Advent-2 (Yr B) Dec 6, 2020

 

Prelude

“Comfort, Comfort Ye My People”

Johann Pachelbel

 

 

 

ADVENT PRAYER

 

Celebrant         Our help is in the name of the Lord.

People              Who has made heaven and earth.

 

Let us pray:  O Lord Jesus Christ who art the true light that lights every one who comes into the world: bless, we pray, this wreath and its candles which we have lit in preparation for your coming; and so enkindle our hearts with the fire of your love that we may receive you with joy and gladness, and evermore stand fast in the faith, who lives and reigns, world without end.    Amen.

 

 

  

The Word of God

 

Celebrant Blessed are you, holy and living One.

 

People You come to your people and set them free.

 

Celebrant Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy Name through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

  

Celebrant Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
People Have mercy upon us.

 

 

Collect of the Day

 

Celebrant The Lord be with you.

People And also with you

Celebrant Let us pray.

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.

 

  

 

A Reading from the Book of Isaiah 40:1-11

 

“Comfort, O comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field.  The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

 

The Word of the Lord.

 

People   Thanks be to God

 

 

 

 

Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13

 

1 You have been gracious to your land, O Lord, *

   you have restored the good fortune of Jacob.

2  You have forgiven the iniquity of your people *

    and blotted out all their sins.

8  I will listen to what the Lord God is saying, *

    for he is speaking peace to his faithful people

    and to those who turn their hearts to him.

9  Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him, *

    that his glory may dwell in our land.

10 Mercy and truth have met together; *

      righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth shall spring up from the earth, *

      and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

12 The Lord will indeed grant  prosperity, *

      and our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness shall go before him, *

      and peace shall be a pathway for his feet.

 

  

 

 

A Reading from the Second Letter of Peter 3:8-15a

 

Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

 

The Word of the Lord.

 

People   Thanks be to God.

 

 

 

 

Celebrant     The Holy Gospel of Our  Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark 1:1-8

 

People        Glory to you,  Lord Christ.

 

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

People      Praise to you,  Lord  Christ.

 

 

 

The Sermon

 

 

 

 

Meditation

“On Jordan’s Banks”

David Lasky

 

 

 

The Nicene Creed

(BCP p. 358)

 

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

worshipped 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.

 

 

 

 

Prayers of the People

 

In the Anglican cycle of prayer, we pray for the Reformed Episcopal Church of Spain.

 

In the Diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for St. Anne in West Chester, St. Mary’s in

Hillsboro, and Our Savior in Mechanicsburg.

 

In our Parish cycle of prayer, we pray for Rob, Eva, Madeline, and Elizabeth Reuter; Tony, Kendall, and Justin Rubino; and Megan Rubino and Adam and Addison Oiler.

With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”

 

For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the holy Church of God, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

 

For our Bishop, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

 

For our President, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

 

For this city for every city and community, and for those who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

 

For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

 

For those on St. Mark’s Prayer List (N); for others for whom we wish to pray; for the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

 

For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

 

For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

 

For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and degradation, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

 

That we may end our lives in faith and hope, without suffering and without reproach, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

 

In the communion of St Mark and of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.

To thee, O Lord our God.

 

Silence

 

Celebrant    Almighty God, you sent your servant John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of your Son.  Grant that those who proclaim your word may so guide our feet into the way of peace that we may stand with confidence before him when he comes in his glorious kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Judge and our Redeemer.  Amen.

(from A New Zealand Prayer Book, page 553)

 

The Peace

 

Celebrant          The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People                And also with you

 

 

 

The Lord’s Prayer

 

Celebrant          As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray,

 

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.

 

  

 

Act of Spiritual Communion

 

My Jesus,

I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.  I love you above all things, and I desire to receive you into my soul.  Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.  I embrace you as if you were already there and unite myself wholly to you.  Never permit me to be separated from you.  Amen.

 

 

 Blessing

 

 

Dismissal

 

The congregation is dismissed.

 

 

People Thanks be to God.

 

 

 

Postlude

“Variation On An Ancient Noel”

Leon Rogues

 

 

 

For today’s announcements, click HERE.

 

To read a copy of the November 19 Vestry Minutes, click HERE

 

———–

 

St. Mark’s Vestry

 

Senior Warden: Gary Welch

Junior Warden: Katherine Wagner

Treasurer: Don Nancarrow

Secretary: Dave Reuter

 

Vestry Members:

Carol Nancarrow, Tracey Swartz

Susan Kendall

Kendall Rubino, Jenna Walch

 

St. Mark’s Staff

Transitional Priest in Charge The Rev. Dr. John Agbaje

Parish Administrator Katherine Wagner

Music Director Donna Larsen

Sexton Douglas Plummer

Webmaster Dave Reuter

 

 

Look for us…

 

On the web:  www.StMarksDayton.org

Facebook:  St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Dayton, Ohio

Instagram:  stmarksdayton

 

 

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