Fourth Sunday of Advent – 19th December 2021

Year C

ORDER OF SERVICE

You can click to expand or minimize the order of service below.

All are requested to join in wherever text is GREEN or when instructed by Fr. David.

Where the ✝ is shown, all are encouraged to make the sign of the cross.

Where the ✊ is shown all are encouraged to strike their breast with a closed hand following the actions of Fr. David.

Where the ✋ is shown all are encouraged to tap their breast with an open hand following the actions of Fr. David.

♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫

O Come, O come, Emmanuel!
Redeem thy captive Israel,
That into exile drear is gone
Far from the face of God’s dear Son
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Lord of David’s Key!
The royal door fling wide and free;
Safeguard for us the heavenward road,
And bar the way to death’s abode.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Dayspring bright!
Pour on our souls thy healing light;
Dispel the long night’s lingering gloom,
And pierce the shadows of the tomb
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Desire of nations! Show
Thy kingly reign on earth below;
Thou Corner-stone, uniting all,
Restore the ruin of our fall.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ✝

And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen

 

From Easter to Pentecost:

Allelulia. Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia

 

In Lent and other penitential occasions:

Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins;

His mercy endures for ever.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

 

Let us pray:

Almighty God, to whom all hearts be open, all desires known and from whom no secrets are hidden: 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.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

This prayer is omitted during Lent and Advent:

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.  Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.  Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

 Holy God, holy and mighty ✝, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

A Reading from the book of:

Micah 5:2-5a

You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,

from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,

whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.

Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;

then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.

And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;

and he shall be the one of peace.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

Psalm 80:1-7

Qui regis Israel

Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.

2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.

3 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

4 O Lord God of hosts, *
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.

6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

A Reading from the book of

Hebrews 10:5-10

When Christ came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared for me;

in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.

Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’
(in the scroll of the book it is written of me).”

When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

All stand for the Acclamation and Gospel reading.

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

I am the handmaid of the Lord:

Let what you have said be done to me.

Alleluia!

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to:

Luke

✝✝✝

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

[And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor 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.”]

After the Gospel reading

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

I love Advent, the preparation, the expectation, putting up the decorations – in my case later today the tree will go up, followed by the cards on Christmas Eve, and Christmas music over the internet.   One of my favourite pieces of Christmas music is Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’, the last part of his ninth symphony.  It’s an amazing piece of music, uplifting and full of wonder.

It’s all the more amazing when you think about where it came from.  When Beethoven wrote it towards the end of his life, he was already completely deaf.  He never even heard the music himself in the flesh, but could only visualise it in faith inside his head – something so wonderful, and from such an unexpected place!

That, on so many levels, is the message we are given in today’s readings.  The problem is that we don’t see things as unexpected anymore – we are far too used to hearing these stories, these miracles, this ‘good news’.  We are all certainly very aware of the town called Nazareth – it’s the town where Jesus grew up.  It’s where Mary and Joseph lived.  It’s very significant to us, so we think of it as an important place. But 2,000 or more years ago it was thought of by most people as nothing – the very back of beyond!

In our first reading today, Our Lord, speaking through the profit Micah, says “the least of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel.”  It was from Judah, in that back-water town of Nazareth, in that unexpected place, that God choose Mary to bear his Son in Bethlehem, as foretold by the prophet.

This brings us to Mary herself, Mother of God; Mary, Mother of the Church; Mary, Arc of the Covenant; Mary, most blessed of all women; Mary, Queen of Heaven.  The Mary we think of is the Mary who carried Jesus in her womb, who raised him, who stood at the foot of his cross, who was present at his empty tomb that glorious Easter morning, who watched him ascend into heaven, who was present at the foundation of the church and was finally received into heaven itself by her Son.

But it may be helpful for us, to think a little differently about Mary, particularly the Mary we heard about this afternoon.  She is at the very start of her journey; she’s a young woman, probably no more than about 16 years old and from a quiet, distinctly one-eyed town. The Mary we heard about today has only just said ‘yes’ to God.  In the verses directly before our reading, she has been visited by the Angel Gabriel and told she will bear a son – her answer was unhesitating, “I am the handmaiden of the Lord: let what you have said be done to me.”  As the Angel leaves her, she sets out to visit Elizabeth, a journey of about 150 miles – it would have taken a week, maybe two, walking or riding on a donkey, and of course this would afford plenty of time to think, therefore, to ponder and to pray.

What was Mary feeling on that journey – Joy, fear, love, worry, trust, uncertainty, faith, anxiety, amazement?   Probably all of these, and almost certainly every emotion you can think of.  What was she thinking?  How were people going to react?  What would Joseph say?  What about her parents?  Would they understand this was Gods will, or would they condemn her for being pregnant outside of marriage – a crime punishable in those days by a terrible death by stoning.

