Gathering Hymn 196 Was lebet, was schwebet

The Greeting

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

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

The Collect for Purity

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.

Penitential Kyries

God be merciful to us and bless us,
and make his face to shine on us.

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

May your ways be known on earth,
your saving power to all nations.

Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

You, Lord, have made known your salvation,
and reveal your justice in the sight of the nations.

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

General Absolution

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

Gloria in Excelsis

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.

The Collect

O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Mercifully grant that we, who know you now by faith, may at last behold your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Proclaiming and Receiving the Word

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.   The gathering of the dispersed

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
   and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
   and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
   and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
   and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around;
   they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
   and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.

Then you shall see and be radiant;
   your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
   the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
   the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
   all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
   and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

This is the Word of the Lord.                                            Isaiah 60.1-6

Thanks be to God.

Psalm, Deus, judicium (72) Chant, Hopkins in F (61)

1  Give the king your judgements, O God, •
   and your righteousness to the son of a king.
2  Then shall he judge your people righteously •
   and your poor with justice.
3  May the mountains bring forth peace, •
   and the little hills righteousness for the people.
4  May he defend the poor among the people, •
   deliver the children of the needy and crush the oppressor.
5  May he live as long as the sun and moon endure, •
   from one generation to another.
6  May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, •
   like the showers that water the earth.
7  In his time shall righteousness flourish, •
   and abundance of peace
      till the moon shall be no more.
10  The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute; •
   the kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring gifts.
11  All kings shall fall down before him; •
   all nations shall do him service.
12  For he shall deliver the poor that cry out, •
   the needy and those who have no helper.
13  He shall have pity on the weak and poor; •
   he shall preserve the lives of the needy.
14  He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, •
   and dear shall their blood be in his sight.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Spirit;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

A reading from the Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians.             Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles

This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles – for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

This is the Word of the Lord.                                    Ephesians 3: 1-12

Thanks be to God.

The Gradual Hymn 166 Antioch

Hear the Gospel of our Saviour Christ, according to St Matthew. The visit of the wise men

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
   who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.

When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.                                     Matthew 2: 1-12

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Sermon ~ The Nicene 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 by the Holy Spirit of 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 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

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful Father,

accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,

our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Peace (please stand)

Our Saviour Christ is the Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there shall be no end.                                                       cf Isaiah 9: 6,7

The peace of the Lord be always with you!

And also with you.

The Offertory Hymn (and collection) 194 Stuttgart

Celebrating at the Lord’s Table

The Taking of the Bread and Wine

Christ, our Passover has been sacrificed for us.

therefore let us celebrate the feast.

The Great Thanksgiving

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 our thanks and praise.

Father, almighty and everliving God, at all times and in all places it is right to give you thanks and praise; for Jesus Christ our Lord, who in human likeness revealed your glory, to bring us out of darkness into the splendour of his light: and so with all your people, 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!

Blessed are you, Father, the creator and sustainer of all things; you made us in your own image; male and female you created us; even when we turned away from you, you never ceased to care for us, but in your love and mercy you freed us from the slavery of sin, giving your only begotten Son to become man and suffer death on the cross to redeem us; he made there the one complete and all-sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world: he instituted and in his holy Gospel commanded us to continue, a perpetual memory of his precious death until he comes again.

On the night that he was betrayed he took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, 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 when he had given thanks to you, he gave it to them, saying, Drink this, all of you, for 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.

Therefore, Father, with this bread and this cup

we do as Christ your Son commanded:

we remember his passion and death,

we celebrate his resurrection and ascension,

and we look for the coming of his kingdom.

Accept through him, our great high priest, this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; and as we eat and drink these holy gifts, grant by the power of the life-giving Spirit that we may be made one in your holy Church and partakers of the body and blood of your Son, that he may dwell in us and we in him;

Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,

by whom, and with whom, and in whom,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all honour and glory are yours,

Almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

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.

The Breaking of the Bread

The bread which we break

is a sharing in the body of Christ.

We being many are one body,

for we all share in the one bread.

Agnus Dei

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.

The Invitation

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God,

who has taken 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.

The Post Communion Prayer

Lord God, the bright splendour whom the nations seek: may we, who with the wise men have been drawn by your light, discern the glory of your presence in your incarnate Son; who suffered, died, and was buried, and who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

The Prayer of Thanksgiving

Almighty God,

we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food

of 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 Blessing

Christ the Son be manifest to you, that your lives may be a light to the world: and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you always. Amen.

The Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!

in the name of Christ. Amen.

Thanksgiving Hymn 202 Greensleeves