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

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high, Who orderest all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

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.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of humankind; Bid thou our sad divisions cease, And be thyself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

The Holy Eucharist The First Sunday of Advent November 27, 2016

Liturgy of the Word

Organ Prelude My Lord, what a morning R. Lau Stan Jones, organ

Announcements

Processional Hymn O come, O come, Emmanuel facing page

Celebrant Blessed are you, holy and living One. People You come to your people and set them free.

The Celebrant says

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.

Song of Praise Come into God’s presence

1. Come into God’s presence singing “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!” (repeat)

2. Come into God’s presence singing “Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord!” (repeat)

3. Praise the Lord together singing “Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God!” (repeat)

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Collect of the Day

Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And also with you.

Celebrant Let us pray.

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.

First Reading Isaiah 2:1-5

All sit.

A reading from the prophet Isaiah.

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.

Canticle You shall go out with joy (Isaiah 55:12) facing page

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Second Reading Romans 13:11-14

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.

You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.

Sequence Hymn Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding Hymnal 59

Holy Matthew 24:36-44

All stand.

Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. People Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said to his disciples, “About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

Deacon The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise to you, Lord Christ. 5

Children’s Talk and Sermon The Rev’d Leslie Burkardt

Lighting of the Advent Wreath

Children Proclaim: We light this candle as a symbol of Christ our Hope. May the light sent from God shine in the darkness to show us the way to salvation.

Congregation Responds: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel All Sing: He came down that we might have hope, He came down that we might have hope, He came down that we might have hope. Alleluia for evermore.

Children’s Creed

I believe in God above. I believe in Jesus’ love. I believe in the Spirit too, giving life to me and you. Amen.

Prayers of the People

The Celebrant or Deacon bids the people to prayer, saying

Let us call upon the name of God, who faithfully acts on behalf of those who wait in hope.

The appointed minister leads the people in prayer, saying

That the Church may be fully engaged in the task Christ has entrusted to it and be found awake and alert for the coming of the Lord.

Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

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That the leaders of nations may turn their hands from violence and discord and embrace instead the ways of righteousness and peace.

Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

That we make the coming holiday season a time of joy and peace for all, gathering food and other gifts and providing friendship for those in need.

Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

That the sick may be supported by the presence and prayers of family and friends, and so experience the healing power of our Redeemer.

Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

That this assembly may be shaped by God’s hand, enriched by God’s gifts, and strengthened to be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

That the departed may rejoice as they are called into fellowship with Christ by the God who is faithful.

Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

The Celebrant or Deacon concludes

God of holiness, whose promises stand through all generations, fulfill the longings of a humanity weighed down by confusion and burdened with fear. Raise up our heads and strengthen our hearts, that, free from anxiety and steadfast in hope, we may look forward to the glorious return of Christ, our judge and our Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

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The Peace

The children initiate the exchange of the Peace, saying

The peace of the Lord be always with you. People And also with you.

The Ministers and People greet one another in the name of the Lord.

Celebrations of Our Common Life

Those wishing to give thanks for birthdays, anniversaries and other blessings are invited to come to the altar at this time.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Watch over your children, O Lord, as their days increase. Bless and guide them wherever they may be. Strengthen them when they stand; comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful; raise them up if they fall; and in their hearts may your peace which passes understanding abide all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

As those at the altar return to their pews, all sing Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, Who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices; Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

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Holy Communion

The Celebrant says and offertory sentence.

Offertory Anthem My Lord, what a morning Spiritual arr. R. Bensen

Representatives of the congregation bring the people’s offerings of bread and wine, and money or other gifts, to the deacon or celebrant. The people stand while the offerings are presented and placed on the Altar.

Doxology (inside front cover of hymnal)

The Great Thanksgiving (Eucharistic Prayer 2 from Enriching Our Worship) The people remain standing.

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 our thanks and praise.

We praise you and we bless you, holy and gracious God, source of life abundant. From before time you made ready the creation. Your Spirit moved over the deep and brought all things into being: sun, moon, and stars; earth, winds, and waters; and every living thing. You made us in your image, and taught us to walk in your ways.

