The Second Sunday of Advent
The Second Sunday of Advent
5 December 2021
according to the Book of Common Prayer (p. 355ff.)
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We Gather in God’s Name
Lighting the Candles of the Advent Wreath
Today we light the first and second candles of the Advent wreath. Each candle has a meaning. The first candle is HOPE, the second candle is PEACE.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. (Colossians 3:15)
Almighty God, you offer rest for our hearts, and peace for our souls. Give us grace to seek peace in our lives, peace in this community, and peace in the world. Through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen.
Anthem: O come, O come, Emmanuel (vv. 3-4) (Hymnal 56)
O come, O come, thou Lord of might, who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times didst give the law, in cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Branch of Jesse’s tree, free them from Satan’s tyranny
that trust thy mighty power save, and give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
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The Collect of the Day
Officiant:
The Lord be with you.
People:
And also with you.
Officiant:
Let us pray.
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
People:
Amen.
The people are seated.
We Hear God’s Word
The First Lesson: Baruch 5:1-9
Lector:
A reading from the book of Baruch.
Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God.
Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God; put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting;
for God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven.
For God will give you evermore the name, “Righteous Peace, Godly Glory.”
Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height; look toward the east,
and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them.
For they went out from you on foot, led away by their enemies;
but God will bring them back to you, carried in glory, as on a royal throne.
For God has ordered that every high mountain and the everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.
The woods and every fragrant tree have shaded Israel at God’s command.
For God will lead Israel with joy, in the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.
Lector:
The word of the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.
Canticle 4 or 16
BCP 92
The Song of Zechariah - Benedictus Dominus Deus
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
The Second Lesson: Philippians 1:3-11
Lector:
A reading from Paul’s epistle to the church in Phillipi.
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
Lector:
The word of the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.
Sequence Hymn: Choir Anthem: Watchman, tell us of the night
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The people stand as able.
The Holy Gospel: Luke 3:1-6
Deacon:
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
People:
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Deacon:
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
Deacon:
The Gospel of the Lord.
People:
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The people are seated.
A brief homily, spiritual conversation, or moment of silence may be placed here.
Silence follows the homily.
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We Respond in Faith
BCP 358
The Nicene Creed
The people stand as able.
Officiant and People:
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.
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The Prayers of the People
Today the response to the prompt, “Let us pray” is, “Come, O Lord, and save us.” The final verse and response, as we “offer ourselves and one another to the living God through Christ,” is “To you, O Lord.”
Silence
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
BCP 360
Confession of Sin
Deacon:
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
The people kneel or stand as able. Silence may be kept. Officiant 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.
Priest:
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.
People:
Amen.
The Peace
Presider:
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People:
And also with you.
We greet one another in the name of the Lord.
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Birthdays and Anniversaries (BCP, 830)
Everyone celebrating a birthday or anniversary this month, or anyone wishing to stand in for someone close to them celebrating such an event, is invited to stand and tell us your name and the event you are celebrating.
A prayer for a birthday:
O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on your servants as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen their trust in your goodness all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The people are seated.
The Announcements
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We Offer Ourselves To God
Offertory Hymn: Hark! A Thrilling Voice is Sounding (Hymnal 59)
BCP 367
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer B
Celebrant:
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 God thanks and praise.
The Celebrant continues:
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
A Proper Preface may be used here.
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:
Sanctus
Celebrant and People:
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.
Hosanna in the highest.
The Celebrant continues:
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, 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; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, 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.”
Therefore, according to his command, O Father,
Celebrant and People
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
The Celebrant continues:
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with blessed Thomas, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.
Celebrant:
By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever.
People:
AMEN.
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BCP 364
The Lord’s Prayer
Presider:
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
Officiant and People:
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
Presider:
Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
People:
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia!
Presider:
The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
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We Receive the Gift of God
Receiving Communion:
We will be offering communion with both Christ’s Body and Blood. The consensus of public health studies to date show that there is no documentable risk of COVID19 transmission through the common cup. We understand individuals may have different comfort levels as to how they receive communion. Following the teaching of our Episcopal tradition, all persons may, but no person must, receive communion in both kinds to receive the full spiritual benefits of communion. You may choose to receive only the host at this time. Should you choose to receive the wine, one vessel will be offered for those who want to sip the wine from the common cup. Another vessel will be offered for those who wish to intinct (the host dipped in the wine). (source: The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey’s Revised Guidelines for Communion in Both Kinds)
If a person desires to receive the Sacrament, but, by reason of extreme sickness or physical disability, is unable to eat and drink the Bread and Wine, the Celebrant is to assure that person that all the benefits of Communion are received, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth. (BCP, 457)
If you do not wish to receive communion physically, you are invited to utter the Prayer for Spiritual Communion while communion is being distributed:
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.
(from The Prayer Book for the Armed Services)
The ministers receive the Sacrament in both kinds, and then immediately deliver it to the people. All are welcome to receive at Christ’s table. If you would prefer to receive a verbal blessing instead of communion, cross your arms over your chest to indicate this.
Communion Hymn: Choir Anthem: Taste and See
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Communion Hymn: Comfort, comfort ye my people (Hymnal 67)
BCP 366
The Post-communion Prayer
Presider:
Let us pray.
People:
Almighty and everliving God,
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.
The Blessing
Processional Hymn: Prepare the way, O Zion (Hymnal 65)
BCP 366
The Dismissal
Deacon:
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.