The
Fourth Sunday of Advent
22
December 2013
The
Gathering of the Community
Gathering Music
Announcements
Opening Hymn
‘Hail to the Lord’s Anointed’ Common
Praise #101
Greeting
The Presider greets the Community.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.
And also with you.
There is one body and one Spirit,
there is one hope in God’s
call to us;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all.
Hymn of Praise
‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ Common
Praise #89 vv. 5, 6, 7
Collect of the Day
The Advent wreath is lit during the singing of the Hymn. Once the wreath is lit, then the Presider
leads the Community in the Collect.
Let us pray.
Shepherd of Israel,
who by a dream guided your
servant Joseph
to embrace your promise of
salvation:
lead us in the way of grace
and peace,
so that we may bear your
promise into the world;
through Jesus Christ our
Lord,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for
ever. Amen. [i]
The
Proclamation of the Word
The First Reading
The appointed Reader begins the first Reading.
A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (7.10-16)
Again the Lord spoke to
Ahaz, saying, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or
high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will
not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals,
that you weary my God also? Therefore
the Lord
himself will give you a sign. Look, the
young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him
Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey
by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the
evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will
be deserted.”
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
The Psalm of the
Day
The Presider leads the Community in Psalm 80.1-7, 17-19 with the
refrain from Songs for the Holy One.
Refrain (sung twice): O Holy One restore us. Reveal your radiance so we can be freed.
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.
Refrain: O Holy One restore us. Reveal
your radiance so we can be freed.
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 neighbours, *
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.
Refrain: O Holy One restore us. Reveal
your radiance so we can be freed
17 Let your
hand be upon the one at your side in honour, *
the one you have made so
strong for yourself.
18 And so will we never turn away from you; *
give us life, that we may call upon your name.
19 Restore
us, O Lord God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance,
and we shall be saved.
Refrain: O Holy One restore us. Reveal
your radiance so we can be freed
The Second Reading
The appointed Reader begins the second Reading.
A Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans (1.1-7).
Paul, a servant of Jesus
Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he
promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel
concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was
declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by
resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have
received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all
the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to
belong to Jesus Christ,
To
all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
The Gospel Hymn
‘The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy’
Common Praise #128
The Gospel
The appointed Reader begins the Gospel.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (1.18-25).
Glory to you, Lord Jesus
Christ.
Now the birth of Jesus
the Messiah took place in this way. When
his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she
was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and
unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her
quietly. But just when he had resolved
to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph,
son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his
people from their sins.” All this took
place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a
son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded
him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she
had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ.
The Sermon
The
Baptism
The Presentation
and Examination of the Candidates
The candidate for Holy Baptism will now be presented.
(Parents and sponsors) I present Emilia Claire/Esme Sidonie/Nathaniel
Maurice to receive the sacrament of baptism.
Will you be responsible for seeing that the child you present is
nurtured in the faith and life of the Christian community?
(Parents and sponsors) I will, with God’s help.
Will you by your prayers and witness help this child to grow into the
full stature of Christ?
(Parents and sponsors) I will, with God’s help.
Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that
rebel against God?
(Parents and sponsors) I renounce them.
Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy
the creatures of God?
(Parents and sponsors) I renounce them.
Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God?
(Parents and sponsors) I renounce them.
Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Saviour?
(Parents and sponsors) I do.
Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?
(Parents and sponsors) I do.
Do you promise to obey him as your Lord?
(Parents and sponsors) I do.
Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support Emilia,
Esme and Nathaniel in their life of faith?
(All) We will.
Prayers for the
Candidates
The Deacon invites the Community to pray for the Candidates.
Let us now pray for these persons who are to receive the sacrament of
new birth.
The Person appointed leads the Prayers.
Deliver them, O Lord, from the way of sin and death.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Open their hearts to your grace and truth.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Fill them with your holy and life-giving Spirit.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Teach them to love others in the power of the Spirit.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Send them into the world in witness to your love.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Bring them to the fullness of your peace and glory.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Grant, O Lord,
that all who are baptized
into the death of Jesus Christ your Son
may live in the power of his resurrection
and look for him to come again in glory;
who lives and reigns now and for ever.
Amen.
Thanksgiving over
the Water
The Presider blesses the water.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our
thanks and praise.
Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and mighty, you are the river of
life, you are the everlasting wellspring, you are the fire of rebirth.
Glory to you for oceans and lakes, for rivers and streams.
Honour to you for cloud and rain, for dew and snow.
Your waters are below us, around us, above us: our life is born in you.
You are the fountain of resurrection.
Praise to you for your saving waters:
Noah and the animals survive the flood, Hagar discovers your well. The Israelites escape through the sea, and
they drink from your gushing rock. Naaman
washes his leprosy away,
and the Samaritan woman will never be thirsty again.
