THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 11, 2022
at 10:00AM

Service and Readings

•••

THE SERVICE BEGINS IN SILENCE.

•••

Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

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.

•••

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, O come, thou Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the law, in cloud, and majesty, and awe.

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

O come, thou Branch of Jesse’s tree, free them from Satan’s tyranny
that trust thy mighty power to save, and give them victory o’er the grave.

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

O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home:
Make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.

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

O come, thou Dayspring from on high, and cheer us by thy drawing nigh
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadow put to flight.

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

O come, Desire of nations, bind the hearts of all mankind;
Bid thou our sad divsions cease, and be thyself our King of Peace.

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

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!

•••

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Let us pray.

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

•••

THE FIRST READING

A Reading from the Book of Isaiah.

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you."

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

•••

CANTICLE 15
The Song Of Mary

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

•••

THE SECOND READING

A Reading from the Letter to the Romans.

Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged.

See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

•••

HYMN
Soon And Very Soon
(#14, The Lift Every Voice And Sing Hymnal)

•••

THE GOSPEL READING

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

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,

‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.

•••

THE HOMILY
The Rev. Edward Sunderland

•••

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:
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 of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

•••

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Let us pray for the Church and for the world.

Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name
may be united in your truth,
live together in your love,
and reveal your glory in the world.

SILENCE. 

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Guide the people of this land,
and of all the nations,
in the ways of justice and peace;
that we may honor one another
and serve the common good.

SILENCE.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation,
that we may use its resources rightly
in the service of others
and to your honor and glory.

SILENCE. 

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours,
and grant that we may serve Christ in them,
and love one another as he loves us. 

SILENCE.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Comfort and heal all those who suffer
in body, mind, or spirit;
give them courage and hope in their troubles,
and bring them the joy of your salvation.

SILENCE.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

We commend to your mercy all who have died,
that your will for them may be fulfilled;
and we pray that we may share
with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.

SILENCE. 

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

(The People may add their own petitions.)

SILENCE.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

For yours is the majesty,
O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
yours is the kingdom and the power,
and the glory, now and forever. 

Amen.

•••

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

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

•••

THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

•••

HYMN
The King of Love My Shepherd Is
(#646, The Hymnal 1982)

•••

THE HOLY COMMUNION

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

Because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosana in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days, you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.

On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Therefore, according to his command, O Father,

We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;

And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.

By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever.

Amen.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

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.

•••

Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast.

•••

(A prayer for those who cannot physically be in the Church today.)

My Jesus,
I believe that you are truly present
in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
I love you above all things,
and long for you in my soul.
Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally,
come spiritually into my heart.
As you have already come,
I embrace you and unite myself entirely to you;
never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.

•••

O Lamb of God,
that takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.  (2x)

O Lamb of God,
that takes away the sins of the world,
grant us thy peace.

•••

The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

•••

HYMN
Comfort, Comfort Ye My People
(#67, The Hymnal 1982)

•••

Let us pray.

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.

•••

THE BLESSING

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

May Jesus whose second coming in power and great glory
make you steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love.
Amen.

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

And the blessing of God Almighty, the 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.

•••

The service ends in silence.

•••