A SERVICE OF LESSONS AND CAROLS FOR ADVENT SUNDAY , NOVEMBER 30, 2014 5:OO PM INTRODUCTION : FROM ADVENT TO CHRISTMAS TO NOW “God is love, and those who abide in love but “to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly abide in God, and God abides in them. We love with God.” because God first loved us. The commandment Isaiah sees that the nation of Israel will be we have from God is this: those who love God able to realize God’s redemption—to break the must love their brothers and sisters also.” grip of sin, violence, and murder—only through great suffering endured by an innocent servant (to These words, from the First Letter of many readers the nation of Israel itself). This John, state a central tenet of our faith, and sum servant will become the receptacle for all up in a few words much of the message of the violence, an atoning human scapegoat. Bible. The story of the Bible is the story of the Advent of Christ, the gradual unfolding of our Isaiah envisions redemption for Israel understanding of God’s message of love and through suffering that is God’s will (Isa. 53:10). redemption. The readings tonight were chosen to With the coming of the Christ, it becomes clear illuminate this process. that redemption is for all humankind, and that the servant —Jesus—suffers not because of God’s will Cain murders Abel in a time when there for suffering, but because a world wedded to were no recorded rules against murder, when the violence will have it no other way (Sixth Lesson). Bible’s matrix of morality and conscience was still The Apostle Paul restates Isaiah’s Servant Song as unrevealed, ‘a formless void.’ It is in this void a hymn to Christ, whose perfect obedience to the that humankind—Cain—first chooses violence, a Father’s commandment that we love God and decision with consequences bequeathed to every neighbor leads inexorably to the cross, and generation since. through the sacrifice of the cross, to salvation. God voices displeasure at Cain’s act, and in The great prologue to the Gospel of John Leviticus gives Moses the great commandment: to concludes the readings: The Word—Jesus— love neighbor as oneself. The Third Lesson is though rejected by this sinful world, from Micah, one of the Hebrew prophets who overwhelmed that rejection and lives among us, proclaim a vision of peace and justice. Micah also giving those who receive him power to become teaches that the Lord requires not ritual sacrifice children of God. Please help create a prayerful and meditative atmosphere in the church before the service by refraining from conversation. Directions to stand should be understood as a request of only those able to do so comfortably. ORDER OF SERVICE ORGAN VOLUNTARY Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV 659 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Please rise when the clergy and choir enter the church. MATIN RESPONSORY Sung by the choir. Adapted from Palestrina (1525-1594) by David Willcocks (b. 1919) 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. HYMN “Come thou, Redeemer of the earth” Stanzas 1-4 sung by the choir, in procession. 1 Come thou, redeemer of the earth, 2 Begotten of no human will, And manifest thy virgin birth: But of the Spirit, thou art still Let ev’ry age adoring fall, The Word of God in flesh arrayed, Such birth befits the God of all. The promised one to all displayed. 3 From God the Father he proceeds, 4 Thy cradle here shall glitter bright, To God the Father back he speeds; And darkness breathe a newer light, Defeating both the cross and grave, Where endless faith shall shine serene, At God’s right hand he lives to save. And twilight never intervene. 6 - Unison 3 THE BIDDING PRAYER Said by the Officiant Beloved in Christ, as we await the great festival of Christmas let us prepare ourselves so that we may be shown its true meaning. Let us hear, in lessons from Holy Scripture, how the prophets of Israel conveyed God’s promise of redemption and healing for his waiting people. Let us rejoice in our carols and hymns, that the good purpose of God is being mightily fulfilled. Let us celebrate the promise that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, will bring all people and all things into the glory of God’s eternal kingdom. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor receive ministry and hope. But first, let us pray for the world which God so loves; for those who have not heard the Good News of God, or who do not believe it; for those who walk in darkness and the shadow of death; and for the Church in this place and everywhere, that it may be freed from all evil and fear, and may in pure joy lift up the light of the love of God. These prayers and praises let us humbly offer to God, in the words which Christ himself taught us All, together 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. 4 The people may be seated. HYMN Sung by the Choir traditional Scottish melody, arr. J. R. Abdenour RORATE coeli desuper ! Synnaris be glad, and penance do, Hevins, distil your balmy shouris! And thank your Maker hairtfully; For now is risen the bricht day-ster, For he that ye micht nocht come to, Fro the rose Mary, flour of flouris: To you is cumin full humbly, The cleir Sone, quhom no cloud devouris, Your soulis with his blood to buy, Surmounting Phebus in the Est, And loose you of the fiendis arrest, Is cumin of his hevinly touris: And only of his own mercy; Et nobis puer natus est . Pro nobis puer natus est. Comfort, my people, comfort ye, Synnaris – sinners; cumin – come; shouris – showers; Salvations cumin swiftly by, Nor let thi visage sorrowful be, Away, you nicht of sadness, fly! Rorate coeli desuper , Let richtousness pour fro the sky: Now break, o erth, a Savior yield, The fairest Flour of the field. Words: St. 1, 2 William Dunbar (1465-1536); St. 3 J.R.A. and W. A. Rooke-Ley THE FIRST LESSON Genesis 4:1-16 Reader: Meghan J., Head Chorister of the Choir After Adam and Eve are expelled from Eden, Cain murders his brother HYMN Sung by all, standing 5 THE SECOND LESSON Leviticus 19:1-4, 9-18 Reader: Dan Corbett, A Choir Parent God gives the people the Great Commandment HYMN 59 “Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding” Sung by all, standing Merton, arr. Alan Gray THE THIRD LESSON Micah 4:1-4 Reader: Laura Mozier, Choir Librarian The Prophet Micah envisions the peace of God’s reign. MARIENLIED Sung by the Choir Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Gegrüßet, Maria, du Mutter der Gnaden! Hail, Mary, mother of grace! So sangen die Engel der Jungfrau Maria Thus sang the angels to the virgin Mary In ihrem Gebete, darinnen sie rang. As she struggled in prayer. Maria, du sollst einen Sohn empfangen, Mary, you shall conceive a son. Darnach tun Himmel und Erde verlangen, Heaven and earth desire Daß du die Mutter des Herren sollst sein. For you to be the Mother of the Lord. O Engel, wie mag ich das erleben, O angels, how may I experience this? Ich habe mich noch keinem Manne ergeben I have given myself to no man In dieser weiten und breiten Welt. In this entire wide world. Wie Tau kommt über die Blumenmatten, As dew comes over the flowerbeds, So soll dich der heilige Geist überschatten, So is it that the Holy Spirit shall overcome you, So sollt der Heiland geboren sein. So shall the Savior be born. Maria, die höret solches gerne, Mary heard such things gladly, Sie sprach: ich bin eine Magd des Herren, She spoke: I am the handmaid of the Lord, Nach deinem Worte geschehe mir! And it shall happen to me according to your word. Die Engel sanken auf ihre Knie, The angels sank to their knees, Sie sangen alle Maria, Maria, They all sang Mary, Mary, Sie sangen Maria den Lobgesang! They sang Mary’s song of praise! Words: Traditional German Folk Hymn 6 MOTET Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) Virga Jesse floruit: A shoot shall come from the stalk of Jesse, Virgo Deum et hominem genuit: a Virgin brings forth God and man, pacem Deus reddidit, God restores peace, in se reconcilians ima summis. reconciling in himself the lowest and the highest Alleluja.