Our Vision: A world where people experience God s love and are made whole. Our Mission: To share the love of Jesus through compassion, inclusivity, creativity and learning. Christmas Lessons and Carols Sunday 24 December 2017 4 p.m.
Dear friends, Many thanks for serving as a lector on Christmas Eve. Please arrive early (see list of call times below) and check-in in the Vestry, then take a moment (before any prelude music begins) to step into the Lectern/Pulpit, get familiar with your surroundings, and look at your reading. Please check in by 3-3:15 p.m. if you re serving at the 4pm service of Lessons and Carols 7:10 p.m. if you re serving at the 7:30 Christmas Eve Eucharist 10 p.m. if you re serving at the 11pm Midnight Mass 10:30 a.m. if you re serving at the 11 am Christmas Day Eucharist These texts for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day may be familiar, and that alone can make them more difficult both to prepare and proclaim. Further, you may be familiar with the phrases and rhythms of another translation, so please read this text carefully and prayerfully to become familiar with it. A few general tips for reading: Remember to adjust the microphone so that it points to your mouth not your forehead or your chest. Speak clearly and use your full voice when you read, though without shouting. If you lack energy, or mumble, or shout, that is what the microphone will amplify, and that is what the congregation will hear. The sound engineer can easily reduce volume so that your voice will be clear, but has limited capacity to boost volume without degrading sound quality. A good rule of thumb is: if you think you are speaking a bit too loudly, you are probably projecting your voice just fine! Pause after the introductory sentence. Use the punctuation in the reading. The commas, dashes, and periods define the sentence structure. They also serve to slow you down. Don t be afraid to read slowly. The reverberation in the Cathedral can eat your words and make you unintelligible if you read too quickly. Reading Scripture is not theater. Do not be overly dramatic in your pacing or your emphasis of particular words or phrases. The reading should be clear and prayerful. You may make occasional eye contact with the congregation, at least by looking up during the opening and closing sentences. You can follow the lines of the text with your finger, preferably down the left side of the page at the beginning of each line, to ensure that you do not lose your place. At the end of the reading, before giving the closing sentence, pause again and look up at the congregation. Then say that closing sentence ( The Word of the Lord. ) Pause AGAIN before turning to go to your seat It's tempting to start heading back to your seat while saying that closing sentence, but it's better to allow it to sink in before you turn back to your seat. And if the congregation has a response, let them respond before turning to go to your seat. With a grateful heart, and one that looks forward to sharing Christmas Joy with you!
The Service At 3:30 p.m., participants are vested and ready for a briefing in the main vestry At 3:53, the procession forms on the lower plaza (weather permitting; otherwise we move down the back stair, through Gresham Hall and the Gym, and up the stairs in the South Tower.) At 3:58, a lighting tech lowers the lights dramatically to quiet the congregation and then raises the lights back up. The choir assembles in concert position near the Font. At the same time, the conductor and treble soloist and take their places inside, near the Pulpit. At 3:59, the lights darken and a spotlight shines on the treble in the pulpit; the clock sounds the tune and tolls the hour, and the treble begins the first verse after the hourstrike. Meanwhile (also 3:59) the Ghiberti doors open and the procession enters (while the clock sounds the tune and tolls the hour); pauses to the right (north) of the Font once the Bishop is indoors. The doors close immediately behind the Bishop. at 4:00: the Treble in the pulpit sings the first verse of the hymn. (During the second verse sung by the choir, the chorister joins the choir via a side aisle.) During the third verse, the procession moves up the center aisle to the quire. (Choir remains in concert position until after the third lesson.) Beadle *C* Choir (retiring procession) Verger (north) pulpit readers Non-chapter staff and clergy Chapter members Verger (south) lectern readers Chapter members Dean's verger Dean Apparitor Bishop Acolytes put equipment in the ambulatory, then sit near the north quire door. The Dean begins the service with the Bidding, from the Lectern. Readers are seated near the lectern/pulpit from which they will read. Readers make their own way to and from the pulpit / lectern during end of the music before their reading. A staff verger (or someone) needs to leave immediately for the carillon console to turn off: (1)The Hour Strike, (2)The Angelus, and (3) the socalled Westminster Chimes for the rest of the night. (NB: after the third lesson and carol during Hymn 105 God Rest ye on page 3 a beadle should lead the choir to the quire if possible) The Bishop is verged to the lectern for his reading, then back to his seat. During the hymn O Come All Ye Faithful, the Bishop is verged to the altar for the final collect and blessing.
