Advent 4 Love December 24, 2017 Celebrant Lay Reader Sidespeople Reader Music Accompanist Nursery Attendant The Rev. Chris Dowdeswell Lloyd Begley Linda Stewart & Payten Schwartz Linda Stewart Michael Siebert Amy Wiens Svonnah Flynn St. Stephen s Anglican Church 108 2 nd Ave NE Swift Current, SK S9H 2C7 (306) 773-4007 secretary@ststephenthemartyrsc.ca ststephenthemartyrsc.ca
Welcome to our service this morning! Please join in the congregational responses where bolded, and if you would like to use a hearing-assist device to help follow along in worship, one can be borrowed from the sound desk. Processional Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus 88 Advent Candle Lighting: Love Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: Let the earth open, and bring forth a Saviour. The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament showeth his handiwork. The Lord s Prayer BCP p. 67 The Collect for Purity BCP p. 67 The Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent BCP p. 102 First Lesson: 2 Samuel 7: 1-11 Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent. Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you. But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, Why have you not built me a house of cedar? Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince
over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Reader The word of the Lord People Thanks be to God Magnificat St. Luke 1: 46-55 MY SOUL doth magnify the Lord, * and my spirit hath rejoic-ed in God mÿ Saviour. For he hath regarded * the lowliness of his händmaiden. For behold, from henceforth * all generations shall call më bless-ed. For he that is mighty hath magnify-ed me; * and holy ïs his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him * throughout all genërations. He hath showed strength with his arm; * he hath scattered the proud in the imagination öf their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat. * and hath exalted the humblë and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things; * and the rich he hath sent emptÿ away. He remembering his mercy * hath holpen his servant Ïsrael; As he promised to our forefathers, * Abraham and his seed för ever. Second Lesson: Romans 16: 25-27 Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
Reader People The word of the Lord Thanks be to God Sequence Hymn Creator of the Stars of Night 96 Lay Reader The Holy Gospel is written in the 1 st chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke beginning at the 26 th verse. People Glory be to thee, O Lord In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you. But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him 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. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I am a virgin? 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 holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God. Then Mary said, Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. Then the angel departed from her. People Praise be to thee, O Christ The Nicene Creed BCP p. 71 Sermon The Offertory BCP p. 73 Offertory The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky 267 All things come of thee, O Lord and of thine own, have we given thee. Prayers and Intercession BCP p. 75 Confession and Absolution BCP p. 76
Thanksgiving BCP p. 78 Consecration BCP p. 81
The Prayer of Humble Access BCP p. 83 The Communion BCP p. 84 Choir Anthem Jesus Christ the Apple Tree Communion Lo, How a Rose E er Blooming 117 Once in Royal David s City 123 The Lord s Prayer BCP p. 85 The Prayer After Communion BCP p. 85 Gloria in Excelsis BCP p. 86 The Blessing BCP p. 86 Recessional It Came Upon A Midnight Clear 140
Upcoming Services Today: Family Service and Communion @ 4pm Christmas Day: Holy Eucharist Service @ 10:30am December 31 st : First Sunday After Christmas Morning Prayer service @ 10:30am. THIS WEEK The office will be closed from Dec 25 28 and open on the 29 th. Rev. Chris will be away from December 26 th to January 3 rd. ANNOUNCEMENTS Bishop Rob has appointed Rev. Chris to be our permanent Incumbent Priest! The induction service will be on January 7th, 2018, at 10:30am. Bishop Rob will be with us for the service, and as such there will be no 8:30am service that day. If you do not receive our email announcements, you can find Bishop Rob s appointment letter at the back of the church. We hope you can attend this joyous occasion! Christian Education Survey Rev. Chris has created a survey to gauge interest in Christian Education for the new year and invites all members of the parish to submit their thoughts. The survey can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/christianedsurvey2017 or in hard copy at the back of the church. Completed paper surveys can be submitted to Carly in the office. Use your Smartphone or tablet to check out our new St Stephens App! Access the electronic bulletin each week, donate by credit card, and more! tinyurl.com/ststephensapp December 26 December 28 December 29 COMMEMORATIONS BAPTISM: Griffin Darby BIRTHDAY: Reid Cashin BAPTISM: Erin Baba
Prayers of the People General We pray for vigilance for all God s people and for the protection of those in the Armed Forces. Anglican Cycle of Prayer The Most. Rev. Fred Hiltz (Primate); The Most Rev. Greg Kerr-Wilson (Metropolitan); The Rt. Rev. Rob Hardwick, Bishop of Qu Appelle. Government Leaders Governor General Julie Payette; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; Lt. Gov. Vaughn Solomon Schofield; Premier Brad Wall; David Anderson, MP; Mayor of Swift Current, Denis Perrault; city council and all other government leaders. Companion Dioceses For the Bishops, clergy and congregations in the dioceses of Muyinga and Lichfield. Diocesan Prayers For the ministry of our hospital chaplains as they adjust to changes in healthcare facilities. For the staff of Communications and Information Resources, and staff of Financial Management of the Anglican Church of Canada. Ecumenical Partners For the Swift Current & Area Ministerial Association; Our ecumenical partnerships: the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Anglican-Roman Catholic Covenant. For the clergy and congregation at Faith Evangelical Missionary Church. Parish Prayers St. Stephen s Anglican Church, Swift Current; The Rev. Chris and the Rev. Krista Dowdeswell and family, all lay readers, ministries and area impact. All in our hospital and special care homes, all who minister to them. All who have asked for our prayers, whether for healing, help or comfort, especially: Tom Mackie; Michelle Hetherton; Kathy Leer Mattice; Kevin & Margaret Johnson; Gloria Shabbits; Gordon Hartley; Travis, Kirsten, Erika & Jesse Olson; Linda Packham; Mary Wells; Dr. Ron Young; Tanoj; Lindon; Erica; Catherine Lavallee and those known only to yourself. All those whose anniversary of death falls at this time. If you would like an item added to the prayer list, please contact us. Prayer requests will be included for one month unless requested otherwise. PLEASE REMEMBER THE ABOVE IN YOUR DAILY PRAYERS