Jesus Wisdom (Sunday) 2020

Carol Service Jesus the Wisdom of God 20 December 2020 15.30

Welcome to Bradford Cathedral The seat of the Bishop of Leeds and a Centre of Worship and Mission One of three Cathedrals in the Anglican Diocese of Leeds

Our purpose is serving Christ and transforming lives through welcome, worship and encounter.

❖ A very warm welcome to Bradford Cathedral for this service, particularly if you are visiting or with us for the first time. ❖ Please join in with saying the words in bold type in this order of service. Large print copies are available from the stewards at the main door. Due to Covid-19 regulations, only the choir may sing the carols. This does not apply to the final outdoors congregational carol. ❖ Please stand for the carols and sit for items by the choir and the readings unless otherwise indicated. ❖ If you use a hearing aid, please turn the setting to ‘T’ in order to take advantage of the induction loop in the Cathedral. ❖ Please check that you have switched off your mobile phone. ❖ Lavatories, including disabled facilities, are available towards the back of the church on the south side for emergency use only. ❖ Please maintain social distancing and using your face-covering throughout your time in the Cathedral. ❖ This service is being livestreamed. You can find the service on the Cathedral’s YouTube channel. ❖ In the event of an emergency, please remain calm and seated. Stewards will direct you out of the Cathedral. ❖ The Cathedral Close is an historic conservation area. The nature of the site

means that many of the surfaces and steps are uneven and can be slippery when wet. Please take care when leaving the Cathedral, use the handrails where provided and report anything that seems to be broken or amiss to a member of the Cathedral staff. ❖ The music is sung by the Cathedral Choir, led by the Director of Music Alex

Berry. The organ is played by the Assistant Director of Music, Graham Thorpe.

HOSPITALITY info@bradfordcathedral.org www.bradfordcathedral.org

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FAITHFULNESS

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WHOLENESS

Bradford Cathedral, Stott Hill, Bradford, BD1 4EH T: 01274 777720 2

Choir O Wisdom, which came forth from the mouth of the Most high, reaching to the ends of the earth, ordering all things mightily and gently: come to teach us the way of prudence.

Great Antiphons of the Magnificat: O Sapientia

Welcome, introduction and Prayer The Very Reverend Jerry Lepine, Dean of Bradford We come together in the presence of God to celebrate Christmas. In this service we hear the good news of the wisdom of God and the birth of Christ, and we offer to God our thanksgiving in the joyful singing of carols.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray for the world he came to save: for the Church, that it may be enabled in our generation to surrender anew to God’s holy Wisdom, and bear the good news of God’s love to a needy world; for the world, which is already Christ’s, that all its peoples may recognize their responsibility for its future, and may be inspired by the message of God’s wisdom in Jesus Christ to work together for the establishment of justice, freedom and peace everywhere; for all in special need, in this pandemic year; for the sick, the anxious, the lonely, the fearful and the bereaved, that the peace and light of the Christ-child may bring hope and healing to all who sit in darkness.

The Lord’s Prayer We commend all whom we love, or who have asked for our prayers, to the unfailing mercy of God, and say together, as Christ himself taught us: 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.

Silence 3

We stand

Carol O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; come and behold him, born the King of angels: O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!

God of God, Light of Light, lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb; very God, begotten, not created: Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, sing, all ye citizens of heaven above: 'Glory to God in the highest:' Text: Latin tr. Frederick Oakeley (1802-1880) Tune: ADESTE FIDELES; CP 61

We sit

Reading

Proverbs 8.22-31

Read by Thelma de Leeuw

The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago.

23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth— 26 when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world’s first bits of soil.

27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.

Thanks be to God 4

Choir Ding dong! merrily on high, in heav'n the bells are ringing: Ding dong! verily the sky is riv'n with angel singing Gloria Hosanna in excelsis!

Gloria Hosanna in excelsis!

E'en so here below, below, let steeple bells be swungen, and "io, io, io!" by priest and people sungen Gloria Hosanna in excelsis!

Gloria Hosanna in excelsis!

Pray you, dutifully prime your matin chime, ye ringers, may you beautifully rhyme your eve'time song, ye singers Gloria Hosanna in excelsis!

