St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, Regina, Saskatchewan
THE THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT – December 13, 2020
THE ORDER OF SERVICE FOR MORNING PRAYER
Sentence of Scripture.
Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
St. Matthew 3. 2.
Opening Hymn: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Continue reading “Advent 3 – Morning Prayer”So today we have come to the Third Sunday in Advent in our church calendar, and we all know what that means … 12 more sleeps until Christmas!
Of course, this year it’s not going it be quite the same, is it?
In 1943, the American singer and entertainer Bing Crosby recorded a song entitled, “I’ll be home for Christmas” in honour of American troops fighting in the war in overseas, which since has become a Christmas standard.
Maybe you know how it goes.
Continue reading “Advent 3 – Sermon”THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT
DECEMBER 6, 2020
TODAY AT ST. MARY’S
10.30 a.m. Morning Prayer, Great Litany with Hymns and Sermon. Beth preaching.
PARISH LIFE NOTES
AUDIO RECORDING of the full service and sermon will be available on the parish website.
ADVENT OUTREACH: Men’s socks, toques, large felt mitts and/or monetary donations. Items can be brought to St. Mary’s on or before Dec. 20 or dropped off at the home of Sandra and Ken.
HOLY BAPTISM. Please continue to support Cailen and Derek in prayer as they wait upon the Lord during the suspension of services at St. Mary’s.
A BIG THANK YOU to all those who helped put together and deliver the Advent Care Packages last week end: to Emma, Myka, Luci and Eli for making the Christmas cards and putting packages together, and to Clara for helping wrap and deliver the packages; to Kate, Beth, Sandra, Sharon, and Nat for making deliveries; to Yvonne for making the beeswax candles, and Valerie for sending along the “Antiphons for Advent”
BEESWAX CANDLES. For those parish households that did not receive any candles in their “Advent Spiritual Care Packages” that were delivered last week end (we ran out!), and would like to receive a pair of candles, please call Yvonne in the parish office and let her know. Additional pairs of candles may also be purchased at a cost of $5.00 in support of the St. Mary’s Refugee Fund. Please contact the office if interested.
ST. MARY’S CHRISTMAS CARDS. Additional sets of the Christmas cards that were delivered last week end may also be purchased from the office at cost of $5.00 in support of the St. Mary’s Refugee Fund.
ADVENT PARISH “ZOOM MEETINGS.” Join us next Sunday, December 13, at:
6:45 pm – Family Time hosted by Dave and Janice. Join us for a time to visit and play games. All ages are welcome.
8:30 pm – Fireside Chat and Compline hosted by Claude and Hilary. Join us for a chance to visit together and end your day with praying the Compline service. All ages are welcome.
Please email Dave and Janice and we will send you the Zoom link. People are welcome to join both events if they would like.
BLESSSED FEAST OF ST. NICHOLAS! Today we join our prayers to those of Blessed Nicholas, Bishop and Confessor of the Faith. Grant, Almighty God, that your church may be so inspired by the example of your servant Nicholas of Myra, that it may never cease to work for the welfare of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT
December 6, 2020
THE ORDER OF SERVICE FOR MORNING PRAYER
This week’s service has been pre-recorded. To participate aurally, press PLAY as you encounter each of the embedded audio players, and follow along with the text until you encounter the next hymn or pre-recorded audio portion. Then press PLAY again for that portion.
Sentences of Scripture.
Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
St. Matthew 3. 2.
Opening Hymn: Hark a Herald Voice is Sounding
Hark! A herald voice is calling:
‘Christ is nigh’ it seems to say;
‘cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day!’
Startled at the solemn warning,
let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her sun, all sloth dispelling,
shines upon the morning skies.
Lo! The Lamb, so long expected,
comes with pardon down from heaven;
let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
one and all to be forgiven.
So when next he comes with glory,
wrapping all the earth in fear,
may he then as our defender
on the clouds of heaven appear.
Honour, glory, virtue, merit,
to the Father and the Son,
with the co-eternal Spirit,
while unending ages run.
The Minister,
DEARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice unto the throne of the heavenly grace.
ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, We have offended against thy holy laws, We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
ALMIGHTY Father, who of thy great love to men didst give thy dearly beloved Son to die for us; Grant that through his Cross our sins may be put away, and remembered no more against us, and that, cleansed by his Blood, and mindful of his sufferings, we may take up our cross daily, and follow him in newness of life, until we come to his everlasting kingdom; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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 them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
O Lord, open thou our lips;
And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
O God, make speed to save us;
O Lord, make haste to help us.
GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Praise ye the Lord;
The Lord’s Name be praised.
Worship in Song: Creator of the Starry Height.
Creator of the starry height,
Thy people’s everlasting light,
O Christ, Redeemer of us all,
We pray you hear us when we call.
Come, oh, come…to us.
When this old world drew on toward night
You came, but not in splendour bright
Not as monarch, but the Child
Of Mary blameless mother mild.
Come, oh, come…to us.
THE FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 40:1-11
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people is grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm 85.1-2, 8-13
LORD, thou art become gracious unto thy land: / thou hast restored the fortunes of Jacob.
Thou hast forgiven the offence of thy people, / and covered all their sin.
I WILL hearken what the LORD God will say: / for he shall speak peace unto his people and to his saints, / and unto them that turn their heart to him.
Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, / that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together: / right- eousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springeth out of the earth; / and righteousness hath looked down from heaven.
Yea, the LORD shall give what is good; / and our land shall yield her increase.
Righteousness shall go before him, / and shall direct his going in the way.
SECOND LESSON: 2 Peter 3:8-15
But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be kindled and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire! But according to his promise we wait for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you wait for these, be zealous to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the forbearance of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Hymn: There’s a Voice in the Wilderness Crying
There’s a voice in the wilderness crying,
a call from the ways untrod:
prepare in the desert a highway,
a highway for our God!
The valleys shall be exalted,
the lofty hills brought low;
make straight all the crooked places,
where the God, our God, may go!
O Zion, that bringest good tidings,
get thee up to the heights and sing!
Proclaim to a desolate people
the coming of their King.
Like the flowers of the field they perish,
like grass our works decay,
the power and pomp of nations
shall pass like a dream away.
But the word of our God endureth,
the arm of the Lord is strong;
He stands in the midst of nations,
and He will right the wrong.
He shall feed His flock like a shepherd,
the lambs He will gently hold;
to pastures of peace will lead them,
and bring them safe to His fold.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Mark 1:1-8
R. / Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
R./ Praise be to thee, O Christ.
BENEDICTUS. ST LUKE 1:68
BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;
That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us
That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.
AND thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;
Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles’ Creed.
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.
The Sermon – Beth Christianson
The Hymn: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Come, thou long expected Jesus
Born to set thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in thee
Israel’s strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth thou art
Dear desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart
Born thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a king
Born to reign in us forever
Now thy gracious kingdom bring
By thine own eternal spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By thine own sufficient merit
Raise us to thy glorious throne
The Great Litany
O GOD the Father, Creator of heaven and earth : have mercy upon us.
O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth : have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world : have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world : have mercy upon us
O God the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful: have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful: have mercy upon us.
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God : have mercy upon us.
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God: have mercy upon us.
REMEMBER not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers; spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood.
Spare us, good Lord.
FROM all evil and mischief; from sin, from the crafts and assaults of the devil; from thy wrath, and from everlasting condemnation,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all blindness of heart; from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all uncleanness in thought, word, and deed; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From lightning and tempest; from earthquake, fire, and flood; from plague, pestilence, and famine; from battle and murder, and from sudden death,
Good Lord, deliver us.
From all sedition, conspiracy, and rebellion; from all false doctrine, heresy, and schism; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word and Commandment,
Good Lord, deliver us.
By the mystery of thy holy Incarnation; by thy holy Nativity; by thy Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation,
Good Lord, deliver us.
By thine Agony and bloody Sweat; by thy Cross and Passion; by thy precious Death and Burial,
Good Lord, deliver us.
By thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension; by thy sending of the Holy Spirit; by thy heavenly Intercession; and by thy Coming again in glory,
Good Lord, deliver us.
In all times of tribulation; in all times of prosperity; in the hour of death, and in the day of judgement,
Good Lord, deliver us.
WE sinners do beseech thee to hear us, O Lord God: and that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church universal in the right way.