At this font, Holy God, we pray:
Praise to you for the water of baptism
and for your Word that saves us in this water. Breathe your Spirit into all who are gathered
here and into all creation. Illumine our
days. Enliven our bones. Dry our tears. Wash away the sin within us, and drown the
evil around us.
Satisfy all our thirst with your living water, Jesus Christ, our
Saviour,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for
ever. Amen. [ii]
The Baptismal
Covenant
The Presider and the Deacon share in asking the questions of the
Covenant.
Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy
Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius
Pilate,
was crucified and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose
again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right
hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the
living and the dead.
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
I believe in God the Holy
Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life
everlasting. Amen.
Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the
breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
I will, with God’s help.
Will you persevere in resisting evil and, whenever you fall into sin,
repent and return to the Lord?
I will, with God’s help.
Will you proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ?
I will, with God’s help.
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbour as
yourself?
I will, with God’s help.
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the
dignity of every human being?
I will, with God’s help.
Will you strive to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and
respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth?
I will, with God’s help.
The Baptism
The candidates are baptized.
Emilia Claire/Esme Sidonie/Nathaniel Maurice, I baptize you in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Emilia Claire/Esme Sidonie/Nathaniel Maurice, you are sealed with the
Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ’s own for ever. Amen.
Heavenly Father,
we thank you that be water and the Holy Spirit
you have bestowed upon these your servants
the forgiveness of sin,
and have raised them to the new life of grace.
Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit.
Give them an inquiring and discerning heart,
the courage to will and to persevere,
a spirit to know and to love you,
and the gift of joy and wonder
in all your works. Amen.
The Giving of the
Light
The Deacon gives a candle to the newly-baptized.
Receive the light of Christ,
to show that you have passed from darkness to light.
Let your light so shine
before others
that they may see your good
works
and glorify your Father in
heaven.
Let us welcome the newly baptized.
We receive you into the
household of God.
Confess the faith of Christ
crucified,
proclaim his resurrection,
and share with us in his
eternal priesthood.
The Exchange of
the Peace
Christ is our peace in whose name we meet.
May that peace be with you all.
And also with you. [iii]
The
Holy Communion
The Offertory Hymn
‘All Poor Folk and Humble’ Common
Praise #151
The Prayer over
the Gifts
The Deacon or Assisting Minister leads the Community in the Prayer over
the Gifts.
Let us pray.
God of abundance,
we bring before you the
precious fruits of your creation
and with them our very lives.
Teach us patience and hope
as we care for all those in
need
until the coming of your Son,
The Thanksgiving at
the Table
The Presider leads the Community in the Thanksgiving at the Table.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our
thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, gracious God,
creator of heaven and earth;
we give you thanks and praise
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who in the fullness of time came among us in our flesh,
and opened to us the way of salvation.
Now we watch for the day when he will come again
in power and great triumph to judge this world,
so that we, without shame or fear,
may rejoice to behold his appearing.
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.
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.
Holy One, the beginning and the end, the giver of life:
Blessed are you for the birth of creation.
Blessed are you in the darkness and in the light.
Blessed are you for your promise to your people.
Blessed are you for the prophets’ hopes and dreams.
Blessed are you for Mary’s openness to your will.
Blessed are you for your Son, Jesus, the Word made flesh.
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
With this bread and cup we remember
your Word dwelling among us, full of grace and truth.
We remember our new birth in his death and resurrection.
We look with hope for his coming.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Holy God, we long for your Spirit.
Come among us. Bless this meal.
May your Word take flesh in us.
Awaken your people. Fill us with
your light.
Bring the gift of peace on earth.
Come, Holy Spirit.
All praise and glory are yours, Holy One of Israel,
Word of God incarnate, Power of the Most High,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
At the conclusion of the Thanksgiving the Presider says,
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily
bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin
against us.
Save us from the time of
trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen. [vi]
The Breaking of
the Bread
The Presider breaks the Bread and says,
God of promise,
you prepare a banquet for us in your kingdom.
Happy are those who are
called
to the supper of the Lamb.
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
The Communion
Communion is distributed to the Community.
Communion Hymn
‘Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming’ Common Praise #117
The
Commissioning of the Community
The Prayer after
Communion
The Presider
leads the Community in the following Prayer and Doxology.
Let us pray.
God for whom we
wait,
in this meal you give us a foretaste of that day
when the hungry will be fed with good things.
Send us forth to make known your deeds
and to proclaim the greatness of your name,
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen. [vii]
The Closing Hymn
replaces ‘Glory to God’.
Closing Hymn
‘More than We Can Ask or Imagine’
Common Praise #86
The Dismissal
The Deacon or Assisting Minister says,
Let us go forth bearing God’s promise to the world.
Thanks be to God.
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