Gloria Hosanna in excelsis!

Hosanna in excelsis!

Text: G.R. Woodward (1848-1934) Tune: 16th Century French; arr. Wilberg

Reading

Isaiah 10.33-11.6

Read by the Revd Mary Fisher

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Look, the Sovereign, the LORD of hosts, will lop the boughs with terrifying power; the tallest trees will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low.

34 He will hack down the thickets of the forest with an axe, and Lebanon with its majestic trees will fall.

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A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

2 The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 3 His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 5

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but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

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The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.

Thanks be to God. Silence We stand

Carol A great and mighty wonder, a full and holy cure!

The Virgin bears the Infant with virgin-honour pure.

Repeat the hymn again!

‘To God on high be glory, and peace on earth to men!’

The Word becomes incarnate and yet remains on high!

And Cherubim sing anthems to shepherds from the sky.

While thus they sing their Monarch, those bright angelic bands, rejoice, ye vales and mountains, ye oceans clap your hands.

Since all he comes to ransom, by all be he adored, the Infant born in Bethl’em, the Saviour and the Lord.

And idol forms shall perish, and error shall decay, and Christ shall wield his sceptre, our Lord and God for ay.

Text: St Germanius; tr. J.M. Neale Tune: ES IST EIN’ ROSE ENTSPRUNGEN; CP 41 6

We sit

Reading

Colossians 1.15-20

Read by Soromto Okonkwo

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Thanks be to God Silence

Choir Away in a manger no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.

The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.

I love thee, Lord Jesus!

Look down from the sky, and stay by my side until morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay close by me forever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, and take us to heaven, to live with thee there Words: Anonymous Music: Traditional Breton; arr. R. Jacques 7

We stand

Reading

John 1.1-14

Read by Canon Mandy Coutts

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

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There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

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He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Thanks be to God We sit Silence

Prayers

Led by Canon Paul Maybury

Let us pray to our incarnate Lord, who has brought us out of darkness and into his own marvellous light.

Christ born for us, Son of God given for us: help us to know you, to worship and to serve you.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Wonderful counsellor, you order all things with your wisdom: help the Church to reveal the mystery of your love and fill her with the Spirit of truth.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

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Mighty God, the government is on your shoulders: guide the leaders of the nations and bring in your kingdom of justice and righteousness.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Everlasting Father, you call us to live together in unity: protect by your mercy all your children, bless our families and renew our communities.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Prince of peace, you bring reconciliation through the cross: by your healing power give to all who suffer your gift of wholeness and peace.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, full of the Spirit, hear our prayer, receive our praises, fill our lives.

Amen.

Silence We stand

Carol Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King: peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"

Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with th'angelic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King"

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Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, offspring of a virgin's womb: veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th'incarnate Deity, pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings.

Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give us second birth.

Text: Nahum Tate (1652-1715) Tune: WINCHESTER OLD; CP 76

We remain standing

Blessing Christ, who by his incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, fill you with peace and goodwill and make you partakers of the divine nature; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

We remain standing Organ Voluntary: Noel IV en duo, sur les jeux d’Anches, sans tremblant

by L-C. Daquin (1694-1772) As the organ voluntary plays, please make your way outside whilst maintaining social distancing, where we will sing a congregational carol. Please take this order of service with you.

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Congregational Carol In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; snow had fallen, snow on snow, in the bleak mid-winter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him nor earth sustain; heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign: in the bleak mid-winter a stable-place sufficed the Lord God Almighty Jesus Christ.

Enough for him, whom cherubim worship night and day, a breastful of milk, and a manger full of hay; enough for him, whom angels fall down before, the ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there, cherubim and seraphim thronged the air, but only his mother in her maiden bliss worshipped the Belovèd with a kiss.

What can I give him, poor as I am? if I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

Words: Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) Music: G. Holst (1874-1934); CP 55 11

Material in this Order of Service is taken from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, copyright © The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000 and Common Worship: Times & Seasons, copyright © The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2006. Scripture readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (Anglicised Edition) of the Bible, copyright © 1989, 1994 The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Copyright hymns and songs are reproduced under the Christian Copyright Licensing scheme: licence number 3887. This compilation is copyright © 2020 The Chapter of Bradford.

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