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To keep and strengthen in the true worshipping of thee, in holiness of life, and in devotion to her people, thy servant ELIZABETH, our most gracious Queen and Governor,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To be her defender and keeper, giving her the victory over all her enemies,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To bless and preserve all the Royal Family,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To give to all Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, true knowledge and understanding of thy Word; and that both by their preaching and living they may set it forth and show it accordingly,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To send forth labourers into thy harvest; to prosper their work by thy Holy Spirit; to make thy saving health known unto all nations; and to hasten thy kingdom,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To bless the people of our Country and the Commonwealth, and to endue those set in authority with grace, wisdom, and understanding,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To bless and guide the Judges and Magistrates, giving them grace to execute justice, and to maintain truth,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To bless and keep the Queen’s forces by sea, and land, and air, and to shield them in all dangers and adversities,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To give to all nations unity, peace, and concord, that they may serve thee without fear,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To bless and protect all who serve mankind by their labour and learning,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To preserve all that travel, all women labouring of child, all sick persons and young children; and to show thy pity upon all prisoners and captives,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To defend, and provide for, all widows and orphans, and all who are desolate and oppressed,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To bless and keep all thy people,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To give to all thy people increase of grace, to hear meekly thy Word, and to receive it with pure affection, and to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To bring into the way of truth all who have erred and are deceived,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To strengthen such as do stand; to encourage the faint-hearted; to raise up those who fall; and finally to beat down Satan under our feet,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To succour, help, and comfort all that are in danger, necessity, and tribulation,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To have mercy upon all men,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth, so that in due time we may enjoy them,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
To give us true repentance; to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances; and to endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, to amend our lives according to thy holy Word,
We beseech thee, good Lord.
SON of God, we beseech thee to hear us.
Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world;
Have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world;
Grant us thy peace.
O Christ, hear us.
O Christ, hear us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
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 them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Then shall follow the Collect of the day.
BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy 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 quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and ever. Amen.
A SUPPLICATION
Which may be used before the Prayer of Saint Chrysostom in the Litany, or at other Services, especially in the Penitential Seasons and in times of trouble.
Minister and People. O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thy Name’s sake.
Minister. O God, we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have declared unto us, the noble works that thou didst in their days, and in the old time before them.
Minister and People. O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thine honour.
Minister. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Minister and People. O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thy Name’s sake.
From our enemies defend us, O Christ;
Graciously look upon our afflictions.
Pitifully behold the sorrows of our hearts;
Mercifully forgive the sins of thy people.
Favourably with mercy hear our prayers;
O Son of David, have mercy upon us.
Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us, O Christ;
Graciously hear us, O Christ; graciously hear us, O Lord Christ.
Then shall be said one or both of these prayers, with the versicles preceding:
Minister. O Lord, let thy mercy be shown upon us;
People. As we do put our trust in thee.
WE humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities; and, for the glory of thy Name, turn from us all those evils that we most justly have deserved; and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honour and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Minister. O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins;
People. Neither reward us according to our iniquities.
Minister.
O GOD, merciful Father, that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of such as be sorrowful: Mercifully assist our prayers that we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppress us; and graciously hear us, that those evils, which the craft and subtilty of the devil or man worketh against us, be brought to nought; and by the providence of thy goodness they may be dispersed; that we thy servants, being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13. 14.
THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
Hymn: When the King shall come again
When the King shall come again
all his power revealing,
splendour shall announce his reign,
life and joy and healing:
earth no longer in decay,
hope no more frustrated;
this is God’s redemption day
longingly awaited.
There God’s highway shall be seen
where no roaring lion,
nothing evil or unclean
walks the road to Zion:
ransomed people homeward bound
all your praises voicing,
see your Lord with glory crowned,
share in his rejoicing!
THE FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT
NOVEMBER 29, 2020
TODAY AT ST. MARY’S
10.30 a.m. Morning Prayer with Hymns and Sermon.
Continue reading “Advent 1 Bulletin”( 2011-11-29: Added video recording of the service, and sermon audio.)
THE FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT
November 29, 2020
10.30 Morning Prayer with Hymns and Sermon
THE ORDER OF SERVICE FOR MORNING PRAYER
Sentences of Scripture.
Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
St. Matthew 3. 2.
Opening Hymn: The Advent of our King
Continue reading “Advent 1 Morning Prayer”Here we are.
