A Service of the Word

The Fourth Sunday of The Fourth Sunday of Advent 20 december 2020 | 10 am

¶ The People’s responses are in bold

Voluntary Saluto angelico, Op. 106, No. 5 Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933)

¶ As four of the candles are lighted during the Introit, we invite you to light four candles of your own Advent wreath at home.

The Introit There is no rose of such virtue For by that rose we may well see As in the rose that bare Jesu: There be one God in Persons Three: Alleluia. Pares forma. [Equal in form.]

For in this rose contained was Then leave we all this worldly mirth Heaven and earth in little space: And follow we this joyous birth: Res miranda. [Marvelous thing.] Transeamus. [Let us follow.]

There Is No Rose Text: 15th century Music: John Joubert (b. 1927)

¶ The People stand

A Penitential Order

X Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 1 Hebrews 4:14,16 Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

2 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.

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive X 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. Amen.

The Trisagion

¶ sung by the choir oly God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, H Have mercy upon us.

The Collect of the Day

The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

¶ The People sit

The First Lesson

A Reading from the Second Book of Samuel. When the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.” But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my ser- vant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my peo- ple Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went,

3 and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever. 7:1-11, 16 (NRSV) The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

The Response

¶ sung by the choir My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden. For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath magnified me, and holy is his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle 3 The Song of Mary Setting: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

The Second Lesson

A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans. Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen. 16:25-27 (NRSV) The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

¶ The People stand

4 The Sequence

¶ sung by the choir Alleluia. Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. A Alleluia.

The Gospel

The Holy X Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Glory to you, Lord Christ.

In the sixth month the angel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. 1:26-38 (NRSV) The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ.

¶ The People sit

The Homily Brooklin Taylor

¶ The People stand

The Nicene Creed

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:

5 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 X of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

¶ The People sit

Anthem at the Offertory

Angelus ad Virginem When the angel came secretly Sub intrans in conclave, to the Virgin in her room, Virginis formidinem soothing the maiden’s fear, Demulcens, inquit: Ave! he said: “Hail! Ave regina virginum; Hail, Queen of virgins. Caeli terraeque Dominum While yet untouched by man Concipies you shall conceive and bear Et paries intacta the Lord of heaven and earth, Salutem hominum; salvation for humankind. Tu porta caeli facta, You have become the gate of heaven, Medela criminum. a remedy for sins.”

Quomodo conciperem “How can I conceive, Quae virum non cognovi? since I have not known a man? Qualiter infringerem How can I break the vow Quod firma mente vovi? I made with firm intent?” Spiritus Sancti gratia “The grace of the Holy Spirit Perficiet haec omnia; shall bring all this to pass. Ne timeas, Fear not, Sed gaudeas, secura but rejoice, secure in the Quod castimonia knowledge that pure chastity Manebit in te pura shall remain yours Dei potentia. through God’s mighty power.”

6 Ad haec virgo nobilis To this the noble Virgin Respondens inquit ei: replied, saying: Ancilla sum humilis “I am the lowly handmaiden Omnipotentis Dei. of Almighty God. Tibi caelesti nuntio, I bend my will to you, Tanti secreti conscio, O celestial messenger, Consentiens, who share so great a mystery, Et cupiens videre and I long to see performed Factum quod audio; what I now hear. Parata sum parere, I am ready to yield myself Dei consilio. to God’s design.”

Eia mater Domini, Ah, mother of the Lord, Quae pacem redidisti who gave back peace Angelis et homini, to angels and mankind Cum Christum genuisti: when you bore Christ, Tuum exora filium pray your son Ut se nobis propitium to be gracious to us, Exhibeat, and wipe away Et deleat peccata: our sins, Praestans auxilium granting us aid Vita frui beata to enjoy a blessed life Post hoc exsilium. after this exile. Deo gracias! Thanks be to God!

Angelus ad Virginem Text: 14th century Music: ca. 1250, arr. Andrew Carter (b. 1939)

¶ The People stand

The Prayers of the People

In peace, let us pray to God who hears our prayers.

¶ After each petition, the People say Lord Jesus, awaken us to your presence.

¶ The Celebrant adds a concluding collect. As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now 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. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen. The Blessing

May Almighty God, by whose providence our Savior Christ came among us in great humility, sanc- tify you with the light of his blessing and set you free from all sin. Amen.

May he whose second Coming in power and great glory we await, make you steadfast in faith, joy- ful in hope, and constant in love. Amen.

May you, who rejoice in the first Advent of our Redeemer, at his second Advent be rewarded with unending life. Amen.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the X Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

The Dismissal

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

Voluntary Toccata on Veni Emmanuel Andrew Carter (b. 1939)

Participants in Today’s Service

The Reverend Canon Jason Leo, Officiant Brooklin Taylor, Preacher The Reverend Stacey Sands, Deacon The Christ Church Cathedral Choir Stephan Casurella, Canon Precentor & Director of Music Shiloh Roby, Associate Director of Music Ron Ketterer, Sound and Light Technician Ron Thomas, Technical Consultant

Copyrights

Permission to stream/podcast music is obtained under OneLicense.net A-707575, CCLI License 2779618, and CCS WORSHIPcast/PERFORMmusic License 8079.