When Mary said ‘yes’ to the Angel, she hadn’t asked what was going to happen to her – would she be looked after?  She had no idea.  But still she has said ‘yes’. Many profits before her had argued with God.  Moses asked God to send someone else, Gideon wanted a sign, Jonah just ran away, Isaiah said ‘woe is me’, Jeremiah claimed to be too young; Zechariah said that Elizabeth was too old.  Mary simply said, ‘yes’.  Was that without thought of the consequences?   I doubt that – Mary proved many times that she had wisdom. What we see in Mary, is such unusual and unexpected courage to do, no matter what, the will of God.

Mary’s hastening to see Elizabeth is a rush to talk to the one person who she felt sure would immediately understand. And what a welcome Mary receives!  Elizabeth, and the miracle of John, her unborn son, leaping in her womb, instantly recognised Mary as the mother of the Lord.

“Of all women, you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

Elizabeth had seen instantly that Mary had been filled, filled to overflowing, with the Holy Spirit. The joy of Elizabeth’s reaction must have been an enormous relief to Mary, and her courageous and faithful  ‘Yes’ to the Lord, is transformed into pure spirit-filled joy, as Mary responds with the Magnificat, which we heard at the end of today’s gospel.

Mary is very much loved and respected by many Christians for her role in our salvation. There are many prayers asking for her intercession on our behalf. But today we are called on to remember that Mary was once a young girl from nowhere who said ‘yes’ when the Lord called her. Our Lord looks for workers in the most unusual places!

So, where will be the next unusual place the Lord will look for someone?  Who will be the next unexpected person the Lord will use?  Will it be you, or me – like Mary, will we have the courage to say ‘yes’?

We too are called to do the Lord’s work – in attending the Eucharist this afternoon we are filled by the spirit; in listening to the word of God in today’s gospel we are filled with the spirit; in receiving the sacrament or a priestly blessing we are filled with the spirit.  So, filled with this joy of the holy spirit, are we ready to listen to the Lord, are we ready to say ‘yes’ to the Lord, because unless we are, then there can be no true Christmas, and our celebrations will be at best empty and at worst meaningless.

I love Advent – undoubtedly my favourite season of the whole year. It’s a time of preparation – what have you be preparing for?  Amen.

Please stand for the Nicene Creed.

Let us together affirm the faith of the Church. ✝

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:

was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,

and became truly human.

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, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,

who 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.

Fourth Sunday in Advent – Year C

a. Let us pray to the Lord, giving thanks once again for his coming among us.

b. May the Church, confident in the sacrifice of Christ, always be ready to proclaim his coming…Keep your people faithful to the revelation that they have received, that they may be blessed in believing, and ready to receive your promises.

We pray for the welfare of your church here on earth; guide and govern it by your Spirit, so that all Christians may be led in the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and righteousness of life.

We ask your blessing on +Vsevolod our Bishop, on this, our parish of St. George – for its work, its worship and its witness. We pray particularly for Fr. David in his ministry to us, and for all members of our congregation, be they near or far.

1 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

c. Establish your justice in the world…In this wintertime, give to the nations the light of Christ, that they may rejoice in his birth…Let your will be known, and followed by all.

d. Bless us in our families with mutual love and service, to meet each other’s needs…Sanctify us in our lives together, as we wait for the holy birth.

We pray for the leaders of all the nations of the world, most particularly for the King and Government of Thailand at this time of unrest, and also in the countries from which we come. We remember also all the people in countries that have had problems of any kind during this past week, most particularly all those caught up in the devastating tornado in the Philippines, and also the surge in Omicron infections.

Grant wisdom to those in authority in every land, and give to all people a desire for righteousness and peace, the will to work together in trust, to seek the common good, and to share with justice and equity the limited resources of the earth.

2 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

e. Fill the hungry and raise the oppressed…Affirm the minorities that are despised because they are small and weak in the eyes of the world, and grant them their rightful place in society.

We pray for all who are prevented from or persecuted for practising their faith, wherever they may beWe pray for our fellow Christians, both here in Thailand, and also in our own home countries.

3 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

We pray for all those who suffer in body, mind and spirit; the sick; the poor; the depressed; the lonely; the afraid, the unloved; the persecuted; the unemployed and those who care for them. Those who grieve; and those who have nobody to pray for them.

4 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

We remember all those who have been touched by the COVID 19 pandemic; particularly here in PattaYa. We give you thanks that Thailand has now reopened to visitors from abroad, as the outbreak is showing gradual signs of decline, and for the progress which has been made with the vaccination programme, where greater numbers are being safeguarded more speedily, and hopefully being spared the worst of the unpleasant side-effects.