It’s the First Sunday in Advent, and the beginning of a new year and a new season in our church calendar. Advent means “to come”, as the Advent collect puts it, “He came to us in great humility, and will come again in His Glorious Majesty.” And Advent is a season of a season of remembrance, of longing, and of hope and expectation at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
How strange it is for me to be preaching and recording this sermon in an empty church, and how strange for you who are reading and perhaps listening to this sermon not to have come to church today
And yet, as the Anglican theologian Fleming Rutledge writes, ““The uniqueness of Advent is that it really forces us more than any other season, even more than Lent, to look deeply into what is wrong in the world, and why the best-laid plans don’t work out the way we meant them to, and why our greatest hopes are so often confounded, and why things happen the way they do, and why sometimes it is so difficult to see where God is acting. Every year,” she writes, “Advent begins in the dark…”
Continue reading “Advent 1 – Sermon”(Modified 2020-11-21: Corrected the days on the baptism prayer series)
NOVEMBER 22, 2020
10.30 a.m. Morning Prayer with Hymns and Sermon.
7.00 p.m. Evening Prayer and Rector’s Class.
SERMON AUDIO will be available on the parish website following the service.
CONGRATULATIONS to Karen and Steve on the birth their son, Gunnar Ole James, born on Monday, November 16th. May God grant him many years!
MEAL TRAIN. If you would like to make a meal for Karen and Steve please contact Sandra.
THE RECTOR’S CLASS. Join us this Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. for Evening Prayer and the Rector’s Class. Tonight’s topic: The Order of Service of Holy Baptsm for Adults.
MID -WEEK HOLY COMMUNION SERVICE FOR ADVENT continues this Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
HOLY BAPTISM for Cailen and Derek has been rescheduled to a Vigil Service on Saturday night at St. Mary’s. If you are interested in coming out to this special service, please speak to Claude. Cailen and Derek will be formally welcomed as members of Christ’s Holy Catholic and the Family of God at St. Mary’s next Sunday morning.
Please include Cailen and Derek in your prayers this week, using the prayers below:
Monday
God of power, you created us in your image and formed us in holiness and justice. When we sin against you, you do not abandon us, but in your wisdom choose to save us by the incarnation of your Son. We, your humble servants who are plagued by evil and the tyranny of the enemy need you to keep us far from the spirit of wickedness, falsehood, and greed. Uphold Cailen and Derek in the life of your kingdom, and open their hearts to understand your Gospel, so that, as children of the light, they may rejoice to be counted among your people, bearing witness to your truth, and practicing your commands of love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Tuesday
Lord Jesus Christ, when you climbed the mountain to preach, you turned your disciples from the paths of sin and revealed to them the blessings of your kingdom. You help all who hear the word of the Gospel, strengthening us to resist the spirit of greed, of lust, and of pride. May Cailen and Derek find the blessings of your kingdom in poverty and in hunger, in mercy and in purity of heart. May they work for peace, joyfully endure persecution, and so come to rejoice and be glad in the reward you have for them in heaven where you live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
Wednesday
Lord Jesus Christ, loving Redeemer of all, your name alone has the power to save, that name before which every knee shall bend in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth. Only you can free us from the snares and malice of Satan; only you can heal our weakness and blot out our sins. We pray for these your servants, Cailen and Derrek who worship you as the true God. Look upon them, and enlighten their hearts. Give them discernment to know what pleases you and courage to live by your Gospel, that they may become the dwelling place of your Spirit; for you O Christ, hold them in your love, now and forever. Amen.
Thursday
Lord Jesus Christ, sent by the Father and anointed by the Spirit, when you read in the synagogue at Nazareth you fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming liberty to captives and announcing a season of forgiveness. You challenge us to trust in you alone, that our minds may be untroubled and our lives unshackled from worldly desire. Your enlivening Spirit enables us to grasp your promises and liberates us from a spirit of unbelief. We pray for theseyour servants, Cailen and Derek, who have opened their ears and hearts to your word. Deepen their faith in you that they may continually be amazed by the gracious words from your mouth and reveal the coming of your kingdom in this time and place. For you, O Christ, bring liberty and forgiveness to them and to all people, now and for ever. Amen.
Friday
God of infinite wisdom, you chose the apostle Paul to proclaim your Son to every nation. In the same way you have chosen each of us and enabled us to trust not in flesh and blood but in your call alone. We pray that these your servants Cailen and Derek may follow in the footsteps of St Paul. Search their hearts and open their eyes to your truth that, freed from all deception, they may never look back but welcome the new world your risen Son is creating. May they count everything as losscompared with the unsurpassed worth of knowing Christ and being found in him who is their eternal reward for ever and ever. Amen.
