Advent Eucharist | Holy Trinity Melrose

Choral Eucharist for Advent Sunday will be livestreamed and available online at Holy Trinity’s YouTube site from 10.55am Sunday at https://www.youtube.com/live/aC1iiOvOYWw

THE ADVENT PROSE (From Isaiah 64)

Refrain

Drop down ye heavens from above:

and let skies pour down righteousness.

Verse sung by cantor only

Be not wroth, very sore O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever.

The Holy Cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation,

our holy and beautiful house, wherefore our forefathers praised thee.

REFRAIN

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen;

that ye may know me and believe me:

I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no Saviour:

and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.

REFRAIN

Comfort ye, Comfort ye, my people, my Salvation shall not tarry.

I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions.

Fear not, for I will save thee; for I am the Lord thy God,

the Holy one of Israel, thy redeemer.

REFRAIN

Introit Hymn NEH 5

1 Hark! a herald voice is calling:
‘Christ is nigh!’ it seems to say;
‘Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day!’

2 Startled at the solemn warning,
let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her sun, all sloth dispelling,
shines upon the morning skies.

3 Lo, the Lamb, so long expected,
comes with pardon down from heav’n;
let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
one and all to be forgiv’n.

4 So when next he comes with glory,
And earth's final hour draws near,
may he then as our defender,
on the clouds of heav’n appear.

5 Honour, glory, virtue and merit,
to the Father and the Son,
with the co-eternal Spirit,
while unending ages run. Amen

APPROACH TO GOD

To you O Lord, I lift up my soul

my God I trust in you.

Show me your ways, O Lord

and teach me your paths.

We wait upon your loving kindness O Lord

in the midst of your Temple.

Be strong and do not fear,

for God will come to save us.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

Our Lord Jesus Christ said, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.'

Let us turn from sin and turn to the Lord, confessing our sins in

penitence and faith.

Silence

CONFESSION

God and Father of all:

We prepare our hearts for the coming of your Son,

And we confess our sins, of thought, word and deed:

In what we have done and in what we have failed to do.

Forgive our sins, cleanse our hearts,

and keep us faithful for the coming of your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

THE ABSOLUTION

Almighty God, who sent your only-begotten Son to reconcile the world to Yourself;

lift our hearts from the darkness of sin,

have mercy upon us, pardon and forgive us,

and raise us to new life, in Christ our Lord.

Amen.

COLLECT(S)

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

FIRST READING Isaiah 2:1-5

A reading from the Prophet Isaiah

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.’
or 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!

At the end:

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

GRADUAL HYMN NEH 232 (Tune NEH 238 'Melcombe')

1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.

2 Redeem thy mis-spent moments past,
live this day as if 'twere thy last;
improve thy talent with due care;
for the great day thyself prepare.

3 Let all thy converse be sincere,
thy conscience as the noon-day clear;
think how all-seeing God thy ways
and all thy secret thoughts surveys.

4 By influence of the light divine
let thine own light to others shine;
reflect all heaven's propitious rays
in ardent love and cheerful praise.

5 Awake, awake, ye heavenly choir,
may your devotion me inspire,
that I like you my age may spend,
like you may on my God attend.

6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,
praise him, all creatures here below,
praise him above, ye heavenly host,
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

GOSPEL Matthew 24:36-44

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

When the Gospel is announced:

Glory to Christ our Saviour.

Jesus spoke to hie 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.

At the end:

Give thanks to the Lord for his glorious Gospel

Praise to Christ our Lord.

SERMON

CREED

We believe in One God

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Trinity in Unity.

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son:

Though he was divine

he made himself nothing

Taking the form of a slave.

He was born in human likeness

He humbled himself

and became obedient even to death on a cross.

God has raised him on high

and given him the name that is above all names;

that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bow

and every tongue proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord

to the glory of God the Father Amen.

INTERCESSIONS

PEACE

We meet in Christ’s name.

Let us share his peace.

OFFERTORY HYMN NEH 10 Long ago, prophets knew (Personent Hodie)

1 Long ago, prophets knew
Christ would come, born a Jew,
Come to make all things new;
Bear his People's burden,
Freely love and pardon.
Ring, bells, ring, ring, ring!
Sing, choirs, sing, sing, sing!
When he comes,
When he comes,
Who will make him welcome?

2 God in time, God in man,
This is God's timeless plan:
He will come, as a man,
Born himself of woman,
God divinely human.
Chorus

3 Mary hail! Though afraid,
She believed, she obeyed.
In her womb, God is laid:
Till the time expected,
Nurtured and protected,
Chorus

4 Journey ends! Where afar
Bethlem shines, like a star,
Stable door stands ajar.
Unborn Son of Mary,
Saviour, do not tarry!
Ring, bells, ring, ring, ring!
Sing, choirs, sing, sing, sing!
Jesus comes!
Jesus comes!
We will make him welcome!

Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000)
© 1971 Stainer & Bell Ltd
Used By Permission. CCLI Licence No. 121191

THE LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT

PRAYERS OF OFFERING

Even as this broken bread was once scattered over the hills as wheat,

and when gathered together, became one mass,

so let your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom,

for Yours is the Glory and the Power through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

THE SURSUM CORDA

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 God thanks and praise.

Worship and praise belong to you, God our maker.

Out of nothing, you called all worlds to be,

and still you draw the universe to its fulfilment.

Dawn and evening celebrate your glory

till time shall be no more.

In Christ your Son

the life of heaven and earth were joined,

sealing the promise of a new creation,

given, yet still to come.

Taught by your Spirit,

we who bear your threefold likeness

look for the City of Peace

in whose light we are transfigured

and the earth transformed.

As children of your redeeming purpose

who await the coming of your Son,

we offer you our praise,

with angels and archangels

and the whole company of heaven

singing the hymn of your unending glory:

SANCTUS

Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might,

Heav'n and earth are full of thy glory.

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

CONSECRATION PRAYER

Glory and thanksgiving be to you,

most loving Father.

In Jesus you showed us yourself.

Our hope is built on him,

the first, the last, the living one.

Obedient, even to accepting death,

He opened the gate of glory

and calls us now to share the life of heaven.

Before he was given up to suffering and death,

alight with the vision

of a feast that heralded a kingdom yet to come,

at supper with his disciples

he took bread and offered you thanks.

He broke the bread,

and gave it to them, saying:

‘Take, eat. This is my Body:

it is broken for you.’

After supper, he took the cup,

he offered you thanks,

and gave it to them saying:

‘Drink this, all of you.

This is my Blood of the new covenant;

it is poured out for you, and for all,

that sins may be forgiven.

Do this in remembrance of me.’

We now obey your Son’s command.

We recall his blessed passion and death,

his glorious resurrection and ascension;

and we look for the coming of his Kingdom.

Made one with him,

we offer you these gifts and with them ourselves,

a single, holy, living sacrifice.

Hear us, most merciful God,

and send your Holy Spirit upon us

and upon this bread and this wine,

that, overshadowed by his life-giving power,

they may be the Body and Blood of your Son,

and we may be kindled with the fire of your love

and renewed for the service of your Kingdom.

Help us,

who are baptised into the fellowship of Christ’s Body,

to live and work to your praise and glory;

may we grow together in unity and love

until at last, in your new creation,

we enter into our heritage,

in the company of the Virgin Mary,

the apostles and prophets,

and of all our brothers and sisters living and departed.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord,

with whom, and in whom,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all honour and glory be to you,

Lord of all ages, world without end. Amen.

THE FRACTION

The living bread is broken for the life of the world.

Lord, unite us in this sign.

LORD’S PRAYER

As our Saviour Christ has commanded and taught us,

we are bold to say;

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.

AGNUS DEI

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:

have mercy, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:

Grant us, grant us peace.

PRAYER OF HUMBLE ACCESS

We do not presume to come to this holy sacrament, merciful Lord,

because we are strong, but because we are weak;

not because of our goodness,

but because we need mercy and help.

We come in weakness, and frailty, and humility.

We come because we love the Lord a little,

and seek to love him more.

We come to take, and eat, in remembrance of you.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

COMMUNION

COMMUNION HYMN NEH 17 (omit verse 5)

1 When came in flesh the incarnate Word,
the heedless world slept on,
and only simple shepherds heard
that God had sent his Son.

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

3 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:

4 As mild to meek-eyed love and faith,
only more strong to save;
strengthened by having bowed to death,
by having burst the grave.

6 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.

THANKSGIVING AND SENDING OUT

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious.

And his mercy endures for ever.

POST-COMMUNION PRAYER

God, for whom we wait,

we thank you for feeding us with the Body and Blood

of your Son Jesus Christ

who, at his first advent,

came to seek and save that which was lost:

grant that, on the last day,

he may be found in us,

and we in him; through the

same, Christ our Lord. Amen.

BLESSING this or some other may be used

Now may Christ the Sun of Righteousness

shine upon us,

and scatter all darkness from before our path;

and the blessing of God Almighty,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

be with us and remain with us always. Amen

DISMISSAL

Let us go in peace, to love and serve the Lord

In the name of Christ. Amen.

FINAL HYMN NEH 9

1 Lo, he comes with clouds descending,
once for favoured sinners slain;
thousand thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
alleluia!
God appears on earth to reign.

2 Every eye shall now behold him
robed in dreadful majesty;
those who set at naught and sold him,
pierced and nailed him to the tree,
deeply wailing,
shall the true Messiah see.

3 Those dear tokens of his passion
still his dazzling body bears;
cause of endless exultation
to his ransomed worshippers:
with what rapture
gaze we on those glorious scars.

4 Yea, amen, let all adore thee,
high on thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and glory,
claim the kingdom for thine own:
O come quickly,
alleluia! come, Lord, come!