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A Virtual Advent Lessons and Carols Opening Hymn “While We Are Waiting, Come” Words: CLAIRE CLONIGER; Music: DON CASON

©1986, Word Music, LLC. Used by Permission. Reprinted under OneLicense.net A722955

Lesson I Isaiah 11:1-9 “The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon the Holy One.”

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the

spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His

delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or

decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor and decide

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with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt

around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and

the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear

shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its

hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain: for the

earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Thanks be to God.

Solo “Zion hears the watchmen’s singing,” BWV 140

English Words: JOHN RUTTER; Music J. S. BACH

Lex Goity, tenor

Zion hears the watchmen’s voices,

With gladness all her heart rejoices,

She eagerly wakes to greet the day.

See, her Lord from heav’n descending

With grace and truth and power unending,

Her day star dawns with brightest ray.

O come, thou blessed One,

Lord Jesu, God’s own Son,

Hosianna!

We follow there

Thy feast to share

And taste the joys beyond compare.

Lesson II Isaiah 40:1-11 “The Prophet proclaims good news to a people in exile.”

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to

her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from

the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “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. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and

all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty

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 is 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

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Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, fear not: say to the cities of Judah, “Behold

your God!” Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might and his arm rules for him: behold,

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, he will carry

them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Thanks be to God.

Lesson III Isaiah 7:10-15

“God promises that a child shall be conceived who will be known as

‘God with Us’.”

Again, the LORD spoke to Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the LORD your God: let it be deep as

Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to

the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary

men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name

Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and

choose the good.

Thanks be to God.

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Carol “Savior of the nations, come!” (Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland) Men of Schola St. Richard’s; Edward Washington, tenor soloist

Lesson IV Luke 1:26-38

“The angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin.”

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named

Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David;

and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, O favored one,

the Lord is with you!”

But she was greatly troubled at the saying and considered in her mind what sort of

greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have

found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and

you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most

High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David, and he will

reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” And the

angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High

will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth, in her old age, has also conceived a son; and

this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be

impossible.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord: let it be to me

according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Thanks be to God.

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Carol “He has done great things for me” (Great Things) JESSY DIXON

Lesson V Matthew 1:18-23 “St. Matthew tells of the coming birth of the savior.”

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been

betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the

Holy Spirit; and Her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to

shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of

the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take

Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a

son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All

this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, a virgin

shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel” (which means,

God with us).

Thanks be to God.

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Lesson VI Mark 1:1-15 “Jesus is baptized by John and proclaims the coming of the Kingdom of God.”

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah

the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way;

the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths

straight,’” John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of

repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went out to him all the country of

Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river

Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, and had a leather

girdle around his waist, and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying,

“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy

to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with

the Holy Spirit.”

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the

Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened

and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove: and a voice came from heaven, “You

are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” The Spirit immediately drove him out

into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satin; and he

was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him. Now after John was

arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of God and saying, “The time is

fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Thanks be to God.

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Carol “There’s a voice in the wilderness crying” (Ascension) St. Richard’s Women’s Ensemble

Vesper Responsory (Chanted)

Officiant Judah and Jerusalem, fear not, nor be dismayed:

People Tomorrow go ye forth, and the Lord, he will be with you.

Officiant Stand ye still, and ye shall see the salvation of the Lord.

People Tomorrow go ye forth, and the Lord, he will be with you.

Officiant Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

People Tomorrow go ye forth, and the Lord, he will be with you.

Officiant Let us pray.

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The Lord’s Prayer (Plainsong Chant)

A moment of silence is kept.

Collect

Officiant We wait for thy loving kindness

People In the midst of thy temple.

Officiant O God, who makest us glad with the yearly expectation of thy coming,

Grant that we, who with joy receive thy only-begotten Son as our

Redeemer, may without fear behold him when he shall come to be our

Judge, even thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ: who liveth and reigneth with

thee and the Holy Ghost, one God,

world without end.

All Amen.

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The Blessing Officiant Go forth into the world in peace: be of good courage: hold fast that which is

good: render to no man evil for evil; strengthen the faint-hearted; support

the weak; help the afflicted; honour all; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in

the power of the Holy Spirit.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be upon you, and remain with you for ever.

All Amen.

Closing Hymn “Amen” U. S. slave spiritual, ARR. CARL MAULTSBY

SERVICE PARTICIPANTS HOST

The Rev. Alison P. Harrity

OFFICIANT

The Rev. Dr. A. Dale Truscott

SCHOLA ST. RICHARD’S

SOPRANO

Vanessa Hawkins

Christy Woodruff

Kay Wolf

ALTO

Brenda Lutter

Kim Wheeler

TENOR

Jim Christoph

Lex Goity

Edward Washington II

BASS

William Burr Anderson

Stephen O’Connell

Dale Truscott

DIRECTOR, ORGANIST/KEYBOARDIST, VIDEOGRAPHER

Dr. Carl MaultsBy

AUDIO PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Don Tipton

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VIDEO PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Jim Christoph

READERS

(in order of appearance)

Kay Wolf

Jim Christoph

William Burr Anderson

Christy Woodruff

Michelle Christoph

Libby Harrity

GRAPHICS

Drucila Mundo Ferrer

PERMISSIONS

“While We Are Waiting, Come”

Words: Claire Cloninger

Music: Don Cason

©1986, Word Music, LLC

Licensed under OneLicense.Net #A722955

“Zion hears the watchmen’s voices” from Cantata 140

Original Words: P. Nicolai; English Words: John Rutter

Music: J. S. Bach

© 1970 Oxford University Press

Licensed under Christian Copyright Solutions #13051

“He Has Done Great Things for Me”

Words & Music: Jessy Dixon; arr. Stephen Key

©2000 GIA Publications, Inc.

“There’s a voice in the wilderness crying”

Words: James Lewis Milligan

Music: Ascension, Henry Hugh Bancroft,

© 1938 H. Hugh Bancroft

Licensed under RiteSong

“Amen”

U. S. slave spiritual, arr. Carl MaultsBy

© 2006 Malted Milk Music

Licensed under OneLicense.Net #A722955