Welcome! In the name of Christ we welcome everyone to our worship for the fourth Sunday of Advent. We welcome Canon Sharon Alexander as our officiant, visiting us virtually from the Diocese of West Tennessee.
This week our music is supplied by Rhonda Stanton and Zoë Pouliot. The scriptures in our service are read by members of Grace, Jim Lacey and Marylouise Policastro, with the Fowlkes family presiding over the candle-lighting.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Christmas Eve Service: We will post a video of the Christmas Eve service at 4:00 PM on Christmas Eve. Thank you to everyone who put in extra time to make this happen! YOUR PART: send us a festive selfie of yourself/your household to be included in a montage in this video but you have to do it by 8 PM TONIGHT! Email your selfie to Kathy at kathile@gmail.com and she’ll make sure it gets to the right person. But only if you get it to her by 8 PM. We do want as many Grace Church members as possible. This means you.
Office hours: are currently reduced to Tuesday and Friday from 9-2.
Advent Food Drive: please continue to buy extra non-perishable food and toiletries and drop those off in Ketchum Hall during office hours for the food pantry we’re working with. If the office hours timeframe is hard for you, let Wilma know and she’ll arrange to meet you at a convenient time.
Downtown Churches Advent Walk – this online version of the annual tradition is beautiful, and thanks to Pam Evans, Rhonda and Zoë, Grace Church was beautifully represented among the downtown churches. Link here: https://fb.watch/2bwRf9KYOj/
Grace Church’s Members’ Facebook Group – If you’re a member at Grace and would like to join this private Facebook group, please let us know by dropping a message here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/144532786973966/ It’s a way we can keep up with one another during this time when we’re not gathering together in person.
Children’s Resources
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Prelude: Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella – piano solo
Candle-lighting
Opening Hymn: Awake, awake, and greet the new morn
1 Awake! Awake and greet the new morn,
for angels herald its dawning.
sing out your joy, for Jesus is born,
behold! the Child of our longing.
Come as a baby weak and poor,
to bring all hearts together,
to open wide the heavenly door,
and lives now inside us forever.
2 To us, to all in sorrow and fear,
Emmanuel comes a-singing,
whose humble song is quiet and near,
yet fills the earth with its ringing.
Music to heal the broken soul
and hymns of loving kindness,
the thunder of the anthems roll
to shatter all hate and injustice.
3 In deepest night Christ’s coming shall be,
when all the world is despairing,
as morning light so quiet and free,
so warm and gentle and caring.
One without voice breaks forth in song,
a lame one leaps in wonder,
the weak are raised above the strong,
and weapons are broken asunder.
4 Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night,
though cold the winter and cheerless,
the rising sun shall crown you with light,
be strong and loving and fearless;
Love be our song and love our prayer,
and love, our endless story,
may God fill every day we share,
and bring us at last into glory.
Collect of the Day
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.
Advent Hymn: O come, o come, Emmanuel
O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid thou our sad divisions cease
and be thyself our King of Peace. Refrain
Refrain: Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Canticle 15 – ‘The Song of Mary’
Second Reading: Romans 16:25-27
Gospel Hymn: #265 The angel Gabriel from heaven came
1. The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
“All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
2. “For know a blessed Mother thou shalt be,
all generations laud and honor thee,
thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
3. Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
“my soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name.”
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!
4. Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say–
“Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
Gospel Reading: Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Sermon
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.
Hymn: My soul gives glory to my God
1 My soul gives glory to my God,
My heart pours out its praise.
God lifted up my lowliness
In many marvelous ways.
2 My God has done great things for me:
Yes, holy is this Name.
All people will declare me blessed,
And blessings they shall claim.
3 From age to age to all who fear,
Such mercy love imparts,
Dispensing justice far and near,
Dismissing selfish hearts.
4 Love casts the mighty from their thrones,
Promotes the insecure,
Leaves hungry spirits satisfied;
The rich seem suddenly poor.
5 Praise God, whose loving covenant
Supports those in distress,
Remembering past promises
With present faithfulness.
Prayers of the People
Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;
That we all may be one.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and
humbly serve you;
That your Name may be glorified by all people.
We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;
That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and
Sacraments.
We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations
of the world;
That there may be justice and peace on the earth.
Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;
That our works may find favor in your sight.
Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble;
That they may be delivered from their distress.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions.
Closing Hymn: 66 Come thou long expected Jesus
1 Come, thou long expected Jesus
born to set Thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in Thee.
2 Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
3 Born thy people to deliver,
born a child, and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
4 By thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by Ttne all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
this image is included in the wonderful Godly Play lesson called The Mystery of Christmas