The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 18, at 10:00 am
The form for this service can also be found in The Book of Common Prayer, page 355. Spoken responses are in bold typeface.
Prelude: “Der tag, der ist so freudenrich” Johann Pachelbel
The Word of God
The Introit
The introit—an antiphon and verse appropriate to the day—is sung by cantor and choir.
Remember us, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people; O visit us with thy salvation: that we, beholding the felicity of thy chosen, may rejoice in the gladness of thy people; and may glory with thine inheritance. We have sinned with our fathers: we have done amiss and dealt wickedly. Glory be…
Hymn 56: “O come, O come, Emmanuel”
7. O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease,
and be thyself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel!
8. O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel!
Opening Acclamation
Celebrant ✠ Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
People His mercy endures for ever.
Celebrant
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 Kyrie:
The Collect of the Day
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
First Lesson: Isaiah 7:10-16
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, 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. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts, *
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, *
the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.
17 And so will we never turn away from you; *
give us life, that we may call upon your Name.
18 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
Second Lesson: Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Hymn 66: “Come, thou long-expected Jesus”
1. 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.
2. Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art:
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
3. Born thy people to deliver,
born a child, and yet a king,
born to reign in us for ever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
4. By thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit
raise us to thy glorious throne.
Tract
The choir sings the Tract, then all repeat it.
A verse follows, then all repeat the Tract.
The Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25
Celebrant The ✠ Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Celebrant The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
After the sermon, the choir sings a sentence of Scripture in response.
The Nicene Creed
The Prayers of the People
With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying “Lord, have mercy.”
For the peace from above, for the loving-kindness of God, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the holy Church of God, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For ___ , and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For ___ , for the leaders of all the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For this community, for every city and community, and for those who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For those who are on our prayer list, especially ___ , and for those who have commended themselves to our prayers, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For our sister church of St. Mary’s, Sololá, and for the churches and provinces throughout the Anglican Communion, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, ✠ and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and degradation, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
That we may end our lives in faith and hope, without suffering and without reproach, let us pray to the Lord.
Silence
Lord, have mercy.
In the communion of the ever-blessèd Virgin Mary, Mother of God, blessed Paul the Apostle, and of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.
Silence
To you, O Lord our God.
Silence. Additional petitions may be included here.
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
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.
Confession of Sin
Celebrant
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Celebrant and People
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 Celebrant stands and gives an absolution.
The Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
The ministers and the people greet one another with a sign of peace.
The Holy Communion
The Celebrant begins the Offertory with a sentence of Scripture.
An Offertory antiphon and verse is sung by cantor and choir.
Be strong, fear not; behold, our God will come with a recompense: he will come, and save us.
An anthem is then sung, and the Altar is prepared with the elements of Holy Communion
To give an offering, choose one of the following:
Text: message 73256 with the phrase saintpauls $X (insert an amount in place of X)
Check: mail your offering to St. Paul’s Church, 84 E Oakland Ave, Doylestown, PA 18901
Offertory Anthem: “Come, thou long expected Jesus” Henry F. Ley
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 own sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer B
The people stand and the Celebrant sings
The Celebrant continues
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:
Sanctus: “Holy, holy, holy Lord”
The Celebrant continues
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,
Celebrant and People
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
The Celebrant continues
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 the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, blessed Paul the Apostle, and 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 him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.
Celebrant And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
People and Celebrant
The Fraction
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.
Celebrant Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People Therefore let us keep the feast.
The Agnus Dei
Celebrant and People
A Communion antiphon and verse is sung by cantor and choir:
Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son: and his Name shall be called Emmanuel.
Spiritual Communion: Act of Reception
During Communion, you are invited to say the following prayer form for receiving Spiritual Communion. Know that the grace of God is made present in your heart, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth.
In union, blessed Jesus, with the faithful gathered at every altar of your Church where your blessed Body and Blood are offered this day, I long to offer you praise and thanksgiving, for creation and all the blessings of this life, for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection, for the means of grace and the hope of glory.
I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament, and, since I cannot at this time receive communion, I pray you to come into my heart. I unite myself with you and embrace you with all my heart, my soul, and my mind. Let nothing separate me from you; let me serve you in this life until, by your grace, I come to your glorious kingdom and unending peace. Amen.
Come Lord Jesus, and dwell in my heart in the fullness of your strength; be my wisdom and guide me in right pathways; conform my life and actions to the image of your holiness; and, in the power of your gracious might, rule over every hostile power that threatens or disturbs the growth of your kingdom, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Communion Anthem: “Come, thou Redeemer of the Earth” M. Praetorius/arr. Willcocks
Come, thou Redeemer of the earth,
And manifest thy virgin birth:
Let ev’ry age adoring fall;
Such birth befits the God of all.
Begotten of no human will,
But of the Spirit thou art still
The Word of God in flesh arrayed,
the promised fruit to man displayed.
The virgin womb that burden gained
With virgin honour still unstained;
The banners there of virtue glow;
God in his temple dwells below.
All laud to God the Father be,
All praise, eternal Son, to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To God the Holy Paraclete. Amen
Hymn 54: “Savior of the nations, come!”
1. Savior of the nations, come!
Virgin’s Son, make here your home.
Marvel now, both heaven and earth,
that the Lord chose such a birth.
2. Wondrous birth! Oh, wondrous child!
of the Virgin undefiled!
Mighty God and Mary’s son,
eager now his race to run!
