The
Holy Eucharist
Advent II – Peace
Dec. 7, 2025 @ 10:00 a.m.
St. Paul’s Parish
Prelude: Two Chorale Preludes: 1.Wake,
Awake! 2. From Heaven Above. J.G. Walther; God’s Time is the Best
Time J.S. Bach
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.
101
Hail to the Lord's Anointed
Confession and Absolution
Laboring God, with axe and winnowing fork you clear a holy space where hurt and destruction have no place, and a little child holds sway. Clear our lives of hatred and despair, sow seeds of joy and peace, that shoots of hope may spring forth and we may live in harmony with one another. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Heavenly Father,
you call us to repent of our sins:
soften our proud and stubborn hearts.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus,
you declared the forgiveness of God:
teach us to forgive one another.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Holy Spirit,
you search our hearts and show us the truth:
direct us in your way of righteousness.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
This absolution,
Almighty God, who in Jesus Christ has given us a kingdom that cannot be destroyed, forgive us our sins, open our eyes to God’s truth, strengthen us to do God’s will and give us the joy of his kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Candle 1 & 2 Peace
98 Hark the Glad Sound! The Saviour Comes (V 1, 3)
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray,
Almighty God, who sent your servant John the Baptist to prepare your people to welcome the Messiah, inspire us, the ministers and stewards of your truth, to turn our disobedient hearts to you, that when the Christ shall come again to be our judge, we may stand with confidence before his glory; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Proclamation of the Word
First Reading: 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.
For the Word of God in scripture, among us and with us.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
Give the King your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the King's Son; That he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice; That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, and the little hills bring righteousness.
In his time shall peace and justice flourish.
He shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor. He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, from one generation to another. He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, like showers that water the earth.
In his time shall peace and justice flourish.
In his time shall the righteous flourish; there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous deeds! And blessed be his glorious name for ever! and may all the earth be filled with his glory. Amen. Amen.
In his time shall peace and justice flourish.
The Gospel:
Matthew 3:1-12
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus 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."
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon
SNC 38
Wild and Lone the Prophet’s Voice
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 peace:
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 Shane our Primate, Sandra our Bishop; that while surrounded by the darkness of selfishness, jealousy and greed, we may live as children of light and show God’s love to those around us. God of peace:
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 peace:
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 peace:
Hear our prayer.
We strive for justice and peace. We pray for ourselves in this Advent time of waiting, that we may be thankful for all the blessings we enjoy and seek ways to share them with others. God of peace:
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 peace:
We pray that you will bind up the broken-hearted 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 peace:
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 peace:
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.
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Announcements
SNC 169
Sent Out in Jesus’ Name
The Celebration of the Eucharist
The Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
God our strength, we are nothing without you. Receive all we offer you this day as you sustain us with your mercy; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer G
(from CofE Common Worship)
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 thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, Lord God, our light
and our salvation; to you be glory and praise for ever. From the beginning you
have created all things and all your works echo the silent music of your
praise. In the fullness of time you made us in your image, the crown of all
creation.
You give us breath and speech, that
with angels and archangels and all the powers of heaven we may find a voice to
sing your praise:
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.
How wonderful the work of your hands,
O Lord. As a mother tenderly gathers her children, you embraced a people as
your own. When they turned away and rebelled your love remained steadfast. From
them you raised up Jesus our Saviour, born of Mary, to be the living bread, in
whom all our hungers are satisfied. He offered his life for sinners, and with a
love stronger than death he opened wide his arms on the cross.
On the night before he died, he came
to supper with his friends and, taking bread, he gave you thanks. He broke it
and gave it to them, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
At the end of supper, taking the cup
of wine, he gave you thanks, 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. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.
Father, we plead with confidence his
sacrifice made once for all upon the cross; we remember his dying and rising in
glory, and we rejoice that he intercedes for us at your right hand. Pour out
your Holy Spirit as we bring before you these gifts of your creation; may they
be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.
As we eat and drink these holy things
in your presence, form us in the likeness of Christ, and build us into a living
temple to your glory.
Bring us at the last with all the
saints to the vision of that eternal splendour for which you have created us; through
Jesus Christ, our Lord, by whom, with whom, and in whom, with all who stand
before you in earth and heaven, we worship you, Father almighty, in songs of
everlasting praise:
Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours for ever and 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
107 Prepare the Way
PB 81 In His Time (verses 1, 2)
Sending forth of the Community
PB 81 In His Time
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
Faithful God, we thank you for feeding us with this heavenly banquet. Help us always to hear the prophet's call to turn our hearts to you; 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.
109 When the King Shall Come Again
The
Scattering
Go forth into the world,
rejoicing in the Peace of God the Creator.
Thanks be to God.
Advent II – Peace
Dec. 7, 2025 @ 10:00 a.m.
St. Paul’s Parish
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.
Laboring God, with axe and winnowing fork you clear a holy space where hurt and destruction have no place, and a little child holds sway. Clear our lives of hatred and despair, sow seeds of joy and peace, that shoots of hope may spring forth and we may live in harmony with one another. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
you call us to repent of our sins:
soften our proud and stubborn hearts.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus,
you declared the forgiveness of God:
teach us to forgive one another.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Holy Spirit,
you search our hearts and show us the truth:
direct us in your way of righteousness.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Almighty God, who in Jesus Christ has given us a kingdom that cannot be destroyed, forgive us our sins, open our eyes to God’s truth, strengthen us to do God’s will and give us the joy of his kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
98 Hark the Glad Sound! The Saviour Comes (V 1, 3)
Let us pray,
Almighty God, who sent your servant John the Baptist to prepare your people to welcome the Messiah, inspire us, the ministers and stewards of your truth, to turn our disobedient hearts to you, that when the Christ shall come again to be our judge, we may stand with confidence before his glory; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading: 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.
For the Word of God in scripture, among us and with us.
Thanks be to God.
Give the King your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the King's Son; That he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice; That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, and the little hills bring righteousness.
In his time shall peace and justice flourish.
He shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor. He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, from one generation to another. He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, like showers that water the earth.
In his time shall peace and justice flourish.
In his time shall the righteous flourish; there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous deeds! And blessed be his glorious name for ever! and may all the earth be filled with his glory. Amen. Amen.
In his time shall peace and justice flourish.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus 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."
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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 pray that you will establish among the nations your rule of righteousness, come to the world and the church with peace. We pray for Shane our Primate, Sandra our Bishop; that while surrounded by the darkness of selfishness, jealousy and greed, we may live as children of light and show God’s love to those around us. God of peace:
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 peace:
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 peace:
Hear our prayer.
We strive for justice and peace. We pray for ourselves in this Advent time of waiting, that we may be thankful for all the blessings we enjoy and seek ways to share them with others. God of peace:
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 peace:
We pray that you will bind up the broken-hearted 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 peace:
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 peace:
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.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
The Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
God our strength, we are nothing without you. Receive all we offer you this day as you sustain us with your mercy; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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 thanks and praise.
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.
do this in remembrance of me.
Christ has died:
Christ is risen:
Christ will come again.
Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours for ever and ever. Amen.
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.
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 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.
107 Prepare the Way
PB 81 In His Time (verses 1, 2)
PB 81 In His Time
Let us pray,
Faithful God, we thank you for feeding us with this heavenly banquet. Help us always to hear the prophet's call to turn our hearts to you; in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
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.
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.
Go forth into the world,
rejoicing in the Peace of God the Creator.
Thanks be to God.
