Preludes: Joseph est bien Marié Claude
Balbastre; Chorale Prelude on ‘Quem Pastores’ Healey Willan
Opening: 123 Once in Royal David’s City
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.
Jesus said, “I am the light
of the world. Those who follow me will not walk in darkness, but will have the
light of life.”
Come,
Lord Jesus, come quickly.
Source of all light, send
your Son Jesus Christ to shine in our dark world. Help us to prepare our hearts
to receive him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for
ever. Amen.
The Lighting of the Advent Wreath – Love
Today we light the fourth candle of Advent; the
candle of love.
Dear God, help us to wait for the love you will show us this
Advent. Help us to see that you are with us. Guide us by your holy light to
that place where we take Jesus into our hearts. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Hope
is a Star
(Advent)
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray,
Heavenly Father, who chose the
Virgin Mary, full of grace, to be the mother of our Lord and Saviour, now fill
us with your grace, that we in all things may embrace your will and with her
rejoice in your salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Anthem: Shepherds Loud Their Praises Singing (Alec
Rowley)
The Proclamation of the Word
The Gospel: Luke 1:39-55
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
In those
days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country,
where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth
heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled
with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among
women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me,
that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of
your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who
believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the
Lord." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit
rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of
his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the
Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for
those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with
his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has
brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has
filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped
his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he
made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ.
Presentations
Hymn: 126 Away in a Manger
The Prayers of the People
In this holy season,
when the sun’s light is swallowed up by the growing darkness of the night, you
renew your promise to reveal among us the splendour of your glory, enfleshed
and visible to us in Jesus Christ your Son. God of love:
Hear our prayer.
We are watchful at all times,
give us hope to live in the light of your coming and a longing for your realm
of peace, justice and mercy. We pray for those in need as we approach the
Christmas season, especially for our outreach efforts. God
of love:
Hear our prayer.
By sharing the good things of the earth, may we
secure justice and equality for all people, an end to division, and a society
built on love and peace. God of love:
Hear our prayer.
We pray that we may seek Christ
in holy scriptures, know him in the breaking of bread, and recognize him in one
another. Break into our lives in this busy and noisy season, where we struggle
with sickness and pain, and set us free to serve you forever. God
of love:
Hear our prayer.
We pray for
those we know who are ill at home or in the hospital, remembering
especially…
- …
… and others we may name out loud, or in our hearts…
-
God of love:
Hear our prayer.
We remember those who have died in your peace and whose faith is known
to you alone, especially…
-
…and be with and strengthen
those who mourn that, with all the saints in light, we may shine forth as
lights for the world, God of love:
Hear our prayer.
Lord
God, the well-spring of life, pour into our hearts the living water of your
grace. By your light we see light. Increase our faith, and grant that we may
walk in the brightness of your presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession and Absolution
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
Hymn at the Offertory
128
The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy
The Celebration of the Eucharist
The Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
Gracious God, by the power of the Spirit who sanctified the mother of
your Son, make holy all we offer you this day. We ask this in the name of Jesus
Christ the Lord. Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer 2
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.
We give you thanks and praise, almighty God,
through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer. He is your
living Word, through whom you have created all things.
By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh
of the Virgin Mary and shared our human nature. He lived and died as one of us,
to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.
In fulfilment of your will he stretched out
his hands in suffering, to bring release to those who place their hope in you;
and so he won for you a holy people.
He chose to bear our griefs and sorrows, and
to give up his life on the cross, that he might shatter the chains of evil and
death, and banish the darkness of sin and despair. By his resurrection he
brings us into the light of your presence.
Now with all creation we raise our voices 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 God, accept our praise,
through your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; who on the night he was handed over
to suffering and death, took bread and gave you thanks, saying, “Take, and eat:
this is my body which is broken for you.” In the same way he took the cup,
saying, “This is my blood which is shed for you. When you do this, you do it in
memory of me.”
Remembering, therefore, his death and
resurrection, we offer you this bread and this cup, giving thanks that you have
made us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.
We ask you to send your Holy Spirit upon the
offering of your holy Church. Gather into one all who share in these sacred
mysteries, filling them with the Holy Spirit and confirming their faith in the
truth, that together we may praise you and give you glory through your Servant,
Jesus Christ.
All glory and honour are yours, Father and
Son, with the Holy Spirit in the holy Church, 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
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 gifts of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to God.
Lamb of God
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
grant us your peace.
Communion
HYMNs
94 Wait for the Lord, Whose Day is Nigh (repeated)
SNC 36 O Ancient Love
Sending forth of the Community
HYMN: 94 Wait
for the Lord, Whose Day is Nigh
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
Faithful
God, in this sacrament we receive the promise of salvation. May we, like the
Virgin Mary, be obedient to your will. We ask this in the name of Jesus 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
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.
Closing: 362 Tell Out, My Soul
The
Scattering
Go
forth into the world,
rejoicing
in the Love of God the Creator.
Thanks be to God.
Preludes: Prelude and Fugue in D Major
Boyvin/Bach; Prelude on ‘Veni Emmanuel’ Gordon Young
Opening: 89 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (verses
1,2, 5-7)
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.
Jesus said, “I am the light
of the world. Those who follow me will not walk in darkness, but will have the
light of life.”
Come,
Lord Jesus, come quickly.
Source of all light, send
your Son Jesus Christ to shine in our dark world. Help us to prepare our hearts
to receive him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for
ever. Amen.
The Lighting of the Advent Wreath – Joy
Today we light the third candle of Advent; the candle
of joy.
Dear God, we rejoice that you give us what we need. Fill our
days with joy and help us to share that joy with others. In Jesus’ name we
pray. Amen.