3. Thus on earth the Word appears,
gracing his created spheres;
hence to death and hell descends,
then the heavenly throne ascends.
4. Come, O Father’s saving Son,
who o’er sin the victory won.
Boundless shall your kingdom be;
grant that we its glories see.
After Communion, the Celebrant says
Let us pray.
Celebrant and People
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.
Welcome & Announcements
Blessing & Dismissal
The Celebrant blesses the people and dismisses them.
The people respond Thanks be to God.
Postlude: “Lo, how a Rose” Olive Nelson Russell
Service Participants
Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Daniel T. Moore
Eucharistic Minister: John Black
Acolyte: Madeleine Moore
Lector: Trudie Benton
Ushers: Joe DeTato, Andy Hutchison
Advent Wreath: Lisa Farina
A/V: Emery Kohut
Organist: W. Edward McCall
Choir: George Achilles, Trudie Benton, Wendy Brumbaugh, J.T. Capps, Carol Fox, Laura Pankoe, Shelley Reed, Robert Risch, Mike Roberts, Sue Roberts, Anne Shute, Jim Shute, Caitlin Stein, Marian Wentworth
Online giving is available through Realm E-Giving and PayPal. We thank you for your generous giving to St. Paul’s.
Greening of the Church:
We welcome all parishioners to help with the greening of the church after the 10am service coffee hour today. Please contact Lisa Farina if you have any questions: 484-633-6000.
Women’s Ministry: Christmas Tea and Ornament Exchange December 18
St. Paul’s Women’s Ministry invites all women of the parish to a Christmas Tea and ornament exchange at the home of Rachel Morse on Sunday, December 18 at 4 PM, hosted. RSVP by December 12. Bring an ornament to share and join us in fellowship to celebrate the advent season in anticipation of Christ’s birth. Look for an invitation in your emails. For more information, contact Rachel Morse.
Weekday Worship
Mass for the Feast of St. Juan de la Cruz (St. John of the Cross) will be held this week on Wednesday, December 14, at noon in the Chapel.
Rector’s Office Hours
Fr. Daniel will be holding drop-in office hours this week: 9:00am-11:00am on Wednesday. Feel free to drop in and say hello, no appointment needed.
Sunday School
There will be regular Sunday School programming today. There will be no Sunday School programming on December 25 or January 1.
Christmas Gift Card Collection
Dear parishioners of Saint Paul’s, thank you for your generosity for the supermarket gift card collection. We gave $500 worth of cards to Doyle Elementary and $475 worth of cards to the Immigrants Right Action group. Both groups were very appreciative!! For Christmas we will be collecting gifts cards for the children of Doyle. We’re hoping for gift cards to stores like Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, Marshall’s and TJ Maxx so the parents can then get gifts for their kiddos. We know it’s a lot to ask but the need for help is increasing in the last several months. Again, thank you for your generosity. Please bring gift cards on Sundays and give to Mary Smith between services or drop them off to Angie at the church.
Christmas: Schedule of Services
Christmas Eve, December 24
4:30pm Prelude & Christmas Carols
5:00pm Christ Mass: The Holy Eucharist (Rite II)
spoken, with music, live-streamed
8:30pm Choral Anthems & Carols
9:00pm Christ Mass: The Holy Eucharist (Rite I)
sung, with choir & incense
Christmas Day, December 25
9:00am Christ Mass: The Holy Eucharist (Rite I) spoken
The Church Office will be closed from December 26 through December 30. The office will re-open on Monday, January 2.
2023 Annual Meeting Details
The next annual meeting of St. Paul’s will take place on the morning of Sunday, January 29, 2023. Barring any unforeseen events, we are planning to hold this meeting in-person. A reminder that, per our parish by-laws, voting members are lay, baptized persons aged 16 and older:
who shall have been communicants, as defined by Church Canons, in this church as their usual place of public worship for at least one (1) calendar year,
and who shall appear by the books of the Parish to have contributed towards the current expenses of the Parish during the calendar year immediately preceding such election or meeting not less than One Hundred ($100.00) dollars, or Twenty-Five ($25) dollars for persons ages 16 and 17. The financial requirement may be waived, subject to the Rector’s discretion.
Further details to follow. Please mark your calendars for this upcoming event; for questions, contact the Rector.
An invitation to save the date: January 14, 2023
Christian Justice is Racial Justice:
A day of reflection, introspection, and education
Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church is hosting an interdenominational day grounded in cooperation and exploration of Anti-racism and the work each of us has done. This is the work that strengthens the muscles for justice, allowing us to live out and spread the Good News to all. We will explore some activities, engage in sharing, and have a presentation and discussion on White Christian Nationalism. During this five-hour event, we will also enjoy food and fellowship, along with prayer. Please consider joining us and sharing this invitation with others in your congregation. More information and a sign-up genius will follow during Christmastide.
Little Free Pantry
The Food Pantry continues to be a very active place which shows it has a great need. The activity will increase with the cold weather approaching. All donations of shelf stable products are greatly appreciated. Items such as snack bars, crackers, small water, shelf stable milk, nuts, peanut butter, canned fruit, small cereal boxes are always welcome. If you are donating, please check the expiration dates on items before dropping off. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair.
2023 Episcopal Church Ordo Calendars Available
Our 2023 Ordo Calendars have arrived and are available in the Narthex. Please pick up yours today, and perhaps an extra if you know of someone who might like one.
