Service Leaflet - December 6, 2020 (Holy Eucharist)

The Second Sunday in Advent: Year B

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

The Holy Eucharist in Social Distance for the Common Good

The Reverend Canon George M. Maxwell, Jr., Celebrant

The Very Reverend Samuel G. Candler, 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

Andante Sostenuto from Symphonie Gothique

Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)

The Welcome from the Dean

THE WORD OF GOD

The Opening Hymn: 67

music: Psalm 42, melody Claude Goudimel (1514-1572) words: Johann G. Olearius (1611-1684), tr. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), alt.

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 in Advent

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

Celebrant: Let us pray.

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.

The Lesson: Isaiah 40:1-11

Lector: A Reading from The Book of Isaiah.

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 forever. 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.

Lector: The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

The Gradual: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13

Plainchant Tone I.2 BCP, p. 708

1 You have been gracious to your land, O Lord, * you have restored the good fortune of Jacob. 2 You have forgiven the iniquity of your people * and blotted out all their sins. 8 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. 9 Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him, * that his glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth have met together; * righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11 Truth shall spring up from the earth, * and righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12 The Lord will indeed grant prosperity, * and our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness shall go before him, * and peace shall be a pathway for his feet.

The Sequence: Hymn 56, stanzas 3 and 4

Veni, veni Emmanuel

O come, O come, thou Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height in ancient times didst give the law, in cloud, and majesty, and awe. Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, thou Branch of Jesse’s tree, free them from Satan’s tyranny that trust thy mighty power to save, and give them victory o’er the grave. Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

The Holy Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

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

All: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

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.”

Gospeler: The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon: Dean Candler

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 Reformed Episcopal Church of Spain. 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 ministries of the day: The Stewardship Committee; Finance Count Teams. 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, and for those in our community with new or immediate concerns: Jo Callaway, Barbara Johnson, Carlo Molinaro LiRosi, Mary Nelson, Steve Shaw, Michael Wood, William L. Wright 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: Michael Kent Corrie, Linda Eller, Priscilla Edmonds Goss, Julie Nicole Thompson, Barbara Ann DeChristopher Waters Lord in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Intercessor: Receive our thanks, gracious God, for the many blessings of this life. We give thanks for the birth of Leah Rose Cohen, daughter of Ruth and Nathan Cohen. We give thanks for the Cathedral Vergers, in whose honor Advent greens are given. 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: Jo Callaway, Barbara Johnson, Carlo Molinaro LiRosi, Mary Nelson, Steve Shaw, Michael Wood, William L. Wright

Long Term Prayers: R. Huntley Allen, Anne Bao, Edgar & Judith Beach, Perry Benton, Virginia Bicksler, Judith Borden, Heather Clark, Sharon Crews, Terry Dornbush, Sarah duBignon, Deborah Ellington, Dan Elson, Jenny Ham, Louise Kan, 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 For Family & Friends: Bettina Bass, David Bond, Lynn Chandler, Andrew Clark, Vickie & Bob Coffman, Marie Corrigan, Robyn Kim Crennan, Nancy Cubedo, Carleton Fuller, Lamont Glover, Cadel Ingraham, Stephen Jones, Robin Kemp, Pete Livezey, Pat Martin, Marge Massey, Michelle Maxwell, Steven Norman, James Sands, Patricia Schooley, Paul Sturtz, Caroline Southerland, Tina Susco,Yvonne Tate, Pierson Thames, Jeffrey Thomas, Roger Traylor, Matt & Brandy Wackerle, Ron M. Wallace, Whit A. 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: Charles Beaudrot (b. 1951), Comfort, comfort ye my people words: Johann G. Olearius (1611-1684), tr. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878) Used by permission of Gothic Records from the Cathedral Choir’s CD Tidings of Comfort & Joy (G-49323)

Comfort, comfort ye my people, Speak ye peace, thus saith our God; Comfort those who sit in darkness Mourning ’neath their sorrows’ load. Speak ye to Jerusalem Of the peace that waits for them; Tell her that her sins I cover, And her warfare now is over. Hark, the voice of one that crieth In the desert far and near, Calling us to new repentance Since the kingdom now is here. Oh, that warning cry obey! Now prepare for God a way; Let the valleys rise to meet him And the hills bow down to greet him. Make ye straight what long was crooked, Make the rougher places plain; Let your hearts be true and humble, As befits his holy reign. For the glory of the Lord Now o’er earth is shed abroad; And all flesh shall see the token That the word is never broken.

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 sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.

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 127, Calvin Hampton

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: Daniel Gawthrop (b. 1949), Come, thou long-expected Jesus words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

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. Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth thou art; Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart. Born thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King, Born to reign in us forever, Now thy gracious kingdom bring. By thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By thine all-sufficient merit, Raise us to thy glorious throne.

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: 76

music: Winchester New, melody from Musicalishes Hand-Buch, 1690; harm. William Henry Monk (1823-1889), alt. words: Charles Coffin (1676-1749), tr. Charles Winfred Douglas (1867-1944), after John Chandler (1806-1876), alt.

The Dismissal

Deacon: Let us bless the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Voluntary

Voluntary on ‘Winchester New’

Craig Sellar Lang (1891-1971)

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 56 accompaniment © 1975 GIA Publications Inc. Hymn S-127 © Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship, by permission of Augsburg Publishing House.