St Edmundsbury Cathedral Festal Eucharist President: The Right Revd Dr Mike Harrison Bishop of Dunwich Preacher: The Very Reverend Joe Hawes Dean of St Edmundsbury 25 December 2020 Christmas Day 10.30 am Welcome to St Edmundsbury Cathedral We celebrate today the wonderful mystery of God’s coming among us, fully human - as Emmanuel, ‘God with us’ - born of Mary. The celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas is one of the two pillars of the Christian faith, and our Christmas services help us to recall, amid all the joyful customs and celebrations of Christmas, this central truth of the Word made flesh. The festival of the incarnation has been celebrated in the church since the third century. The Christmas crib and the nativity play can both be said to have originated from the tableau of Christ’s birth that St Francis of Assisi arranged when he celebrated Christmas at Grecchio in 1223. The Christmas season is often thought to be just a period of twelve days, ending with the Epiphany. The church nowadays, however, keeps a much earlier tradition in which the season lasts for a full forty days, ending with Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, in February. May Christmas bring to you, and all who you love, joy and peace as you ponder the mystery of Christ in our midst. The musical setting for today’s service is Missa Santi Nicolai by Franz Joseph Haydn, 1732-1809 Front cover illustration: The Nativity 2008 - abstract art by Will Humes, Lutheran Pastor. Members of the public are not permitted to take photographs or video recordings during services and events. We wish to inform you that the Cathedral may take photographs and/or videos at any time which may appear in the public domain including social media. Service order extracts from Common Worship Services, © The Central Board of Finance of The Church of England. Music reproduced with permission - CCL Licence No 317297 2 Whether in person at the Cathedral or joining us online, welcome to this morning’s livestreamed Family Eucharist. As we are now permitted to come together, albeit in a limited manner, for public worship, the service will look slightly different to allow us to comply with government guidelines. There will be music from the organ and choir, but there will be no congregational hymns as congregational singing in church is still not permitted due to the risk of infection. Thank you for your understanding. Music before the service played by Elli-Mae McGlone, Cathedral Organ Scholar: The Holy Boy – John Ireland, 1879-1962 Three Versets on ‘Away in a Manger’ – Mark Blatchly, b. 1960 Chorale Prelude on In Dulci Jubilo (trio) – J.M. Bach, 1648-1694 Interlude on the Coventry Carol – William Lloyd Webber, 1914-1982 The Order of Service ¶ The Gathering The Dean gives the Welcome. Everyone is invited to stand, and the Dean says The people who walked in darkness All have seen a great light. For to us a child is born All to us a Son is given. His name will be called Wonderful counsellor; mighty God, All everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Glory to God in the highest All and peace to his people on earth. The Cathedral Choir sings O come, all ye faithful 3 Everyone remains standing. The Bishop greets everyone saying We meet in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. All Amen. Peace be with you All and also with you. The Lighting of the Advent Crown The Bishop continues, saying The central candle of the Advent crown is the candle of the Christ – the Word made flesh – the sign of the presence of the God of Love in our midst. The candle is lit and the Bishop prays Blessed are you, Sovereign Lord, King of Peace; to you be praise and glory for ever! The new light of your incarnate word gives gladness in our sorrow, and a presence in our isolation. Fill our lives with your light, until they overflow with gladness and praise. All Blessed be God for ever. 4 The Prayers of Penitence Deacon The sun of righteousness has dawned with healing in his wings. In the presence of the light of Christ, we confess our sins in penitence and faith. Everyone kneels or sits and silence is kept Deacon We ask God’s healing, light and peace for ourselves and for his world. All Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen. Bishop May God who loved the world so much that he sent his Son to be our Saviour forgive you your sins and make you holy to serve him in the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 5 Everyone stands as the Choir sings Gloria in Excelsis Gloria in excelsis Deo, Glory be to God on high, et in terra pax hominibus and in earth peace, bonæ voluntatis. good will towards men. Laudamus te, benedicimus te, We praise thee, we bless thee, adoramus te, glorificamus te, we worship thee, we glorify thee, gratias agimus tibi we give thanks to thee propter magnam gloriam tuam, for thy great glory, Domine Deus, Rex coelestis, O Lord God, heavenly King, Deus Pater omnipotens. God the Father almighty. Domine Fili unigenite, O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesu Christe; Jesu Christ; O Lord God, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, qui tollis peccata mundi, that takest away the sins of the world, miserere nobis. have mercy upon us. Qui tollis peccata mundi, Thou that takest away the sins of suscipe deprecationem nostram. the world, receive our prayer. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, Thou that sittest at the right hand of miserere nobis. God the Father, have mercy upon us. Quoniam tu solus sanctus; For thou only art holy; tu solus Dominus, thou only art the Lord, tu solus altissimus Jesu Christe, thou only, O Christ, Cum Sancto Spiritu with the Holy Ghost, art most high in gloria Dei Patris. in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Amen. Everyone remains standing as the Bishop prays The Collect Almighty God, you have given us your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin: grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 6 ¶ The Liturgy of the Word Everyone sits as Liz Steele, Cathedral Warden, reads The New Testament Reading A reading from the letter to the Hebrews Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Hebrews 1.1-4, NRSV For the word of the Lord. All Thanks be to God. Everyone stands for The Gospel Reading Cantor Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Choir Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Cantor The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory. Choir Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Deacon The Lord be with you All and also with you. Deacon Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. All Glory to you, O Lord. 7 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.