ST. MATTHEW’S
Fourth Sunday in Advent
Book of Alternative Services
ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Please join us at St. Matthew’s for a Candle Light Service on the 24th of
December at 7:30.
• Interim Priest: Fr. Wright
• Honorary Assistant: Rev. Blair Dixon
• Wardens: Mae Boa & Ben Harmsworth
• Sunday School: Marlene Skaalrud
• Music Ministry: Nicole Stenerson
• Treasurer: Tammy Weisgerber
• Prayer Cycle: Bert Clarke
WELCOME
TO ST.
MATTHEW’S
THE GATHERING OF THE COMMUNITY
Priest: The grace of our lord Jesus Christ
the love of God and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit be with you all.
People: And also with you
PRAYER FOR PURITY
Priest: Almighty God…
People: To you all hearts are open, all desires known
and from you no secrets are hidden. Cleanse the
thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy
Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthy
magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord.
Opening Hymn:
#521: Dear Shepherd
#521: Dear Shepherd of Your People, Hear
1. Dear Shepherd of your people, hear; your presence now
display; as you have given a place for prayer, so give us
hearts to pray.
2. Within these walls let holy peace and love and concord
dwell; here give the troubled conscience ease, the wounded
spirit heal.
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#521: Dear Shepherd of Your People, Hear
3. May we in faith receive your word, in faith present our
prayers, and in the presence of our Lord
disburden all our cares.
4. The hearing ear, the seeing eye, the humbled mind
bestow; and shine upon us from on high to make our
graces grow.
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CHILDREN'S TIME
Please join me at the front if you are young enough or you
figure you are young enough.
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE, I’m goanna let it
shine. This little light of mine, I’m goanna let it
shine. This little light of mine, I’m goanna let it
shine. Let it shine, let it shine let it shine.
COLLECT
God of power and mercy, you call us once again to
celebrate the coming of your Son. Remove those
things which hinder love of you, that when he
comes, he may find us waiting in awe and wonder
for him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
WORD OF GOD
Please be seated as we listen to
the Word of God.
2 SAMUEL 7:1-11, 16
Now when the king was settled in his house, and the
LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around
him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, "See now, I
am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays
in a tent." Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that you
have in mind; for the LORD is with you." But that same
night the word of the LORD came to Nathan:
Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the LORD: Are you the
one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house
since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to
this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a
tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the
people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal
leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people
Israel, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"
Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus
says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture,
from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel;
and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off
all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a
great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I
will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them,
so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no
more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly,
from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel;
and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the
LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.
Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever.
before me; your throne shall be established forever.
PSALM 89
REFRAIN:
I will keep my love for him forever.
1. Your love, O Lord, for ever will I sing; from age to age my
mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
2. For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever;
you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.[R]
3. “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn
an oath to David my servant:
4. ‘I will establish your line for ever, and preserve your throne
for all generations.’”[R]
REFRAIN: I will keep my love for him forever.
19. You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people: “I
have set the crown upon a warrior and have exalted one chosen out of
the people.
20. I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed
him. [R]
21. My hand will hold him fast and my arm will make him strong.
22. No enemy shall deceive him, nor any wicked man bring him
down. [R]
23. I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate
him.
24. My faithfulness and love shall be with him, and he shall be
victorious through my name. [R]
25. I shall make his dominion extend from the Great Sea to the River.
26. He will say to me, ’You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my
salvation’ [REFRAIN: I will keep my love for him forever.]
Luke 1:46b-55
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for
he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from
now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done
great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear
him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has
brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he
has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He
has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to
the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his
descendants forever."
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Gradual Hymn
#394: Eternal, Unchanging
:
Stop before last verse in order to listen
to the Gospel. Following the Gospel,
we will sing the final verse together.
#394: ETERNAL, UNCHANGING
1. Eternal, Unchanging, we sing to your praise;your mercies
are endless, and righteous your wayyour servants proclaim
the renown of your name.You rule in omnipotence, ever the
same.
2. Again we rejoice in the world you have made, your mighty
creation in beauty arrayed; we thank you for life and we
praise you for joy, for love and for hope that no power can
destroy.
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GOSPEL: LUKE 1:26-38
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?"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. 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.
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GRADUAL HYMN
#394: ETERNAL, UNCHANGING
3. We praise you for Jesus, our Master and Lord,
the might of his Spirit, the truth of his word,
his comfort in sorrow, his patience in pain,
the faith sure and steadfast that Jesus shall reign.
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SERMON
Opening Prayer: Lord, open my heart that I may
speak your truth. Open our ears so that we hear
your truth. And guide our spirits so that we can
take that truth to the world. By your power, and
through your grace, Amen
APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and
earth. I believe in Jesus Christ , his only Son, our Lord. He was
conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin
Mary . He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and
was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he
rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right
hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and
the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
LITANY # 12 (page 119 of BAS, ADVENT)
RESPONSE: LORD JESUS, COME SOON!
PERSONAL PRAYERS
PRAYER FOR ST. MATTHEW’S
Please stand, sit or kneel as may be most comfortable for
you.
CONFESSION
Priest: Dear friends in Christ, God is
steadfast in Love and infinite in mercy,
he welcomes sinners and invites them
to his table. Let us confess our sins,
confident in God’s forgiveness.
ALL: We confess that we have sinned against you in
thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by
what we have left undone. We have not loved you with
our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbor as
ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us
and forgive us, that we may delight in your will and walk
in your ways, to the glory of your name. AMEN
ABSOLUTION
Priest: Almighty God have mercy upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. AMEN
THE PEACE
PRIEST: THE PEACE OF THE LORD BE
ALWAYS WITH YOU.
