you, Lord.
For
our past and a vision of the future that lies ahead,
We thank you, Lord.
For
the gift of the Holy Spirit and new life in baptism,
We thank you, Lord.
For
the pardon of our sins when we have fallen short of your glory,
We thank you, Lord.
For
the holy eucharist in which we have a foretaste of your eternal kingdom,
We thank you, Lord.
For
the blessing of our vows and the crowning of our years with your goodness,
We thank you, Lord.
For
the faith of those who have gone before us and for our encouragement by their
perseverance,
We thank you, Lord.
For
all the benefactors of this place who have died in the peace of Christ and are
at rest,
We thank you, Lord.
For
the fellowship of all your saints, and especially for Saint Paul, our patron,
We thank you, Lord.
O
God, from living and chosen stones you prepare an everlasting dwelling place
for your majesty. Grant that in the power of the Holy Spirit those who continue
to serve you here, generation after generation, may always be kept within your
presence. This we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever. Amen.
Confession
and Absolution
Dear friends in Christ, God is steadfast in love and
infinite in mercy; welcoming sinners and inviting us to this table. Let us
confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.
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
neighbours 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 upon you, pardon and deliver you
from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in
eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The
Peace
The
peace of the Lord be always with you.
And
also with you.
Announcements
Lighting
of the Advent Wreath
As
the season of Advent begins we celebrate hope.
We
know that through the birth of a tiny and helpless child, God is coming to save
the world.
While
we watch and wait for Jesus to arrive, we join in God’s mission by bringing
grace and mercy to those who need it most.
We
connect with the poor and the poor in spirit, letting Christ’s light shine
through us.
We
speak words of comfort and love to a world in need of healing as we share our
stories of God’s transforming Spirit.
Together,
we are a sign of God’s hope for the world.
(The candle is lit)
Let
us pray:
God
of surprising grace, when we least expect it you bring fresh new life; and
where we feel that all is lost, you bring redemption. Give us courage as we
share all you have done, all you are doing, and all you will accomplish through
Jesus Christ. Amen.
Hymn-at-the-offertory: Jesus
Put This Song into Our Hearts
The
Celebration of the Eucharist
The
Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
God of love and power, your word stirs
within us the expectation of the coming of your Son. Accept all we offer you
this day, and sustain us with your promise of eternal life. We ask this in the
name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The
Great Thanksgiving – Eucharistic
Prayer 3
The
Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift
up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let
us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth;
heaven itself cannot contain you and your glory fills all the world. You accept
our setting apart of places for your worship and in them pour out your gifts of
grace upon your faithful people. This table is a sign to us of the heavenly
altar, where your saints and angels praise you. Here we have recalled the
sacrifice of your Son; here we have been fed with the body and blood of your
Son; here our sins have been forgiven; here we have tasted the joys of your
eternal kingdom. Grant that in these mysteries we may be united with one
another and strengthened for service in your world. Therefore with angels and
archangels and those who worship you in every age, we raise our voices in
joyful praise 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.
We give thanks to you, Lord our God, for the goodness and
love you have made known to us in creation; in calling 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 Saviour 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 he was handed over to suffering and death, a
death he freely accepted, 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, Father, according to his command,
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, 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, made
acceptable in him, may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
In the fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ,
and make them new, and bring us to that city of light where you dwell with all
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 whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the
Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, almighty Father, now and for ever.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your
name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us
today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against
us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom,
the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
The
Breaking of the Bread - 5
Advent
God
of promise,
you
prepare a banquet for us in your kingdom.
Happy
are those who are called
to
the supper of the Lamb.
The
Communion
The
gifts of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to God.
Hymns-during-communion:
- Lamb of God
- 98: Hark! The Glad Sound
the Saviour Comes
- 56:
I am the Bread
The
Sending Forth of the Community
Hymn
94: Wait for the Lord
Prayer
after Communion
Let
us pray,
God for whom we wait, you have fed us
with the bread of eternal life. Keep us ever watchful, that we may be ready to
stand before the Son of man. We ask this in the name of Christ the Lord. Amen.
The
doxology
Glory
to God,
whose
power, working in us,
can
do infinitely more
than
we can ask or imagine.
Glory
to God from generation to generation,
in
the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for
ever and ever. Amen.
Blessing (Advent)
Be steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and untiring in love all the days of your
life; and the blessing of God
almighty, the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit, be among you and remain
with you always. Amen.
Hymn 599:
Awake! Awake! Fling off the Night
The Scattering (Mark 4:20)
Go
forth in the name of Christ.
Thanks be to God.
