Advent Liturgy

Stanley Fung (馮君藍) (Chinese, 1961–), 期待上帝 (Look forward to the coming of God), 2002. Digital print on Hahnemühle fine art paper, 100 × 67.5 cm. [for sale]

A Service of Holy Communion

From fall until Easter, we follow the Renewed Ancient Liturgy of the 2019 Book of Common Prayer. This liturgy is based on the words of scripture and the ancient worship of the early church.

The Word

Welcome

Processional Song

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

1. 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

2. Israel’s strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth thou art
Dear desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart

Refrain: Come, Lord Jesus, come (repeat)

3. Born thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now thy gracious kingdom bring

4. By thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to thy glorious throne

© Public Domain

Opening Acclamation

We pray, read, and read scripture in other languages as an act of hospitality to our neighbors and to remind ourselves that we are members of the worldwide Body of Christ.

Leader Surely the Lord is coming soon.

People Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The Collect for Purity / La Colecta por Pureza

The Collect for Purity is an English translation of a prayer that has been prayed at the beginning of worship for over a thousand years.

Leader Let us pray:

All Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

We pray again.

All Dios Todopoderoso, para quien todos los corazones están manifiestos, todos los deseos conocidos, y de Ti no se esconde ningún secreto: Limpia los pensamientos de nuestros corazones con la inspiración de tu Espíritu Santo, para que nuestro amor sea más perfecto y podamos engrandecer dignamente tu Santo Nombre; por Cristo nuestro Señor. Amén.

The Summary of the Law

When asked to summarize all the God had taught his people about how to love Him and their neighbors this was Jesus’ reply. (Matthew 22:37-40)

Leader Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 22:37–40)

The Kyrie

Leader Lord, have mercy.

People Christ, have mercy.

Leader Lord, have mercy.

Song of Praise

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

1. O come, O come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel;
That mourns in lowly exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

Chorus:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

3. O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of hell thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave

4. O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

5. O come, Desire of Nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid thou our sad divisions cease
And be thyself our King of Peace.

© Public Domain

Collect of the Day & Prayer for Children

The Collect of the Day "collects" the people’s prayers according to theme of today’s readings or of this day of the church calendar.

Leader The Lord be with you.

People And with your spirit.

Leader Let us pray.

All Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your 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 living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Advent Candle Lighting

After the testimony, all sing while the Advent candles are lit:

Light One Candle (Week One: Hope)

Light one candle for hope
One bright candle for hope
Christ brings hope to every heart
He comes, he comes

Natalie Sleeth CCLI #233766

The Lessons

During the scripture readings, we invite you to listen for a word or phrase that stands out to you. In the silences between the readings, contemplate how God might be speaking to you through his Word.

Old Testament Reading: Zechariah 14:3–9

The first reading is typically from the Old Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures), which Jesus knew and from which he often quoted.

Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the mount shall withdraw northward and the other half southward. And you shall flee by the valley of the Lord’s mountain, for the valley between the mountains shall reach to Azal, and you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come and all the holy ones with him.

On that day there shall not be either cold or frost. And there shall be continuous day (it is known to the Lord), not day and not night, for at evening time there shall be light. On that day living water shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of it to the eastern sea and half of it to the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will become king over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

Reader The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

Psalm 50:1–6

The Psalms are the prayer book of the people of God throughout all ages. They cover every mood of humanity’s relationship with God and one another. They teach us how to pray as we recite them each week.

Reader The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken;
    he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

People Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty,
    God reveals himself in glory.

Reader Our God will come and will not keep silence;
    before him there is a consuming flame,
    and round about him a raging storm.

People He calls the heavens and the earth from above
    to witness the judgment of his people.

Reader “Gather before me my loyal followers,
    those who have made a covenant with me
    and sealed it with sacrifice.”

People Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause;
    for God himself is judge.

New Testament Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:6–13

The New Testament records the preaching, letters, and stories of the early church.

But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought us the good news of your faith and love. He has told us also that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, just as we long to see you. For this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you through your faith. For we now live, if you continue to stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Reader The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

Gospel Procession

Please stand.

Wait for the Lord

Wait for the Lord; his day is near.
Wait for the Lord; be strong, take heart.

© Les Presses de Taizé

Gospel Reading: Luke 21:25–33

The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) tell the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We stand to hear them as a sign of our reverence for Christ the Word. We read the Gospels in the midst of the people because “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

Reader The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

People Glory to you, Lord Christ.

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Reader The Gospel of the Lord.

People Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon

The Rev. Katie Hamlin

Song of Response

Drive Out the Darkness

Chorus:
Come, O come
Be our light
Drive out the darkness
Come, Jesus, come

1. Every year under the thorn
Every wrong that we have known
Every valley will be raised
Ancient ruins will be remains

2. Every weapon made for war
Every gun and every sword
Will be melted in the flame
To be used for gardening

3. In the emptiness of grief
Through the night of suffering
In the loss and in the tears
God of comfort, O be near

Bridge:
Come, and end all the violence
Come, do not be silent
Come, cling to your promise
Come, break all injustice
Come, Jesus, come

Dan Marotta, Isaac Wardell, John Swinton, Paul Zach © 2020 Porter’s Gate CCLI#7158603

The Nicene Creed

The word “creed” comes from the Latin “credo” for “I believe.” The Nicene Creed summarizes essential Christian faith and has been said by Christians across traditions, time, and space ever since the 4th century.

