Worship at Home for Sunday, December 18, 2022
Fourth Sunday of Advent
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Copyright © 2004 by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. All rights reserved.
Reproduced under license from ABC Publishing, Anglican Book Centre, a ministry of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, from Anglican Liturgical Library. Further copying is prohibited.
Morning Prayer (The Book of Alternative Services)
A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel. God with us. Matthew 1.23
Lord, open our lips,
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
O God, make speed to save us. O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.
Amen. Alleluia!
The Invitatory
The Kingdom of God is at hamd: O come, let us worship.
The Venite (BAS Page 49)
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
Let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth, and the heights of the hills are his also. The sea is his for he made it, and his hands have moulded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord our maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
Psalm 80 Verses 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 neighbours,* 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 contenance, and we shall be saved.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ, our good shepherd; you have led us to the kingdom of your Father’s love. Forgive our careless indifference to your loving care for all your creatures, and remake us in the likeness of your new and risen life. We ask this in your name. Amen.
The Proclamation of the Word
10Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. 13Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? 14Therefore 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. 15He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.
Reader: Listen for the leading of the Spirit
People: Thanks be to God
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, 6including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 7To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Reader: Listen for the leading of the Spirit
People: Thanks be to God
The Gospel is Proclaimed
The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
People: Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ 22All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:23 ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ 24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son;* and he named him Jesus.
The Gospel of Christ
People: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel of Christ
People: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
The Homily (see recording or text both emailed and posted on website)
The Confession of Faith
Hear O’ Israel
Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
This is the first and the great commandment.
The second is like it:
Love your neighbour as yourself.
There is no commandment greater than these.
The Prayers of the People
(In joyful expectation let us pray to our Saviour and Redeemer, saying, “Lord Jesus, come soon!”)
O Wisdom, from the mouth of the Most High, you reign over all things to the ends of the earth: come and teach us how to live.
Lord Jesus, come soon!
O Lord, and head of the house of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and you gave the law on Sinai: come with outstretched arm and ransom us.
Lord Jesus, come soon!
O Branch of Jesse, standing as a sign among the nations, all kings will keep silence before you and all peoples will summon you to their aid: come, set us free and delay no more.
Lord Jesus, come soon!
O Key of David and sceptre of the house of Israel, you open and none can shut; you shut and none can open: come and free the captives from prison. Lord Jesus, come soon!
O Morning Star, splendour of the light eternal and bright Sun of righteousness: come and enlighten all who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Lord Jesus, come soon!
O King of the nations, you alone can fulfil their desires: Cornerstone, you make opposing nations one: come and save the creature you fashioned from clay.
Lord Jesus, come soon!
O Emmanuel, hope of the nations and their Saviour: come and save us, Lord our God.
Lord Jesus, come soon!
The Collect of the Day
Heavenly Father,
who chose the Virgin Mary, full of grace,
to be the mother of our Lord and Saviour,
now fill us with your grace,
that we in all things may embrace your will
and with her rejoice in your salvation
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
The Lord’s Prayer
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 for ever. Amen.
The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
You may like to sing the following:
Hymn 101 Hail, to the Lord’s Anointed
Hymn 120 O Little Town of Bethlehem
Hymn 117 Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
Hymn 138 Hark! The Herald Angel’s Sing
They are in Common Praise or search the hymn title on Youtube and sing along!