Celtic Evening Prayer and Communion The Fourth Sunday of Advent December 23, 2018, at Half-Past Five o clock in the Evening Welcome. We are aware that many who attend this service come from other churches and faith traditions, and we are delighted to have many who consider Saint Paul s to be their second church home. The mixture of faith traditions represented at this service makes up a community we especially cherish. We are glad you are here. Prelude Opening In order to prepare for worship and allow for private prayer, we ask that silence be observed upon entering and that you turn off cell phones. At the sound of the bell, all stand. We light our fourth candle marking the closing of the Advent season and the immediacy of Christmas a time of peace and joy we may not ourselves feel able to welcome as our spirits dwell in dark and wintriness. Let it speak to us of hope of being together in this place of healing and wholenesss of our companionship this night at the turning of the year of faith that we and those we have loved and lost are held eternally in the hand of the One who brought light into being and who knows each one of us by name. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:6,7) Beneath the surface of your story is an inescapable fact: You entered this world as vulnerable as any one of us, in order to nail that vulnerability to the cross. Our fears, our insecurities, and our sins
all that can separate us from God exchanged by your Grace for Love. We cannot comprehend the reasoning, only marvel that Salvation comes to us through a baby born in a stable, who reaches out to a world in need. Silence. Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. (John 3:5-8) Silence. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; Therefore you are feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in his word I put my hope. Celebrant There is a transformation that takes place within the warmth of your embrace That certain knowledge that you are refuge, shelter, fortress, and stronghold against which no army can succeed That you are Brother, Sister, Mother, Father, the love that knows no bounds That you are God And I am lost outside of your arms. Create in me a pure heart, O God, And renew a faithful spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation And a willing spirit to sustain Celebrant O Lord, open our lips, And our mouths will forever declare your praise. Celebrant O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Silence. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come again and with us ever dwell.
Please be seated. Music for Meditation O come, O come, Emmanuel A period of silence is observed. The Holy Gospel Luke 1:39-45 Reader A reading from the Gospel according to Luke. In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord. And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever. Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God s people. Thanks be to God. A period of silence is observed after the reading. Reflection The Reverend George Muir A period of silence is observed. Music for Meditation
Prayers for Ourselves and Others Please stand. Circle us, Lord. Circle us with the light of your presence, bright within this dark world, Enable us to be overcomers of fear and temptation, Enable us to be victors over sin and despair, Enable us to become that which you would desire. Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation, Circle us with the light of your presence. Circle us, Lord. Circle our family within the shelter of your outstretched arms, Protect them in each moment of their daily lives, Protect them in the decisions that they face, Protect their homes and relationships. Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation, Circle our families with the light of your presence. Circle us, Lord. Circle this nation with Advent love and hope, Create a desire to listen to the Advent message, Create a willingness to understand and respond, Create a need to reach out to the Christ Child. Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation, Circle our nation with the light of your presence. Circle us, Lord. Circle this world with the joy of your Salvation; Where there is sickness and disease, bring healing; Where there is hunger and despair, bring hope; Where there is torture and oppression, bring release. Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation, Circle this world with the light of your presence. Celebrant Lord, you have given us your Word for a light to shine upon our path; grant us so to meditate on that Word, and to follow its teaching, that we may find in it the light that shines more and more until the perfect day; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Healing Service Celebrant Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. are invited to come forward to receive the laying on of hands and anointing with oil in prayer for healing for yourself, for others, for our world. Additional Prayers of Intercession and Thanksgiving Please sit. During the instrumental music and anytime hereafter, you may come forward to light votives as a symbol of your prayers. After lighting a votive, please fully extinguish the lit taper and return it to the holder. Music for Meditation The Grace Celebrant Now my friends, all that is true, all that is noble, all that is just and pure, all that is lovable and gracious, whatever is excellent and admirable; with these let us fill our hearts, and the God of heaven will be with us. Amen. The Peace Celebrant Christ, the Good Shepherd, bind us with a bond of love that cannot be broken. My sisters and brothers, the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. And also with you. greet one another in the name of the Lord. Announcements The Reverend George Muir The Holy Communion The alms basin is not passed at this service, but stands in front of the Baptismal Font. The Offertory Music Eucharistic Prayer stand. Celebrant The Lord be with you. And also with you. Celebrant Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Celebrant It is our joy and delight to give you thanks and praise, Emmanuel, God with us. We give you thanks and praise for your hallowing of human flesh. We rejoice at your light which shines out of darkness and enlightens all who seek you. We praise you that you brought forth new life in the family of Mary and Joseph as you do today from all who faithfully await the fulfillment of your word. We praise you that you were known first by poor shepherds and wise seekers as you are known today by the poor and the outcast. We rejoice with the angels at your promise of peace for those who trust in you. We rejoice that the extraordinary is given birth in the ordinary places of life. So with the angels who sing Glory and with all the saints and ancestors who have known you to be with us, we say together: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Celebrant We bless you for Jesus, born of the Spirit s love and a woman s body and blood. We bless you for Jesus who shows us how to live the fullness of our humanity and thus become one with you. We remember Jesus who laughed and wept and felt tiredness and fear; who praised Mary when she anointed him for death and blessed a woman of the city who washed his feet with tears. We remember Jesus who touched lepers and the sick and feasted with tax collectors and sinners. We remember Christ who lives on in all who courageously and faithfully bring forth the light of his love in earth s darkest places. We remember Jesus who on the night before he died, shared a meal with his friends. He took bread, blessed it and broke it and gave it to them saying: Take and eat. This is my own body given for you. Do this to remember me. After supper he took the cup of wine, gave thanks and gave it to them saying: This is my life-blood given for you. Do this to remember me. So we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. Celebrant Oh God who is known to us in human flesh, send your Holy Spirit on us and on these material things of bread and wine, that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ, and we may be the body of Christ, food and life for the world. We ask these things through Christ, with whom and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, be glory now and forever. Amen. 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 A period of silence is observed when the bread is broken. Celebrant This is the table, not of the Church, but of the Lord. It is made ready for those who love him and for those who want to love him more. So, come, you who have much faith and you who have little, you who have been here often and you who have not been here long, you who have tried to follow and you who have failed. Come, because it is the Lord who invites you. It is his will that those who want him should meet him here.
