Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 19, 2021 bulletin
Fourth Sunday
of Advent
December 19, 2021
Christ Cathedral
“We meet people where they are, serve ALL, and live together in Christ’s love.”
Advent Festival
Advent Prelude O come, O come, Emmanuel Gilbert M. Martin
Ukrainian Bell Carol – Mykola Leontovitch, arr. Joseph Martin
Lighting of the Advent Wreath
The Advent wreath is a visual symbol marking the progress of the season of Advent. Today we light the candle for the Fourth Sunday of Advent and the following lesson is read.
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.
Introit Roráte, cæli
Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and bring forth a Saviour. Ps. The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament showeth his handiwork.
Please stand
Celebrant
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 in our country 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.
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. Amen.
All sing as the procession enters the nave
Hymn 56 “O come, O come, Emmanuel”
Please be seated
The First Lesson
“A new covenant is promised which will be written in our hearts”
Jeremiah (31:31-34)
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
The reader concludes by saying
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Please stand and all say
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Please be seated
The Second Lesson
“The Lord will be among us; we are summoned to rejoice and sing”
Zephaniah (3:14-18)
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
15 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.
16 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[a] 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.
The reader concludes by saying
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
All sing
Hymn 68 “Rejoice! Rejoice, believers”
The Third Lesson
“We have been sanctified through the body of Jesus Christ”
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.
The reader concludes by saying
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
All sing
Hymn 265 “The angel Gabriel from heaven came”
The Fourth Lesson
“God promises that a child shall be conceived who will be know as “God with us”
Isaiah 7:10-15
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. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
The reader concludes by saying
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
All sing
Hymn 54 “Savior of the nations, come!”
“Come, thou long-expected Jesus” arr. Gilbert Martin
Please be seated
The Fifth Lesson
“The angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Luke 1:26-35, 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.
The reader concludes by saying
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
All stand. Sung by Choir
Canticle Luke 1:46-55 [The Song of Mary]
Vernon Williams
My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. 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 showed 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.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Please remain standing
The Sixth Lesson
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke (1:39-45)
“Elizabeth greets the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Glory to you, Lord Christ
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.”
The Priest concludes by saying
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Vesper Responsory
Priest Judah and Jerusalem, fear not, nor be dismayed;
People Tomorrow go ye forth, and the Lord, he will be with you.
Priest Stand ye still, and ye shall see the salvation of the Lord.
People Tomorrow go ye forth, and the Lord, he will be with you.
Priest Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
People Tomorrow go ye forth, and the Lord, he will be with you.
Celebrant
The Lord be with you,
And also with you.
Let us pray
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 for ever. Amen.
Priest and People
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.
Celebrant
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you
The Holy Communion
Offertory Anthem “Come, thou long-expected Jesus” Robert A. Hobby
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
Rule in all;
Hope of all.
Come, expected Jesus.
Come
Please stand
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds
We praise you and we bless you, holy and gracious God,
source of life abundant.
From before time you made ready the creation.
Your Spirit moved over the deep
and brought all things into being:
sun, moon, and stars;
earth, winds, and waters;
and every living thing.
You made us in your image,
and taught us to walk in your ways.
But we rebelled against you, and wandered far away;
and yet, as a mother cares for her children,
you would not forget us.
Time and again you called us
to live in the fullness of your love.
And so this day we join with Saints and Angels
in the chorus of praise that rings through eternity,
lifting our voices to magnify you as we sing
Sung by all
Remain standing as the Celebrant continues
At the following words concerning the bread, the Celebrant is to hold it, or lay a hand upon it; and at the words concerning the cup, to hold or place a hand upon the cup and any other vessel containing wine to be consecrated.
Glory and honor and praise to you, holy and living God.
To deliver us from the power of sin and death
and to reveal the riches of your grace,
you looked with favor upon Mary, your willing servant,
that she might conceive and bear a son,
Jesus the holy child of God.
Living among us, Jesus loved us.
He broke bread with outcasts and sinners,
healed the sick, and proclaimed good news to the poor.
He yearned to draw all the world to himself
yet we were heedless of his call to walk in love.
Then, the time came for him to complete upon the cross
the sacrifice of his life,
and to be glorified by you.
On the night before he died for us,
Jesus was at table with his friends.
He took bread, gave thanks to you,
broke it, and gave it to them, and said:
“Take, eat:
This is my Body, which is given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.”
As supper was ending, Jesus took the cup of wine.
Again, he gave thanks to you,
gave it to them, and said:
“Drink this, all of you:
This is my Blood of the new Covenant,
which is poured out for you and for all
for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it,
do this for the remembrance of me.”
Now gathered at your table, O God of all creation,
and remembering Christ, crucified and risen,
who was and is and is to come,
we offer to you our gifts of bread and wine,
and ourselves, a living sacrifice.
Pour out your Spirit upon these gifts
that they may be the Body and Blood of Christ.
Breathe your Spirit over the whole earth
and make us your new creation,
the Body of Christ given for the world you have made.
In the fullness of time bring us,
with the ever-blessed Virgin Mary and all your saints,
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
to feast at the banquet prepared
from the foundation of the world.
Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
to you be honor, glory, and praise,
for ever and ever. AMEN
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
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.
