Service Leaflet - January 3, 2021 (Holy Eucharist)

The Second Sunday after Christmas Day

8:45 A.M. and 11:15 A.M.

The Holy Eucharist in Social Distance for the Common Good

The Reverend Julia B. Mitchener, Celebrant

The Reverend Theophus “Thee” Smith, Ph.D., Preacher

Grace and peace to you! We are the Body of Christ, connected spiritually and emotionally, and visually, even when we cannot gather together in person. Prepared in social distance for the common good, this liturgy honors the patterns of our tradition and is intended to facilitate our continued common prayer, as we share spiritual communion.

Voluntary

The Holy Boy: A Carol of the Nativity

John Ireland (1879-1962)

The Welcome

THE WORD OF GOD

The Opening Hymn: 93

music: Regent Square, Henry Thomas Smart (1813-1879) words: James Montgomery (1771-1854), alt.

Angels, from the realms of glory, wing your flight o’er all the earth; ye, who sang creation’s story, now proclaim Messiah’s birth: come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King. Shepherds in the field abiding, watching o’er your flocks by night, God with you is now residing; yonder shines the infant Light: come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King. Sages, leave your contemplations; brighter visions beam afar; seek the great Desire of nations; ye have seen his natal star: come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King. Saints before the altar bending, watching long in hope and fear, suddenly the Lord, descending, in his temple shall appear: come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King.

The Opening Acclamation

Celebrant: Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

All: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

The Collect for Purity

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Collect of the Day: Second Sunday after Christmas

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

Celebrant: Let us pray. O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Epistle: Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a

Lector: A Reading from The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.

Lector: The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

The Gradual: Psalm 84

Anglican chant: Edward Bairstow BCP, p. 707

1 How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts! * My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God. 2 The sparrow has found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; * by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. 3 Happy are they who dwell in your house! * they will always be praising you. 4 Happy are the people whose strength is in you! * whose hearts are set on the pilgrims’ way. 5 Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, * for the early rains have covered it with pools of water. 6 They will climb from height to height, * and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion. 7 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; * hearken, O God of Jacob. 8 Behold our defender, O God; * and look upon the face of your Anointed. 9 For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room, * and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked. 10 For the Lord God is both sun and shield; * he will give grace and glory; 11 No good thing will the Lord withhold * from those who walk with integrity. 12 O Lord of hosts, * happy are they who put their trust in you!

The Sequence: Hymn 517

music: Brother Jame’s Air, J. L. Mcbeth Bain (1840?–1925) words: Para. of Psalm 84; sts. 1–2, The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, alt.; sts. 3–4, Carl P. Daw, Jr. (b. 1944)

How lovely is thy dwelling-place, O Lord of hosts, to me! My thirsty soul desires and longs within thy courts to be; my very heart and flesh cry out, O living God, for thee. Beside thine altars, gracious Lord, the swallows find a nest; how happy they who dwell with thee and praise thee without rest, and happy they whose hearts are set upon the pilgrim’s quest. They who go through the desert vale will find it filled with springs, and they shall climb from height to height till Zion’s temple rings with praise to thee, in glory throned, Lord God, great King of kings. One day within thy courts excels a thousand spent away; how happy they who keep thy laws nor from thy precepts stray, for thou shalt surely bless all those who live the words they pray.

The Holy Gospel: Luke 2:41-52

Gospeler: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

All: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem every year for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

Gospeler: The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Thee Smith

The 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.

The Prayers of the People

We offer the concerns of our lives, with the congregation responding, “Hear our prayer.” Join us today and throughout the week in praying for all of those on our parish prayer list, found after “Parish Notices.”

Intercessor: Almighty God, give us grace, we pray, with your whole Church, to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Within the Anglican Communion of Churches, we pray for the Episcopal / Anglican Province of Alexandria. Within the Episcopal Church, we pray for Michael, our Presiding Bishop; for the Diocese of Atlanta; for Robert, our bishop; and for all lay and ordained ministers. Within this Cathedral parish, we pray for our ministry of the day: The Cathedral Clergy and Staff. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Intercessor: Stir up your power, O Lord, and guide this country and those who are called to lead. We pray for Donald, our President; for Joe, our President-elect; for the Congress and the Courts; for Brian, our Governor; and for Keisha, our Mayor. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Intercessor: Help and deliver those who are sick, suffering, isolated, or oppressed, or in any need or trouble. We pray for those on our prayer list. Let us pray, either silently or aloud, for our own needs and those of others. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Intercessor: Grant to the departed entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of your saints. We pray for those who have died. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Intercessor: Receive our thanks, gracious God, for the many blessings of this life. Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Celebrant: Hasten, 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 Confession

Celebrant: Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence may be kept.

All: Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The Absolution

Celebrant: Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

The Peace

The Celebrant says: The peace of the Lord be always with you.

All: And also with you.