On the last verse of the final hymn (Hark the Herald Angels), the beadle brings the cross and torch set out to the Crocker Cross in the center of the quire. Stop there; wait until the hymn finishes, the postlude begins, and the choir moves in behind to join you. Then move as on Sundays down the center aisle, to the right (south) of the Font and (weather permitting) out the Ghiberti Doors and across the plaza. Clergy remain at the back of the cathedral to greet. If the weather is bad, the rest of the procession exits via the south tower stairs and through the crypt. 2017 READERS for LESSONS AND CAROLS, 4 p.m. reading leaflet heading citation read by place Bidding Prayer 1 2 3 4 The Bidding Prayer The Lord s Prayer Adam and Eve rebel against God and are cast out of the Garden of Eden The prophet proclaims that God will come and save us God promises a child who will be called God with us The angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will bear a son 5 Jesus is born in Bethlehem 6 7 8 9 Final prayers Angels announce the sign of God s presence to shepherds Magi are led by the star to Jesus Jesus receives his name and is presented in the Temple The Word was made flesh and we have seen his glory. Genesis 3: 1-13, 22-24 Isaiah 35: 1-10 Isaiah 7: 10-14 Luke 1: 26-38 Luke 2: 1-7 Luke 2: 8-20 Matthew 2: 1-12 Luke 2: 21-33 John 1: 1-16, 17b-18 Malcolm Young Chorister Lisa Maehata José Hernandez Ellen Clark-King Eric Metoyer Peggy Lo Amy Cook Ammar Najjar Bishop Marc Andrus stone Lectern Font Pulpit stone Lectern Pulpit stone Lectern Pulpit stone Lectern Pulpit stone Lectern The Collect and Blessing Bishop Marc Andrus Altar
Christmas Bidding Prayer, Lessons and Carols [Merry Christmas. You all look beautiful and it s such a blessing to have you here at Grace Cathedral tonight. This is a house of prayer for all peoples and generations of people have supported it, and supported our work together. Your service leaflet describes how the congregation here works, and how you might be able to help. Your gifts keep this ministry alive.] Let us pray: This Christmastide, let us delight to hear again the message of the Angels, and in heart and mind to go to Bethlehem, and see what has come to pass the ancient story of shepherds and magi coming to pay homage to the Child lying in a manger. Let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first day of our disobedience, to the glorious Redemption brought us by this holy Child. And let us make this cathedral glad with our carols of praise.
But first let us pray for the needs of his whole earth; for peace and goodwill over world, especially [for the peoples of Syria who live in fear of war,] for the people in the land of Jesus birth. Pray for all people of faith, and those whose faith is known to God alone. We pray for the mission and unity of your Church; for this land and its leaders, and for the welfare of this city. We remember the poor and the helpless; the hungry, the oppressed; the sick, and those who mourn; we pray for the lonely and unloved; the elderly and all children. And lastly, let us remember the Mother Mary, giving thanks for her great yes. Let us gladly offer up these prayers and praises to the throne of heaven, in the words which Christ himself has taught us: Our Father... for ever and ever. Amen. The Lord of love bless us with grace; Christ give us the joy of peace; and the Spirit which enlivens the world be with us for ever. Amen. cf. http://www.gracecathedral.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/lessonsandcarols_2016.mp3
1 Chorister [Genesis 3:1-13, 22-24] Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, Did God say, You shall not eat from any tree in the garden? The woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die. But the serpent said to the woman, You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, Where are you? [ next page ] ä
1 Chorister [Genesis 3:1-13, 22-24] He said, I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. [God] said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? The man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate. Then the Lord God said to the woman, What is this that you have done? The woman said, The serpent tricked me, and I ate. [ ] Then the Lord God said, See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever. Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning, to guard the way to the tree of life. [ pause ] Thanks be to God.
➋ Lisa Maehata [Isaiah 35:1-10] The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. [ next page ] ä
➋ Lisa Maehata [Isaiah 35:1-10] A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. [ pause ] Thanks be to God.
⓷ José Hernández [Isaiah 7:10-14] 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. [ pause ] Thanks be to God.
➍ Ellen Clark-King [Luke 1:26-38] 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. [ pause ] Thanks be to God.
⓹ Eric Metoyer [Luke 2:1-7] In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. [ pause ] Thanks be to God.
➏ Peggy Lo [Luke 2:8-20] In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom [God] favors! When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. [ pause ] Thanks be to God.
⓻ Amy Cook [Matthew 2:1-12] In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage. When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel. Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage. [ next page ] ä
⓻ Amy Cook [Matthew 2:1-12] When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. [ pause ] Thanks be to God. [Matthew 2:1-12 ]
➑ Ammar Najjar [Luke 2:22-38] When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord ), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Now there was someone in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; he was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. [ next page ] ä
➑ Ammar Najjar [Luke 2:22-38] And the child s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed and a sword will pierce your own soul too. There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. [ pause ] Thanks be to God. [Luke 2:22-38]
⓽ Bishop Marc [John 1:1-14, 16-18] The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ according to John. Glory to you, Lord Christ. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a prophet 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. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of human will, but of God. [ next page ] ä
⓽ Bishop Marc [John 1:1-14, 16-18] And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father s only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father s heart, who has made God known. The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ. 1:1-14,16-18] [John
Bishop People Bishop The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. May Christ, who by his Incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, fill you with his joy and peace; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.