Sunday Worship on December 7, 2025
- Lysa Rodriguez
- 12 minutes ago
- 16 min read
The Holy Eucharist
2nd Sunday of Advent (Year A)
December 7, 2025 at 9:30 AM
St. Matthew's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/stmattsav
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The Holy Eucharist: Enriching Our Worship
Note: In Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany Seasons, St. Matthew's will use prayers from Enriching Our Worship 1 (1997). Enriching Our Worship is a series of supplemental worship resources for The Episcopal Church. One of its objectives is to honor the experience of women by providing gender-neutral language for God in its prayers, expanding the Church's vocabulary of prayer from other parts of Scripture and Christian Tradition. There are changes, small and great, throughout the service, so pay attention and ask questions during our Christian Education Hour.
Hymn #59: Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Souding
The Opening Acclamation
Blessed are you, holy and living One.
You come to your people and set them free.
Lighting the Advent Wreath
[Adapted from BCP, p. 108 and https://www.saltproject.org/progressive-christian-blog/advent-candle-lighting-litanies]
The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night, but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down or your moon withdraw itself, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. (Isaiah 60:19-20)
Light each candle with the following words, always beginning with the 1st Sunday’s candle.
Because injustice and despair threaten to overwhelm us,
We pray for hope.
Because so many swords have not yet been beaten into plowshares,
We pray for peace.
The Penitential Order
[BCP, p. 352; EOW1, p. 56]
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
The Deacon (or Celebrant) says
Let us confess our sins to God.
Silence may be kept. All pray together, kneeling, as they are able,
God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.
The Bishop, when present, or the Priest, stands and says:
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
S-96: Kyrie
Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy
Have mercy, O Lord!
The Collect of the Day
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.
A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 122
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
1 Give the King your justice, O God, *
and your righteousness to the King's Son;
2 That he may rule your people righteously *
and the poor with justice;
3 That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *
and the little hills bring righteousness.
4 He shall defend the needy among the people; *
he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.
5 He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one generation to another.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *
like showers that water the earth.
7 In his time shall the righteous flourish; *
there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, *
who alone does wondrous deeds!
19 And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! *
and may all the earth be filled with his glory. Amen. Amen.
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name"; and again he says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people"; and again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him"; and again Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope." May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn #75: There’s a Voice In The Wilderness Crying
The People stand, as they are able, for the reading of the Gospel.
The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ According to St. Matthew
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Hymn #75: There’s a Voice In The Wilderness Crying
The Sermon
The Nicene Creed
[EOW1, p. 53]
All standing as they are able, the People pray:
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://theadventproject.org/Documents/adventpop.pdf, based on the "Great O Antiphons" of Advent, which inspired the lyrics to Hymn #56 - "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"]
Sisters and Brothers, as we joyfully await the full manifestation of God’s Reign in Christ, let us pray for the needs of the church and the world, saying, “Come, Lord Jesus.”
O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High and reach from beginning to end, mightily and sweetly ordering all things. Behold and bless your church, remembering especially Sean our presiding bishop, Frank our Bishop, Terry and Rachael our wardens, our vestry and delegates, and all leaders in this parish. Be present in ordering the life of this and every congregation.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O Adonai, God of the Covenant, ruler of the house of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and on Mount Sinai gave your law. Forgive us when we stray from your guidance and will.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O Root of Jesse, you stand as an emblem to humankind; before you rulers will shut their mouths, and nations bow in worship: We pray for your peace and justice in every nation and throughout the world; be present to all whose lives are ravaged by war and strife; especially we hold before you those from among us who serve their country abroad. Guide the leaders of this and every land into the paths of peace and goodwill.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, you open and no one can shut, you shut and no one can open: Guide us in opening the doors of opportunity for the unemployed, for the homeless, for prisoners, and for all who are oppressed; and lead us in closing the doors that lead to poverty, bigotry, and injustice.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O King and Desire of the Nations, you are the cornerstone that makes us one: We lift up all who are suffering and in need, especially.........: Tend the sick, give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous and help us minister to them in your love.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O Dayspring, radiance of the Light Eternal and Sun of Righteousness: Shine your light on those who have died; and those we name now… ; bring comfort to all those who mourn.
Come, Lord Jesus!
O Emmanuel, God with us, Expected One and Savior, We give thanks for all the blessings of this life; for all who celebrate birthdays and anniversaries especially..... and for the other blessings we now name silently or aloud… . Make each of us ready to receive you into our hearts, to serve you in all whom we meet, and to greet you in the fullness of your glory in the day of your appearing.
Come, Lord Jesus!
The Celebrant concludes with the following or another suitable Collect...
Quicken, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
The Peace
The peace of the Christ be always with you.
And also with you.
Parish Announcements
The Offertory
[BCP, p. 376]
Giving to St. Matthew's:
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.
Through Christ let us continually offer to God the sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his Name. But to do good and to distribute, forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. [Hebrews 13:15-16]
Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now
Offertory Hymn: Choir
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!
Praise him all creatures here below!
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer 1
[EOW1, p. 57]
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 our thanks and praise.
