Holy Eucharist

Rite I – Traditional

8:00 a.m.

Sunday, December 13th, 2020

The Third Sunday of Advent

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Delmar, NY

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The people stand

The Lighting of the Advent Wreath

Responsive Litany

Advent is a time to prepare.

Prepare the way of the Lord.

During Advent we prepare our eyes to see the light of Christ.

Prepare the way of the Lord.

During Advent we prepare our hearts to receive the Word of Christ.

Prepare the way of the Lord.

During Advent we prepare to share the joy of Christ.

Prepare the way of the Lord.

During Advent we prepare to embrace the promise of Christ.

Prepare the way of the Lord.

Two purple and one pink candle are lit

Celebrant This morning we light three candles. The first candle reminds us that

Advent is a time to wait upon the Lord. We wait for the unfolding of

God’s plan in accordance with God’s time. The second candle reminds us

that Advent is also a time to watch. During Advent, we eagerly watch for

God’s presence and work in our world. As we light the third candle, we

also remember that Advent is a time to prepare. During Advent, we

prepare ourselves in heart, soul and strength to welcome our Lord and

Savior, Jesus Christ, who was, and is, and is to come. Let each of us ask

God to prepare us to celebrate the glory of Christmas.

Let us pray: God in heaven, as we continue our Advent journey, help us to

be people who wait for you, watch for you, and through your Spirit be

prepared for you. Continue to shine your light in our lives as we look at

all you have done, all you are doing, and all you will do. Amen.

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The people remain standing

The Processional Hymn “Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord!” vs. 1 & 4

Hymnal 1982 #438

The congregation is asked not to sing: The lyrics are offered to augment your personal devotion

1 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!

Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;

tender to me the promise of his word;

in God my Savior shall my heart rejoice.

4 Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!

Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord

to children’s children and for evermore!

A Penitential Order: Rite One

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

People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

Celebrant

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we

confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all

unrighteousness.

Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.

Silence may be kept.

Minister and People

Almighty and most merciful father,

we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep,

we have followed too much the devices and desires of our

own hearts,

we have offended against thy holy laws,

we have left undone those things which we ought to

have done,

and we have done those things which we ought not to

have done.

But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us,

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spare thou those who confess their faults,

restore thou those who are penitent,

according to thy promises declared unto mankind

in Christ Jesus our Lord;

and grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,

that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,

to the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

Celebrant

The Almighty and merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sins, true

repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of his Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord have mercy upon us.

Christ have mercy upon us.

Lord have mercy upon us.

The Collect of the Day

Celebrant The Lord be with you.

People And with thy spirit.

Celebrant Let us pray.

Stir up thy power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are

sorely hindered by our sins, let thy bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver

us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honor and

glory, world without end. Amen.

The people sit

The First Lesson Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

because the LORD has anointed me;

he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,

to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and release to the prisoners;

to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all who mourn;

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to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.

They shall build up the ancient ruins,

they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

the devastations of many generations.

For I the LORD love justice,

I hate robbery and wrongdoing;

I will faithfully give them their recompense,

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

Their descendants shall be known among the nations,

and their offspring among the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge

that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.

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.

Reader The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

The Response Psalm 126 BCP p.782

1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, *

then were we like those who dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *

and our tongue with shouts of joy.

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3 Then they said among the nations, *

"The LORD has done great things for them."

4 The LORD has done great things for us, *

and we are glad indeed.

5 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, *

like the watercourses of the Negev.

6 Those who sowed with tears *

will reap with songs of joy.

7 Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, *

will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.

The Second Lesson 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is

the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the

words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form

of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul

and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one

who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

Reader The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

The people stand for the Gospel Proclamation

The Gradual Hymn “Emmanuel” Soloist, Liz Mosier

The Holy Gospel John 1:6-8, 19-28

Celebrant The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

People Glory be to thee, O Lord.

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.

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from

Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed,

“I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I

am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are

you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He

said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the

Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They

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asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor

the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom

you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of

his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Celebrant The Gospel of the Lord.

People Praise be to thee, O Christ.

The people sit

The Sermon The Right Reverend William H. Love

The people stand

The Nicene Creed BCP, p.327

I believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

and of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only-begotten Son of God,

begotten of his Father before all worlds,

God of God, Light of Light,

very God of very God,

begotten, not made,

being of one substance with the Father;

by whom all things were made;

who for us men and for our salvation

came down from heaven,

and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary,

and was made man;

and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered and was buried.

and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures,

and ascended into heaven,

and sitteth on right hand of the Father

He shall come again, with glory,

to judge both the quick and the dead;

whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life,

who proceedeth from the Father and the Son;

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Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified;

who spake by the Prophets.