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated bread and a moment of silence is observed
The Celebrant says
The Gifts of God for the People of God.
The ministers receive the Sacrament in both kinds, and then immediately deliver it to the people.
The Bread and the Cup are given to the communicants with these words
The Body (Blood) of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you in everlasting life. (Amen.)
After Communion the Celebrant says
Let us pray.
Please stand
Celebrant and People
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image and nourishing us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood. Now send us forth a people, forgiven, healed, renewed; that we may proclaim your love to the world and continue in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Priest blesses the people, saying
Live without fear: your Creator had made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
All sing
Hymn 65 “Prepare the way O Zion!”
Celebrant
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Postlude Praeludium in C, BuxWV137 D. Buxtehude
Advent at the Cathedral this week
Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM
In Person Morning Prayer in the Cathedral
Sunday, December 19, Fourth Sunday of Advent Mass 10:00 AM
Sunday, December 19, Taizé Service 5:30 PM
Tuesday, December 21, Caroling for the hungry-outside 7:00 PM
Friday, December 24, Christmas Eve Mass 5:30 PM and Caroling beginning at 10:00 PM, Mass 10:30 PM
Saturday, December 25, Merry Christmas (No Mass)
Sunday, December 26, Christmas Sunday Mass 10:00 AM
Upcoming Events & Announcements
Coffee Hour
Coffee hour will be immediately following Mass today.
Ministry Opportunities
Altar Flowers are available for you to take into the community. If you know
someone whose day would be brightened, please feel free to take altar flowers after Mass, or call Crissy 785-827-4440 to make arrangements during the week.
Sunday School
All children are invited to join DeMay Grunden and Sandy
Houltberg for Sunday School on the second floor of the administration building. Children should accompany the teachers to the classroom immediately after taking communion. Class will go until noon.
Noon Bible Study
The Thursday Noon Bible Study will be studying the upcoming Sunday Readings. Go to http://www.lectionarypage.net/ for the readings. All are welcome to join us in the Library or by Zoom. Contact Crissy in the church office for more information or to receive the Zoom link, 785-827-4440/
christcathedral@christcathedralsalina.org.
Tell Your Story
Recently we kicked off a new project. It’s something we experimented with before Covid-19. We hope this will become a regular activity. During coffee hour, a volunteer will explain how they came to the Episcopal church and to Christ Cathedral. Of course, a short Q&A session will follow. We hope this activity will help connect us to each other. If there’s enough enthusiasm for it, we’ll try to do this on the second Sunday of every month. If you are interested in sharing your story,
contact Steve at 785-502-0099 or
D.O.K. Food Drive
The Daughters of the King are having a food drive to benefit
Ashby House. For the month of December, they are
accepting donations of soups and stuffing. Donations can be dropped off at the box located in the breezeway of the Cathedral office building. For more information please contact Sandra Skytte at 785-201-8012 or soso_kool@yahoo.com
Saturday Mass
Saturday Evening Mass every Saturday at 5:00 PM.
Fr. Basil Price presiding
Those serving today
Acolyte: Michael Kephart
Chalice Bearer: Jennifer Higgins
Readers: Arthur Jones and Ginger Wooten
Intercessor: Pam Smith
Ushers: DeMay and Joann Grunden
Coffee Hour: Gene and Carolyn Peterson
Offering Counters: Steve Hoffman and Kay Quinn
Altar Guild: Ann Pearson, Suzie Kastner, Mary Nell Beatty, Marcy Roth, Sandy Houltberg, Nancy Chandler, Lynn Grabner, Sue Hoffman, Rozann Rodenberg
Those serving next Sunday, December 26
Acolyte: Linda Favre
Chalice Bearer: Carolyn Peterson
Readers: Deb Wagner and Linda Favre
Intercessor: Melinda Ryberg
Ushers: Steve Hoffman and Maria Powell
Coffee Hour: Steve and Sue Hoffman
Offering Counters: Pam Smith and John Wood
Altar Guild: Nancy Chandler, Lynn Grabner, Sue Hoffman, Rozann
Rodenberg
Christ Cathedral Clergy and Staff
The Right Rev. Mark Cowell, Bishop of Western Kansas
The Rev. Bobby Smith, Provost
The Rev. Canon Catherine Cox, Curate
The Rev. Basil Price, Assisting Priest
The Rev. Andy Houltberg, Assisting Priest
Dr. Hentus van Rooyen, Music Director and Organist
Ms. Crissy Cook, Office/Financial Administrator
Mr. Don Grunden, Facilities Manager
Vestry
Carolyn Peterson, Sr.Warden carolyn.peterson47@gmail.com 785-452-2277
Dale Wooten, Jr.Warden jamesdalewooten@outlook.com 785-643-5644
Ginger Wooten, Clerk gingerwooten@outlook.com 785-643-5337
Pat Beatty pat@ovpgroup.com 785-493-0447
Steve Hoffman stephenmhoffman@yahoo.com 785-502-0099
Robin Nachbar renachbar@att.net 785-822-8476
Kay Quinn kay.quinn@oldmillmuseum.org 785-309-5770
Deb Schmid debraschmid@sbcglobal.net 785-342-1772