LINCOLN CATHEDRAL

AN ADVENT PROCESSION

Sunday, 29th November, 2020 6.00 pm Advent Sunday WELCOME TO LINCOLN CATHEDRAL ONLINE

Organ Prelude: Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 – J.S. Bach

The choir sings the Matin Responsory by Palestrina. 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. 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?

Dean t In the name of God, who has delivered us h from the dominion of darkness and made a e place for us in the kingdom of his beloved Son,

we welcome you. t The grace and peace of God our Father and h the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. e and also with you.

The choir sings the first of the Advent Antiphons.

Antiphon: O Sapientia

O Wisdom, which camest out of the mouth of the most High, and reachest from one end to another, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: come and teach us the way of prudence.

My brothers and sisters, we enter today the solemn season of Advent in which the Church bids us prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ; a coming that we recall in the Child of Bethlehem; a coming that we experience in the gift of his Spirit, in the bread of the eucharist, in the joy of human lives that are shared; a coming we wait for when God gathers up all things in Christ. Let us in this holy season reflect on the coming of Christ who brings light to the world. Let us leave behind the darkness of sin, walk in the light that shines on our path, and renew within ourselves the hope of glory to which he beckons us. And as we turn to the light, let us have on our hearts all those who see no light, for whom all is darkness and despair. Let us pray that they too may be illumined by Christ who is our light.

Hymn: Christ be our light.

Longing for light we wait in darkness; Longing for truth we turn to you. Make us your own, your holy people. Light for the world to see.

Chorus: Christ be our light! Shine in our hearts Shine through the darkness. Christ be our light! Shine in your church gathered today.

Longing for peace, our world is troubled. Longing for hope, many despair. Your word alone has pow’r to save us. Make us your living voice. Chorus:

Longing for food, many are hungry. Longing for water many still thirst. Make us your bread, broken for others, Shared until all are fed. Chorus:

Longing for shelter many are homeless. Longing for warmth, many are cold. Make us your building, sheltering others, Walls made of living stone. Chorus: Reading 1 Genesis 1: 1-5

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

SILENCE

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world A light no darkness can quench.

The Advent Wreath is lit. The dean then says:

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, eternal creator of light and darkness. In this season of Advent, When the sun’s light is swallowed up by the growing darkness of night, you renew your promise to reveal among us the splendour of your glory made flesh and visible to us in Jesus Christ your Son. Through the prophets you teach us to hope for his reign of peace. Through the outpouring of his Spirit you open our blindness to the glory of his presence. Strengthen us in our weakness; Support us in our stumbling efforts to do your will, And free our tongues to sing your praise. For to you all honour and blessing are due, now and for ever. Amen. May God, who gives us the light of his grace, grant that we may come to behold the light of his glory, Amen.

Antiphon: O Rex Gentium

O King of the Nations, and their Desire; the Cornerstone, who makest both one: come, and save humankind, whom thou formedst of clay.

Reading 2

For that conviction ever growing sure, that you will come; For that strong hope that darkness will not last; For that deep-flowing joy that earth will be refreshed; For that awareness of the dawning light that tells of coming day; We thank you Lord.

Hymn

O come, O come, Emmanuel! Redeem thy captive Israel That into exile drear is gone, Far from the face of God's dear Son.

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

O come, thou Wisdom from on high! Who madest all in earth and sky, Creating man from dust and clay: To us reveal salvation’s way.

O come, O come, Adonai, Who in thy glorious majesty From that high mountain clothed in awe, Gavest thy folk the elder Law.

O come, thou Root of Jesse! draw The quarry from the lion's claw; From the dread caverns of the grave, From nether hell, thy people save.

O Come, Desire of nations! show Thy kingly reign on earth below; Thou Corner-stone, uniting all, Restore the ruin of our fall.

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

Reading 3 Isaiah 60: 1-5a

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice.

Antiphon: O Radix Jesse

O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at whom kings shall shut their mouths, to whom the Gentiles shall seek: come and deliver us, and tarry not.

Reading 4 Isaiah 9: 2, 6 & 7.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Antiphon: O Clavis David O Key of David, and sceptre of the house of Israel; that openest and no-one shutteth; and shuttest, and no-one openeth: come, and bring the prisoner out of the prisonhouse, and the one that sitteth in darkness, and the shadow of death.

Reading 5 Come humbly, Holy Child, stir in the womb of our complacency; shepherd our vision of the little we need for abundant living.

Come humbly, Holy Spirit, to whisper through the leaves in the garden of our ignorance, exposing our blindness to children dying hungry and in pain.

Come humbly, Holy Light, pierce our lack of generosity and love, scattering our dark fear of living in your way, poured out in wanton service.

Come humbly, Holy Wisdom, cry through the empty streets of our pretence to care, that the face of the poor will be lifted up for holy is your name.

Come humbly, Holy God, be born into our rejoicing, Come quickly humble God and reign.

From a Mother’s Union day on Magnificat. Durham.

The choir sings The Magnificat: Howells, Collegium Regale

Antiphon: O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of all nations, and their Salvation: come and save us O Lord, our God. Advent Longing

These are the greedy days. It used to be that advent was a longing fast, a time to feel our need in faith and tingling hope and keen-eyed looking forward. Now we cannot wait but day by day and week by week we celebrate obsessively clutching at Christmas. When at last it comes, the day itself, our glass is empty. We have held the feast already, and the news is stale before it reaches us. We cheat ourselves. Yet – somehow – we still hope in these spoiled days that there may be a child.

W S Beattie

Antiphon: O Oriens

O Dayspring, Brightness of Light everlasting, and Sun of righteousness: come, and enlighten them that sit in darkness, and the shadow of death.

Gospel: I am the light of the world. John 3: 16-21

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.

The Prayers.

As we hear the advent call to repentance open the hearts of the hard hearted. Unlock the unforgiving spirit and set free those held captive to prejudice and fear. O Christ, Light of the world, Shine your light into the darkness of our world.

You bring hope to the lost. Give to all who are marginalized the strength and assurance of your presence and fill their lives with the joy of knowing you. O Christ, Light of the world, Shine your light into the darkness of our world.

It is your will that all people should enjoy fullness of life Turn the hearts of those set on violence and conflict and prepare a pathway to reconciliation and peace. O Christ, Light of the world, Shine your light into the darkness of our world.

Breathe your peace on people confronted with dark depression, on those who are afflicted with stressful lives. and upon us all at this time of great uncertainty O Christ, Light of the world, Shine your light into the darkness of our world.

You came to help the poor and heal the sick. Give to all who minister medicine, compassion and care, patience, and the gift of your healing love. O Christ, Light of the world, Shine your light into the darkness of our world.

In this season of making ready for Christmas Help us to share your message of comfort and joy, of hope and renewal. O Christ, Light of the world, Shine your light into the darkness of our world.

The Advent Collect Dean Let us pray.

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; that on the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. All Amen.

Choir sing: God so loved the world - John Stainer.

God so loved the world, God so loved the world, That He gave His only begotten Son, That whoso believeth, believeth in Him, Should not perish, should not perish but have everlasting life.

The Blessing

Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you, scatter the darkness from before your path, and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory. and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always, Amen.

Organ Postlude: Le Monde dans l’attente du Sauveur (Symphonie-Passion) – Marcel Dupré

Acknowledgements Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000. Reproduction of the hymns falls within the provisions of either CCL 901658 or Calamus 1455