LESSONS AND CAROLS
VOLUNTARIES
"Watchman, tell us of the night” arr. David Gehrenbeck (b. 1931)
“Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, BuxWV 211”
Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
PROCESSION
(Please stand if you are able)
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN 61 “Sleepers, wake!”
INCENSE RITE
Officiant: Let us pray.
O God who enfolds us in night’s sacred darkness, accept our evening sacrifice of prayer and praise. As frankincense was brought to the Christ Child by the Magi, so now we bring to you our gift of incense. May these clouds ascending to you be a sign of our prayer. May their fragrance fill us with longing for the sweetness of Christ. May our offering this night honor and please you. This we pray through the one whose coming we await, Jesus Christ our Lord.
All : Amen.
Organ improvisation during the Censing Stephen Kennedy
PRECES AND BIDDING PRAYER
Officiant: Jesus Christ is the Light of the world.
All: The Great King who is to come.
Officiant: Dear People of God:
In the season of Advent, it is our responsibility and joy to prepare ourselves to hear once more the message of the Angels, to go to Bethlehem and see the Son of God lying in a manger.
Let us hear and heed in Holy Scripture the story of God's loving purpose from the time of our rebellion against Him until the glorious redemption brought to us by his holy Child Jesus, and let us look forward to the yearly remembrance of his birth with hymns and songs of praise.
But first, let us pray for the needs of his whole world, for peace and justice on earth, for the unity and mission of the Church for which he died, and especially for his church and in this city.
And because he particularly loves them, let us remember in his name the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed, the sick and those who mourn, the lonely and unloved, the aged and little children, as well as all those who do not know and love the Lord Jesus Christ.
Finally, let us remember before God his pure and lowly Mother, and that whole multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in Jesus, we are one for evermore.
And now to sum up all these petitions, let us pray in the words which Christ himself taught us, saying:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done.
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Officiant:
The Almighty God bless us with his grace; Christ give us the joys of everlasting life, and to the fellowship of the citizens above may the King of Angels bring us all.
All: Amen.
Please be seated
ANTIPHON 1 : O SAPIENTIA
(led by the Officiant)
All : O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
THE FIRST LESSON: Genesis 3: 1-15
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?” He said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He 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.” The Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."
RESPONSE
“Jesus Christ the Apple Tree”
Elizabeth Posten (1905-1987) Christ Church Choir
The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and always green;
The trees of nature fruitless be,
Compared with Christ the Apple Tree.
His beauty doth all things excel,
By faith I know but ne'er can tell
The glory which I now can see,
In Jesus Christ the Apple tree.
For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I have bought;
I missed of all but now I see
'Tis found in Christ the Apple tree.
I'm weary with my former toil -
Here I will sit and rest awhile,
Under the shadow I will be,
Of Jesus Christ the Apple tree.
This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the Apple tree.
ANTIPHON 2: O ADONAI
(led by the Officiant)
All : O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
THE SECOND LESSON Isaiah 40: 1-11
Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
A voice says, "Cry out!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.
Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!"
See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN 6 Comfort, comfort ye my people
(Please stand if you are able)
(Please be seated)
ANTIPHON 3: O RADIX JESSE
(led by the Officiant)
All: O Root of Jesse’s stem,
sign of God’s love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!
THE THIRD LESSON: Micah 5: 2-4
But 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;
RESPONSE
“There is no rose of such virtue” Stephen Kennedy (b. 1962)
ANTIPHON 4: O CLAVIS DAVID
(led by the Officiant)
All: O Key of David,
opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness!
THE FOURTH LESSON: Isaiah 11:1-9
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the
ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN 81 “Lo, how a rose e’re blooming
(Please stand if you are able)
ANTIPHON 5: O ORIENS
(led by the Officiant)
All: O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the
shadow of death.
THE FIFTH LESSON: Zephaniah 3: 14-18
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.
RESPONSE
The Song of Mary (Magnificat) Luke 1:46-55
Sung by cantors
My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded:
the lowliness of his handmaiden:
For behold, from henceforth:
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me:
and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him:
throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm:
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat:
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things:
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel:
as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
ANTIPHON 6 O REX GENTIUM
(led by the Officiant)
All: O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
THE SIXTH LESSON: Wisdom of Solomon 7:26-8:1
For wisdom is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness. Although she is but one, she can do all things, and while remaining in herself, she renews all things; in every generation she passes into holy souls and makes them friends of God, and prophets; for God loves nothing so much as the person who lives with wisdom. She is more beautiful than the sun, and excels every constellation of the stars. Compared with the light she is found to be superior, for it is succeeded by the night, but against Wisdom evil does not prevail. She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well.
RESPONSE
A Song of Wisdom Sapientia liberavit Canticle A
Sung by cantors
1 O God of our ancestors and Lord of mercy,
you have made all things by your word.
2 By your wisdom you have formed us
to have dominion over the creatures you have made;
3 To rule the world in holiness and righteousness
and to pronounce judgement in uprightness of soul.
4 Give us the Wisdom that sits by your throne;
do not reject us from among your servants,
5 For we are your servants,
with little understanding of judgement and laws.
6 Even one who is perfect among us
will be regarded as nothing
without the wisdom that comes from you.
7 With you is Wisdom, she who knows your works,
and was present when you made the world.
8 She understands what is pleasing in your sight
and what is right according to your commandments.
9 Send her forth from the holy heavens,
from the throne of your glory send her.
10 That she may labour at our side
and that we may learn what is pleasing to you.
11 For she knows and understands all things,
she will guide us wisely in our actions
and guard us with her glory.
ANTIPHON 7: O EMMANUEL
(led by the Officiant)
All: O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!
THE SEVENTH LESSON: Isaiah 43:14a, 15–19a; 7:14–15
Thus says the Lord
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
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. He shall eat curds and honey by the time
he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
RESPONSE
“The Lamb” Sir. John Tevener (1944-2013) Christ Church Choir
Little Lamb who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life and bid thee feed
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice:
Little Lamb who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Little Lamb I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb I'll tell thee:
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb:
He is meek and he is mild,
He became a little child:
I a child and thou a lamb,
We are called by his name:
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
GOSPEL: Luke 1:26-38
Officiant: 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, favoured 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 favour 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 for ever, 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.
RESPONSE
“Resonet in laudibus” Michael Praetorious (1571-1621) Christ Church choir
1. Let praises resound
with joyous acclaim:
To Sion’s faithful
the child born of Mary has appeared.
2. Christ, born today
of the Virgin Mary
without the seed of man:
the child born…
3. Let us sing together to the Child,
Let us sing to the newborn king,
And with pious tones, say:
the child born…
4. O Sion, praise the Lord,
The Savior of mankind,
He who cleanses sin:
The child born…
5. What Gabriel foretold has been fulfilled.
Eia, A Virgin bore God,
As the divine mercy willed.
6. Today He has appeared in Israel:
From the Virgin Mary is born a King.
7. Great is the name of the Lord Immanuel,
As was announced by Gabriel.
BLESSING AND DISMISSAL Officiant:
(People may stand)
Officiant: Our help is in the Name of the Lord;
All: The maker of heaven and earth.
Officiant: Blessed be the Name of the Lord;
All: From this time forth for evermore.
Officiant: The blessing, mercy, and grace of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you, and remain with you for ever.
All: Amen.
Sub-deacon: Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.
All: Thanks be to God.
