Welcome We are pleased to have you worship with us this morning! Please join us for coffee and refreshments in the church hall following worship. Feeding you, body, mind and soul THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT: DECEMBER 21, 2014 Nursery care and Sunday School up to age 12 is available in the parish hall. Children will rejoin their parents after the Peace. Contact Us Address 30 Eastman Street Concord, NH 03301 (603) 224-2252 Phone Email office@graceeastconcord.org Web www.graceeastconcord.org facebook.com/graceeastconcord Staff Rector Fr. Jason Wells Pastoral Asst. Fr. Alan Mackillop Deacon Intern Shawn LaFrance Music Minister Justine Paul Sexton Jane Lavin Leadership Senior Warden Randy Makee Junior Warden Gerry Monroe Clerk Scott Cumming Treasurer Stephen Wheeler Beth Lavoie Audrey Rose Brittany Wheeler Marily Wilson This Sunday’s Servers Reader Barbara Geissinger Eucharistic Minister Mara Clark Celebrant Fr. Jason Wells Eucharistic Minister Shawn LaFrance Acolyte Christian Smith Novice Shane Ess Reader Dan Wilson Reader Joe Rose Usher Bill Carr Usher Becky Carr Counter Janet Cumming Counter Joel Smith Coffee Hour Joe and Audrey Rose Prelude, Welcome and Announcements Hymn 54 Opening Acclamation and Prayer Savior of the nations, come! p. 351 Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen. Confession of Sin p. 352 Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Kyrie eleison Hymnal S-95 Collect of the Day p. 212 Response: And also with you. 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 Response: Thanks be to God. Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 Your love, O LORD, for ever will I sing; * from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness. For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; * you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens. "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; * I have sworn an oath to David my servant: 'I will establish your line for ever, * and preserve your throne for all generations.'" You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people: * "I have set the crown upon a warrior and have exalted one chosen out of the people. I have found David my servant; * with my holy oil have I anointed him. My hand will hold him fast * and my arm will make him strong. No enemy shall deceive him, * nor any wicked man bring him down. I will crush his foes before him * and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and love shall be with him, * and he shall be victorious through my Name. I shall make his dominion extend * from the Great Sea to the River. He will say to me, 'You are my Father, * my God, and the rock of my salvation.'" Romans 16: 25-27 First response: Glory to you, Lord Christ. Second response: Praise to you, Lord Christ. Sermon Nicene Creed The Rev. Jason Wells p. 358 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: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from 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. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He 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 the People Response: Thanks be to God. Hymn 56 Luke 1:s26-38 O come, O come Emmanuel …, we pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy. Peace The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you. Offertory Altar Flowers are given by Kate Ess in memory of her mother Sue Hansen and in honor of Father Harold Beliveau’s 59th Ordination Anniversary Hymn 81 Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming Eucharistic Prayer A Holy, holy, holy p. 361 Hymnal S-122 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, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Breaking of the Bread Hymnal S-160 Communion All baptized Christians are welcome to receive Holy Communion at the Altar. If you come to the rail and cross your arms over your chest, you may receive a blessing instead of Communion. Hymn Wait for the Lord Wait for the Lord, whose day is near. Wait for the Lord: keep watch, take heart! Closing Prayer & Blessing Memorial Acclamation Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of faith, Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Lord’s Prayer And now, as our Savior Christ has 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. Let us pray. God of abundance, you have fed us with the bread of life and cup of salvation; you have united us with Christ and one another; and you have made us one with all your people in heaven and on earth. Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue for ever in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen. Hymn 265 The angel Gabriel from heaven came Dismissal Response: Thanks be to God. Postlude CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP: 4PM AND 7PM The 4pm service includes Holy Communion but replaces the sermon with the Children’s Pageant. This year we have 15 children participating! We also feature solo music by Brooke Wheeler and Olivia Dodd. The 7pm service includes Holy Communion and sermon. The service begins with a choral prelude and solo violin performance by Naomi Durand. The service concludes with the singing of Silent Night by candlelight and solo singing by Jane Pauley. ANNOUNCEMENTS Choir Rehearsals All are welcome to join music minister Justine Paul in preparing music for our 7pm Christmas Eve worship. Rehearsals begin at 11:30am. From the Pledge Clerk Any donations for 2014 must be received by 11am on Dec. 28. Donations received later will be recorded for 2015. Photo Directory We will be taking pictures for our new Directory on January 4 and February 15 after the 10am service. Sign up in the parish hall for a time that works for your family. This is also a time to have that great family portrait taken. BOOK GROUP Tues., Jan. 20, 6pm at Gibson’s to discuss Sara Miles’s Take This Bread. For a discounted copy, contact Beth Lavoie (225-4107, bethalavoie@comcast.net) Raised atheist, Miles didn’t discover a Christianity that was about angels or good behavior or piety; her faith centered on real hunger, real food, and real bodies. Before long, she turned the bread she ate at communion into tons of groceries, piled on the church’s altar to be given away. BY THE NUMBERS Date Att. Pledge 11/16 11/23 11/30 12/7 12/14 72 67 72 70 78 Plate $1,356.50 $1,302 $3,057.50 $1,736 $1,159 $56 $22.12 $77 $19 $37.50 COMING UP 12/21 12/21 1/4 1/9 1/18 11am Decorating 11:30 Choir Rehearsal 11am Photo Day 7pm TBJ Learners’ 11am Annual Meeting PRAYER NEEDS Diocesan Cycle of Prayer Church of the Holy Spirit, Plymouth Requests Teri, Dave, Thay, Joe and Harold Confirmation Youth Emily, Jessica, Charlie, Wyatt and Gwendolyn TAKE-A-TOTE Although the schools are now on Christmas break, the need to provide food for those schoolchildren we service is ever present. Please remember to bring in your food donations each week as we conclude 2014. Thanks to your generosity, starting in January ten additional children will benefit from our Take a Tote ministry. Thirty-five pasta containers, 35 fruit cups, 35 tuna pouches, 35 boxes of cereal; it quickly adds up. Your assistance is needed, too, to set up the items that others will pack and another team will deliver. Consider volunteering in 2015. Contact Barb Ashworth or Janet Cumming. Beyond our Walls Centrepoint Church downtown has taken our lead and is now running their own Take-a -Tote program to the Christa McAuliffe School. God bless their new ministry!