It is truly right, and good and joyful, to give you thanks, all-holy God, source of life and fountain of mercy 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, joining with Angels and Archangels and with the faithful of every generation, we lift our voices with all creation as we sing:
Hymn S-125:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might
Heaven and earth are full, full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna in the highest!
[Music: Franz Peter Schubert from Deutsche Messe; arr. Richard Proulx, Copyright © 1985, 1989 G.I.A. Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #00210. All rights reserved.]
The people stand or kneel.
Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of the universe and giver of life. You formed us in your own image and called us to dwell in your infinite love. You gave the world into our care that we might be your faithful stewards and show forth your bountiful grace.
But we failed to honor your image in one another and in ourselves; we would not see your goodness in the world around us; and so we violated your creation, abused one another, and rejected your love. Yet you never ceased to care for us, and prepared the way of salvation for all people.
Through Abraham and Sarah, you called us into covenant with you. You delivered us from slavery, sustained us in the wilderness, and raised up prophets to renew your promise of salvation. Then, in the fullness of time, you sent your eternal Word, made mortal flesh in Jesus. Born into the human family, and dwelling among us, he revealed your glory. Giving himself freely to death on the cross, he triumphed over evil, opening the way of freedom and life.
On the night before he died for us, Our Savior Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his friends, and said: “Take, eat: This is my Body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
As supper was ending, Jesus 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 poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of faith:
LEV #260:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
[Music: Hezekiah Brinson, Jr., Copyright © 1990 Hezekiah Brinson, Jr. All Rights Reserved.]
Remembering his death and resurrection, we now present to you from your creation this bread and this wine. By your Holy Spirit, may they be for us the Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. Grant that we who share these gifts may be filled with the Holy Spirit and live as Christ’s Body in the world. Bring us into the everlasting heritage of your daughters and sons, that with Blessed Mary the Mother of God, Blessed Matthew our Patron, and all your saints, past, present, and yet to come, we may praise your Name for ever.
Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
Our Father, which 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
Silence may be kept.
The Fraction Anthems
We break this bread to share in the Body of Christ.
We who are many are one body, for we all share in the one bread.
LEV 269:
Jesus, Lamb of God: have mercy on us
Jesus, Bearer of our Sins: have mercy on us
Jesus, Redeemer, Redeemer of the World:
Give us your peace, give us your peace!
Look! Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The Gifts of God for the people of God.
The Distribution of Holy Communion
All baptized Christians of any denomination are invited to come forward to participate fully in Communion. Baptized children may receive at the discretion of their parents.
You may receive Communion kneeling or standing. Please extend your hands forward to receive the Body of Christ (bread). If you would like to receive the Blood of Christ (wine), the minister will take the bread from your hand and dip (intinct) it in the wine for you, then place it in your mouth. If you would only like to receive the bread, you may consume it and return to your seat.
If you need gluten-free bread for Communion, please raise your hand when you are at the altar rail.
If you would not like to receive Communion for any reason, please cross your arms over your chest, and the Priest will say a blessing over you.
If you are worshipping online, you may pray to receive spiritual communion using the following prayer:
In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.
LEV #8: Deep River
LEV #7: I Want To Be Ready
The Post-Communion Prayer
[EOW1, p. 69; Enriching our Worship 2 (2000), pp. 56-57]
Let us pray.
For In-Person Worshippers:
God of abundance, you have fed us with the bread of life and cup of salvation; you have united us with Christ and one another; and you have made us one with all your people in heaven and on earth. Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue forever in the risen life of 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 of the People
[BOS, p. 10]
May Almighty God, by whose providence our Savior Christ came among us in great humility, sanctify 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, joyful 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 Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.
Hymn #65: Prepare The Way, O Zion
The Dismissal
Let us go forth in the name of Christ!
Thanks be to God!
The Parish Prayer List
PRAYER LIST: Jackie Beasley, Lazola Cope, Joenelle Gordon, David Jones, Milburn Lewis, Jessica Mathis, Marion Mathis, Rene James Nails, Jameel Newton, Joshua Tyson, Jewel Wheeler
BIRTHDAYS: Monica Gray-Williams, LaShon Washington
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES:
RECENT DEATHS: May the souls of all the departed rest in peace; and may light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.
Permissions and Credits: This service is reproduced from Enriching Our Worship 1 (EOW1), The Book of Common Prayer 1979 (BCP), The Hymnal 1982 (Hymn), Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African American Hymnal (LEV), and other sources cited. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, December 9th | Evening Prayer @ 5:00 |
Wednesday, December 10th | Evening Prayer @ 5:00 Book Study @ 5:30 |
Thursday, December 11th | Evening Prayer @ 5:00 |
Sunday, December 14th | 3rd Sunday of Advent @ 9:30 Lessons and Carols |
Tuesday, December 15th | Evening Prayer @ 5:00 Book Study @ 5:30 |
Wednesday, December 17th | Evening Prayer @ 5:00 Daycare Dinner @ 5:30 |
Thursday, December 18th | Evening Prayer @ 5:00 Blue Christmas Service @ St. George Episcopal @ 6:30 |
Sunday, December 21st | 4th Sunday of Advent Blue Christmas Service @ 5:00 |
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