Saturday
Creator and Redeemer of all, your love shines in every age, bringing truth and life. We, whom you have called out of darkness into your marvellous light, out of sin into purity of heart, out of alienation into the embrace of a holy people, now call upon you with joyful expectation. Your great love has drawn these hearers to seek and find you. Look upon Cailen and Derek today and bring to fulfillment in them the plan of your grace, that they may know their calling in your royal priesthood, be radiant in the light of salvation, and reveal your love in their lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sunday
God of Light, you cut away corruption and strengthen faith, you build up hope and foster love. You lead us into abundant life. We, who are threatened by unbelief and hesitation in faith, by the love of money and lawless passions, by enmity and quarrelling, and by every manner of evil, call upon you now in humility and trust. Free your servants Cailen and Derek whom you have called, and empower them by your Holy Spirit to be holy and faithful in your sight. Create in them a spirit of reverence, of patience and hope, balance and purity, and of charity and peace. We ask this through Christ our ord. Amen.
Monday to Friday
8.30 a.m. Morning Prayer;
5.30 p.m. Evening Prayer ( except Thursday)
Thursday
7.00 p.m. Holy Communion
THE ORDER OF SERVICE FOR MORNING PRAYER
Sentences of Scripture.
Opening Hymn: Hark; a Herald Voice is Sounding (CP #108)
Hark, a herald voice is sounding:
“Christ is nigh,” it seems to say.
“Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day!”
Wakened by the solemn warning,
let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, our sun, all sloth dispelling,
shines upon the morning skies.
Lo, the Lamb, so long expected,
comes with pardon down from heaven;
let us all, with deep repentance,
pray that we may be forgiven,
that when next he comes with glory,
and the world is wrapped in fear,
with his mercy he may shield us,
and with words of love draw near.
Honour, glory, might, and blessing
to the Father and the Son,
with the everlasting Spirit,
while eternal ages run.
The Minister,
DEARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice unto the throne of the heavenly grace.
ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, We have offended against thy holy laws, We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live, hath given power and commandment to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins.
He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel.
Wherefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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 them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
O Lord, open thou our lips;
And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
O God, make speed to save us;
O Lord, make haste to help us.
GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Praise ye the Lord;
The Lord’s Name be praised.
Worship in Song: Creator of the Stars of Night (CP #96)
Creator of the starry height,
thy people’s everlasting light,
Jesu, redeemer of us all,
hear thou thy servants when they call.
Thou, sorrowing at the helpless cry
of all creation doomed to die,
didst come to save our fallen race
by healing gifts of heavenly grace.
When earth was near its evening hour,
thou didst, in love’s redeeming power,
like bridegroom from his chamber, come
forth from a virgin-mother’s womb.
At thy great name, exalted now,
all knees in lowly homage bow;
all things in heaven and earth adore,
and own thee King for evermore.
To God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Spirit, Three in One,
praise, honour, might, and glory be
from age to age eternally.
THE FIRST LESSON: Jeremiah 23:5-8
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when men shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
GRADUAL Psalm 85
LORD, thou art become gracious unto thy land: / thou hast restored the fortunes of Jacob.
Thou hast forgiven the offence of thy people, / and covered all their sin.
Thou hast taken away all thy displeasure, / and turned thyself from thy wrathful indigna-tion.
TURN us, O God our Saviour, / and let thine anger cease from us.
Wilt thou be displeased at us for ever? / andwilt thou stretch out thy wrath from one genera- tion to another?
Wilt thou not turn again and quicken us, / that thy people may rejoice in thee?
O LORD, show thy mercy upon us, / and grant us thy salvation.
I WILL hearken what the LORD God will say: / for he shall speak peace unto his people and to his saints, / and unto them that turn their heart to him.
Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, / that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together: / right- eousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth springeth out of the earth; / and righteousness hath looked down from heaven.Yea, the LORD shall give what is good; / and our land shall yield her increase.
Righteousness shall go before him, / and shall direct his going in the way.
SECOND LESSON 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
But as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But, since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Hymn: Word of God, Come down on Earth (CP # 446)
Word of God, come down on earth,
living rain from heaven descending;
touch our hearts and bring to birth
faith and hope and love unending.
Word almighty we revere you;
Word made flesh, we long to hear you.
Word eternal, throned on high,
word that brought to life creation,
word that came from heaven to die,
crucified for our salvation,
saving Word, the world restoring,
speak to us, your love outpouring.
