A Celebration of the Holy Eucharist
Rite Two: 10:30 A.M.
Third Sunday of Advent
December 12, 2021
Prelude Handbells
Processional Hymn 68 Rejoice! Rejoice,
Word of God
Opening Acclamation
Prayer Book 355
The people standing, the Celebrant says
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
Hymn of Praise S102
Trisagion
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
The Collect of the Day:
The Celebrant says to the people
The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
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.
Invitation to Advent
Dear People of God: In the season of Advent, it is our responsibility and joy to prepare ourselves to hear once more the message of the Angels, to go to Bethlehem and see the Son of God lying in a manger.
Let us hear and heed in Holy Scripture the story of God’s loving purpose from the time of our rebellion against him until the glorious redemption brought to us by his holy Child Jesus, and let us look forward to the yearly remembrance of his birth with hymns and songs of praise.
Lighting of the Advent Wreath
The Congregation is seated. All readings of Holy Scripture are found in the insert.
The Lessons
The First Lesson
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors
at that time.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home,
at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes, says the Lord.
Canticle 9 Page 86, BCP
The First Song of Isaiah
Isaiah 12:2-6
Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.
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.
Silence may follow.
Second Reading
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Sequence Hymn Be not dismayed
The Holy Gospel
Then, all standing, the Deacon or a Priest reads the Gospel, first saying
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke
People Glory be to thee, O Lord.
Luke 3:7-18
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin 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.”
And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
After the Gospel, the Reader says
The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise be to thee, O Christ.
The Sermon
The Rev. Patrick Sanders
The Nicene Creed Prayer Book 358
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.
The Prayers of the People
Congregation may kneel or stand for the prayers. Peoples’ responses are printed in bold.
Presider: Stir up your Church, O God, that we may bear fruits worthy of repentance and proclaim the good news to all people, as we pray: God is our stronghold and our sure defense; we will trust and not be afraid.
Litanist: Gracious One, you have baptized your Church with Holy Spirit and fire, and you are in the midst of us: Fill your people with Advent expectation, and do not let our hands grow weak, for we trust in you. God is our stronghold and our sure defense; we will trust and not be afraid.
Inspire our leaders and all in authority throughout the world to be generous and honest in their affairs, to save the lame and gather the outcast, that their shame may be changed into praise and renown in all the earth. God is our stronghold and our sure defense; we will trust and not be afraid.
Be a strong hand for all who suffer throughout the world: Remove disaster from us, deal with oppressors, bring the homeless home, and make your deeds known among all people. God is our stronghold and our sure defense; we will trust and not be afraid.
Rejoice over this community with gladness, and renew us in your love, that those who enjoy abundance will share with those who lack, and our gentleness be known to everyone. God is our stronghold and our sure defense; we will trust and not be afraid.
Compassionate One, remove our worry as we bring to you everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, praying especially for 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. We rejoice in you always, and again we say, “Rejoice.” Hear our prayers of gratefulness, especially for those celebrating birthdays Janet, Michael, Brett and Madysen. Surely it is God who saves us; and God will be our Savior. Receive into your eternal presence those who have died, especially those we now remember aloud or in the silence of our hearts (pause). May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard all hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. God is our stronghold and our sure defense; we will trust and not be afraid.
Presider: Eternal and Loving God, you are the great one in the midst of us, the Holy One: Hear the prayers of your children and take away the judgments against us, that we may live faithful lives, sustained by your everlasting strength, in the power of the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ the Savior. Amen.
The Confession
The Celebrant says
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence
Minister and People
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
The Priest says
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
The Peace
Celebrant: The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
The Ministers and People 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
ANGELS – in support of the Gulf Coast Center for nonviolence we sponsor “angels” every year. Please be sure to return your new unwrapped gifts TODAY – if you do not have your gifts today please send Susan a text at 228-806-3795 to work out delivery. Your TAG must be attached to the gifts.
Christmas Schedule
Sunday, December 19th 5:30 – Lessons and Carols
performed by the Handbell choir
Friday, December 24th – 5:30PM Rite II with Children’s participation in “Walk through Bethlehem” followed by Apple Cider in the parish hall
Friday, December 24th – 10:00PM Chorale Christmas Performance
10:30 Rite II service of Holy Eucharist, candles and special music
Saturday, December 25th – 11AM service with Blessing of the toys
Sunday, December 26th – Deacon’s Mass at 8AM and 10:30 AM
Oblations brought forward (congregation stands)
Offertory
Presentation Hymn 380 (vs. 3) From all that dwell below the skies
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him all creatures here below.
Praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen!
The Holy Communion
The Great Thanksgiving
Eucharistic Prayer C Prayer Book 369
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.
Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds (italics are spoken by the People)
God of all power, Ruler of the Universe, you are worthy of glory and praise.
Glory to you for ever and ever.
At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home
By your will they were created and have their being.
From the primal elements you brought forth the human race, and blessed us with
memory, reason, and skill. You made us the rulers of creation. But we turned
against you, and betrayed your trust; and we turned against one another.
Have mercy, Lord, for we are sinners in your sight.
Again and again, you called us to return. Through prophets and sages you revealed your righteous Law. And in the fullness of time you sent your only son, born of a woman, to fulfill your Law, to open for us the way of freedom and peace. By his blood, he reconciled us. By his wounds, we are healed.
Celebrant
And therefore we praise you, joining with the heavenly chorus, with prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and with all those in every generation who have looked to you in hope, to proclaim with them your glory, in their unending hymn:
S130
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full, full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.
The Celebrant continues
And so, Father, we who have been redeemed by him, and made a new people by water and the Spirit, now bring before you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.
On the night he was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, 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, gave 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. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.” Remembering now his work of redemption, and offering to you this sacrifice of thanksgiving,
Celebrant and People
We celebrate his death and resurrection,
as we await the day of his coming.
The Celebrant continues
Lord God of our Fathers; God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ: Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about
- Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only, and
not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal. Let the grace of this Holy
Communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ, that we may worthily the world in his name. Risen Lord, be known to us in the breaking of the Bread.
Accept these prayers and praises, Father, through Jesus Christ our great High Priest, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, your Church gives honor, glory, and worship, from generation to generation. Amen.
Celebrant:
As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now 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
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread as a period of silence is kept.
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Celebrant:
The Gifts of God for the People of God.
Communion of the People
Wherever you are on your journey of faith you are welcome at this table.
Communion Music – handbells
Post Communion Prayer Prayer Book 366
Celebrant Let us pray.
Celebrant and people
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.
The Blessing
Retiring Procession: Hymn 72 Hark! The glad sound!
Dismissal
Enjoy the stream from the National Cathedral this morning
Third Sunday of Advent - Rite II
December 12, 2021 @ 10:30am
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