The First Sunday after Christmas December 31, 2023 9:00 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 Holy Eucharist: Rite Two The Rev. Edward L. Stein, Assisting Priest Celebrant The Liturgy is found in The Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Hymns and service music (S) are in The Hymnal 1982.
Opening Voluntary Prelude from Suite in D Major
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Hymn 96
Gloria
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 Gloria S 280
page 355 Robert Powell (b.1932)
The Collect of the Day Celebrant People Celebrant
The Lord be with you. And also with you. 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 First Reading Reader People
Hymn 115
Isaiah 61:10–62:3
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Greensleeves
The Holy Gospel
John 1:1–18
Priest
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
People
Glory to you, Lord Christ. After the Gospel reading, the Priest says The Gospel of the Lord.
People
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
The Rev. Elizabeth Parker, Assisting Priest
The Nicene Creed
page 358
The Prayers of the People
Form IV, page 388
The Peace Celebrant
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People
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 Voluntary No. 1
William Boyce (1711-1779) Tom Tillotson, trumpet
The Great Thanksgiving Celebrant
The Lord be with you.
People
And also with you.
Celebrant
Lift up your hearts.
People
We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People
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 “Where’er You Walk” from Semele Tom Tillotson, trumpet
Prayer after Communion
G. F. Handel
page 365
The Blessing Hymn 100
Antioch
The Dismissal Priest People
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Closing Voluntary
The heavenly Word proceeding forth, Op. 45 Marcel Dupré (1886-1971) We are pleased that former Cathedral Organist, Bruce Power, is playing our services this morning. Bruce served as Assistant Organist under Clyde Hollway from 1982 to 1993 and returned to be Cathedral Organist from 1996 to 2014. Bruce recently returned to Houston after a distinguished tenure at Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Shreveport, Louisiana. Our guest soloist today is trumpeter Tom Tillotson. Tom attended Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in Trumpet Performance in 1983. He performs regularly with the Paragon Brass Ensemble, the Symphony of Southeast Texas, and the Opera in the Heights orchestra. He has and continues to teach young trumpet students from all over the Greater Houston area. Refreshments are available in Reynolds Hall.
Readings this Week from the Revised Common Lectionary The Old Testament
Isaiah 61:10–62:3
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
The Epistle
Galatians 3:23–25; 4:4–7
Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
The Gospel
John 1:1–18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
The Book of Remembrance This week we remember Donald McDonald.
Welcome to Christ Church Cathedral! We are blessed by your presence. If you are new to the Cathedral, please fill out the W E L C O M E card in your pew and put it in the offering plate or give it to an usher. Tours of the Cathedral are available every Sunday following the 11 a.m. service and on the third Sunday of each month after the 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. services. If you would like a tour, meet the tour guide by the eagle lectern. Welcome Team members are in the Cathedral Bookstore after the service to visit with you and answer any questions you may have.
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 31, 2023 Announcements TODAY There is still time to fulfill your 2023 EMC pledge and to pledge for 2024 • Submit your pledge by dropping a pledge card in the offering plate or scan the QR code to pledge online. To pay a remaining pledge balance you can make a payment online, via PayPal, or even text to give by visiting: www.christchurchcathedral.org/give Questions? Contact CFO Patrick Saccomanno at psaccomanno@christchurchcathedral.org or 713-2209759. Starry Night Express • On Sunday, January 7, stargazers of all ages are welcome to join the Houston Museum of Natural Science in their Discovery Dome. Find constellations, planets, the Moon, and more from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. in Reynolds Hall. Each showing is 20 minutes, and will be offered in both English and Spanish. Registration is recommended: www. christchurchcathedral.org/starrynight Epiphany Evensong • On Sunday, January 7, join the Cathedral Choir to celebrate the feast of Epiphany. Invite a friend to start the new year with an evening of beautiful music and prayer. There will be an organ recital at 4:15 p.m., and the service will begin at 5 p.m. in place of The Well. A reception will follow Evensong, and everyone is welcome. Costa Rica Mission Trip • The deadline for registering for the mission trip to Costa Rica is January 12. The mission trip is for adults, high school youth, and eighth graders in confirmation class. To register visit: www. christchurchcathedral.org/youthcostarica Annual Parish Retreat at Camp Allen • Join your Cathedral family for the Parish Retreat at Camp Allen, January 12-14, 2024. Reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and renew your relationship with God. Questions? Stop by the cloister table on Sundays, Dec. 31 and Jan. 7. To register or learn more: www.christchurchcathedral.org/parishretreat Dean’s Hour: Secondhand Religion • Our Secondhand Religion series returns January 14 at 10 a.m. in Reynolds Hall. Dean Katz shares more on spiritual ancestors whom we celebrate as saints, whether living or dead. Annual Parish Meeting • The Cathedral’s annual parish meeting will be held Sunday, January 21 during the 10 o’clock hour in Reynolds Hall. All are welcome to hear an update on the Cathedral and elect new vestry members. Live translation of English to Spanish will be available. Childcare is available during worship services • Follow Agnus the Lamb to the Jones Building where you can find childcare for various ages (6 weeks–5 yrs). Have questions? Contact KariAnn Lessner at kalessner@christchurchcathedral.org For more information about these and other events at the Cathedral, visit www.christchurchcathedral.org. After-Hours Emergency Pastoral Care Line • 713-826-5332