Word that caused blind eyes to see,
speak and heal our mortal blindness;
deaf we are: our healer be;
loose our tongues to tell your kindness.
Be our Word in pity spoken;
heal the world, by our sin broken.
Word that speaks your Father’s love,
one with him beyond all telling,
Word that sends us from above
God the Spirit, with us dwelling,
Word of truth, to all truth lead us,
Word of life, with one Bread feed us.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: John 1:35-45
R. / Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” R./ Praise be to thee, O Christ.
BENEDICTUS. ST LUKE 1:68
BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;
That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us
That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life. AND thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;
Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles’ Creed.
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.
And after the Creed these prayers following, the Minister first pronouncing:
The Lord be with you; And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
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 them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.
O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;
And grant us thy salvation.
O Lord, save the Queen;
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;
And make thy chosen people joyful.
O Lord, save thy people;
And bless thine inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord;
And evermore mightily defend us.
O God, make clean our hearts within us;
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
The Collect for Sunday next before Advent.
STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Second Collect, for Peace.
O GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Third Collect, for Grace.
O LORD our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for the Clergy and People.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Hymn : Comfort, Comfort Ye My People (CP # 100)
Comfort, comfort ye My people,
Speak ye peace, thus saith our God;
Comfort those who sit in darkness,
Mourning ’neath their sorrow’s load;
Speak ye to Jerusalem
Of the peace that waits for them;
Tell her that her sins I cover,
And her warfare now is over.
For the herald’s voice is crying
In the desert far and near,
Bidding all men to repentance,
Since the kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way!
Let the valleys rise to meet Him,
And the hills bow down to greet Him.
Make ye straight what long was crooked,
Make the rougher places plain:
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits His holy reign,
For the glory of the Lord
Now o’er the earth is shed abroad,
And all flesh shall see the token
That His Word is never broken.
A Prayer for all Conditions of Men.
O GOD, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations.
More especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholic Church; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life.
Finally we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those, who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate; [* especially those for whom our prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.
A General Thanksgiving
ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks For all thy goodness and loving-kindness To us and to all men; We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; But above all for thine inestimable love In the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; For the means of grace, And for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, And that we show forth thy praise, Not only with our lips, but in our lives; By giving up ourselves to thy service, And by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen
A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14.
THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
The Hymn: Come, Thou Long- expected Jesus (CP#88)
Come, O long-expected Jesus,
born to set your people free;
from our fear and sins release us,
Christ, in whom our rest shall be.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
born salvation to impart;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
Born your people to deliver,
born a child, and yet a King;
born to reign in us for ever,
now your gracious kingdom bring.
By your own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by your all-sufficient merit
raise us to your glorious throne.
St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Sunday Next Before Advent, Nov. 22,2020, Canon Claude Schroeder
Sermon on John 1. 35-45
Today is “The Sunday Next Before Advent” in our church calendar, affectionately known to generations of Anglicans as “Stir Up” Sunday, from the Collect for today: “Stir up, the wills O Lord of thy faithful people.”
I think our wills could all use a little bit of “stirring up” this time of year, more than in most years when we haven’t had the mental and emotional exhaustion of a pandemic to deal with, and the strain that has put on relationships.
But the way things work in our church calendar, in the first half of the year from Advent to Trinity, the Church, like a mother who is teaching her child how to walk, takes us by the hand, and leads us on a journey, a spiritual journey through the mighty acts whereby God has saved us and set us free from the power of sin and death. On this journey, we “re-live” and re-experience for ourselves the Birth, the Baptism and Temptation, the Preaching, the Teaching, the Miracles, and the Suffering, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ and sending of the Holy Spirit into our hearts, to be with us forever, and to lead us into all Truth. Who is this Jesus Christ and what has He done for us? Those are the questions which are the focus of the Church’s worship, preaching, and teaching from Advent to Trinity.
And then in the second half of our spiritual pilgrimage, in the long season of Trinity, we are seeking, by God’s grace to apply the teaching and example of the Lord to our own lives, by following in His footsteps in the Way of the Cross, in living a life of self-emptying love. What God has done for us, He now means to do in us and through us, which is to make us into Christians, that is “little Christs.” This is the structure and the logic behind the liturgical worship of the Church.
Today we come to the end of our spiritual pilgrimage for 2020. The question is, “Have we arrived?” “Have we reached our destination?” “Have we come to the end or goal of our journey?”
Continue reading “Sunday Next Before Advent Sermon”