THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT: GAUDETE SUNDAY
Sunday, December 17, 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: “Ave Maria” Victor Togni
The Word of God
The Introit
The introit—an antiphon and verse appropriate to the day—is sung by cantor and choir.
Rejoice ye in the Lord, and again I say, rejoice ye; let your moderation be known unto all men, the Lord is at hand: be careful for nothing, nor troubled; but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding; shall keep your hearts and minds. Glory be…
Hymn 56: “O come, O come, Emmanuel”
5. O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel!
6. O come, thou Dayspring from on high,
and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadow put to flight.
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 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 Kyrie:
The Collect of the Day
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
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; 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.
Canticle 15
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
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.
Hymn 76: “On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s cry”
1. On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
announces that the Lord is nigh;
awake and hearken, for he brings
glad tidings of the King of kings.
2. Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
make straight the way for God within,
and let each heart prepare a home
where such a mighty guest may come.
3. For thou art our salvation, Lord,
our refuge, and our great reward;
without thy grace we waste away
like flowers that wither and decay.
4. To heal the sick stretch out thine hand,
and bid the fallen sinner stand;
shine forth, and let thy light restore
earth’s own true loveliness once more.
5. All praise, eternal Son, to thee,
whose advent doth thy people free;
whom with the Father we adore
and Holy Spirit evermore.
Tract
The choir sings the Tract, then all repeat it.
A verse follows, then all repeat the Tract.
The Gospel: John 1:6-8,19-28
Celebrant The ✠ Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to John.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
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 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 to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon Kyle Evans
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.
Unto thee, O Lord, lift I up my soul; O my God, in thee have I trusted, let me not be confounded: neither let mine enemies triumph over me; for all they that look for thee shall not be ashamed.
During the Offertory an anthem is sung, and the Altar is prepared with the elements of Holy Communion.
The Offering is brought forward. The people stand and are censed by the acolyte.
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: “E’en So Lord Jesus Quickly Come” Paul Manz
Peace be to you and grace from Him
Who freed us from our sins,
Who loved us all and shed His blood
That we might saved be.
Sing holy, holy to our Lord,
the Lord Almighty God,
Who was and is and is to come;
Sing holy, holy Lord!
Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell therein,
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below,
For Christ is coming, is coming soon,
For Christ is coming soon!
E’en so Lord Jesus, quickly come,
And night shall be no more;
They need no light nor lamp nor sun,
For Christ will be their All!
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:
The Lord shall shew loving-kindness: and our land shall give her increase.
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: “Ave Maria Dulcissima” Adrian Batten
Ave Maria, dulcissima Maria.
Vera spes et vita, et vita!
The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
With wings as drifted snow,
with eyes as flame:
“All hail to thee, O lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favoured lady.” Gloria!
Ave Maria, dulcissima Maria.
Vera spes et vita, et vita!
“For know a blessed mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee;
Thy son shall be Emmanuel,
by seers foretold,
Most highly favoured lady.” Gloria!
Ave Maria, dulcissima Maria.
Vera spes et vita, et vita!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said.
“My soul shall laud
and magnify God’s holy name.”
Most highly favoured lady.” Gloria!
Ave Maria, dulcissima Maria.
Vera spes et vita, et vita!
Hymn 59: “Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding”
1. Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding:
“Christ is nigh,” it seems to say;
“Cast away the works of darkness,
O ye children of the day.”
2. Wakened by the solemn warning,
from earth’s bondage let us rise;
Christ, our sun, all sloth dispelling,
shines upon the morning skies.
3. Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,
comes with pardon down from heaven;
let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
one and all to be forgiven;
4. so when next he comes with glory,
and the world is wrapped in fear,
may he with his mercy shield us,
and with words of love draw near.
5. Honor, glory, might, and blessing
to the Father and the Son,
with the everlasting Spirit
while unending ages run.