All We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and 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, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Prayers of the People

Leader Lord, in your mercy,

People Hear our prayer.

Confession and Absolution

Confession is a time to tell the truth about ourselves and our world, aloud and in one voice. Having confessed our sins, we are then assured of God’s forgiveness.

Leader Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty God.

Silent confession

All 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 Peace

Having made our peace with God, we can now make peace with one another. Use this time to seek reconciliation with those you have hurt, or who have hurt you. Please also welcome someone new!

Leader The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People And with your spirit.

Announcements

The Euchartist

The priest sets the table with the bread and wine during the offertory. These gifts represent the labors of our common life, given back to God in worship.

Offertory

You are invited to give to Holy Comforter in the following ways: Use the QR code on the inside cover of the bulletin or give online.

The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns

1. The King shall come when morning dawns and light triumphant breaks
When beauty gilds the eastern hills and light to joy awakes.
Not as of old a little child to bear and fight and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun that lights the morning sky.

Chorus:
The King shall come when morning dawns and light and beauty brings
“Hail, Christ the Lord!” thy people pray, come quickly, King of Kings

2. O brighter than the rising morn when he, victorious, rose
And left the lonesome place of death, despite the rage of foes.
O brighter than that glorious morn shall this fair morning be,
When Christ, our king, in beauty comes, and we his face shall see.

3. The King shall come when morning dawns and earth’s dark night is past;
O haste the rising of that morn, the day that light shall last
And let the endless bliss begin by wearied saints foretold
When right shall triumph over wrong and truth shall be extolled.

4. He comes the prisoners to release in Satan’s bondage held.
The gates of hell before him burst, the iron fetters felled.
He comes the wounded heart to bind the broken soul to cure;
And with the treasures of his grace, enrich the humble poor.

Text: John Brownlie. Melody: Star of the County Down © Public Domain

The Dolxology

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! A-men.

Leader Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for everything in heaven and on earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as Head above all.

People All things come from you, O Lord.

People And of your own have we given you.

The Sursum Corda

Sursum Corda means “lift up your heart” in Latin. We are invited to bring our whole selves into the story of the Eucharist.

Leader The Lord be with you.

People And with your spirit.

Leader Lift up your hearts.

People We lift them up to the Lord.

Leader Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Leader It is right, our duty and our joy . . .

The Sanctus

Sanctus means “holy” in Latin. We join the song of the saints and angels who praise God without ceasing, as described in Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8.

Leader . . . joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

All Holy, holy, holy is God, the Lord Almighty praise.
His name is great above all names, let all the earth proclaim.
The angels and the saints cry out from beneath your holy throne,
“Worthy is the lamb who once was slain, glory be to him alone.”

The Prayer of Consecration

Leader Holy and gracious Father . . . Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

People Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

The Lord’s Prayer

Leader And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray:

All 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 Fraction

The bread is broken at the fraction, just as Jesus’ own body was broken.

Leader Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

The Agnus Dei

Agnus Dei means “Lamb of God” in Latin. John the Baptist declared Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” We cry out to this Lamb for mercy once more before receiving his life for ours.

Leader Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

People Have mercy on us.

Leader Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

People Have mercy on us.

Leader Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

People Grant us your peace.

Distribution of Communion

All baptized Christians are invited forward to receive the bread and wine. Gluten-free bread and wine are available; just ask your server.
If you do not wish to receive communion, please come forward with your arms crossed and we will pray a prayer of blessing.

Your Labor Is Not in Vain

1. Your labor is not in vain,
Though the ground underneath you is cursed and stained.
Your planting and reaping are never the same,
But your labor is not in vain.

2. Your labor is not unknown,
Though the rocks they cry out and the sea it may groan.
The place of your toil may not seem like a home,
But your labor is not unknown.

Chorus:
For I am with you, I am with you.
I am with you, I am with you.
For I have called you,
Called you by name.
Your labor is not in vain.

3. The vineyards you plant will bear fruit,
The fields will sing out and rejoice with the truth,
For all that is old will at last be made new:
The vineyards you plant will bear fruit.

4. The houses you labored to build,
Will finally with laughter and joy be filled.
The serpent that hurts and destroys shall be killed,
And all that is broken be healed.

Wendell Kimbrough, Isaac Wardell, Paul Zach © Porter’s Gate CCLI#7097868

Everlasting God

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord.

Bridge:
Our God, you reign forever
Our hope, our strong deliverer

Chorus:
You are the everlasting God, the everlasting God
You do not faint; you won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

Brenton Brown and Ken Riley © 2005 ThankYou Music CCLI# 4556538

Prayer after Communion

All Heavenly Father, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the body of your Son,  and heirs of your eternal kingdom. And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.  To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Leader All our problems

People We send to the cross of Christ.

Leader All our difficulties

People We send to the cross of Christ.

Leader All the devil’s works

People We send to the cross of Christ.

Leader All our hopes

People We set on the risen Christ.

The Blessing & Dismissal

We receive a final blessing and are sent out into the world to do the work Jesus taught us to do in our ordinary lives.

Leader May he whose second coming in power and great glory we await, make you steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love. Amen. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always.  Amen.

Leader Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

People Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia!