The Holy Eucharist with Pop-up Christmas Pageant
Christmas Day (RCL Selection II)
December 24, 2021
Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/
Friday, December 24, at 7:00 p.m. (or anytime afterward)
The Holy Eucharist: Rite II
The Christmas Service of Light
The church is partially dark when the service is to begin.
Hymn #83: O Come, All Ye Faithful
[Verses 1-3, 6]
1 O come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem;
come, and behold him,
born the King of angels;
REFRAIN:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
2 God from God,
Light from Light eternal,
lo! he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
only-begotten Son of the Father; [REFRAIN]
3 Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation;
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
glory to God, glory in the highest; [REFRAIN]
6 Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; [REFRAIN]
Words: John Francis Wade; tr. Frederick Oakeley and others, Public Domain.
Music: Adeste fideles, present form of melody att. John Francis Wade; harm. The English Hymnal (1906), Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #84340. All rights reserved.
The Opening Sentence
[BCP, p. 109]
Light and peace, in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Thanks be to God.
A Short Lesson of Scripture
[BCP, p. 108; John 1:1-5]
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. What came into being through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.
The Prayer for Light
[BCP, p. 213]
Let us pray:
Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lighting of the Candles
[adapted from http://www.saltproject.org/progressive-christian-blog/advent-candle-lighting-litanies]
Because injustice and despair threaten to overwhelm us,
We pray for hope.
Light the first purple candle in the Advent wreath.
Because so many swords have not yet been beaten into plowshares,
We pray for peace.
Light the second purple candle in the Advent wreath.
Because grief and loss weigh so heavily,
We pray for joy.
Light the third rose candle in the Advent wreath.
Because hatred is still so strong, and because people all over the world are suffering,
We pray for love.
Light the fourth purple candle in the Advent wreath.
God has come to us as a child. Christ is present in our world.
Light the white Christ candle in the center of the Advent wreath.
The acolytes pass the fire from the Christ candle to the worshippers in the congregation
May the light and the fire from these candles burn away everything that is preventing the God of hope and peace and joy and love from being born among us. Brothers and sisters, be not afraid; even now the light of Christ is overwhelming the world!
The Word of God
Hymn #96: Angels We Have Heard on High
1 Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains.
REFRAIN:
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
2 Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why these songs of happy cheer?
What great brightness did you see?
What glad tidings did you hear? [REFRAIN]
3 Come to Bethlehem, and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King. [REFRAIN]
4 See him in a manger laid
Whom the angels praise above!
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While we raise our hearts in love. [REFRAIN]
Words: French carol; tr. James Chadwick; Public Domain.
Music: Gloria, French carol; arr. Edward Shippen Barnes; Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #150646. All rights reserved.
The Collect of the Day
[BCP, p. 357, 212]
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray:
O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
The main lights in the nave of the church are now turned on.
A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (62:6-12)
Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted sentinels;
all day and all night they shall never be silent.
You who remind the Lord, take no rest,
and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it renowned throughout the earth.
The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm:
I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies,
and foreigners shall not drink the wine for which you have labored;
but those who garner it shall eat it and praise the Lord,
and those who gather it shall drink it in my holy courts.
Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up an ensign over the peoples.
The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth:
Say to daughter Zion, "See, your salvation comes;
his reward is with him, and his recompense before him."
They shall be called, "The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord";
and you shall be called, "Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken."
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 97
[BCP, p. 726]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
1 The Lord is King; let the earth rejoice; * let the multitude of the isles be glad.
2 Clouds and darkness are round about him, * righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.
3 A fire goes before him * and burns up his enemies on every side.
4 His lightnings light up the world; * the earth sees it and is afraid.
5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, * at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens declare his righteousness, * and all the peoples see his glory.
7 Confounded be all who worship carved images and delight in false gods! * Bow down before him, all you gods.
8 Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice, * because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you are the Lord, most high over all the earth; * you are exalted far above all gods.
10 The Lord loves those who hate evil; * he preserves the lives of his saints and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light has sprung up for the righteous, * and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, * and give thanks to his holy Name.
A Reading from the Letter to St. Titus (3:4-7)
When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
The People remain seated for the Christmas Pageant Gospel. The Children participating in the Pop-up Pageant stand in their places.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. Luke (2:1-20) [NIV]
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
“God With Us In Our Mess” by The Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda
Mary gave birth to Jesus on Christmas many years ago. The Bible tells us, “She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:7, NIV). Can you imagine what that would be like? How many of you have held a newborn baby? Have you seen how small and helpless they are? Have you looked at their beautiful faces and been filled with love? Have you had compassion on them because they need your help with… well, everything?
And imagine placing that precious baby in a manger! Okay, “manger” isn’t a word we use that often unless we’re visiting a farm. A manger is a long box filled with food for horses, donkeys, and cows to eat from. It was filled with hay and grass and maybe some grain, the kinds of food horses and other animals like to eat. So we also know that it isn’t very clean. There is animal slobber all over it. Not to mention the other funky smells throughout the barn. If you’ve ever visited a farm or petting zoo and watched the animals in their pens, you know that horses, cows, sheep, and donkeys aren’t shy about going potty wherever they are standing.
We’re talking about the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) spending the night in a dirty, stinky barn! It’s far from being born in a sterile hospital surrounded by doctors and nurses wearing gloves and face masks to make sure nobody gets sick. The Christmas story we’re used to seeing in creches and ornaments usually doesn’t capture just how raw and messy this night was. Jesus -- the Son of God, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Savior of the World -- was born in a smelly animal lunch tray. It’s pretty gross!
Why did this happen? God can do anything. God could have chosen anyone to be Jesus’ mother and stepfather. It didn’t have to be Mary and Joseph. God could have made sure they spent that night in a mansion or a palace or made sure they were rich for the rest of their lives. They didn’t have to go to Bethlehem and they didn’t have to be out with the animals. But God chose for the Savior Jesus to be born to a pretty poor family in a yucky place. Why do you think that is?
I think God chose for Jesus to be born there because God knows that life is usually messy. Life isn’t always easy and fun. We have to get dirty and stinky to get some things done. And God isn’t afraid of that. The Church shouldn’t be afraid of that. I know the acolytes and choir members and I always wear fancy clothes when you see us up front, but we could worship God in stinky work clothes too. Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds did so on Christmas. The shepherds didn’t have time to go take a shower after the angels told them to go to Bethlehem. They ran over to visit baby Jesus smelling like sheep. And that’s okay. People who take care of animals and shovel hay and manure are also acceptable to God, just as they are.
The point of Christmas is that God loves us just like we are. God comes to be with us in the messiness of life. God doesn’t need us to clean ourselves up or even stop doing bad things in order to love us. God loves you just as you are. God proved that on Christmas in that smelly manger in Bethlehem. When Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds saw that God loved them enough to be with them in their messy lives, they rejoiced, “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20). That’s what we’re here to do too: praise God because God is with us, even in our messes. Amen.
Hymn #79: O Little Town of Bethlehem
[Verses 1-3, 5]
1. O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting Light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.
2. For Christ is born of Mary;
and gathered all above,
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth!
and praises sing to God the King,
and peace to men on earth.
3. How silently, how silently,
the wondrous Gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him, still
the dear Christ enters in.
5. O holy Child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin, and enter in,
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Emmanuel!
Words: Philips Brooks, Public Domain.
Music: St. Louis, Lewis H. Redner, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONELICENSE #84257. All rights reserved.
The Nicene Creed
[BCP, p. 358]
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
[Adapted from http://www.rickmorley.com/archives/191]
Intercessor:
Let us pray to God, who came among us in the birth of Jesus:
Gracious God, as a star rose, and drew people from great distances to Bethlehem that they might greet the Christ-child; Draw us, your Church, and all of your people to you, that we might be the Church and the People who you call us to be. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
As you gave Mary your Holy Spirit, filling her with the delight of your Presence; Fill us with your Spirit, and renew our lives. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
As Gentiles streamed to Jesus’ Light, and Kings to the brightness of his rising; Draw our nation, our President, and all in authority, to His brightness. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
As angels sang glory to you and proclaimed peace on earth, and goodwill among all peoples; Bring us your peace and bring an end to all terror and strife. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
As shepherds were drawn away from their flocks by night; Draw those who do not know you yet to the knowledge and love of you. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
As Jesus was born in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn; Be especially present with those who have nowhere to lay their head, those who are vulnerable, and those who are hungry. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
As the Holy Family gathered together in Bethlehem and traveled together to far off lands; Bless all families, especially the families of our parish, and protect those who travel. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
As your son came to proclaim the forgiveness of sins, and the gift of Life Eternal; Give to the departed eternal rest and let Light perpetual shine on them. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others, especially for those suffering from COVID-19, those on our Parish Prayer List, and those we remember now...
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
The Celebrant prays:
O Lord our God, may the Light and Hope of this season, and of your Son’s Incarnation, reassure our hearts that you are among us, that you hear our prayer, and that you will be with us always, even to the end of the age. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior born in Bethlehem, we pray. Amen.
The Peace
[BCP, p. 360]
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Parish Announcements
A. Christmas 2021-2022 Worship Schedule: Please see our full worship schedule for the seasons of Advent and Christmas below. All Services (except New Year's Eve) are both in-person and live-streamed to our Facebook page:
Please note the correction to the service on 12/31, which will be a Facebook video only (not in-person). Check out the full schedule: https://www.stmattsav.org/post/advent-christmas-season-2021-2022
Saturday, 12/25: Christmas Day - Rest and rejoice with your family!
Sunday, 12/26: 1st Sunday in Christmas - Lessons & Carols at 9:30 AM
Friday, 12/31: Eve of the Holy Name of Jesus / New Year's Eve / Watch Night - Evening Prayer ONLINE ONLY at 7:00 PM (Facebook Video)
Sunday, 1/2: 2nd Sunday in Christmas - Holy Eucharist at 9:30 AM
Thursday, 1/6: Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ - Holy Eucharist at 6:00 PM
B. T/W/Th Evening Prayer on Hiatus until 1/4: On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, St. Matthew's invites you to pray Evening Prayer over Zoom. The video will continue to stream to Facebook Live at 5:00 PM. Please join the Zoom call by 4:55 PM. Otherwise, watch the prayer service as you have been on Facebook Live.
For security purposes, below is the Meeting ID only; please check your St. Matthew's e-Newsletter for the password (or email FrGAA@StMattSav.org to request it).
Topic: Zoom Evening Prayer
Time: 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Join Zoom Meeting: See e-Newsletter
Meeting ID: 991 8577 8541
Passcode: See e-Newsletter
Dial by your location: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
Meeting ID: 991 8577 8541
Passcode: See e-Newsletter
C. Revised COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for In-Person Worship: On June 21, the Vestry authorized revised COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for in-person worship at St. Matthew's. At the October Vestry meeting, they reaffirmed the use of these guidelines and the maintenance of this temporary Sunday worship schedule.
All people in attendance are still required to wear masks that cover the nose and mouth at all times and maintain social distancing in their assigned seating areas. Click here to read the Vestry's June 2021 COVID-19 Safety Guidelines in their entirety.
The Offertory
[BCP, p. 377]
Giving to St. Matthew's: We know that many people are feeling the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The church is feeling it too. We still need your support to pay our staff, pay our bills, and provide for these online live streams. There are several ways to give, but the simplest are these:
Mail us a check or money order at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1401 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd, Savannah, GA 31415; OR
Make a secure online gift to St. Matthew’s and/or automate future gifts at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now; OR
Text “stmattsav” to 73256 to make a secure online donation through your phone.
NOTE: Donations made online (#2 or #3) through Realm incur a processing fee of about 2.5%. Please consider adding an additional 2.5% to your online gift to cover these costs.
2022 Giving Campaign: The 2022 Giving Campaign has just ended, but we have fallen short of our giving goals for 2022 General Operations. We need to raise at least $150,000 toward operations to have a balanced budget, and we are less than 50% of the way there. There are two main ways you can help:
If you forgot to submit your giving estimate, you can still do so using the online form below. You can also request a paper form from our office. Only about half of our regular pledgers submitted a giving estimate this year, so we would love to hear from the rest of you!
If you already submitted a giving estimate, it's not too late to adjust your estimate to reduce your gifts toward restricted funds and increase your gifts to general operations. Please contact Office@StMattSav.org to make any desired changes.
Alleluia! Unto us a child is born: O come, let us adore Him! Alleluia! [BCP, p. 43]
Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now
Hymn #87: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
[Verses 1-3]
1. Hark! the herald angels sing
glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic hosts proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
REFRAIN:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
glory to the newborn King!
2. Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
offspring of the virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail the incarnate Deity.
Pleased as man with us to dwell;
Jesus, our Immanuel! [REFRAIN]
3. Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.
Risen with healing in his wings,
Light and life to all he brings,
hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! [REFRAIN]
Words: Charles Wesley, Public Domain.
Music: Mendelssohn, Felix Mendelssohn, adapt. William H. Cummings, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #83988. All rights reserved.
AAHH #651: Doxology
[See also Hymn # 380, v. 3]
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Words: Thomas Ken, Public Domain.
Music: Old 100th, attributed to Louis Bourgeois, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #84260. All rights reserved.
Eucharistic Prayer B
[BCP, p. 367]
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 him 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. …
Preface of the Incarnation [BCP, p. 378]:
Because you gave Jesus Christ, your only Son, to be born for us; who, by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, was made perfect Man of the flesh of the Virgin Mary his mother; so that we might be delivered from the bondage of sin, and receive power to become your children.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
LEV #254:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
[Word: Public Domain. Music: Carl Maultsby, The Saint Mary Mass, © 1989 Malted Milk Music. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #00004C1989. All rights reserved.]
The people stand or kneel.
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 Blessed Matthew our Patron, Blessed Mary the Mother of Jesus, and 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.
The Lord’s Prayer
[BCP, p. 364]
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.
The Fraction Anthem
[BCP, p. 364, 407]
Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia!
This Far By Faith (1999) #36:
O Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy and grant us peace,
we pray, O Lamb of God.
[Words: Public Domain. Music: Grayson Warren Brown, arr. Larry Adams © 1979 Grayson Warren Brown, admin. by OCP Publications. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #81590. All rights reserved.]
Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
The Gifts of God for the people of God.
LEV #26: Silent Night, Holy Night
[Verses 1-4]
1 Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child,
Holy infant so tender and mild;
Sleep in heavenly peace.
2 Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight,
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav’nly host sing Alleluia;
Christ the Savior is born.
3 Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, loves pure light
Radiant beams from thy Holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace;
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
4 Silent night, holy night,
All is dark save the light
Yonder where thy sweet vigils keep.
O’er the Babe who in silence sleep;
Rest in heavenly peace.
Words: Joseph Mohr; Public Domain.
Music: Franz Gruber; arr. Horace Clarence Boyer © 1992 Horace Clarence Boyer.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #92350. All rights reserved.
The Post-Communion Prayer
[Enriching our Worship 2 [2000], pp. 56-57]
Let us pray.
For In-Person Worshippers:
Faithful God,
in the wonder of your wisdom and love
you fed your people in the wilderness with the bread of angels,
and you sent Jesus to be the bread of life.
We thank you for feeding us with this bread.
May it strengthen us
that by the power of the Holy Spirit
we may embody your desire
and be renewed for your service
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
For Online Worshippers and Those Receiving Spiritual Communion:
Faithful God,
in the wonder of your wisdom and love
you fed your people in the wilderness with the bread of angels,
and you sent Jesus to be the bread of life.
Though we cannot consume now these gifts of bread [and wine],
we thank you that we have received the sacrament of Christ’s presence,
the forgiveness of sins, and all other benefits of Christ’s passion.
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
may we embody your desire
and be renewed for your service
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Blessing
[The Book of Occasional Services 2018, p. 9]
May Christ, who by his Incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, fill you with his joy and peace; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.
The Dismissal
[BCP, p. 366]
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!
Thanks be to God!
The Parish Prayer List
Prayer List: Guillermo G. Arboleda, Martha Avery, Christine Brown, Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Aaron Duplechien Jr., Annie Bell Greer, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Patricia Jenkins, Steve Johnson, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Craig Maxwell, and Helen Scroggins
Birthdays: N/A
Wedding Anniversaries: N/A
Recent Deaths: N/A
May the souls of all the departed rest in peace; and may light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.
Note: This service is reproduced from The Book of Common Prayer 1979 (BCP), The Hymnal 1982 (Hymn), Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African American Hymnal (LEV), African American Heritage Hymnal (AAHH), and other sources cited. The Scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.
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