Third Sunday of Advent, Holy Eucharist, Rite I, December 11, 2022 8:00am
The Opening Acclamation
Prayer Book 323
The people standing, the Celebrant may say
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People: And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever.
Amen.
The Collect for Purity
Prayer Book 323
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires
known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the
thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy
holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Gloria
Prayer Book 324
Glory be to God on high,
and on earth peace, good will towards men.
We praise thee, we bless thee,
we worship thee,
we glorify thee,
we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,
O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father,
have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy;
thou only art the Lord;
thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost,
art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
The Collect of the Day
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Lighting of the Advent Wreath
The First Reading
Isaiah 35: 1-11
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
The Psalm
Psalm 146:4-9
4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the Lord their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
7 The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The Lord loves the righteous;
the Lord cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9 The Lord shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Hallelujah!
The Epistle
James 5:7-10
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
The Holy Gospel
Matthew 11:2-11
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
The Sermon
The Rev. Patrick Sanders
The Nicene Creed
Prayer Book 326
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:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from
the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
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 and the Son.
With the Father and the Son
he is worshiped and glorified.
He 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
December 11, 2022
Presider: Loving and Gracious God, in Christ you have promised to heal the world: Strengthen our hearts and grant us patience to wait expectantly, rejoicing to see your work among us, as we say: They shall see the glory of the Divine, the majesty of our God.
Litanist: Grant to your Church, O God, faithful prophets and messengers who will strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees and say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear!” They shall see the glory of the Divine, the majesty of our God.
Fountain of Wisdom and Mercy, give vision to our nation and to all in authority throughout the world, that all may share in your work to bring justice to those who are oppressed and food to those who hunger. They shall see the glory of the Divine, the majesty of our God.
Compassionate One, send forth your Spirit into the world, bringing sight to the blind, strength to the lame, cleansing to the unclean, hearing to the deaf, resurrection to the dead, and good news to the poor, that all the earth may obtain joy and gladness. They shall see the glory of the Divine, the majesty of our God.
Loving One, let your waters break forth as streams in the desert in our community; make a safe highway for the return of your people to you with singing and everlasting joy. They shall see the glory of the Divine, the majesty of our God.
Healing One, let sorrow and sighing flee away, as we bring our prayers to you for all who suffer, especially those we now mention aloud or in the silence of our hearts (pause); all those serving our country at home and abroad; and those on our prayer list. Hear our praise for your care and love; accept our gratitude for our manifold blessings, especially for those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries Janet, Michael, Scott and Tracy. Raise to your eternal light those who have died, especially those we now remember aloud or in the silence of our hearts (pause). They shall see the glory of the Divine, the majesty of our God.
Presider: Everlasting Light, visit us in the darkness of our personal prisons and comfort us with a vision of your coming kingdom, that we may rejoice with hopeful patience and walk safely upon your Holy Way, in the power of your Spirit given to us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Confession
Prayer Book 330
Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.
Silence may be kept.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against thee in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved thee with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in thy will,
and walk in thy ways,
to the glory of thy Name. Amen.
The Bishop when present, or the Priest, stands and says
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Peace
Prayer Book 332
All stand. The Celebrant says to the people
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And with thy spirit.
Then the Ministers and People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.
Announcements
Sanctuary Candle is given to the Glory of God by Jack Watson in loving memory of his mother Martha Jeanne Doty Watson
ERD during Advent we are collecting funds to support the ministry of Episcopal Relief and Development. Donation point in the rear of the sanctuary
Angel Tree all gifts need to be returned TODAY. They should be unwrapped and have the tag attached
Advent Arts workshops continue Saturday at 10AM we will be making Rosaries
Pledge Cards – it’s not too late, you can still drop your pledge card in the offering plate.
At the Offertory
“All Things come of thee, O Lord.”
“And of thine own have we given thee. Amen.”
The Great Thanksgiving Eucharistic Prayer I
Prayer Book 333
The people remain standing. The Celebrant, whether bishop or priest,
faces them and sings or says
| The Lord be with you. | |
| People | And with thy spirit. |
| Celebrant | Lift up your hearts. |
| People | We lift them up unto the Lord. |
| Celebrant | Let us give thanks unto our Lord God. |
| People | It is meet and right so to do. |
Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds
It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God.
Sanctus with Proper Preface Prayer Book 334
Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the
company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious
Name; evermore praising thee, and saying,
Celebrant and People
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts:
Heaven and earth are full of thy Glory.
Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High.
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Prayer of Consecration
All glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for that thou, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death and sacrifice, until his coming again.
For in the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat, this is my Body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Likewise, after supper, he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of this; for this is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins. Do this, as oft as
ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, according to the institution of thy dearly beloved Son our Savior Jesus Christ, we, thy humble servants, do celebrate and make here before thy divine Majesty, with these thy holy gifts, which we now offer unto thee, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make; having in remembrance his blessed passion and precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; rendering unto thee most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same.
And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us; and, of thy almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers
of his most blessed Body and Blood.
And we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; most humbly beseeching thee to grant that, by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood,
we, and all thy whole Church, may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion.
And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee; humbly beseeching thee that we, and all others who shall be partakers of this Holy Communion, may worthily receive the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction, and made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him.
And although we are unworthy, through our manifold sins, to offer unto thee any sacrifice, yet we beseech thee to accept
this our bounden duty and service, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offenses, through Jesus Christ our Lord;
By whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer
Prayer Book 336
And now, as our Savior Christ hath taught us, we are bold
to say,
People and Celebrant
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
Prayer Book 337
[Alleluia.] Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. [Alleluia.]
The Communion of the People
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Prayer Book 339
Let us pray.
The People may join in saying this prayer
Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee for that thou dost feed us, in these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and dost assure us thereby of thy favor and goodness towards us; and that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son, the blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs, through hope, of thy everlasting kingdom. And we humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end.
Amen.
The Blessing
The Bishop when present, or the Priest, gives the blessing
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you always. Amen.
or this
The blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.
The Dismissal
The Deacon, or the Celebrant, may dismiss the people with these words
| Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Alleluia. Alleluia. | |
| People | Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia. |
Serving Today
Chuck Rollins, Reader
Jane Glenn, Chalice
The Rev. Scott Williams, Deacon
The Rev. Patrick Sanders, Rector