Hope
is a Star
(Advent)
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray,
God of power and mercy, you call
us once again to celebrate the coming of your Son. Remove those things which
hinder love of you, that when he comes, he may find us waiting in awe and
wonder for him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and for ever. Amen.
The Proclamation of the Word
First Reading: Philippians
4:4-7
A Reading From The Letter Of Paul To The
Philippians
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say,
Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not
worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God.
CANTICLE 3, BAS
(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 defence,
and he will be my Saviour.
Ring out your joy, for the Holy One is in your
midst.
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.
Ring out your joy, for the Holy One is in your
midst.
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.
Ring out your joy, for the Holy One is in your
midst.
The Gospel: Luke 3:7-18
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
John
said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of
vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of
repentance. Do not begin 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." And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In
reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who
has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came
to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He
said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you."
Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to
them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and
be satisfied with your wages." As the people were filled with expectation,
and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be
the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with
water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie
the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather
the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable
fire." So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the
people.
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ.
Sermon:
Hymn: 361 Surely It Is God Who Saves Me
The Prayers of the People
In this Season of Advent, we
pray for ourselves and the world, placing before you our hope, confident in
your peace, mindful of your joy, basking in your love, saying, hear our
prayer.
We are watchful at all times, we
pray for strength to stand with confidence before you, O God, our Maker and
Redeemer. Give us hope to live in the light of your coming and give us a
longing for your realm of justice and mercy. God
of joy:
Hear our prayer.
We pray that you will establish
among the nations your rule of righteousness, come to the world and the church
with peace. We pray for Anne our Primate, Sandra our Bishop. We pray for an end
to racial discrimination, an end to gender-based violence, and for truth and
reconciliation with Indigenous people. God of joy:
Hear our prayer.
We pray that you will fill every heart with love and
the desire to ensure justice for every human being. By sharing the good things
of the earth, may we secure justice and equality for all people, an end to
division, and a society built on love and peace. God of joy:
Hear our prayer.
We pray that we may seek Christ
in holy scriptures, know him in the breaking of bread, and recognize him in one
another. Break into our lives, where we struggle with sickness and pain, and
set us free to serve you forever. God of joy:
Hear our prayer.
We pray that all of us know that we are worthy of love and care and
that no one deserves to live in fear or violence. May we work to dismantle the
systems of power, control, and oppression that teach that some are worth less
because of gender, race, age, or ability. May all people live with dignity. God
of joy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those in any
distress from floods, drought, fire, earthquakes and war. We pray for those in
need as we approach the Christmas season, especially for our outreach efforts. God
of joy:
Hear our prayer.
We pray that you will bind up
the brokenhearted and restore the sick. We pray for
those we know who are ill at home or in the hospital, remembering
especially…
-
… and others we may name out loud, or in our hearts…
-
God of joy:
Hear our prayer.
We remember those who have died in your peace and whose faith is known
to you alone, especially…
-
…and be with and strengthen
those who mourn that, with all the saints in light, we may shine forth as
lights for the world, God of joy:
Hear our prayer.
Almighty God, as your blessed
Son Jesus Christ first came to seek and to save the lost; so may he come again
to find in us the completion of his redeeming work; for he is now alive and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
Confession and Absolution
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
Hymn at the Offertory
PB 75 Rejoice In the Lord Always
(as a Round)
The Celebration of the Eucharist
The Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
God of hope, renew in us the joy of your salvation and make us a
living sacrifice to you, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving: Supplementary Eucharistic
Prayer 3 (S3)
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.
It
is indeed right to thank you and praise you, holy and gracious God, creator of
all things, ruler of heaven and earth, sustainer of life, for you are the
source of all goodness, rich in mercy and abounding in love; you are faithful
to your people in every generation, and your word endures for ever.
Therefore
with angels and archangels, with the fellowship of saints and the company of
heaven, we glorify your holy name, evermore praising you and singing,
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
praise you, merciful Father, not as we ought, but as we are able, because in
your tender love you gave the world your only Son, in order that the world
might be saved through him. He made you known by taking the form of a servant,
healing the sick, liberating the oppressed, reaching out to the lost.
Betrayed,
reviled, and nailed to the cross, he confronted the power of sin and disarmed
it for ever. In his offering of himself, he became the perfect and sufficient
sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Redeemed by Christ, we have been
adopted as your children; by your pardon you have made us worthy to praise you.
On
the night he was betrayed, Jesus, at supper with his friends, took bread, gave
you thanks, broke the bread, gave it to them, and said, “Take and 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.”
In
obedience to him and with grateful hearts we approach your holy table,
remembering our Saviour’s sacrifice, and rejoicing in his victory. Confident in
his sovereign purpose, we declare our faith.
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
Send
your Holy Spirit on us that as we receive this bread and this cup we may
partake of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and feed on him in our
hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
May
we be renewed in his risen life, filled with love, and strengthened in our will
to serve others; and make of our lives, we pray, a pure and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to you, knitting us together as one in your Son Jesus Christ, to
whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, now and forever. 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
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 gifts of God for the People of God.
Thanks be to God.
Lamb of God
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
grant us your peace.
Communion
HYMNs
60 I Come with Joy
PB 135 Gathered In His Name (repeated)
Sending forth of the Community
PB 135 Gathered In His Name
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
Merciful
God, may this eucharist free us from our sins, fill us with unending joy, and
prepare us for the birthday of our Saviour. We ask this in the name of Jesus
Christ, who is Lord now and for ever. 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
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.
Closing: SNC 165 Shout for Joy!
The
Scattering
Go
forth into the world,
rejoicing
in the Joy of God the Creator.
Thanks be to God.
