The Third Sunday of Advent December 12, 2021 11 a.m. We welcome you to Christ Church Cathedral. Since 1839, this Christian community has gathered for worship. The Cathedral is equipped with a hearing loop for assisted listening via telecoil.
Welcome to Christ Church Cathedral! Fully vaccinated worshipers are encouraged to wear masks indoors on campus. Worshipers who are not fully vaccinated, including children over the age of two, are expected to wear masks. We have a socially distanced and masked seating section available. The east transept and first rows near the pulpit are reserved for those who choose both to physically distance and wear masks. If you’re sitting in the marked sections, you’re expected to wear masks and sit socially distanced. We have resumed administering wine at Holy Communion. Intinction (i.e.-dipping the wafer in the chalice) is permitted. However, in accordance with Bishop Doyle’s guidelines, at Communion we will not drink from the common cup. It is also acceptable to receive bread but not wine, as each element of Communion contains a full measure of grace. The congregation will be invited to the altar rail to receive Communion. If you choose to sit in the area reserved for physical distance, Communion will be brought to you in your pew. We’re glad you’re here! Let us prepare to worship the Lord.
Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation Holy Eucharist, Rite I The Rt. Rev. Gary Lillibridge, Bishop of West Texas, Retired Celebrant
Opening Voluntary
Partita on Winchester New
Choral Introit V. R.
Bruce Neswick (b.1956)
Tone VII Rejoice ye in the Lord, and again I say, rejoice ye; let your moderation be known unto all men, the Lord is at hand: Be careful for nothing, nor troubled; but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Hymn 76
2
Winchester New
The Word of God Bishop People
Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Bishop People Bishop People
There is one Body and one Spirit; There is one hope in God’s call to us; One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism; One God and Father of all.
BCP page 413
The Collect of the Day Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And with thy spirit. Celebrant Let us pray.
Stir up thy power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let thy bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
The First Reading
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord. Reader People
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
3
First Song of Isaiah , Hymn 679
The Second Reading
Thomas Merton
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Reader People
4
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Hymn 75
Ascension
Alleluia
Tone II
V. Alleluia. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me: R. He has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. Alleluia. 5
The Holy Gospel
Luke 3:7-18
Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. People Glory be to thee, O Lord.
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. Deacon The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise be to thee, O Christ.
The Sermon
The Rt. Rev. Gary Lillibridge, Bishop of West Texas, Retired
Presentation and Examination of the Candidates Candidates stand; all others remain seated. The Bishop says
The Candidates will now be presented. Presenter I present these persons for Confirmation, to be received into this
Communion, and who desire to reaffirm their baptismal vows.
The Bishop asks the candidates
Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil? Bishop Candidate I do. Bishop Do you renew your commitment to Jesus Christ? Candidate I do, and with God’s grace I will follow him as my Savior and Lord. 6
After all have been presented, the Bishop addresses the congregation, saying
Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ? People Bishop
We will. Let us join with those who are committing themselves to Christ and renew our own baptismal covenant.
The Baptismal Covenant All stand. Bishop People
Do you believe in God the Father? I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Bishop People
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? 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.
Bishop People
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit? 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.
Bishop
Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? I will, with God’s help.
People Bishop People Bishop People
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? I will, with God’s help. Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? I will, with God’s help. 7
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? I will, with God’s help.
Bishop People
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? I will, with God’s help.
Bishop People
The Prayers for the Candidates The Officiant then says to the congregation
Let us now pray for these persons who have renewed their commitment to Christ. A Person appointed leads the following petitions Leader People
Deliver them, O Lord, from the way of sin and death. Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader People
Open their hearts to your grace and truth. Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader People
Fill them with your holy and life-giving Spirit. Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader People
Keep them in the faith and communion of your holy Church. Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader People
Teach them to love others in the power of the Spirit. Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader People
Send them into the world in witness to your love. Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader People
Bring them to the fullness of your peace and glory. Lord, hear our prayer.