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But we rebelled against you, and wandered far away; and yet, as a mother cares for her children, you would not forget us. Time and again you called us to live in the fullness of your love.

And so this day we join with Saints and Angels in the chorus of praise that rings through eternity, lifting our voices to magnify you as we sing:

The people may stand, sit or kneel.

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The Celebrant continues

Glory and honor and praise to you, holy and living God. To deliver us from the power of sin and death and to reveal the riches of your grace, you looked with favor upon Mary, your willing servant, that she might conceive and bear a son, Jesus the holy child of God. Living among us, Jesus loved us. He broke bread with outcasts and sinners, healed the sick, and proclaimed good news to the poor.

He yearned to draw all the world to himself yet we were heedless of his call to walk in love. Then, the time came for him to complete upon the cross the sacrifice of his life, and to be glorified by you.

On the night before he died for us, Jesus was at table with his friends. He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke it, and gave it to them, and said: “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

As supper was ending, Jesus took the cup of wine. Again, he gave thanks to you, gave it to them, and said: “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. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

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Celebrant and People

Now gathered at your table, O God of all creation, and remembering Christ, crucified and risen, who was, and is, and is to come, we offer to you our gifts of bread and wine, and ourselves, a living sacrifice.

The Celebrant continues

Pour out your Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Body and . Breathe your Spirit over the whole earth and make us your new creation, the Body of Christ given for the world you have made.

In the fullness of time bring us, with [ ______and] all your saints, from every tribe and language and people and nation, to feast at the banquet prepared from the foundation of the world.

Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, glory, and praise, for ever and ever.

AMEN.

The Celebrant continues

As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray

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Breaking of the Bread

A period of silence is kept.

The Celebrant says

The Gifts of God for the People of God.

All who come in faith are welcome at the Lord’s table.

Gluten-free wafers are available at all Communion services. If you require a gluten-free wafer, please advise the person administering the consecrated Bread.

Unfermented grape juice is also offered at all liturgies. Begun as an act of ecumenical sharing, our Bishop has given permission for the use of grape juice in addition to wine whenever we celebrate the Holy Communion at St. Thomas’. It is our hope that this practice will further extend the hospitality of the Lord’s Table to those who may suffer from addiction or who prefer to abstain from alcohol for other reasons. The minister with the crystal of unfermented grape juice will be situated at the floor-level station by the lectern, alongside the minister with the silver chalice of wine.

Communion Let us break bread together Hymnal 325 Creator of the stars of night Hymnal 60 14

After Communion, the Celebrant says

Let us pray. Celebrant and People

Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing

Dismissal

Deacon Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. People Thanks be to God.

Recessional Hymn The King shall come when morning dawns Hymnal 73

Organ Postlude March triomphale S. Karg-Elert

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Large-print copies of the Prayer Book and Hymnal are available in the Highland Avenue narthex. A hearing loop is in operation during the service. Persons with difficulty hearing can activate the "T" switch on their hearing aids. A wheelchair-accessible restroom is located in the north porch at the rear of the nave. The north porch also provides changing facilities and a quiet place for those with infants

ASSISTING IN WORSHIP

Lectors Chris Thomas, Vicky Rupley Prayers Kate Cerulli Chalice Marlene Allen, Maggie Detty Dick Schieck, DeWain Feller Crucifer Gordie Booth Acolyte Tony Ennis, Janet Sowden Greeters Sue Rose, Tom & Barbara Tuke Dawn Schweitzer, Janet Morse Ushers Tim & Carolyn Mabb, Susan Pickhardt, Janice Corea VPOD: Tim Mabb

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PARISH PRAYER CALENDAR

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, the Diocesan Prayer Cycle and our Parish Prayer Calendar, your intercessions are requested for: The Anglican Church of Nigeria; Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Prince, our Bishop; St. Andrew’s Church, Caledonia; the clergy, staff and vestry of St. Thomas’; the Rector Search Committee; those preparing for Advent Outreach Night next Sunday.

