Lessons and Carols
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A Festival of Lessons andCarols ST. JOHN’S CHURCH LAFAYETTE SQUARE DECEMBER 16, 2018 ● 11:00 A.M. 1 Welcome to St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square. All who seek God are welcome at God’s table. Nursery Care is available from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Lower Level of the Parish House Hearing assistance devices are available from the Ushers. Church School begins at 10:45 a.m. in the Parish House. PRELUDE Please keep silence during the music before the service. Matin Responsory Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) I look from afar: and lo, I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth. Go ye out to meet him and say: Tell us, art thou he that should come to reign over thy people Israel? High and low, rich and poor, one with another, Go ye out to meet him and say: Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep, Tell us, art thou he that should come? Stir up thy strength, O Lord, and come to reign over thy people Israel. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT WREATH As the third candle of the Advent Wreath is lit, the following prayer is said by all, standing. Celebrant and People: Holy and Gracious God, we give you thanks for the promise of Joy. As we anticipate and prepare for Joy being born in the world, may we be ever -mindful of all the places in our lives, and those of others, where there seems to be little Joy and thus, may its presence be especially felt. Joyful, Joyful we adore Thee today and evermore. Amen. THE COLLECT OF THE DAY Officiant: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. Officiant: Let us pray. Officiant: Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. People: Amen. 2 PROCESSIONAL CAROL 102 Once in royal David’s city Stanza 1, sung by a Cantor. Stanza 2, sung by choir. Stanzas 3-6, sung by all. Copyright: Reprinted under Onelicense.net # A-701275. 3 THE BIDDING PRAYER The Rev. W. Bruce McPherson Please remain standing. Officiant: Dear People of God: In the season of Advent, it is our responsibility and joy to prepare ourselves to hear once more the message of the Angels, to go to Bethlehem and see the Son of God lying in a manger. Let us hear and heed in Holy Scripture the story of God’s loving purpose from the time of our rebellion against him until the glorious redemption brought to us by his holy Child Jesus, and let us look forward to the yearly remembrance of his birth with hymns and songs of praise. But first, let us pray for the needs of his whole world, for peace and justice on earth, for the unity and mission of the Church for which he died, and especially for his Church in our country and in this city. And because he particularly loves them, let us remember in his name the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed, the sick and those who mourn, the lonely and unloved, the aged and little children, as well as all those who do not know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, let us remember before God his pure and lowly Mother, and that whole multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in Jesus, we are one for evermore. The Almighty God bless us with his grace; Christ give us the joys of everlasting life; and to the fellowship of the citizens above may the King of Angels bring us all. Amen. LESSON 1 The First Sin and Its Punishment Genesis 3:8-15, 17-19 Please be seated. Read by Nkem Onwuamaegbu. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” And to the man he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Leader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God. 4 CAROL Adam lay ybounden Carson P. Cooman (b. 1982) Middle English: Modern English: Adam lay ibounden, bound in a bond, Adam was bound in sin for four thousand For thousand winter thought he years, although he thought this not too long. not too long. And all was for an appil, It was all for an apple An appil that he tok, that he took, As clerkès finden written in their book. As clerics found written in their books. Ne had the appil takè been, Had the apple never The appil takè been, been taken, Ne haddè never our lady Then our Lady would have A ben hevenè queen. Never been a heavenly queen. Blessed be the time Blessed be the time That appil takè was. The apple was taken. Therefore we moun singen, Therefore we must sing Deo Gracias! Deo Gracias! Thanks be to God! –Anon. 15th Century Medieval Carol. LESSON 2 The Righteous Reign of the Coming King Isaiah 40:1-11 Read by Jessica Sanchez. Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: “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. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy 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 are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. 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, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; 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, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. Leader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God. 5 CONGREGATIONAL CAROL 67 Comfort, comfort ye my people Please stand. Words: Johann G. Olearius (1611-1684); tr. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), alt. Music: Psalm 42, melody and bass Claude Goudimel (1514-1572); harm. Hymnal 1982 Copyright: Reprinted under Onelicense.net # A-701275. LESSON 3 The prophet proclaims that God will come and save us Isaiah 35:1-10 Please be seated. Read by Paul Barkett. The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.