United in God’s Love, Empowered to Serve, Welcoming All
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 22, 2024
Holy Eucharist
11:00 A.M.
BISHOP: The Rt. Rev’d Kara Wagner Sherer
PRESIDER and CELEBRANT: The Rev’d Steven Metcalfe
MUSIC DIRECTOR and ORGANIST: Stephen Kennedy
We seek to serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves.
We strive for justice and peace among all people,
respecting the dignity of every human being.
Welcome
We seek to mirror the love of God and the hospitality of Jesus in our worship and our service to others. We are a community welcoming all races, ethnicities, faiths, genders, orientations, and abilities. Our worship is open to all, and every person is invited to receive communion.
Our church nursery and children’s activities for church will begin on September 10, 2023. However, children and babies – noisy and quiet! – are always welcome in the pews.
Are you new to Christ Church and our liturgy?
Hymns are in the blue book in the pew in front of you. Hymn #1 starts about 200 pages in, not on page 1.
Let’s Get Connected!
If you’re interested in joining us on a regular basis or would like more information (or both!) fill out a card on the back of the pew in front of you. You can drop it in the collection plate or give it to an usher. Or you can drop us a note at our Contact page on our Newsmagazine THE SONG songforchristchurch.org/contact
Holy Eucharist, said – Sunday, 8:00 am
Holy Eucharist, sung (with music) - Sunday 11:00 am
THE ENTRANCE RITE
VOLUNTARY "II. Ave Maria, Ave Maris Stella (Trois paraphrases grégoriennes, op. 5)"
Jean Langlais (1907-1991)
At the ringing of the bell, all who are able, stand.
INTROIT Gaudete in Domino
HYMN 54 Savior of the nations, come!
THE WORD OF GOD
ACCLAMATION
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.
Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Let us pray.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
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 forever. Amen.
THE LESSONS
The people sit.
After each Reading, the Reader says: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
THE FIRST LESSON: Micah 5:2-5a
You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.
GRADUAL: Canticle 15
EPISTLE: Hebrews 10:5-10
When Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’
(in the scroll of the book it is written of me)."
When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Gospeler: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.
THE HOLY GOSPEL Luke 1:39-55
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.”
Gospeler: The Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, Lord Christ.
SERMON The Rev’d Steven Metcalfe
THE NICENE CREED
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,
the giver of life, who proceeds from the
Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is
worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Leader: In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence
For all people in their daily life and work;
All: For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.
For this community, the nation, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.
For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.
For Sean, our Presiding Bishop, and Kara, our Bishop; and for all bishops and other ministers;
For all who serve God in his Church.
For the special needs and concerns of this congregation.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions.
Hear us, Lord;
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence
The People may add their own thanksgivings
We will exalt you, O God our King;
And praise your Name for ever and ever.
We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions
Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.
Silence may be kept.
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father;
in your compassion forgive us our sins,
known and unknown,
things done and left undone;
and so uphold us by your Spirit
that we may live and serve you in newness of life,
to the honor and glory of your Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Celebrant: Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
THE PEACE
Presider: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
People greet one another in the name of the Lord.
PARISH NOTICES
+ An opportunity to make an offering+
THE HOLY COMMUNION
HYMN 265 The angel Gabriel from heaven came
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
All who are able stand
SURSUM CORDA Plainsong
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; for you are the source of light and life, you made us in your image and called us to new life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
SANCTUS
Then the Celebrant continues
The people may stand or kneel as they are able.
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,
Presider and People
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
The Presider 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 all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your children, 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 forever. AMEN.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD
A period of silence is kept.
FRACTION ANTHEM
ALLELUIA, CHRIST OUR PASSOVER
HYMN 56 O come, O come, Emmanuel
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Eternal God, heavenly Father,
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 forever. Amen.
BLESSING
Presider: May Almighty God, by whose providence our Savior Christ came among us in great humility, sanctify you with the light of
his blessing and set you free from all sin. Amen.
May he whose second Coming in power and great glory we await, make you steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love. Amen.
May you, who rejoice in the first Advent of our Redeemer, at his second Advent be rewarded with unending life. Amen.
And the blessing of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.
DISMISSAL
Celebrant: Let us go in the name of Christ
All: Thanks be to God.
