Christmas Day

Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will be to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:10, 11

Hymn: O Come, All Ye Faithful

Psalm 96: 1-4

Oh sing to the Lord a new song;

    sing to the Lord, all the earth!

² Sing to the Lord, bless his name;

    tell of his salvation from day to day.

³ Declare his glory among the nations,

    his marvelous works among all the peoples!

⁴ For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

    he is to be feared above all gods.

Isaiah 9:2-4, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness

    have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

    on them has light shone.

³ You have multiplied the nation;

    you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

    as with joy at the harvest,

    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

⁴ For the yoke of his burden,

    and the staff for his shoulder,

    the rod of his oppressor,

    you have broken as on the day of Midian.

⁶ For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

    and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷ Of the increase of his government and of peace

    there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

    to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

    from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Anthem: For Unto Us a Child is Born

Titus 2: 11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Hymn: What Child Is This?

Luke 2: 1-20

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths 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,

    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Hymn: Angels We Have Heard on High

Prayer

O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of 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.

Collect for Christmas Day, The Book of Common Prayer, 1979

Christmas Eve

When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Galatians 4:4-6 (AV)

from Psalm 89

I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;

    with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;

    in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;

    I have sworn to David my servant:

‘I will establish your offspring forever,

    and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

    steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,

    who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,

who exult in your name all the day

    and in your righteousness are exalted.

For you are the glory of their strength;

    by your favor our horn is exalted.

For our shield belongs to the Lord,

    our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said:

    “I have granted help to one who is mighty;

    I have exalted one chosen from the people.

I have found David, my servant;

    with my holy oil I have anointed him,

so that my hand shall be established with him;

    my arm also shall strengthen him.

My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him,

    and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

I will set his hand on the sea

    and his right hand on the rivers.

He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father,

    my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’

And I will make him the firstborn,

    the highest of the kings of the earth.

My steadfast love I will keep for him forever,

    and my covenant will stand firm for him.

I will establish his offspring forever

    and his throne as the days of the heavens.

Isaiah 59: 15b-21

The Lord saw it, and it displeased him

    that there was no justice.

¹⁶ He saw that there was no man,

    and wondered that there was no one to intercede;

then his own arm brought him salvation,

    and his righteousness upheld him.

¹⁷ He put on righteousness as a breastplate,

    and a helmet of salvation on his head;

he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,

    and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.

¹⁸ According to their deeds, so will he repay,

    wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;

    to the coastlands he will render repayment.

¹⁹ So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,

    and his glory from the rising of the sun;

for he will come like a rushing stream,

    which the wind of the Lord drives.

²⁰ “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,

    to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.

²¹ “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

Anthem: "There shall a star from Jacob come forth"

Philippians 2: 5-11

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Anthem: "Te Deum"

Luke 1:67-79

And his [John the Baptist’s] father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸ “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

    for he has visited and redeemed his people

⁶⁹ and has raised up a horn of salvation for us

    in the house of his servant David,

⁷⁰ as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

⁷¹ that we should be saved from our enemies

    and from the hand of all who hate us;

⁷² to show the mercy promised to our fathers

    and to remember his holy covenant,

⁷³ the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

⁷⁴     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

might serve him without fear,

⁷⁵     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

⁷⁷ to give knowledge of salvation to his people

    in the forgiveness of their sins,

⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God,

    whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Hymn: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

Prayer:

O God, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only son, Jesus Christ: Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him, when he shall come to be our judge; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

(from the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols)

Advent 4

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

and all flesh shall see it together.

Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,

    the world and those who dwell therein,

² for he has founded it upon the seas

    and established it upon the rivers.

³ Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?

    And who shall stand in his holy place?

⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

    who does not lift up his soul to what is false

    and does not swear deceitfully.

⁵ He will receive blessing from the Lord

    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

⁶ Such is the generation of those who seek him,

    who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah

⁷ Lift up your heads, O gates!

    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

    that the King of glory may come in.

⁸ Who is this King of glory?

    The Lord, strong and mighty,

    the Lord, mighty in battle!

⁹ Lift up your heads, O gates!

    And lift them up, O ancient doors,

    that the King of glory may come in.

¹⁰ Who is this King of glory?

    The Lord of hosts,

    he is the King of glory! Selah

Isaiah 7: 10-17

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹ “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” ¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” ¹³ And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ¹⁵ He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. ¹⁶ For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. ¹⁷ The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.”

Hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Romans 1: 1-7

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, ² which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³ concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh ⁴ and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, ⁵ through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, ⁶ including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, ⁷ To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer

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.

Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

²³ “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). ²⁴ When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, ²⁵ but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Anthem: There is no rose of such virtue

arr. Robert Young

Benediction

Lord, our God, as we turn our eyes and prayers towards your incarnation among us, gladden our hearts with the news of your coming; hold our friends and families in your love, and turn any sorrow to deeper joy, in the light of the eternal promises made secure in our Lord’s birth, death and resurrection, through the same, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Gordon Giles, The Music of Praise: Meditations on Great Hymns of the Church

(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2004), 33.

Advent 3

Antiphon

Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him.

(The Book of Common Prayer, 1979)

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

² I will praise the Lord as long as I live;

    I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

³ Put not your trust in princes,

    in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

⁴ When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;

    on that very day his plans perish.

⁵ Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

    whose hope is in the Lord his God,

⁶ who made heaven and earth,

    the sea, and all that is in them,

who keeps faith forever;

⁷     who executes justice for the oppressed,

    who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;

⁸     the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

    the Lord loves the righteous.

⁹ The Lord watches over the sojourners;

    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,

    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

¹⁰ The Lord will reign forever,

    your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the Lord!

Here is a Lutheran chorale setting of this psalm, "Praise the Almighty, my soul adore him," which I had never thought of as an Advent hymn. Now I do!

And here is the music to that chorale text. (I wish I could find and post the splendid setting by Walter Pelz.)

Isaiah 35:1-10

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;

    the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;

² 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.

³ Strengthen the weak hands,

    and make firm the feeble knees.

⁴ Say to those who have an anxious heart,

    “Be strong; fear not!

Behold, your God

    will come with vengeance,

with the recompense of God.

    He will come and save you.”

⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

⁶ then shall the lame man leap like a deer,

    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

For waters break forth in the wilderness,

    and streams in the desert;

⁷ the burning sand shall become a pool,

    and the thirsty ground springs of water;

in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,

    the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

⁸ And a highway shall be there,

    and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;

the unclean shall not pass over it.

    It shall belong to those who walk on the way;

    even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.

⁹ 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.

¹⁰ And the ransomed of the Lord shall return

    and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

    they shall obtain gladness and joy,

    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Anthem

"Ye shall have a song" from Randal Thompson, Peaceable Kingdom

 

James 5:7-10

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. ⁸ You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ⁹ Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. ¹⁰ As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 11:2-11

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples ³ and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

⁴ And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

⁷ As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. ⁹ What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

    who will prepare your way before you.’

¹¹ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Hymn

"Comfort, comfort now my people"

hymn page

arranged for choir by David Ashley White

Prayer

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.

(Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent, The Book of Common Prayer, 1979)