You are welcome to be seated until you come forward to receive. When you receive the consecrated bread, you may consume it and then move to one of the cups of consecrated wine. Music during Communion After Communion Please stand or kneel. Celebrant Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, you have put your life into our hands; now we put our lives into yours. Take us, renew us and remake us. What we have been is past; what we shall be, through you, still awaits us. Lead us on. Take us with you. Amen. The Blessing Celebrant May this new night of rest Repair the wear of time, Restore your vision of a deeper light, Heal the wounds of disappointments, And restore youth of heart For the adventure That awaits you tomorrow. May the blessing of Almighty God: the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always. Amen. The Dismissal Go out into the world in peace, have courage, hold on to what is good, return no one evil for evil, strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the suffering, honor everyone, love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. Thanks be to God. Music for Meditation Please feel free to sit or depart, as you wish, during the closing music.
Parish Announcements 2019 Pledged Offerings If you have not yet, please consider making a pledged offering to support and sustain our church and its ministries. Pledge forms are available in the Narthex, on the website, and in the Friday Postings. Contact Brad Sandbach (bradtps@comcast.net ) or Fr. John Jenkins (jjenkins@saintpauls.org). Daughters of the King, an Episcopal prayer ministry, invite prayers for yourself and others. Attach your prayer request to the Advent Prayer Tree located in Tyler Hall or in the Narthex. For more information, contact Suzanne Pursley-Crotteau at spursleycrotteau@gmail.com. The Mystery of Christmas - 3:00 pm, Christmas Eve, Chapel. Prior to the 4 pm Christmas Eve service, Christmas Eve service, all children, their families, and those interested are invited to hear a very special Godly Play story, The Mystery of Christmas. Come and revel in the whole story of the mystery we celebrate at Christmastide. Heavy snacks included for all ages. Questions? Contact Fr. Jenkins or Kim Butler (kimberlyybutler@gmail.com). Christmas Eve services will be held at 4 pm and 10 pm. A nursery is available for the 4 pm service. The 10 pm service will be broadcast live on WGAC 580 AM and 95.1 FM. Christmas Day service will be held at 10 am in the Chapel. Come and celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord with The Holy Eucharist Rite Two and Christmas carols. A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, 11 am, Sunday, December 30. Join us along with your families and outof-town guests in this beautiful celebration during Christmastide. The Canterbury and Saint Paul s choirs will join readers from the congregation to observe this beloved liturgy of our Anglican heritage. Eucharist will not be celebrated at this service, but will be celebrated at the 8 am service and again at the 5:30 pm Celtic Evening Prayer & Communion service. The Parish Office will be closed in celebration of Christmas Monday, December 24 - Wednesday, December 26. The Parish Office will also close at noon on New Year s Eve, Monday, December 31, and reopen Wednesday, January 2. Offerings or Special Gifts of cash/check must be dated and postmarked no later than December 31, 2018 to qualify as 2018 charitable contributions. For gifts (transfers) of stock or other securities, or other questions, contact ASAP Meredith Beach (mbeach@saintpauls.org or (706) 724-2485 ext. 204). Please note the Parish Office will close at noon on both Friday, December 28 and Monday, December 31. Contribution statements for 2018 will be mailed to parishioners no later than January 31, 2019. The Vestry Nominating Committee is seeking candidates whom you believe would make outstanding Vestry members for Saint Paul s. If you d like to suggest someone, including yourself, please contact Leslie Lambert at leslambert9@gmail.com. Vestry responsibilities are included in Friday s Weekly Postings. The 269th annual parish meeting and brunch will be held Sunday, January 27, following the 11 am service. Details will follow. Please mark your calendars. Saint Paul s Church communicates by a weekly E-newsletter. Join our email list by contacting the parish administrator, Elisabeth Price, at mailbox@saintpauls.org or scan the QR on the back of this bulletin. Visit our website Saint Paul s Church is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. The Church is open for prayer daily 9 am 3 pm, Monday - Thursday, & 9 am 12 pm, Friday. The Church Office and Parish House are closed Saturdays as well as Sunday afternoons. www.saintpauls.org Tel: 706-724-2485 Join Our E-mail List