DEO GRATIAS
“Mass VIII” (De Angelis) Mode 5
VOLUNTARY “Improvisation on ‘Ave Maria’" Mode 1 James Jeffery
Our Presider and Celebrant today was the Rev’d Steven Metcalfe
__________________________________________
Vestry- Jeremy Cooney, John D’Amanda, John Fields, Norma Hopcraft, Kristy Liddell, Nancy Norwood, Shirley Ricker, Craig Smith, Deb VanderBilt
Wardens- Valerie Jutsum Jim Kurmis
and David Jutsum- Clerk of the Vestry
_______________________________________________________________________
Organists
Stephen Kennedy, director of music and organist
Andrew Johnson, assistant organist
Dominic Fiacco, VanDelinder Fellow
Jimmy Jeffery, VanDelinder fellow
David Higgs and William Porter, associate organists
Choral Scholars
Anna Bjerken
Karen Goldfeder
Caleb Meyerhoff
Michael Cullinan
Thatcher Lyman
________________________________________________________________________________
CHRIST CHURCH OFFICE HOURS &Staff -
Stephen Kennedy, Director of Music, stephenk@rochester.rr.com
Steve Iaia, Sexton, stepheniaia9@gmail.com
Lori Frank, Office Administrator, office@christchurchrochester.org.
Office Hours:
TUESDAYS - 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
WEDNESDAYS - 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
THURSDAYS - 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK
TODAY: December 15
Welcome to all New Visitors please join us at coffee hour
Children’s Choir: rehearsals after the 11:00 am
1:00 - 3:00 “Let’s Build Together” (2nd floor nursery
Compline 9:00pm (church)
MONDAY, December 16
10:00 am Zoom Morning Prayer
https://songforchristchurch.org/monday-morning-prayer
TUESDAY, December 17
9:30-10:30 am, Zoom Book study
12:10 pm “Tuesday Pipes” 20-minute free organ concerts in the church
WEDNESDAY, December 18
Christ Church Choir rehearsal 6:30-8:00 pm (church)
THURSDAY, December 19
7:00 pm Zoom Evening Prayer
https://songforchristchurch.org/thursday-evening-prayer
CELEBRATING THE SEASON OF CHRISTMAS
Christmas Eve Liturgies:
Tuesday Dec. 24: 5:00 p.m. Eucharist: spoken with congregational carols
Tuesday Dec. 24: 10:15 p.m. 10:30 p.m. Festive Eucharist. Prelude at 10:15 p.m.
Christmas Day Liturgy:
Wednesday Dec. 25: 10:00 a.m. spoken
Mark your calendars
Bishop Kara Wagner Sherer will visit Christ Church January 5th, 2025
Twelfth Night Event is January 11, 2025
The Christ Church Annual Meeting is January 26, 2025
LET’S BUILD TOGETHER
Christ Church has a building club for LEGO® fans of all ages! The group gathers weekly in the sacristy between 1:00 and 3:00. Dave Jutsum will supply the LEGO® bricks and pieces.
LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this club.
MUSIC ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Christ Church Children’s Choir wants your kids! 20-minute rehearsals follow the 11:00 am Eucharist on Sundays. Please feel free to contact Stephen Kennedy and/or Andrew Johnson if you have a child interested in participating or if you have any questions about our program.
Please consider lending a helping hand with Compline set-up immediately following today’s Eucharist.
CHURCH SCHOOL
Available every Sunday for the 11:00 service. Children of any age are welcome! Teachers are on site from 10:45 a.m., and will bring your children down to the sanctuary after the Prayers of the People so that they can join in for communion. Church School focuses on arts & crafts related to the themes of the week’s readings. You can visit the room on the 2nd floor—if you are unfamiliar with the building, please ask an usher, who will be glad to show you the room. Note: Christ Church follows Safe Church practices—at least 2 teachers are always in the room with the children.
DONATIONS, PLEDGE ENVELOPES, AND VISITOR’S BOOK
You can make an online donation or pledge by simply going to the Christ Church website: christchurchrochester.org
There is no service charge when you click the DONATE button.
Please pick up your envelopes in the Narthex
For more information about upcoming events at Church, scan this QR code below.
https://songforchristchurch.org/announcements
Additional items of importance can be seen by clicking the link or scanning the QR code.
Remember to “like” and “subscribe” to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbkbAzGxOtsMI1dhb_3dGvg/videos
visit the website, http://www.christchurchrochester.org and
The Song, https://songforchristchurch.org often, for any updates and to access free recordings.
LITURGICAL CALENDARS 2024 or 2025
Please let the office know if you are interested in receiving a calendar.
Email: office@christchurchrochester.org
Phone: 585-454-3878
FORWARD DAY BY DAY PUBLICATION
Please let the office know if you are interested in receiving a copy.
Email: office@christchurchrochester.org
Phone: 585-454-3878