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: “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks” Edwin Childs
Service Participants
Celebrant: The Rev. Daniel T. Moore
Preacher: Kyle Evans
Eucharistic Ministers: Kyle Evans, Pike Stephens
Thurifer: Madeleine Moore
Crucifer: John Wilkinson
Lector: Laura Pankoe
Ushers: Rob Wilkinson, Ted Hopkins
Altar Guild: Rachel Morse, Sara Frister
Advent Wreath: Audrey Jackson
A/V: Josh Pankoe
Organist: W. Edward McCall
Choir: George Achilles, Trudie Benton, Wendy Brumbaugh, Alexander Famous, Carol Fox, Laura Pankoe, Shelley Reed, Mike Roberts, Sue Roberts, Amber Robinson, Annie Rogers, 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.
Weekday Worship
Mass for the Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle (transferred), will take place this week on Wednesday, December 20, at noon in the Church.
Advent Offering
Our Advent Offering this year will be directed to the United Thank Offering—a ministry of The Episcopal Church—to support innocent victims of the war in the Holy Land. UTO has issued a challenge: it will match up to $100,000 of donations given to this purpose, through December 15. The St. Paul’s Vestry has pre-approved a donation of $1,000 from our parish (to take advantage of the matching gift before the deadline); donations from parishioners will go toward that Vestry designation, as will any additional funds raised beyond $1,000. We encourage you to give early toward this effort. These funds will support the outreach ministries of The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem—in this way, your donations this year represent ‘a gift to the Christ Child in the land of his birth.’ Thank you in advance for your generosity.
St. Paul’s Youth!
We invite all 7-12th graders to join the St. Paul’s Youth Group for a Christmas Party today from 5-7pm in the Parish Hall. There will be pizza, games and snacks! If you would like to participate, please bring a fun gift (under $10) to share in a White Elephant exchange. Please contact Elizabeth Pitts, Kristin Moore or Laura Pankoe with questions.
Confirmation & Reception
Our course on Confirmation & Reception continues for youth (ages 14 and older) and adults who wish to enter The Episcopal Church as full members. This course will be taking place throughout the winter and spring. For further details, reach out to Fr. Daniel Moore.
Christmas Gift Card Collection
Dear fellow parishioners, Thanks so much for the generosity you all have shown with the Thanksgiving supermarket gift cards. Now it’s gift cards to stores like Marshall’s, Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, Amazon, etc. I realize we just finished one collection, but the need continues for these families at Doyle Elementary. These cards will go the families of students who need help getting gifts for their children. I need to have the cards by December 17 so that the parents have time to buy gifts for Christmas. Again, I can’t thank you enough for your generosity! Mary Smith and the Outreach Committee.
Greening of the Church:
Join us for the annual “Greening of the Church”!!! On Saturday December 23rd at 10:00am please join the Flower Guild in the greening of the church for Christmas. There will be some tasks that require being on ladders but also hands on the ground are needed to get all the greenery up to dress the church and narthex for this blessed season!! Bring lightweight work gloves if you do not want sap on your hands and wear comfortable work clothes. Please contact Lisa Farina if you have any questions: 484-633-6000.
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 25 through January 1. The office will re-open on Tuesday, January 2.
2024 ANNUAL MEETING DETAILS
The next annual meeting of St. Paul’s will take place on the morning of Sunday, January 28, 2024. This meeting will take place 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.
CALL FOR VESTRY NOMINATIONS
In January 2024, St. Paul’s will elect its next class of members to our Vestry. If you wish to nominate someone (or yourself) as a candidate for election to the Vestry, please contact Nominating Committee member George Wiemann. We will then reach out to nominees directly with more information about the process. Please submit nominations to the Nominating committee by Monday, December 18. And please continue to keep the Vestry in your prayers as they strive to lead and serve our beloved church.
Will return next year!
We continue to accept donations of gently
used Christmas decorations & ornaments.
Please mark your donations ‘Attic’ and drop
them off to the church office
or leave them in the coat room. Thank You!
2024 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.