People: AND ALSO WITH YOU
Offertory Hymn:
#363: My Soul Proclaims
#363: My Soul Proclaims
1. My soul proclaims your glory, Lord, my spirit sings with
thankful voice, for you my lowly prayer have heard: in you,
my Saviour, I rejoice.
2. Nations unborn will bless your name, giver of boundless
grace to me, in every age you are the same:
you make the humble whole and free.
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#363: My Soul Proclaims
3. You have made bare your mighty arm to break the yoke of selfish power,
and lift your broken ones from harm, bursting the gates of greed's proud
tower.
4. You fill the hungry mouths with food, and show the poverty of wealth.
Your ancient vow yoti have made good, and raised your children to new
health .
5. Glory to God, all being's Spring,to God the Word, salvations voice,
to God the Spirit, praise we sing,with all the ages we rejoice.
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PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
God of hope, renew in us the joy of your
salvation and make us a living sacrifice to you,
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER #3 (PAGE 198, BAS)
Priest: The Lord be with you
People: And also with you
Priest: Lift up your heart.
People: we lift them to the Lord
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Priest: Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and
earth; we give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who in the fullness of time came among us in our flesh,
and opened to us the way of salvation. Now we watch for the
day when he will come again in power and great triumph to
judge this world, that we, without shame or fear, may rejoice to
behold his appearing. Therefore we praise you, joining our
voices with angels and archangels and with all the company of
heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of
your name.
SANCTUS
All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and
might (REPEAT)
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Priest: We give thanks to you, Lord our God, for the
goodness and love you have made known to us in
creation; in calling Israel to be your people; in your Word
spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word
made flesh, Jesus your Son. For in these last days you sent
him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the
Saviour and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have
delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand
before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into
truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
Priest: On the night he was handed over to suffering and
death, a death he freely accepted, our Lord Jesus Christ took
bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and
gave it to his disciples, and said, “ Take, eat: this is my body
which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given
thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: this
is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for
many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do
this for the remembrance of me.” Therefore, Father,
according to his command…
ALL: we remember his death, we proclaim
his resurrection, we await his coming in
glory
Priest: and we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you,
Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this
wine. We pray you, gracious God, to send your 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 your Son in his sacrifice, that
we, made acceptable in him, may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In
the fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ, and make them new,
and bring us to that city of light where you dwell with all your sons
and daughters; 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 Spirit, all
honour and glory are yours, almighty Father, now and for ever.
People: Amen
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Priest: And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are
bold to say,
All: 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, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD
#5 (ADVENT)
Priest: God of promise, you prepare a
banquet for us in your kingdom.
All: Happy are those who are called to the
supper of the Lamb.
THE COMMUNION
Priest: The gifts of God for the people of God.
People: Thanks be to God.
All baptized Christians are welcome to partake in Holy
Communion.
If you wish a blessing from the priest, please come forward and
cross your body.
Communion Hymn:
#117: Lo, How a Rose
#117: LO, HOW A ROSE E’ER BLOOMING
1. Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming from tender stem hath
sprung! of Jesse's lineage coming, as those of old have
sung. It came, a floweret bright,
amid the cold of winter, when half spent was the night.
2. Isaiah 'twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind; with Mary
we behold it, the Virgin Mother kind. To show God's love
aright, she bore to us a Savior when half spent was the
night.
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#117: LO, HOW A ROSE E’ER BLOOMING
3. The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels
bright, how Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth
this night. To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger they
found him, as angel heralds said.
4. This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness
fills the air, dispels with glorious splendor the darkness
everywhere; true man, yet very God, from sin and death
he saves us, and lightens every load.
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PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Priest: Merciful God, may this Eucharist free
us from our sins, fill us with unending joy,
and prepare us for the birthday of our
Saviour. We ask this in the name of Jesus
Christ, who is Lord now and for ever.
DOXOLOGY
Priest: Glory to God,
All: Whose power, working in us can do
infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever
and ever. AMEN
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please join us at St. Matthew’s for a Candle Light
Service on the 24th of December at 7:30 PM
BLESSING
Be steadfast in Faith, joyful in Hope,
and untiring in love all the days of your
life; and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you
always.
Recessional Hymn:
#109: When the King
#109: WHEN THE KING SHALL COME AGAIN
1. When the King shall come again, all his power revealing,
splendour shall announce his reign, life and joy and healing; earth no
longer in decay, hope no more frustrated, this is God's redemption
day longingly awaited.
2. In the desert, trees take root, fresh from God's creation; plants and
flowers and sweetest fruit join the celebration; rivers spring up from
the earth, barren lands adorning. Valleys, this is your new birth;
mountains, greet the morning!
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#109: WHEN THE KING SHALL COME AGAIN
3. Strengthen feeble hands and knees; fainting hearts, be cheerful!
God, who comes for such as these'"seeks and saves the fearful. Deaf
ears, hear the silent tongues sing away' their weeping; blind eyes, see
the lifeless ones walking, running, leaping!
4. There God's highway shall be seen where no roaring lion,
nothing evil or, unclean, walks the road to Zion: ransomed people
homeward bound all your praises voicing,
see your Lord with glory crowned, share in his rejoicing!
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DISMISSAL
Priest: Go in peace to love & serve the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Please join us downstairs for coffee and good food.