The Bishop says
Almighty God, we thank you that by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you have overcome sin and brought us to yourself, and that by the sealing of your Holy Spirit you have bound us to your service. Renew in these your servants the covenant you made with them at their Baptism. Send them forth in the power of that Spirit to perform the service you set before them; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The People sit during confirmations. Immediate family and mentors who are supporting candidates are welcome to join them as they take their places before the Bishop. 8
Laying on of Hands The Bishop lays hands upon each one and says
Strengthen, O Lord, your servant N. with your Holy Spirit; empower him for your service; and sustain him all the days of his life. Amen. or this
N., we recognize you as a member of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church, and we receive you into the fellowship of this Communion. God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless, preserve, and keep you. Amen. or this
N., we recognize you as a member of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church, and we receive you into the fellowship of this Communion. God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless, preserve, and keep you. Amen.
Prayer concluding the Rite of Confirmation The Bishop says
Almighty and everliving God, let your fatherly hand ever be over these your servants; let your Holy Spirit ever be with them; and so lead them in the knowledge and obedience of your Word, that they may serve you in this life, and dwell with you in the life to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Peace Bishop People
The peace of the Lord be always with you. And with thy spirit.
The People greet one another in the name of the Lord.
The Holy Communion At the Offertory Anthem
Anonymous English, 16th c.
Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice. Let your softness be known unto all men: the Lord is e’en at hand. Be careful for nothing: but in all prayer and supplication, let your petitions be manifest unto God with giving of thanks. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesu. Amen. — Philippians 4:4-7 9
The Great Thanksgiving The Lord be with you. People And with thy spirit. Bishop Lift up your hearts. People We lift them up unto the Lord. Bishop Let us give thanks unto our Lord God. People It is meet and right so to do. Bishop
It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God. Because thou didst send thy beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing. Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and saying,
Sanctus and Benedictus S 114
Healey Willan
All glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for that thou, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and 10
did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death and sacrifice, until his coming again. For in the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat, this is my Body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Likewise, after supper, he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of this; for this is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins. Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.” Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, according to the institution of thy dearly beloved Son our Savior Jesus Christ, we, thy humble servants, do celebrate and make here before thy divine Majesty, with these thy holy gifts, which we now offer unto thee, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make; having in remembrance his blessed passion and precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; rendering unto thee most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same. And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us; and, of thy almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood. And we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; most humbly beseeching thee to grant that, by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we, and all thy whole Church, may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion. And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee; humbly beseeching thee that we, and all others who shall be partakers of this Holy Communion, may worthily receive the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction, and made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him. And although we are unworthy, through our manifold sins, to offer unto thee any sacrifice, yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offenses, through Jesus Christ our Lord; By whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. AMEN. 11
The Lord’s Prayer And now, as our Savior Christ hath taught us, we are bold to say, Celebrant and People
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, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread Bishop People
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
The Celebrant says
The Gifts of God for the People of God. All baptized Christians are welcome and encouraged to receive Holy Communion. Communion is received either kneeling or standing at the altar rail. Receive the Bread in the palm of your hand, and the Wine by intinction, touching the Bread to the Wine. Gluten-free Bread is available; ask at the altar rail.
Agnus Dei S 158
12
Healey Willan
At the Administration Anthem
Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)
Audivi vocem de caelo venientem: venite omnes virgines sapientissime. Oleum recondite in vasis vestris dum sponsus advenerit. Media nocte clamor factus est: ecce sponsus venit. I heard a voice coming from heaven: “Come, all you wisest virgins. Store up oil in your vessels until the bridegroom comes.” At midnight there was a cry: “Behold, the bridegroom comes.” — after Jeremiah 40:10 and Matthew 25:6
Prayer after Communion Celebrant Let us pray.
Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee for that thou dost feed us, in these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and dost assure us thereby of thy favor and goodness towards us; and that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son, the blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs, through hope, of thy everlasting kingdom. And we humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen. 13
The Blessing Hymn 616
14
Es flog ein kleins Waldvögelein
The Dismissal Deacon People
Let us bless the Lord Thanks be to God.
