The First Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2023

Please join the worship by following the liturgy (program) in this bulletin. We encourage you to use the time before worship to pray and invite the presence of the Holy Spirit to keep you centered and focused on what God may be saying to you. After worship, we invite you to pray for God’s strength to help you face and meet the demands of the world from this moment and in the days to come.

Bidding Prayer                                                                BCP page 833

Almighty God, who poursout on all who desire it the spirit of grace and of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to you, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship youin spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Opening Hymn       Lo! He comes with clouds descending                               H-58     

The Opening Acclamation                                                      Enriching our Worship 1, p. 50

Celebrant     Blessed are you, holy and living One.

People         You come to your people and set them free. 

The Collect for Purity                                                                  BCP page 355

The Celebrant then continues

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.

Trisagion                   Holy God                                                    H-S102

Collect of the Day                                                                                              

Celebrant         The Lord be with you.

People And also with you.

Celebrant         Let us pray.

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in 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.

First Reading                                                     Isaiah 64:1-9

Reader             A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence–

as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil–

to make your name known to your adversaries,
so that the nations might tremble at your presence!

When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

From ages past no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,
who works for those who wait for him.

You meet those who gladly do right,
those who remember you in your ways.

But you were angry, and we sinned;
because you hid yourself we transgressed.

We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.

We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

There is no one who calls on your name,
or attempts to take hold of you;

for you have hidden your face from us,
and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.

Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord,
and do not remember iniquity forever.
Now consider, we are all your people.

 

Reader The Word of the Lord

People Thanks be to God.

Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18                 Qui regis Israel                                 BCP 702

1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.

2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.

3 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

4 O Lord God of hosts, *
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.

6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, *
the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.

17 And so will we never turn away from you; *
give us life, that we may call upon your Name.

18 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Second Reading                                                                        1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Reader            A Reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians                

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind– just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you– so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Reader The Word of the Lord

People Thanks be to God.

Sequence Hymn        Sleepers wake! A voice astounds us                           H-61

Then, all standing as able, the Deacon reads the Gospel, first saying

Deacon            The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.

People Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The Gospel                                                             Mark 13:24-37

 

Jesus said, “In those days, after that suffering,

the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,

and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Deacon         The Gospel of the Lord

People Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon                                                       The Reverend Valerie J. Mayo

We will maintain a brief silence to allow for reflection.

The Nicene Creed                                                                 EOW, p. 53

Please stand as you are able.

We believe in one God,

        the Father, the Almighty,

        maker of heaven and earth,

        of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

        the only Son of God,

        eternally begotten of the Father,

        God from God, Light from Light,

        true God from true God,

        begotten, not made,

        of one Being with the Father;

        through him all things were made.

        For us and for our salvation

               he came down from heaven,

               was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary

               and became truly human.

               For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

               he suffered death and was buried.

               On the third day he rose again

               in accordance with the Scriptures;

               he ascended into heaven

               and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

               He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

               and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

        who proceeds from the Father,

        who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,

        who has spoken through the prophets.

        We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

        We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

        We look for the resurrection of the dead,

               and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayers of the People

As the new year dawns, let us pray to prepare for the Day of the Lord, saying “Holy One, enlighten the eyes of our hearts.”

For the holy church of God, for its members in all places and our mission of creating peace and concord in the nations of the world, we pray:

Holy One, enlighten the eyes of our hearts.

For our beloved country and for those chosen to lead, for Joe Biden, our President, Roy Cooper, our Governor, for those who represent us, and those who serve in courts of law, we pray:

Holy One, enlighten the eyes of our hearts.

For our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, our Bishop Samuel Rodman, for our parish clergy, for the ministry of all the baptized and for all the holy people of God, we pray:

Holy One, enlighten the eyes of our hearts.

For the welfare of God’s creation, all nations, tribes, and peoples, help us to stay awake in expectation, caring for this world and one another day by day, we pray:

Holy One, enlighten the eyes of our hearts.

For the concerns of this family of faith, that we may do your will in feeding the hungry, working toward peace, and using our resources wisely, we pray:

Holy One, enlighten the eyes of our hearts.

For those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, we pray:

Holy One, enlighten the eyes of our hearts.

We pray especially for: Brian, Terrence, Bill, Melvin, Carolyn, Tyna, Dennis, Marjorie, Ama, Dorothy, Lawrence, Ann, Murphy, Karen, Derek, Walter, Vivian, Danita, Lionell, Vincent, Howard, Sydney, Carol, Robert, Beverly, Harmon, Cedric, Allen, Damon, Chuck, Pam, and Denise.

The congregation is invited to share their petitions.

For all those whom we love but see no longer, we pray:

Holy One, enlighten the eyes of our hearts.

The congregation is invited to share their petitions.

O God, you promise a peace the world cannot give: overwhelm us with such an awareness of your peace and presence that we become your peacemakers; through Jesus Christ our redeemer. Amen.

The Concluding Collect

Almighty God, to whom our needs are known before we ask, help us to ask what accords with your will; and those good things which we dare not, or in our blindness cannot ask, grant us for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Confession                                                             

Celebrant         Let us confess our sins to God.                                   EOW, p. 56

silence

Celebrant and People                                  

God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.

The Absolution                                                                      EOW, p. 56

The Celebrant stands and says:

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

The Peace                                                                  EOW, p. 56

Celebrant         The peace of Christ be always with you;

People And also with you.

The Celebrant and People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.

Welcome

The Holy Communion

Offertory Sentence               

Restore us, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Offertory Hymn        The Lord will come and not be slow                              H-462                                                      

The Great Thanksgiving (Eucharistic Prayer 3)                                                  EOW, p. 62-65

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 our thanks and praise.

Celebrant

All thanks and praise are yours at all times and in all places, our true and loving God; through Jesus Christ, your eternal Word, the Wisdom from on high by whom you created all things. You laid the foundations of the world and enclosed the sea when it burst out from the womb; You brought forth all creatures of the earth and gave breath to humankind.

Wondrous are you, Holy One of Blessing, all you create is a sign of hope for our journey; And so as the morning stars sing your praises we join the heavenly beings and all creation as we shout with joy:

  Holy, Holy, Holy                                                                                                          L-255 Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.  

Then the Celebrant continues

Glory and honor are yours, Creator of all, your Word has never been silent; you called a people to yourself, as a light to the nations, you delivered them from bondage and led them to a land of promise. Of your grace, you gave Jesus to be human, to share our life, to proclaim the coming of your holy reign and give himself for us, a fragrant offering.

Through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, you have freed us from sin, brought us into your life,

reconciled us to you, and restored us to the glory you intend for us.

We thank you that on the night before he died for us Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, gave it to his friends and said: “Take, eat, this is my Body, broken for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper Jesus took the cup of wine, said the blessing, gave it to his friends and said: “Drink this, all of you: this cup is the new Covenant in my Blood, poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

And so, remembering all that was done for us: the cross, the tomb, the resurrection and ascension, longing for Christ’s coming in glory, and presenting to you these gifts your earth has formed and human hands have made, we acclaim you, O Christ:

Celebrant and People

Dying, you destroyed our death. Rising, you restored our life. Christ Jesus, come in glory!

The Celebrant continues

Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine that they may be to us the Body and Blood of your Christ. Grant that we, burning with your Spirit’s power, may be a people of hope, justice and love.

Giver of Life, draw us together in the Body of Christ, and in the fullness of time gather us with all your people into the joy of our true eternal home. Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, we worship you our God and Creator in voices of unending praise.

Presider and People

Blessed are you now and for ever. Amen.

The Memorial Acclamation 

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Celebrant and People

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

The Celebrant continues

We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him.  Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ.  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   (sung at 10:30 am)                                                     BCP page 364

Celebrant:        And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray,

Our 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                                             EOW, p. 69

Celebrant         God of promise, you have prepared a banquet for us.

People Happy are those who are called to the Supper of the Lamb.

Fraction Anthem       Lamb of God                                         L-270

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.

Administration of Communion

At the time of communion, you are invited to come forward and receive the bread and wine. The priest will place a wafer in your hand. You may then receive wine either by direct consumption from a chalice (Common Cup), or you may give the wafer to the Eucharistic minister who will dip the wafer in the wine and place the wafer on your tongue. You may also still come forward to receive a blessing. Simply cross your arms over your chest before the priest for the blessing. After receiving communion or a blessing, you may return to your seat.

Celebrant         All are welcome to the Lord’s table. Won’t you come?

Communion Hymn         Let us break bread together                         H-325                               

Post-communion Prayer                                                                                      EOW, p.70

The Celebrant says, Let us pray.

The Celebrant and people say together

Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image and nourishing us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood. Now send us forth a people, forgiven, healed, renewed; that we may proclaim your love to the world and continue in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.

Blessing

The Celebrant says

The Wisdom of God the Love of God and the Grace of God strengthen you to be Christ’s hands and heart in this world, in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.

Announcements

Recessional Hymn  “Thy Kingdom Come!” on bended knee                         H-615            

The Dismissal                      

Celebrant         Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.

People Thanks be to God.

Leave a comment