THE WORD OF GOD

VOLUNTARY
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659
Johann Sebastian Bach

All stand for the procession.

OPENING ACCLAMATION and COLLECT FOR PURITY

Presider  Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People  And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

Presider and People 
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE TRISAGION
Said three times.

Presider  Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One,
People  have mercy upon us.

THE COLLECT OF THE DAY

Presider  The Lord be with you.
People  And with thy spirit.
Presider  Let us pray.

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

All sit.

THE FIRST LESSON
Isaiah 64:1-9

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence–as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil–to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.

Lector  The Word of the Lord.
People  Thanks be to God.

PSALM 80:1-7, 16-18

1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
 shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
 stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
 show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts, *
 how long will you be angered despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; *
 you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
 and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
 show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, *
 the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.
17 And so will we never turn away from you; *
 give us life, that we may call upon your Name.
18 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; *
 show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

THE SECOND LESSON
1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind–just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you–so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lector  The Word of the Lord.
People  Thanks be to God.

All stand for the proclamation of the Gospel.

THE GOSPEL
Mark 13:24-37

Minister 
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
People  Glory be to thee, O Lord.

Jesus said, “In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Minister  The Gospel of the Lord.
People  Praise be to thee, O Christ.

All sit.

THE SERMON

All stand.

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,
  was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
  and became truly human.
  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,
 who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
 who 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.

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

After each petition is said

Intercessor  Watching and waiting,
People  we pray to thee, O Lord.

We pray for those celebrating a birthday or an anniversary, saying,

O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on your servants as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen their trust in your goodness all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Presider
O God, who from the heavens rains down mercy and kindness, that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder before thy marvelous deeds: Raise our heads in expectation, that we may yearn for the coming day of the Lord and stand without blame before thy Son, Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.

THE CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION

Minister Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.

All kneel and a moment of silence is kept.

Minister and People 

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against thee in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved thee with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in thy will, and walk in thy ways, to the glory of thy Name. Amen.

Presider 

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE PEACE

Presider  The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People  And with thy spirit.

All sit for the Announcements.

ANNOUNCEMENTS and STEWARDSHIP

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THE HOLY COMMUNION

OFFERTORY ANTHEM
Sleepers, Wake!
Felix Mendelssohn

Sleepers, wake! A voice is calling, it is the watchman on the walls: thou city of Jerusalem! For lo! The Bridegroom comes! Arise, and take your lamps! Hallelujah! Awake! His kingdom is at hand! Go forth, go forth to meet your Lord!

All stand.

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Eucharistic Prayer B

Presider  The Lord be with you.
People  And with thy spirit.
Presider  Lift up your hearts.
People  We lift them up unto the Lord.
Presider  Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People  It is meet and right so to do.

It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God. Because thou didst send thy beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing. Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and singing:

SANCTUS and BENEDICTUS
Healey Willan


Presider

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we give thanks unto thee for the goodness and love which thou hast revealed unto us in creation; in the calling of Israel as thine own people; in thy Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, thy Son. For in these last days thou didst send him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, thou hast delivered us from evil and made us worthy to stand before thee. In him, thou hast 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 unto thee, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

Likewise, after supper he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying, “Drink ye all of this: For this is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins. Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, for the remembrance of me.

Therefore, according to his command, O Father,

We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,

We await his coming in glory;

And we offer unto thee this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to thee, O Lord of all; presenting unto thee from thy creation, this bread and this wine.

We beseech thee, gracious God, to send thy 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 thy Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. At the last day, put all things in subjection under thy Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with the Ever-Blessed Virgin Mary; Blessed John, our patron; and all thy saints, we may enter into the everlasting heritage of thy children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.

By whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost all honor and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. AMEN.
Silence.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

Presider and People

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.

AGNUS DEI

The Presider breaks the consecrated bread and says,
Presider  O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
People  have mercy upon us.
Presider  O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
People  have mercy upon us.
Presider  O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
People  grant us thy peace.

THE INVITATION TO COMMUNION

The Gifts of God for the People of God.

Following the invitation to Communion, the Ministers and People receive the Sacrament. For those desiring to receive wine, it is available from the common Cup or you are invited to leave the wafer in your open palm and a chalice minister will intinct for you.

ANTHEM
Keep your lamps
André Thomas
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, the time is drawing nigh. Children don’t get weary ‘til your work is done. Christian journey soon be over, the time is drawing nigh. Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, the time is drawing nigh.

THE PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Let us pray.

Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee for that thou dost feed us, in these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and dost assure us thereby of thy favor and goodness towards us; and that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son, the blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs, through hope, of thy everlasting kingdom. And we humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.

If there are Eucharistic Visitors to be sent forth, the Presider says to them

In the name of this congregation, we send you forth bearing these Holy Mysteries, that those to whom you go may share with us in the communion of Christ’s body and blood.

We who are many are one body, because we all share in one bread, one cup.

THE BLESSING

May you, who rejoice in the first Advent of our Redeemer, at his second Advent be rewarded with life everlasting. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

All stand.
HYMN 73
The King shall come
St. Stephen

THE DISMISSAL

Minister  Go in peace, watching and waiting.
People  Thanks be to God.

VOLUNTARY
Sortie (fughetta)
Theodore Dubois

PRESIDER
The Reverend Canon Katie Pearson
Canon Pastor

PREACHER
The Very Reverend Richard Lawson
Dean

DEACON OF THE MASS
The Reverend Deacon Jack Karn
Deacon for Community Partnerships

ASSISTING CLERGY
The Reverend Canon Broderick Greer
Canon Precentor

MUSICIANS
Dr. Michael Boney
Director of Music and Organist

Mr. Joseph O’Berry
Associate Director of Music and Organist

Saint John’s Cathedral Vicars Choral
ALTAR GUILD
Robin Van Atta
Director

SACRISTAN
Annie Zander

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