Closing Voluntary Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 661
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Music Notes Today’s opening hymn is one of the most important hymns we sing during the Advent season, especially in its references to John the Baptist and his message of preparing the way for Christ’s coming. The text was originally written by the French Latin scholar, poet, and hymnist Charles Coffin where he published it in his 1736 collection Hynmi Sacri. The English translation of the text was carried out by John Chandler who published the English text in “Hymns of the Primitive Church” in 1837. The hymn tune WINCHESTER NEW, first appeared in the 1690 publication Musikalisches Handbuch der geistlichen Melodien published in Hamburg Germany by Georg Wittwe. Named for the city of Winchester England which is noted for its very large and beautiful cathedral church, WINCHESTER NEW has remained a popular tune that has been paired with dozens of texts to the present day. Be sure to sing the final stanza quite robustly, at is serves as a wonderful doxology, a verse of praise to God as we prepare for the Lord’s coming at the season of Christmas. — MRD The Book of Remembrance This week we remember Clyde B. Holloway. The Beauty of Flowers The flowers on the Cathedral Altar are given to the glory of God in loving memory of Geraldine Campbell Nachske and John H. Nachske. The flowers on the Cathedral Altar are also given to the glory of God in loving memory of Anne Randolph Bledsoe and in thanksgiving for Nancy Staub Wareing by their children.
Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with a concealed handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a concealed handgun. Pursuant to Section 30.07, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with an openly carried handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a handgun that is carried openly.
15
Welcome,
TODAY
Sunday, December 12, 2021 Announcements
Welcome • If you are a guest today, we offer a warm welcome to Christ Church! Please complete a virtual welcome card at christchurchcathedral.org/welcome so we can get to know you. Feel free to contact the Cathedral offices during the week at 713-222-2593 and let the receptionist know you would like to learn more about Christ Church Cathedral. Phuc Luu • Join Houston theologian and author Phuc Luu Dec. 12 at 6:15 p.m. in Latham for a time of reflection and discussion around his book, Jesus of the East: Reclaiming the Gospel for the Wounded. Learn more at www.christchurchcathedral.org/ migratorygod Mitch Albom • Internationally acclaimed author Mitch Albom will discuss his latest book, The Stranger in the Lifeboat, a novel of hope and faith, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Cathedral. Learn more and purchase tickets in advance at: www.christchurchcathedral. org/migratorygod. Sancocho Supper / Grand Posada • Join us for The Good Stranger’s Sancocho Supper Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. in Reynolds Hall. We’ll break bread and enjoy sancocho, a traditional Dominican soup, as John McLaughlin, author of The Good Stranger’s Sancocho Surprise and founder of Education Across Borders, discusses his bilingual folktale with a message just right for the season. Register to attend at: www.christchurchcathedral.org/migratorygod Parish Retreat • The Annual Parish Retreat is an opportunity to get away with your parish family to the beauty of the Piney Woods. Join us for our first “regular” retreat in two years to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and renew your relationship with God. All are welcome to join. We’ll be staying at the new campsite 4, Jan. 14-16. Space is limited so register early! www.christchurchcathedral.org/parishretreat A Charlie Brown Christmas • Grab your security blankets and join Linus and your Cathedral family for our annual screening of A Charlie Brown Christmas. This event is for children of all ages, and children at heart. Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. in Reynolds Hall. Learn more at www.christchurchcathedral.org/deanshour How to make a donation online • Visit christchurchcathedral.org/give for a variety of ways to make a gift to the Cathedral, including our new “text-togive” option. Simply text “Give” to 888-998-1634, and follow the instructions. If you have questions, contact Minister for Stewardship Karen Kraycirik at kkraycirik@christchurchcathedral.org or 713-590-3338. For more information about these and other events at the Cathedral, visit www.christchurchcathedral.org/events. After-Hours Emergency Pastoral Care Line • 713-826-5332