Your prayers are requested for:

Those who are sick or in special need of our prayers: Steve and Anne Bauer; Jim Boynton; Barbara Jean Ephessios, friend of Susan Irish; Eileen Gould, friend of Ryan and Shannon Tuke; Ted Morse; Tom O’Leary, uncle of Jay Burkardt; Brian Roherty,son-in-law of Peter and Connie Barker; Liz Tierney; Jean Troutner; Claudia Uffman; Kelly Witter, friend of Dawn Wilkins and Dick Laidlaw.

Those in continuing need of our prayers: Al Bullwinkel, Ruth Bowman, Chris Carver, Margaret Cheetham, Miggs Coleman, Katie Detty, Velma Durland, Mavis Ennis, Curt and Marion Fey, Natalie Findlay, Ginny Fogle, Alison Gilbert, James Gilbert, Ed Grant, Karen Hamilton, Art and Maureen Holtzman, Anne Hotchkiss, Ted Jope, Connie Kless, Marlene Liebmann, Victor Maldonado, Margy Mayk, Ann McNabb, Jane and Jim McLaughlin, Bette Mear, Jackie Mewborn, Fran Moslow, Ron Nelson, Lisa Overacker; Bud Parker, Rosaleen Petry, Janet Pleninger, Craig Powell, Mary Sandt, Violette Shayler, Helen Stamas, Lois Thomas, Mark Ventress, Blanche Wagner.

Those serving in the armed forces: Joey Andrews, Kyle Cicora, Christian Dahl, Evan Davies, John Davison, Luke Dawson, Tom Dimiero, Brandon Griffin, Jared Hicks, Justin Illes, Adrian Jope, Andrew Kless, Bryant Locke, Cameron Mabb, Thomas Moss, Craig Peacock, Richard Roessler, Kevin Rogala, Donny Salamone, Jake Silver, Kevin Taylor.

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Welcome to St Thomas’! If this is your first time worshiping with us, we extend the

hospitality of Christ and this community to you. Everything you need to participate in the service may be found in this booklet.

If our order and style of service is unfamiliar to you, don’t worry. Just “go with the flow.”

God knows your heart. Take delight in God’s glory, and let your heart be moved by the words and actions of the liturgy. It will become familiar in time.

A Note on Today’s Readings

On this Advent Sunday, the liturgy is centered on the second Advent of Christ, when he will return as judge and establish the Kingdom of God. In today’s Gospel reading Jesus tells his followers that his return will be sudden and with no warning. Therefore, we are to live at all times as though his return is imminent.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah foresees that Kingdom as God’s reign over a united and peaceful humanity. All people will know themselves to be the children of God and brothers and sisters to all other people.

The second reading from Romans exhorts us to live as though we were in the last days. We are to live as though the Kingdom has come; shunning darkness and living in the light of God’s presence.

The Advent theme that points to Jesus’ first coming in his birth becomes the sign for us of the Advent yet to come. As we gather in the Eucharist, we find in our liturgical action a foretaste of the unity and peace of God’s Kingdom. We recognize that in this in-between time (between Jesus’ first coming and his second) we ourselves are caught up in the Eucharist into the Kingdom.

From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 2009 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.

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Worship Service Schedule

Holy Eucharist

Saturday - 5:00 P.M. Sunday - 8:00 & 10:00 A.M. Wednesday - 12:00 Noon

St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church 2000 Highland Avenue Rochester, New York 14618 The Rt. Rev’d Dr. Prince G. Singh, Bishop The Rev’d Leslie S. Burkardt Interim Rector [email protected] The Rev’d Christa Moore-Levesque, Curate [email protected] The Rev’d Andrea Stridiron, Deacon Dr. Robert M. Ferris, Organist and Choirmaster [email protected] Kathleen Merritt, Office Manager [email protected]

442-3544 - Church Office 473-4216 – Fax

stthomasrochester.org

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