And I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church;

I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;

and I look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The people remain standing

The Prayers of the People

Rejoicing in the power of the Spirit, we await the coming of Our Lord and we pray to

You without ceasing saying:

Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

For the Church of Christ; may it faithfully proclaim in word and deed the good news of

Your saving grace:

Leader: We pray to You, O Lord,

Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

For our troubled and fragmented world, may it know the peace that comes from You

alone and share Your redeeming love:

Leader: We pray to You, O Lord,

Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

For those in our community who are homeless, lonely, hungry and in need; may they

receive the promise of Your mercy and be filled with every good thing:

Leader: We pray to You, O Lord,

Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

For our families, friends and loved ones, may they be drawn closer to You during this

Advent and feel Your nearness:

Leader: We pray to You, O Lord,

Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who are broken-hearted, for those who are oppressed, for those who are in

prison, and for those who mourn; may they be comforted and anointed by Your Spirit.

We pray especially for the AA Groups, Kama Cooper, Carolyn St. Denis, St. Andre in

Flande & Fr. Deravil & his family, Nancy & Herb S., the Malchow family, Barbara

Dominie, the Krulcik family, Ty Delaney, David MacIntosh, Johanna Shetler, Ronan

Cassidy, Anne Gibbons, Jim Crum, Jeffrey Bianchine & family, Karen Kermani, Frank &

Margaret Batchelor, Anne Ritchie, and Ken Harmon.

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Leader: We pray to You, O Lord,

Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

The Celebrant will add a prayer for COVID-19

For those we love but see no longer, especially Mary Coons, William Ritchie, & Robbie

Magnotta.

Leader: We pray to You, O Lord,

Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

Celebrant: O God, send your Holy Spirit upon us as we wait in joyful hope for the

coming of Your Son. Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Amen.

Celebrant & People

Parish Prayer for Mission: Heavenly Father, we ask you to help us fulfill our

mission, to worship you in a loving community, to support people on their Christian

Journey, and to empower disciples for service, so that we can bring Jesus to each

other and to the world. Amen.

Blessing of the Altar Cloths, Hangings, and Vestments

The gift may be presented to the Celebrant with these words

We present to you these altar cloths, hangings, and vestments to be set apart for the

service of Christ’s holy church.

Celebrant

This is the offering which you shall receive from the people gold, silver, and bronze, blue

and purple and scarlet cloth, and finely woven linen.

V. O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness:

R. You are clothed with majesty and splendor.

Celebrant Let us pray. (Silence)

O glorious God, all your works proclaim your perfect beauty: Accept our offering of the

altar frontal and hangings, and grant that they may adorn this sanctuary and show forth

your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Celebrant Let us pray. (Silence)

O God, you revealed your Son clothed in majesty and glory: Accept these vestments for

the use of the clergy of your Church, that, being clothed with humility as they minister to

you, they may show forth his eternal splendor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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The Peace

Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People And with thy spirit.

The people sit

Announcements

The Holy Communion

Celebrant

Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.

The people stand

Offertory Hymn Soloist, Helen Hamel

As a sign of our thanksgiving the Celebrant and people pray responsively

Celebrant All things come of thee, O Lord

People And of thine own have we given thee.

The Great Thanksgiving

The people remain standing. The Celebrant faces them and says

The Lord be with you.

People And with thy spirit.

Celebrant Lift up your hearts.

People We lift them up unto the Lord.

Celebrant Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.

People It is meet and right so to do.

Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds

It is very meet, right, and our bounded duty, that we should at all times, and in all places,

give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God.

Because thou didst send thy 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 with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and

magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and saying,

Celebrant and People

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Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts:

Heaven and earth are full of thy glory.

Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High.

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

Then the Celebrant continues

All glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for that thou, of thy tender

mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our

redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect,

and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and did

institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his

precious death and sacrifice, until his coming again.

For in the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread; and when he had given thanks,

he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take, eat, this is my Body, which is

given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

Likewise, after supper, he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to

them, saying, "Drink ye all of this; for this is my Blood of the New Testament, which is

shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins. Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in

remembrance of me."

Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, according to the institution of thy dearly

beloved Son our Savior Jesus Christ, we, thy humble servants, do celebrate and make

here before thy divine Majesty, with these thy holy gifts, which we now offer unto thee,

the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make; having in remembrance his blessed

passion and precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; rendering

unto thee most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same.

And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us; and, of thy almighty

goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts

and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to thy Son our Savior

Jesus Christ's holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers

of his most blessed Body and Blood.

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And we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of

praise and thanksgiving; most humbly beseeching thee to grant that, by the merits and

death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we, and all thy whole

Church, may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion.

And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a

reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee; humbly beseeching thee that we, and all

others who shall be partakers of this Holy Communion, may worthily receive the most

precious Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, be filled with thy grace and heavenly

benediction, and made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him. And

although we are unworthy, through our manifold sins, to offer unto thee any sacrifice, yet

we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service, not weighing our merits, but

pardoning our offenses, through Jesus Christ our Lord;

By whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory be unto

thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. AMEN.

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

People and Celebrant

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

The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread.

A period of silence is kept. Then may be sung or said

Celebrant Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;

People Therefore let us keep the feast.

