Sunday, 4th December, 2022
Said Eucharist
2nd Sunday of Advent
Introduction
Greeting
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The president briefly welcomes the congregation.
I will go to the altar of my God:
Even to the God of my joy and gladness.
Confession and absolution
Our help is in the name of the Lord:
Who made the heavens and the earth.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we confess to you and to our siblings in Christ that we have sinned in our thoughts and in our words, in things done and in things left undone. We are truly sorry. Forgive and free us from our sins, we pray, give us strength and show us your salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
May the Lord of compassion, who forgives all those who truly repent, have + mercy upon you, lay aside your sins and bring you to reign with Them in glory, through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Will you not turn again, O Lord, and give us life:
That your people may rejoice in you?
Kyrie
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Gloria
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God's people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, Almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us. You are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer, for you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the most high, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Collects
Silence is kept.
Faithful and steadfast God, who through your prophets promised to save us, show us the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of the nations, so that we who await the fulfilment of your Word may sing of your glory, and all the earth echo with the sound of your praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in time and in eternity. Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First reading: Isaiah 11:1–10
A reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah.
A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
For the word of the Lord:
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 72:1–7, 18–19
God, give the king your justice;your righteousness to the royal son.
He will judge your people with righteousness,and your poor with justice.
The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people.The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.
He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy,and will break the oppressor in pieces.
They shall fear you while the sun endures;and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
He will come down like rain on the mown grass,as showers that water the earth.
In his days, the righteous shall flourish,and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,who alone does marvellous deeds.
Blessed be his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory!Amen and amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be forever, world without end. Amen.
Second reading: Romans 15:4–13
A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans.
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name’; and again he says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’; and again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him’; and again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.’ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
For the word of the Lord:
Thanks be to God.
Gospel: Matthew 3:1–12
Alleluia, alleluia! For it is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet: The voice of one crying out in the desert: Prepare a way for the Lord, and make for him a straight path; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia!
+++ Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew:
Praise to you, O Lord.
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” ’ Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’
Thanks be to you, O Lord, for this your glorious Gospel:
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, creator 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 whom all things were made; who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven; who was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human; who was crucified for our sake under Pontius Pilate; who suffered, died and was buried; who rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures; who ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; who will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead; of whose kingdom there will be no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the lifegiver, who procedes from the Father; who with the Father and the Son is worshipped 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 await the resurrection of the dead, and the + life of the world to come. Amen.
Prayers of intercession
Prayers of intercession are said.
Liturgy of the Sacrament
Peace
We meet in Christ’s name:
Let us share his peace.
The congregation offer one another a sign of peace.
Offertory
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for by your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made; it shall become for us the bread of life. Blessed be God forever.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for by your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands; it shall become the cup of our salvation. Blessed be God forever.
Eucharistic prayer
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 God thanks and praise.
Heavenly Creator, all glory, praise and thanksgiving belong to you, for by your power you uphold our very being. Your Holy Spirit is eternally at work in us, breathing life into all things and weaving our lives into your dream for the world. Through your Word made flesh you have redeemed us, making us whole through his death and glorious resurrection.
As a holy people rejoicing to do your work, who await with eager longing the fulfilment of all things in Christ Jesus, we offer you our praise, with angels and archangels, with our Lady Mary and all the saints, and the whole company of heaven, singing the hymn of your unending glory:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
+ Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Almighty God, blessed is your name in all creation, for Christ your Son in whom all things are reconciled. Through him the broken are healed, the lost are found and the outcast made welcome. His table is set that all who hunger may eat and be satisfied.
For, on the night when he was betrayed to his death, at supper with his disciples, he took bread and gave you thanks. He broke the bread, and gave it to them, saying, Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, gave you thanks and gave it to them, saying, Drink this, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Therefore, merciful Lord, we recall all that Jesus did among us: his birth in Bethlehem; his death on the cross; his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension. In faith, hope and love we offer to God these our gifts of sacrifice, together with our souls and bodies, that Christ may dwell evermore in us and we in him.
To this end, O God, we humbly ask that you send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon this bread and this wine, that by the power of the Spirit they may become the body and blood of your dear Son, that we may be strengthened in faith, emboldened in love and empowered to walk in your grace and truth.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom and with whom and in whom, in the union of the Holy Spirit, all praise and glory and honour be to you, Lord of all ages, world without end. Amen.
Breaking of bread
The president breaks the bread.
The living bread is broken for the life of the world:
Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.
Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, so we 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. Lead us not into the time of trial, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
Agnus Dei
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace.
Communion
The ministers and congregation receive Communion.
At the giving of the bread:
The body of Christ, the bread of life. Amen.
At the giving of the cup:
The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation. Amen.
Prayers after communion
Give thanks to the Lord, for They are gracious:
And Their mercy endures forever.
Lord God Almighty, we thank you for this holy meal of the body and blood of your dear Son. Help us to be examples by his great example, and be witnesses to your justice and mercy in the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing hymn
Blessing
May the Lord bless you and keep you safe. Amen.
May the Lord make Their face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. Amen.
May the Lord lift Their face to you and give you peace. Amen.
And the blessing of God Almighty, + the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord:
+ In the name of Christ. Amen.