Third Sunday of Advent

Come and worship with us as we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent. 
This weeks service comes from All Saints Church, Brockhampton. 
We pray that this is a blessing to you, wherever you may be. 
Readings: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24  and John 1:6-8 & 19-23 


THE GATHERING

All stand. The president may say

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen

The Greeting

The president greets the people with either

The Lord be with you
and also with you

or

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ
be with you
and also with you

From Easter to Pentecost this acclamation follows

Alleluia, Christ is risen
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

A hymn may be sung

Prayer of Preparation

We sit or kneel to pray, and this prayer may be said

Almighty God,
To whom all hearts are 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.

Prayer of Penitence

Our Lord Jesus Christ said:
The first commandment is this:
‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
There is no other commandment greater than these.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.

An invitation to confession is given. One of these two confessions is used. Either:

Almighty God,
Our heavenly Father,
We have sinned against you,
And against our neighbour,
In thought and word and deed,
Through negligence, through weakness,
Through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry,
And repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
Who died for us,
Forgive us all that is past,
And grant that we may serve you in newness of life,
To the glory of your name. Amen.

or

Most merciful God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess that we have sinned
in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved out neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
that we may do justly, love mercy,
and walk humbly with you, our God,
Amen.

During Advent and Lent the Kyrie Eleison is said or sung:

Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy

Christ, have mercy
Christ, have mercy

Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy

The president says

Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We stand for the Gloria (not said or sung in Lent or Advent)

Gloria in Excelsis

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his 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.

The Collect

We sit for the readings

The Liturgy of the Word

Readings

Either one or two readings from Scripture precede the Gospel reading. At the end of each the reader may say

This is the word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.

A hymn or psalm may be used between readings

We stand for the Gospel reading

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to N
Glory to you, O Lord

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ

We sit for the sermon

Sermon

We stand for the creed

The Creed

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 from the Holy Spirit and 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,
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.

Prayers of Intercession

We sit or kneel to pray. One of these two responses may be used. Either:

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

or

Lord, hear us
Lord, graciously hear us

And at the end

Merciful Father
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Liturgy of the Sacrament

The Peace

All stand. The president introduces the Peace

or

The peace of the Lord be always with you
And also with your.

These words may be added

Let us offer one another a sign of peace.

All may exchange a sign of peace

Offertory hymn

The president takes the bread and wine and we say one of the three following responses. Either:

Yours Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.
All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.

or

Be present, be present, Lord Jesus Christ, our risen high preist; make yourself known in the breaking of bread
Amen

or

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creations:
through your goodness we have this bread to set before you, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life
Blessed be God for ever

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation:
through your goodness we have this wine to set before you, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become for us the cup of salvation
Blessed be God for ever

The Eucharistic Prayer

The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.

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.

A seasonal preface may follow

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 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.

The Lord's Prayer

As our Saviour tought us, so we 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.
Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
And the glory are yours,
Now and for ever.
Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

The president breaks the consecrated bread and one of these two responses is used. Either:

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.

or

Every time we eat this bread and drink this cup,
we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

The Agnus Dei may be used as the bread is broken

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace.

Invitation to Communion

Draw near with faith. Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which he gave for you, and his blood which he shed for you. Eat and drink in remembrance that he died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.

We do not presume
To come to this 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 our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body
And our souls washed through his most precious blood,
And that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us.
Amen.

Prayer after Communion

Silence is kept. The Post-Communion Prayer is said

Almighty God,
We thank you for feeding us
With the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ.
Through him we offer you our souls and bodies
To be a living sacrifice.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit
To live and work To your praise and glory.
Amen.

The Dismissal

The preist gives a blessing.

A hymn may be sung.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.

Or, from Easter to Pentecost

Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, Alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia!