THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2022

PRELUDE: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Opening Collect Rev. Alicia Alexis

Let us pray: Holy God, we imagine your love reigning over us, and your face shining upon us that we might be secure in you. May we seek only to do your will, loving as you have loved us. Keep looking favorably up- on us, doing great things for us, filling us with good things, so that we continue to magnify the Lord and to rejoice in God our Savior, for our hope, peace, joy and love is in you, our God-with-us, who is our provider, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Lighting of Advent Candles

Come and save us, O Lord God of hosts.
Come and save us, O Lord God of hosts.

Show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved: O Lord God of hosts.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Come and save us, O Lord God of hosts.

Show us your mercy, O Lord.
And grant us your salvation we can ask or imagine; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Musical Fanfare Heralds the Entrance of the Solemn Procession. Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration: Every Valley Shall Be Exalted

Lesson I: The Garden of Eden: The seed of woman shall bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3: verses 1-14)

Lesson II: God promises to Abraham that in his seed shall the nations of the Earth be blessed (Genesis 22: verses 1-18)

Lesson III: Christ’s birth and kingdom are foretold by Isaiah (Isaiah 9, verses 2-7)

Hymn #65 1982 Hymnal Prepare the Way, O Zion, verse 1

Lesson IV: The Peace that Christ will bring is fore shown Isaiah 11: verses 1-9

Hymn #81 1982 Hymnal Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming, (verses 1-2)

Lesson V: The Angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke I, verses 5-56)

Mary did you Know?

Lesson VI: St. Luke tells of the birth of Jesus (Luke 2: verses 1-14) 

Sweet Little Jesus Boy

Lesson VII: The shepherds go to the manger (Luke 2: verses 15-20) 

Hymn # 115 1982 Hymnal What Child is This? verses 1-3

Lesson VIII: The Wise Men are led by the Star to Jesus (Matthew 2: verses 1-15) #128 1982 Hymnal We Three Kings, 1-2) last verses, with violins

O Holy Night Veronica Quiett, Soloist

Lesson IX*:. John Unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation

John I: verses 1-14: The Rev. Deacon Sarah Woodard
Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration -The Hallelujah Chorus The Youth of St. Titus’ in Liturgical Dance

The Peace
Welcome and Announcements

Offertory Hymn Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers #68 1982 Hymnal

The Offertory Sentence

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. For everything in heaven and on earth is yours, Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and your are exalted as head overall. I Chronicles

Great Thanksgiving (Eucharistic Prayer B)

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.Celebrant
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Through Jesus Christ our Lord;But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us, and has taken away the sin of the world. By his death he has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he has won for us everlasting life.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,
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.

Then 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.At the following words concerning the bread, the Celebrant is to hold it, or to lay a hand upon it; and at the words concerning the cup, to hold or place a hand upon the cup and any other vessel containing wine to be consecrated.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 Blessed Titus 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.

The Lord’s Prayer

The Celebrant says
As our Savior Christ has taught us we are bold to sayOur 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 Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant: Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People: Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

The Priest invites the people to Communion
The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

Communion Hymns

Lord, I have Seen Thy Salvation # 153 (LEVAS II)

For those of you who are participating in this celebration of Holy Eucharist from a different location, we invite you to pray with these words during the distribution of the holy sacrament:

A Prayer for Spiritual Communion

In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.

Post-communion Prayer

The celebrant says
Let us pray.

The celebrant and people say together

Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing

The Celebrant says

The Advent Blessing

The Celebrant says

May Almighty God, by whose providence our Savior Christ came among us in great humility, sanctify you with the light of his blessing and set you free from all sin. Amen.

May he whose second Coming in power and great glory we await, make you steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love. Amen.

May you, who rejoice in the first Advent of our Redeemer, at his second Advent be rewarded with unending life. Amen.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you

Recessional Hymn Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Hymnal 1982 # 66

Deacon: Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Alleluia. Alleluia.
People: Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.