The First Sunday of Advent November 27, 2022 11 a.m.
We welcome you to Christ Church Cathedral. Since 1839, this Christian community has gathered for worship. To learn more about the ministries we share in this place, you are invited to fill in one of the welcome cards found in the pew rack.
The Cathedral is equipped with a hearing loop for assisted listening via telecoil.
The Holy Eucharist: Rite One
The Rev. Bradley Varnell, Canon Missioner for Community Life and Young Adult Ministry Celebrant
Welcome to Christ Church Cathedral! We have a socially distanced and masked seating section available. The south transept (to the right) is reserved for those who choose both to physically distance and wear masks. If you’re sitting in that designated section, you are expected to wear masks and sit socially distanced. For others who wish to mask, we have masks available at all welcome tables.
The Liturgy is found in The Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Hymns and service music (S) are in The Hymnal 1982.
Opening Voluntary
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Choral Introit Tone VII
V. Unto thee, O Lord, lift up my soul; O my God, in thee have I trusted, let me not be confounded:
R. Neither let mine enemies triumph over me; for all they that look for thee shall not be ashamed.
Hymn 61
Wachet auf
The Word of God
Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. BCP page 323 People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen. The Collect for Purity and the Summary page 323
Trisagion S 102
Alexander Archangelsky (1846–1924)
The Trisagion is sung three times, first by the cantor and then twice by the congregation and choir.
The Collect of the Day
Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And with thy spirit. Celebrant Let us pray.
Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The First Reading Isaiah 2:1–5
Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 122
Simplified Anglican chant
I was glad when they said to / me, * “Let us go to the house of the / Lord.” Now our feet are / standing * within your gates, O Je/rusalem. Jerusalem is built as a / city * that is at unity with it/self; To which the tribes go up, the tribes of the / Lord, * the assembly of Israel, to praise the Name of the / Lord.
For there are the thrones of / judgment, * the thrones of the house of / David. Pray for the peace of Je/rusalem: * “May they prosper who / love you. Peace be within your / walls * and quietness within your / towers. For my brethren and companions’ / sake, * I pray for your pros/perity. 2nd half of chant Because of the house of the Lord our / God, * I will seek to do you / good.”
The Second Reading Romans 13:11–14
Hymn 59 Merton Alleluia Tone II
V. Alleluia. Show us thy mercy, O Lord: R. And grant us thy salvation. Alleluia.
Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. People Glory be to thee, O Lord.
After the Gospel reading, the Deacon says
The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise be to thee, O Christ.
The Sermon
The Very Rev. Gary Jones, Interim Dean
The Nicene Creed page 326
The Prayers of the People Form II, page 385
The General Confession page 331
The Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you. People And with thy spirit.
The People greet one another in the name of the Lord.
The Holy Communion
Offerings of alms and bread and wine are received.
At the Offertory
Anthem
James Kirkby (b.1949)
This is the truth sent from above, the truth of God, the God of love; Therefore don’t turn me from your door, but hearken all both rich and poor.
The first thing which I do relate is that God did man create; The next thing which to you I’ll tell woman was made with man to dwell.
Thus we were heirs to endless woes, till God the Lord did interpose; And so a promise soon did run that he would redeem us by his Son.
Thus he in love to us behaved, to show us how we must be saved; And if you want to know the way, be pleased to hear what he did say.
— Text arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams(1872-1958)
The Great Thanksgiving
Sursum Corda S 112
Eucharistic Prayer II, page 340
Sanctus and Benedictus S 114 Healey Willan (1880–1968)
The Eucharistic Prayer continues page 341
Fraction Anthem
Agnus Dei S 158 Healey Willan
The Prayer Of Humble Access
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
The sacrament of Holy Communion has been precious to Christians for 2,000 years. It is a way in which many sense the reality of God’s forgiveness, our union with God and each other, and the eternal life to which we belong. Please know that you do not have to be an Episcopalian to receive Communion. To receive, you may kneel or stand at the altar rail. Receive the Bread in the palm of your hand and the Wine either by drinking from the cup or by intinction, touching the Bread to the Wine. Gluten-free Bread is available; simply ask at the altar rail. If you need Communion brought to you in the pew, please tell an usher.
At the Administration
Anthem Virgil T. Ford (1922–2005)
Salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it. Sing and rejoice, I come, says the Lord. I come and will dwell in the midst of you.
— Romans 13:11; Isaiah 40:5; Zechariah 2:10
Prayer after Communion page 339
The Blessing
Hymn 58 St. Thomas
The Dismissal
Celebrant Let us bless the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
Closing Voluntary
Alla breve in D major, BWV 589
Johann Sebastian Bach
Readings this Week from the Revised Common Lectionary
The Old Testament Isaiah 2:1–5
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
The Gospel Matthew 24:36–44
Jesus said to the disciples, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
The Book of Remembrance
This week we remember Carl Lewis Estes II.
The Beauty of Flowers
The flowers on the Cathedral Altar are given to the glory of God in loving memory and thanksgiving for the generosity of Dolly Bille by the Altar Guild.
The greenery and candles in the Advent wreath are given to the glory of God in thanksgiving for the life and work of Dr. James Reed Cox. The greenery and candles on the Advent wreath are given to the glory of God and in thanksgiving for the life and work of Ardell Ray Jr.
Weekday Services
Morning Prayer, 7:30 a.m., Monday-Friday on Zoom Evening Prayer, 6 p.m., Monday- Friday on Zoom Oración del mediodía, Mediodía, lunes y jueves en Facebook
Contemplative Prayer, 11:15 a.m., Mondays in Mellinger Room Holy Eucharist, Noon, Wednesdays in Golding Chapel
Bilingual Holy Eucharist, 6 p.m., Wednesdays in Golding Chapel
Links available at: www.christchurchcathedral.org/weekdayservices
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. Please be advised that our services are livestreamed to Vimeo and Facebook. Your participation in the service serves as your consent to the broadcast of your image and voice and to the broadcast of the image and voice of your participating minor children.