Amongst the sick we remember;

Fr. Tom, Brian, Kyoko, Colin, Mavis, Patricia, Eric, Kent, Elizabeth, Conrad, Griselda, Jun, Martyn, Dave, Carole, and any others, known personally to each and every one of us…

5 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

f. We pray for those who through bodily death have already known the coming of the Lord….May they be held in eternal life through his offering of himself.

We bring to you all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, especially the millions who have perished in the COVID pandemic –for Chris (2), ……… for Dorothy, and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time, and for any known personally to us, collectively or individually

6 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

[DAVID] – g. May we be filled with the Holy Spirit, to make known the wonderful coming of Christ.

Grant that what we have asked in faith we may by your grace receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

THE CONFESSION:

God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy, welcoming sinners and inviting them to the Lord’s table.

Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, confident in God’s forgiveness.

Merciful God, our maker and our judge, we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, and in what we have failed to do: we have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves; we repent and are sorry ✊ for all ✊ our sins ✊, Father forgive us, strengthen us to love and obey you in newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

**(Note: all are encouraged to strike their breast 3 times following the lead of Fr. David as he utters the words: ‘sorry for all our sins’)**

Almighty God, who has promised forgiveness to all who turn to him in faith, pardon you ✝ and set you free from all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

THE PEACE:

The congregation stands.

We are the Body of Christ.

His Spirit is with us.

 

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Please greet each other with a sign of peace.

The Lord whom earth and sea and sky
Adore and praise and magnify,
Who o’er their threefold fabric reigns,
The Virgin’s spotless womb contains.

How blest that Mother, in whose shrine
The very Word of God divine,
The maker of the earth and sky,
Was pleased in fleshly form to lie.

Blest in the message Gabriel brought,
Blest in the work the Spirit wrought,
Blest evermore, who brought to birth
The long-Desired of all the earth.

O Jesu, Virgin-born, to thee
Eternal praise and glory be,
Whom with the Father we adore
And Holy Spirit evermore. Amen.

♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫

THE OFFERTORY

Blessed are you, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have these gifts to share. Accept and use our offerings for your glory and the service of your kingdom.

Blessed be God forever.

 Let us pray

We do not presume to come to your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies.  We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table, but you are the same Lord whose nature is always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us.  Amen.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER C

The Lord be with you.

and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your living Word, through whom you have created all things; who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour.

By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son, born of the blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us; he opened wide his arms for us on the cross; he put an end to death by dying for us; and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life; so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people.

Proper Preface

Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying:

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of power and might, 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.

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke 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.

In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: 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. Do this, as often as you drink it,

in remembrance of me.

Great is the mystery of faith:

Christ has died:

Christ is risen:

Christ will come again.

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice, made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.

As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of [N and] all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us pray with confidence to the Father, as our Saviour has 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.

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.  

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

**(Note:  All are encouraged to tap their breast three times following the example of Fr. David as he utters the words ‘…have mercy, …have mercy and …grant us peace’)**

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.

Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

This is the Lamb of God ✝, who takes away the sins of the world;

Happy are those who are called to his supper.

Lord, I am not worthy ✊ to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

**(Note:  All are encouraged to strike breast following the example of Fr. David as all utter the words ‘not worthy’)** 

After Communion the celebrant and the congregation say

 

Let us pray.

Father of all we give you thanks and praise that when we were still far off you met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world. 

Keep us in this hope that we have grasped; so we and all your children shall be free, and the whole earth live to praise your name.

Father, we offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice through Jesus Christ our Lord. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ✝, be amongst you and remain with you always.

Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord:

In the name of Christ.  Amen.

When came in flesh the incarnate Word,
The heedless world slept on,
And only simple shepherds heard
That God had sent his Son.

When comes the Saviour at the last,
From east to west shall shine
The judgement light, and earth aghast
Shall tremble at the sign.

Then shall the pure of heart be blest,
As mild he comes to them,
As when upon the Virgin’s breast
He lay at Bethlehem.

Lord, who could dare see thee descend
In state, unless he knew
Thou art the sorrowing sinner’s friend,
The gracious and the true?

Dwell in our hearts, O Saviour blest;
So shall thine advent’s dawn
‘Twixt us and thee, our bosom-guest,
Be but the veil withdrawn.

♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫

Music

Here is the music for this week’s hymns, if you would like to practice beforehand.

Performed by Fr. David Price

NOTE: The introductory music is Chorale Prelude ‘Nun komm, Den Heiden Heiland’ (BWV 659) – JS Bach