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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.
Prelude
| The Bidding Prayer | BCP p.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.
| The Processional Hymn | Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding | H-59 |
The Lighting of the Advent Wreath
Celebrant Let us pray:
Holy God, we imagine your peace, that you would take away our sorrow and pain so that we can put upon the beauty of your glory and embrace your Peace. As you make the mountains and hills low so all may walk safely in the glory of God, send us a prophet of the Most High, that we might be that voice crying out in the wilderness and preparing the way of the Lord, sharing the good news of your love and mercy to all the world. Look favorably upon us and continue to redeem us, for our hope and peace is in you, our God-with-us, the provider of even more than we can ask or imagine; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
As two candles are lit, the celebrant and people say together:
Come and save us, O Lord of hosts.
Show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Come and save us, O Lord God of hosts. Amen.
| The Opening Acclamation | EOW, p.50 |
Celebrant Blessed be the one, holy, and living God.
People Glory to God for ever and ever.
| The Celebrant continues | BCP, p.355 |
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.
| Kyrie Eleison [Spoken at 8:30am] | [Sung at 10:30 am] L-239 | |
| Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. | Leader Kyrie People Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison. Leader Christe People Christe eleison, Christe eleison. Leader Kyrie People Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison. |
The Collect of the Day
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lessons
| The First Lesson | Baruch 5:1-9 |
Reader A reading from the Book of Baruch.
Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem,
and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God.
Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God;
put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting;
for God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven.
For God will give you evermore the name,
“Righteous Peace, Godly Glory.”
Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height;
look toward the east,
and see your children gathered from west and east
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing that God has remembered them.
For they went out from you on foot,
led away by their enemies;
but God will bring them back to you,
carried in glory, as on a royal throne.
For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low
and the valleys filled up, to make level ground,
so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.
The woods and every fragrant tree
have shaded Israel at God’s command.
For God will lead Israel with joy,
in the light of his glory,
with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.
Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
People Thanks be to God.
| The Response The Song of Zechariah | Benedictus Dominus Deus | Canticle 16, BCP p.92 Luke 1: 68-79 |
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
| The Second Lesson | Philippians 1:3-11 |
Reader A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Phillipians.
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
People Thanks be to God.
| The Sequence Hymn | Prepare the way, O Zion | H-65, v. 1&2 |
| The Gospel | Luke 3:1-6 |
Please stand as you are able.
Gospeller The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ according to Luke.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'”
Gospeller The Gospel of our Savior.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon The Rev. Valerie J. Mayo
We will maintain a brief silence to allow for reflection.
| The Nicene Creed | [Please stand as you are able.] | EOW, p.53 |
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.
The Prayers of the People
Celebrant
As we prepare the way of the Lord, let us offer prayers to God who will lead us with joy in the light of his glory.
Leader
For the peace of the world, and for our unity in Christ.
Come, O Lord, and save us.
For Sam and Jennifer, our bishops, and all our bishops, our priest Valerie, and all who are ministers at St. Titus’ through the sacrament of Holy Baptism.
Come, O Lord, and save us.
For the church throughout the world and the faithful in every place.
Come, O Lord, and save us.
For the leaders of the nations and all in authority. We pray for President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and all those who serve in local governments.
Come, O Lord, and save us.
For justice, peace, and freedom among peoples of the earth.
Come, O Lord, and save us.
For travelers, for the sick and suffering, for the hungry and the oppressed, and for those in prison. We pray for:
Lauriette, O. Ray, Lafayette, Margaret, Darryl, Dennis, Jr., William, The St. Augustine’s University Community, Elijah, Marissa, Margo, Charles, Ethel, Brian, Terrence, Bill, Carolyn, Tyna, Dennis, Marjorie, Ama, Dorothy, Lawrence, Murphy, Derek, Walter, Vivian, Danita, Lionell, Vincent, Howard, Sydney, Carol, Robert, Beverly, Harmon, Allen, Damon, and Pam.
Come, O Lord, and save us.
For the dying and the dead.
Come, O Lord, and save us.
For our deliverance from all affliction, strife, and need.
Come, O Lord, and save us.
Joining our voices with the Blessed Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, and all the saints and angels of God, let us offer ourselves and one another to the living God through Christ.
To you, O gracious God.
For whom or what else shall we pray today?
[The congregation may offer their petitions in the silence of their hearts or aloud.]
Copyright © 2023 Church Publishing Inc.
The Prayer to End Gun Violence
God of Justice, help us, your church, find our voice. Turn us from the worship of power. Give us courage to confront our false gods and to protest the needless deaths caused by gun violence. Help us rise above our dread that nothing can be done and grant us the conviction to advocate for change. For your dream of a world where children are safe and all of us live together without fear, Loving God, make us instruments of your peace. Amen.
The Concluding Collect
Celebrant
O Rising Sun, brightness of light eternal, sun of justice, come and shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. Glory to you for ever. Amen.
| The Confession | EOW, p.19 |
Celebrant Let us confess our sins to God.
Silence may be kept.
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.20 |
Celebrant
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 Exchange of the Peace | EOW, p.56 |
Celebrant The peace of Christ be always with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us share the peace with one another and our guests.
The Celebrant and People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.
| The Words of Welcome | St. Titus’Vestry Member |
| The Holy Communion | EOW, pp.60-62 |
The Offertory
[On the second Sunday of each month, the loose plate collection supports the Rector’s Discretionary Fund, which is used to provide our neighbors with assistance with their rent or utility bills. Please use the QR code at the end of this program to donate to St. Titus’.]
| The Offertory Sentence | Hebrews 4:16 |
| The Offertory Selection | Gesu Bambino by Pietro Yon | Taquisha Coley-Rice, Soprano |
| The Great Thanksgiving | (standing) | EOW 1, Eucharistic Prayer 3 |
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 (sing) with joy:
| The Sanctus [Spoken at 8:30 a.m.] Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. | [Sung at 10:30 a.m.] LEVAS II #255 |
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 [blessed _______, and] 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.
Celebrant and People
Blessed are you now and for ever. Amen.
| The Lord’s Prayer | [Spoken at 8:30 a.m.] [Sung at 10:30 a.m.] | LEVAS II #264 |
The Celebrant says
As our Savior Christ has taught us we are bold to say (sing):
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 We break this bread to share in the Body of Christ.
People We who are many are one body; for we all share in the one bread.
| The Fraction Anthem | Lamb of God | LEVAS II #270 |
Celebrant
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.
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.
The 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.
The Bread and cup are given to the communicants with these words:
The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven. Amen.
The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation. Amen.
Celebrant All are welcome to the Lord’s table. Won’t you come?
| The Communion Hymns | This is My Body | L-155 |
| In This Place by Treavor Thomson |
| The Post-Communion Prayer | EOW, p. 70 |
Celebrant Let us pray.
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.
Community Announcements
| The Corporate Blessing | EOW, p.70 |
Celebrant
God’s Blessing be with you, Christ’s peace be with you, the Spirit’s outpouring be with you, now and always. In the name of the Holy Trinity, now and always. Amen. (Source: Celtic)
| The Recessional Hymn | God Has Smiled on Me | L-52 |
The Dismissal
Celebrant Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
St. Titus' Episcopal Church 