The First Sunday of Advent December 3, 2023 9 a.m. We welcome you to Christ Church Cathedral. Since 1839, this Christian community has gathered for worship. To learn more about the ministries we share in this place, you are invited to fill in one of the welcome cards found in the pew rack. We are glad you are here! The Cathedral is equipped with a hearing loop for assisted listening via telecoil.
Holy Eucharist: Rite Two The Rev. Canon Bradley Varnell Celebrant The Liturgy is found in The Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Hymns and service music (S) are in The Hymnal 1982.
Opening Voluntary
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Chorale Prelude on Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659
Hymn 56 (verses 1-3)
Veni, veni, Emmanuel
The Word of God Celebrant People
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. BCP page 355 And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
The Collect for Purity Trisagion S 102
page 355 Alexander Archangelsky (1846–1924)
The Trisagion is sung three times, first by the cantor and then twice by the congregation and choir.
The Collect of the Day Celebrant People Celebrant
The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray.
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The First Reading Reader People
Hymn 59
Isaiah 64:1–9
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Merton
The Holy Gospel Priest People
Mark 13:24-37
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark. Glory to you, Lord Christ. After the Gospel reading, the Priest says The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ.
People
Children’s Sermon and Lighting of the Advent Wreath KariAnn Lessner, Minister for Children and Families
The Sermon
The Very Rev. Nathaniel Katz, Dean
The Nicene Creed
page 358
The Prayers of the People
Form IV, page 388
The General Confession
page 360
The Peace Celebrant People
The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you.
The People greet one another in the name of the Lord, after which the people are seated for brief announcements.
The Holy Communion Offerings of alms and bread and wine are received.
At the Offertory Anthem
Virgil T. Ford (1922-2005)
Salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it. Sing and rejoice, I come, says the Lord. I come and will dwell in the midst of you. — Romans 13:11; Isaiah 40:5; Zechariah 2:10
The Great Thanksgiving Celebrant People Celebrant People Celebrant People
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.
We praise you and we bless you, holy and gracious God, source of life abundant. From before time you made ready the creation. Your Spirit moved over the deep And brought all things into being: sun, moon, and stars; earth, winds, and waters; and every living thing. You made us in your image, and taught us to walk in your ways. But we rebelled against you, and wandered far away; and yet, as a mother cares for her children, you would not forget us. Time and again you called us to live in the fullness of your love. And so this day we join with saints and angels in the chorus of praise that rings through eternity, lifting our voices to magnify you as we sing:
Sanctus and Benedictus S 129
Robert Powell (b.1932)
The Eucharistic Prayer continues Glory and honor and praise to you, holy and living God. To deliver us from the power of sin and death and to reveal the riches of your grace, you looked with favor upon Mary, your willing servant, that she might conceive and bear a son, Jesus the holy child of God. Living among us, Jesus loved us. He broke bread with outcasts and sinners, healed the sick, and proclaimed good news to the poor. He yearned to draw all the world to himself yet we were heedless of his call to walk in love. Then, time came for him to complete upon the cross the sacrifice of his life, and to be glorified by you. On the night before he died for us, Jesus was at table with his friends. He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke it, and gave it to them, 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. Again, he gave thanks to you, 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.” Now gathered at your table, O God of all creation, and remembering Christ, crucified and risen, who was and is and is to come, we offer to you our gifts of bread and wine, and ourselves, a living sacrifice. Pour out your Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Body and Blood of Christ. Breathe your Spirit over the whole earth and make us your new creation, the Body of Christ given for the world you have made. In the fullness of time bring us, with all your saints, from every tribe and language and people and nation, to feast at the banquet prepared from the foundation of the world. 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
page 364
The Breaking of the Bread Celebrant People
Alleluia, Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
The sacrament of Holy Communion has been precious to Christians for 2,000 years. It is a way in which many sense the reality of God’s forgiveness, our union with God and each other, and the eternal life to which we belong. Please know that you do not have to be an Episcopalian to receive Communion. To receive, you may kneel or stand at the altar rail. Receive the Bread in the palm of your hand and the Wine either by drinking from the cup or by intinction, touching the Bread to the Wine. Gluten-free Bread is available; simply ask at the altar rail. If you need Communion brought to you in the pew, please tell an usher.
At the Administration Anthem
Es ist ein Ros harm. Michael Praetorius (1571-1621)
Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming From tender stem hath sprung! Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as seers of old have sung. It came, a blossom bright, amid the cold of winter, when half spent was the night.
