The Second Sunday of Advent December 10, 2023 11 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.
The Service of Baptism, Confirmation, and The Holy Eucharist: Rite One The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of Texas Celebrant The Liturgy is found in The Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Hymns and service music (S) are in The Hymnal 1982.
Opening Voluntary
Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) Allegretto from Organ Sonata No. 4 in B Flat major
Choral Introit
Tone VII V. O people of Sion, behold, the Lord is nigh at hand to redeem the nations: R. And in the gladness of your heart the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard.
Hymn 56 (verses 1, 3, and 4)
Veni, veni, Emmanuel
The Word of God Bishop People Bishop People Bishop People
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. BCP page 299 And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen. There is one Body and one Spirit; There is one hope in God’s call to us; One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism; One God and Father of all.
The Collect of the Day Bishop People Bishop
The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray.
Merciful God, who sent thy 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 liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The First Reading Reader People
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Isaiah 40:1–11
Psalm 85:1–2, 8–13
Simplified Anglican chant
You have been gracious to your land, O / LORD, * you have restored the good fortune of / Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of your / people * and blotted out all their / sins. I will listen to what the LORD God is / saying, * for he is speaking peace to his faithful people and to those who turn their / hearts to him. Truly, his salvation is very near to those who / fear him, * that his glory may dwell in our / land. Mercy and truth have met to/gether; * righteousness and peace have kissed each / other. Truth shall spring up from the /earth, * and righteousness shall look down from / heaven. The LORD will indeed grant pros/perity, * and our land will yield its / increase. Righteousness shall go be/fore him, * and peace shall be a pathway for his / feet.
The Second Reading
2 Peter 3:8–15a
Hymn 65
Bereden väg för Herran
Alleluia
Tone II
V. Alleluia. Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight; R. And all flesh shall see the salvation of our God. Alleluia.
The Holy Gospel Priest People
Mark 1:1–8
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark. Glory be to thee, O Lord. After the Gospel reading, the Priest says
People
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise be to thee, O Christ.
The Sermon
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of Texas
Presentation and Examination of the Candidates
page 301
The Baptismal Covenant
page 304
Prayers for the Candidates
page 305
Thanksgiving over the Water
page 306
The Baptism
page 307
The Confirmations and Reaffirmations
page 309
The Peace Bishop People
The peace of the Lord be always with you. And with thy spirit.
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. Loose plate offerings from today’s service will be given to the Bishop’s discretionary fund.
At the Offertory Anthem
Felix Mendelssohn
How lovely are the messengers that preach us the gospel of peace! To all the nations is gone forth the sound of their words, throughout all the lands their glad tidings. — Romans 10:15, 18
The Great Thanksgiving
Eucharistic Prayer II, page 340
Sursum Corda S 112 Sanctus and Benedictus S 117
James McGregor (1930–2022)
The Eucharistic Prayer continues
page 341
Fraction Anthem Bishop People
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Agnus Dei S 157
John Merbecke (c.1518–c.1585)
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 Otto Goldschmidt (1829–1907) A tender shoot has started up from a root of grace, As ancient seers imparted from Jesse’s holy race: It blooms without a blight, blooms in the cold bleak winter, Turning our darkness into light. This shoot, Isaiah taught us, from Jesse’s root should spring; The virgin Mary brought us the branch of which we sing: Our God of endless might gave her this child to save us, Thus turning darkness into light. — Otto Goldschmidt, tr. William Bartholomew (1793–1867)
Prayer after Communion
page 339
The Blessing Hymn 73
St. Stephen
The Dismissal Priest People
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Closing Voluntary
Felix Mendelssohn Allegro maestoso e vivace from Organ Sonata No. 4 in B Flat major, Op. 65 To learn the history of Christ Church Cathedral, meet the tour guide by the lectern after the service.
Readings this Week from the Revised Common Lectionary The Old Testament
Isaiah 40:1–11
Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
The Epistle
2 Peter 3:8–15a
Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.
The Gospel
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.”
The Book of Remembrance This week we remember Nell Walker Jeffers. The Beauty of Flowers The flowers on the Cathedral Altar are given to celebrate the Advent needlepoint hangings to the glory of God in loving memory of Geraldine Campbell Naschke and her beloved husband John Hess Naschke by their three daughters Kathy Stites, Nancy Simonds and Gerrie Bielefeld. The flowers on the Cathedral Altar also are given to the glory of God in loving memory of Ann Randolph Bledsoe and in thanksgiving for Nancy Staub Wareing by their children.
Christmas Services Christmas Eve
Sunday, December 24
4 p.m.
8 p.m.
Family Eucharist, Rite II,
Choral Eucharist, Rite II, with Parish Choir (Childcare is available)
and the Christmas Play (Childcare is available)
10:30 p.m.
6 p.m.
Prelude with Cathedral Choir and Instrumentalists
Festival Eucharist, Rite II, in Spanish
11 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Festival Eucharist, Rite I, with the Cathedral Choir and Instrumentalists
Organ Prelude
Christmas Day Monday, December 25 10 a.m. Eucharist and Carols 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 10, 2023 Announcements TODAY Reception Celebrating Confirmands • In celebration of those being confirmed and received today, you’re invited to join us in the Bishop’s Courtyard following worship for a time of fellowship and refreshments. Las Posadas and Gran Posada begin Saturday • 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 5:45 p.m. For details 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. Annual Parish Retreat at Camp Allen • Join your Cathedral family for the Parish Retreat at Camp Allen, Jan. 12–14, 2024. Reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and renew your relationship with God. To register or learn more, visit: www.christchurchcathedral.org/parishretreat Christmas Movie: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” • During the 10 o’clock hour next Sunday, Dec. 17, all parishioners are invited to join us in Reynolds Hall for a viewing of the Christmas classic, “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer.” The Longest Night Service • This is a tender, candle-lit service that provides a reflection on loss and hope. Join us in the Cathedral on Wed., Dec. 20, 6 p.m., as we hold space for sorrow and struggles alongside joy. This service will also be livestreamed for those who may not be able to attend in-person. Costa Rica Mission Trip • The deadline for registering for the mission trip to Costa Rica is Jan. 12. The mission trip is for adults, high school youth, and eighth graders in confirmation class. To register visit: www. christchurchcathedral.org/youthcostarica 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. Sunday School • Each Sunday we gather together as a community and grow in our faith through teaching and discussion. Classes are offered for children and youth each Sunday from 10-11 a.m. and Latino ministries from 1-2:30 p.m. Learn more and register at: www.christchurchcathedral. org/sundayschool For more information about these and other events at the Cathedral, visit www.christchurchcathedral.org After-Hours Emergency Pastoral Care Line • 713-826-5332