The Parish Notices

Those for whom prayers have been requested:

For Immediate Needs: Penny Barnett, Vivian Johnson, Dot Oscher, Dave Thompson Long Term Prayers: R. Huntley Allen, Anne Bao, Edgar & Judith Beach, Perry Benton, Virginia Bicksler, Jeff Bonnell, Elizabeth Brannon, Michael Carrin, Heather Clark, Sharon Crews, Terry Dornbush, Sarah duBignon, Deborah Ellington, Dan Elson, Jenny Ham, Barbara Johnson, Louise Kan, John Patrick Kelly, Lisa Krysiak, Sandy Land, Carol McDonald, Glenn Miller, Ashley Minear, Royce Mitchell, Laura Moore, Susan Myers, Charlie Neal, Linus Nickel, Marion Palmore, Beth Pitzer, Garry Pryor, Rowland Radford, Rubye & Wayne Reid, Lorraine Reynolds, Tommy Ripley, Agnes Elizabeth Robertson, Fred Rudolph, Louis “Skip” Schueddig, Tommy Truesdale, Faye Van Winkle, Michael Wood For Family & Friends: Bettina Bass, Bella Bond, David Bond, Jo Callaway, Lynn Chandler, Roy Eugene Chatham, Andrew Clark, Vickie & Bob Coffman, Marie Corrigan, Robyn Kim Crennan, Carleton Fuller, Lamont Glover, Marilynn Hill, Cadel Ingraham, Stephen Jones, Robin Kemp, Grace Lawson, Pete Livezey, Lauren Makhlouf, Pat Martin, Marge Massey, Michelle Maxwell, Katie McCae, John Mitchell, Betsy Moore, Mary Nelson, Steven Norman, Lawrence Oakley, James Sands, John Sewell, Patricia Schooley, Steve Shaw, Cindy Snell, Paul Sturtz, Caroline Southerland, Tina Susco, Yvonne Tate, Pierson Thames, Jeffrey Thomas, Wayne Thurman, Roger Traylor, Matt & Brandy Wackerle, Ron M. Wallace, Roslyn White, Whit A. Wright, William L. Wright, Hollis Youngner

THE HOLY COMMUNION

The Offertory

At the time of the Offertory, you may offer whatever you have to God. Each of us has something to offer, and every one of those offerings is accepted by God. In a few minutes, when the celebrant prays the Eucharistic Prayer, God blesses all those offerings, wherever they are today.

If you would like to make a financial offering to the ministry of the Cathedral, you may do so by visiting: cathedralATL.org/contribute.

The Offertory Anthem

music: Expectans expectavi, Charles Wood (1866-1926) words: Charles Hamilton Sorley (1895-1915), alt.

This sanctuary of my soul, Unwitting I keep pure and whole, Unlatched and lit, if Thou shouldst care To enter or to tarry there. With parted lips and outstretched hands And list’ning ears Thy servant stands. Call Thou early, call Thou late, To Thy great service dedicate. My soul, keep pure, and whole.

The Great Thanksgiving

Eucharistic Prayer B, The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), p. 367

Celebrant: The Lord be with you. All: And also with you. Celebrant: Lift up your hearts. All: We lift them to the Lord. Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. All: It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Celebrant: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

Because you gave Jesus Christ, your only Son, to be born for us; who, by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, was made perfect Man of the flesh of the Virgin Mary his mother; so that we might be delivered from the bondage of sin, and receive power to become your children.

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

The Sanctus and Benedictus

S 128, music: William Mathias (Welsh, 1934-1992)

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Celebrant: We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.

On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper he 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 shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Therefore, according to his command, O Father,

All: We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory;

Celebrant: And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant: Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;

All: Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

The Communion

During these next moments of meditation, wherever you are, please receive whatever gifts God makes available to you, in whatever form God makes available to you. We share spiritual communion today.

The Meditation Music

music: Stephen Paulus (1949-2014), A Savior from on High words: O sweet was the song the Virgin sang, William Ballet (17th century English)

O sweet was the song the Virgin sang When she to Bethl’em Judah came, And was delivered of a son, And Jesus was his name. Lullee, lully, lullo, lullaby. And Jesus was his name. “O sweet babe,” sang she, “my son.” And so a Savior is born, Who was given from on high To visit us that were forlorn. Lullee, lully, lullo, lullaby. And Jesus was his name. And sweet was the song she sang. Lullee, lully, lullo, lullaby.

The Postcommunion Prayer

Celebrant: Let us pray.

All: Almighty and everliving God, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom. And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

The Blessing

The Closing Hymn: 397

music: Nun danket alle Gott, melody Johann Cruger (1598–1662); harm. William Henry Monk (1823–1889), after Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1947) words: Martin Rinkart (1586–1649); tr. Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878), alt.

Now thank we all our God, with hearts, and hands, and voices, who wondrous things hath done, in whom his world rejoices; who from our mother’s arms hath blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today. O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us! with ever-joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us; and keep us in his grace, and guide us when perplexed, and free us from all ills in this world and the next. All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given, the Son, and him who reigns with them in highest heaven, eternal, Triune God, whom earth and heaven adore; for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

The Dismissal

Deacon: Let us go forth in the name of Christ.

All: Thanks be to God.

Voluntary

Noël polonais (Variations on the Polish carol, “Infant holy, infant lowly”)

Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911)

All music is reprinted by permission under ONE LICENSE (license number A-717455). Music from The Hymnal 1982 © Church Publishing, Inc., unless noted otherwise below: Hymn 517 words stanzas 3-4 © 1982 Carl P. Daw Jr.; music by permission of Oxford University Press. Hymn S-128 by permission of Oxford University Press.