Isaiah ‘twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind; with Mary we behold it, the Virgin Mother kind. To show God’s love aright, she bore to us a Savior, when half spent was the night. — St. 1-2, anon. German, circa 16th c.; tr. Theodore Baker (1851-1934); St. 3, Friedrich Layritz (1808-1859); tr. Harriet R.K. Spaeth (1845-1925)
Prayer after Communion
page 365
The Blessing Hymn 58
St. Thomas
The Dismissal Priest People
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Closing Voluntary
Johann Sebastian Bach Chorale Prelude on Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, BWV 599 Visitor information and refreshments are available in Reynolds Hall.
Readings this Week from the Revised Common Lectionary The Old Testament
Isaiah 64:1–9
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence — as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil — to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.
The Epistle
1 Corinthians 1:3–9
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind — just as the testimony of Christ has been continued on next page
continued from previous page strengthened among you — so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Gospel
Mark 13:24–37
Jesus said, “In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake — for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
The Book of Remembrance This week we remember Michael Nelson Becker. The Beauty of Flowers The flowers on the Cathedral Altar are given to the glory of God in loving memory of Linda Anne Baldwin and Dorothy Geiselman Baldwin by the family of Robert B. Baldwin III. The greenery and candles in the Advent wreath in the Cathedral are given to the glory of God in thanksgiving for the life and work of Dr. James Reed Cox. The greenery and candles in the Advent wreath in Golding Chapel are given to the glory of God and in thanksgiving for the life and work of Ardell Ray Jr.
Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with a concealed handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a concealed handgun. Pursuant to Section 30.07, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with an openly carried handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a handgun that is carried openly. Please be advised that our services are livestreamed to Vimeo and Facebook. Your participation in the service serves as your consent to the broadcast of your image and voice and to the broadcast of the image and voice of your participating minor children.
Welcome
Sunday, December 3, 2023 Announcements TODAY Dean’s Hour - Secondhand Religion • Our Secondhand Religion series returns today at 10 a.m. in Reynolds Hall. The Dean and members of the Cathedral community will introduce spiritual ancestors whom we celebrate as saints, whether living or dead. Bishop Doyle joins Dean Katz in conversation on Dec. 10. Poinsettia Memorial • Poinsettias can be given in memory or honor of someone special this Christmas for $15 per plant. Donations made on or before Dec. 6 will be listed in the Christmas dedications booklet. Visit the table in the Cloister or order online at: www. christchurchcathedral.org/ poinsettias Pick up your Christmas Wreaths • Those who ordered wreaths and garlands from the choir sale may pick them up in Sanders Hall today, from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 3:45-4:45 p.m. Advent Lessons and Carols • The Cathedral Choir ushers in Advent with its annual service of Advent Lessons and Carols, in place of The Well, at 5 p.m. Start your Advent with this beautiful service and the reception that follows. More about upcoming services, visit: www.christchurchcathedral. org/christmas Christmas at the Cathedral • On Saturday, Dec. 9, the Mission Outreach Council and Kids Hope partner to host a festive celebration for the children of Bruce Elementary School. Volunteers are needed, as well as donations of children’s Christmas gifts. Learn more and sign up to volunteer at: www. christchurchcathedral.org/christmasatthecathedral Las Posadas and Gran Posada • All are welcome to commemorate the journey of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge where Mary could give birth to the baby Jesus. Join us each night Dec. 16-23 from 7-9 p.m. in various locations. The Gran Posada and Sancocho Supper will be held on Sunday, Dec. 17, in Reynolds Hall at 6 p.m. For more details and contact information visit: www.christchurchcathedral.org/posadas Christmas Camp • Join us Saturday, Dec. 16, 9:30 -11:30 a.m. in the Cathedral to choose costumes, play games, make crafts, and run through the basic highlights of the Christmas pageant as we prepare to welcome the Christ child. Our pageant will be held Christmas Eve at the 4 p.m. service, and attending the rehearsal is not required. All are welcome to participate. Make your Every Member Canvass Pledge • There’s still time to make your annual pledge! Submit your pledge by dropping a pledge card in the offering plate or scan the QR code to pledge online. Questions? Contact CFO Patrick Saccomanno at psaccomanno@christchurchcathedral.org or 713-220-9759. Looking for Children’s Ministry • Follow Agnus to the Jones Building where you can find Sunday School at 10 a.m. for ages 2 years–5th grade, as well as childcare for infants (6 weeks–5 yrs), or the Huffington Playground. Have questions? Contact KariAnn Lessner at kalessner@christchurchcathedral.org After-Hours Emergency Pastoral Care Line • 713-826-5332