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O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,

have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,

have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,

grant us thy peace.

Prayer of Humble Access

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own

righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much

as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord whose

property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the

flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore

dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

The Gifts of God for the People of God.

Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by

faith, with thanksgiving.

For those unable to worship in person with us today, or for those who choose not to receive,

we include this prayer. A Spiritual Communion is a personal devotion that anyone can pray

at any time to express their desire to receive Holy Communion at that moment, but in which

circumstances impede them from actually receiving Holy Communion.

My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

I love you above all things, and long for you in my soul. Since I cannot now receive

you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though you have

already come, I embrace you and unite myself entirely to you; never permit me to be

separated from you. Amen.

(Spiritual Communion Prayer attributed to St. Alphonsus de Liguori, 1696-1787)

The people stand

Post Communion Prayer

Celebrant Let us pray.

Celebrant and People

Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee for that thou dost feed us,

in these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood

of thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and dost assure us thereby of thy favor and

goodness towards us; and that we are very members incorporate in the mystical

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body of thy Son, the blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs,

through hope, of thy everlasting kingdom. And we humbly beseech thee, O heavenly

Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship,

and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus

Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory,

world without end. Amen.

Celebrant

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the

knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God

Almighty, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you always.

Amen.

Recessional Hymn “O Zion, haste, thy mission high fulfilling” vs. 1 & 4

Hymnal 1982 #539

The congregation is asked not to sing: The lyrics are offered to augment your personal devotion

1 O Zion, haste, thy mission high fulfilling,

to tell to all the world that God is Light;

that he who made all nations is not willing

one soul should fail to know his love and might.

Publish glad tidings:

tidings of peace,

tidings of Jesus,

redemption and release.

4 He comes again! O Zion, ere thou meet him,

make known to every heart his saving grace;

let none whom he hath ransomed fail to greet him,

through thy neglect, unfit to see his face. (Refrain)

Dismissal

Celebrant Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

The Altar Flowers are Given by Tim Bronk

in Celebration of the Occasion of the Confirmation of Jack Bronk

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Christmas Services at St. Stephen’s Owing to COVID protocols and to afford all church members and visitors the opportunity

to attend an in-person service on Christmas Eve, we have created an online sign-up.

While it’s most certainly not what we are used to, signing-up will allow us to keep track of

numbers vis-à-vis our seating capacity, ensuring that all are able to worship safely at St.

Stephen’s.

There are four services this year: Holy Eucharist Rite 2 at 3pm, 5:30pm, & 8pm, and Holy

Eucharist Rite 1 at 11pm.

Choir ensembles will offer music at each of the three earlier services, and the Bell Choir

will play at the 5:30pm service. There will be guitar music at 11pm and the use of

incense.

Full instructions on how to complete the sign-up are included on the form. Please note,

this Sign-Up is for social distancing and capacity purposes only. It is not a seating chart.

You are not reserving a particular pew.

If you are serving as a member of the altar party or in the choir, you do not need to sign up

for that particular service. Anyone accompanying you to church does have to sign-up.

You do need to sign-up if you will be performing in the Bell Choir but are not accounted

for in either the altar or choir parties.

It is a first-come-first-served system. We hope you will be able to sign-up for your first

choice, but ask if not, you choose an alternative time.

Please sign-up by Monday, December 21st.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4aafac28a2f5c34-christmas1

For those of you not joining us in person, we will be livestreaming our 8:00 p.m. service

on Facebook and via ZOOM.

Please contact the office with any questions or for help.

Our Christmas Day service of Holy Eucharist Rite 1 will be at 9:30 a.m.

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Advent & Christmas at St. Stephen’s ❖ Christmas Flower Offering envelopes are in the back of the church. Donations

may be made in memory of loved ones, in celebration, or in thanksgiving for

God’s blessings. For inclusion in the Christmas bulletins, please have all

envelopes in church by Monday, December 21st.

❖ Adopt a Family! – The link to the sign-up sheet is available on our webpage and

in the email updates. If you prefer to shop online, why not add St. Stephen's as

the delivery address? It can all be done from the comfort of your home! For any of

you who wish to participate but not shop, we’ll do the shopping for you! Please

send checks made payable to St. Stephen’s with “Adopt a Family” in the memo

line into the office.

The list will be available until Saturday, December 19th. ALL gifts must be in

church NO LATER than Monday, December 21st. Please include a detachable

label indicating what the item is using the descriptor on the sign-up sheet. For

example - (DA) Boys’ Winter Coat or (FAM) Throw Blanket

This year in particular has been wretchedly hard on so many families; please help

us make this Christmas brighter for our families. THANK YOU!

❖ Stewardship

Please use either the pledge card sent by mail or the electronic form sent via email

to indicate your willingness to continue to support the mission and ministry of our

Lord through St. Stephen’s.

If you did not receive a pledge card in the mail but would prefer a hard copy,

please let the office know so one can be mailed to you.