Advent Carol Service

The Gathering

We gather in darkness and in silence, in anticipation of the light which is coming into the world. The sound of the bell signals the start of the service.  If it is comfortable for you to do so, please stand.

First Reading: Genesis 1.1-5

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.  Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Hymn

Thou, whose almighty word
chaos and darkness heard,
and took their flight;
hear us, we humbly pray,
and where the gospel-day
sheds not its glorious ray,
let there be light.

Thou, who didst come to bring
on thy redeeming wing
healing and sight;
health to the sick in mind,
sight to the inly blind,
O now to all mankind
let there be light.

Spirit of truth and love,
life-giving, holy Dove,
speed forth thy flight;
move on the water’s face,
bearing the lamp of grace,
and in earth’s darkest place
let there be light.

Holy and blessèd Three,
glorious Trinity,
Wisdom, Love, Might;
boundless as ocean’s tide,
rolling in fullest pride,
through the earth far and wide
let there be light.

Words: John Marriott (1780-1825)
Music: melody from Madan’s ‘Collection’ (1769)
adapted by Felice de Giardini (1716-1796)
Hymn Tune: MOSCOW

Introduction

It is time for us to wake out of sleep, for deliverance is nearer to us now than it was when first we believed. It is far on in the night; day is near. Let us therefore cast off the deeds of darkness and put on our armour as soldiers of the light.

The grace and peace of God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you

and also with you.

My brothers and sisters, we enter today the solemn season of Advent in which the Church bids us prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ; a coming that we recall in the Child of Bethlehem; a coming that we experience in the gift of his Spirit, in the bread of the Eucharist, in the joy of human lives that are shared; a coming we wait for when God gathers up all things in Christ. Let us in this holy season reflect on the coming of Christ who brings light to the world. Let us leave behind the darkness of sin, walk in the light that shines on our path, and renew within ourselves the hope of glory to which he beckons us. And as we turn towards the light, let us have on our hearts all those who see no light, for whom all is darkness and despair. Let us pray that they too may be illumined by Christ who is our light.

Silence is kept.

Let us pray.

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
and to put on the armour of light,
now in the time of this mortal life,
in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;
that on the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Hymn

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here,
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou key of David, come
and open wide our heav’nly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
who to the tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient time didst give the Law,
in cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

Words: from the ‘Great O Antiphons’ (12th century)
translated by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)
Music: adapted by Thomas Helmore (1811-1890) from a French Missal
arranged by Colin Hand (1929-2015)
Hymn Tune: VENI EMMANUEL

Second reading: Isaiah 60.1-5

Please sit.

A reading from the prophecy of Isaiah:

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.

Anthem: Creator of the stars of night

Sung by the Choir.

Creator of the stars of night,
thy people’s everlasting light,
O Jesu, Saviour of us all,
regard thy servants when they call.

Thou, grieving at the bitter cry
of all creation doomed to die,
didst come to save a ruined race
with healing gifts of heav’nly grace.

Thou camest, Bridegroom of the bride,
as drew the world to evening-tide,
proceeding from a virgin shrine,
the Son of Man, yet Lord divine.

All praise, eternal Son, to thee,
whose advent sets thy people free,
whom with the Father we adore,
and Spirit blest, for evermore. Amen.

Words: 7th century Latin
translated by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)
Music: Plainsong melody

Third reading: Isaiah 9.2, 3, 6, 7

A reading from the prophecy of Isaiah:

The people who walked in darkness
     have seen a great light;
 those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
     on them light has shined.
 You have multiplied the nation,
     you have increased its joy;
 they rejoice before you
     as with joy at the harvest,
     as people exult when dividing plunder.
For a child has been born for us,
     a son given to us;
 authority rests upon his shoulders;
     and he is named
 Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
 His authority shall grow continually,
     and there shall be endless peace
 for the throne of David and his kingdom.
     He will establish and uphold it
 with justice and with righteousness
     from this time onwards and for evermore.
 The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Hymn

Please stand to sing.

Hills of the North, rejoice,
echoing songs arise,
hail with united voice
him who made earth and skies:
he comes in righteousness and love,
he brings salvation from above.

Isles of the Southern seas,
sing to the listening earth,
carry on ev’ry breeze,
hope of a world’s new birth:
in Christ shall all be made anew,
his word is sure, his promise true.

Lands of the East, arise,
he is your brightest morn,
greet him with joyous eyes,
praise shall his path adorn:
the God whom we have longed to know
in Christ draws near, and calls you now.

Shores of the utmost West,
lands of the setting sun,
welcome the heav’nly guest
in whom the dawn has come:
he brings a never-ending light
who triumphed o’er our darkest night.

Shout, as you journey on,
songs be in ev’ry mouth;
lo, from the North they come,
from East and West and South:
in Jesus all shall find their rest,
in him the sons of earth be blest.

Words: from the New English Hymnal
based on Charles Edward Oakley (1832-1865)
Music: Martin Shaw (1875-1958)
Hymn Tune: LITTLE CORNARD

Fourth reading: 1 Thessalonians 5.1-11, 23-24

Please sit.

A reading from St Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians:

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

Anthem: People, look East

Sung by the Choir.

People, look East, the time is near
of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look East and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.

Furrows, be glad, though earth is bare,
one more seed is planted there:
give up your strength the seed to nourish,
that in course the flower may flourish.
People, look East and sing today:
Love, the rose, is on the way.

Stars, keep the watch, though night is dim
one more light the bowl shall brim,
shining beyond the frosty weather,
bright as sun and moon together.
People, look East and sing today:
Love, the star, is on the way.

Angels, announce to man and beast
he who cometh from the East,
set every peak and valley humming
with the word, the Lord is coming.
People, look East and sing today:
Love, the Lord, is on the way.

Words: Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965)
Music: Besançon melody arranged by Malcolm Archer (b. 1952)

Final reading:
John 3.16-21

A reading from the Gospel according to John:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’

Hymn

Please extinguish your candles before standing to sing.

A collection, our financial offering in support of the work of the Church both at St. Mary’s and across our diocese, is taken.

You can place cash or giving envelopes in the collection plates as they are passed around. If you would prefer, or if you miss the plate, you can also give by tapping your contactless card or device on the giving kiosk by the door as you leave, or on our donations page.

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

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

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

Yea, amen! Let all adore thee,
high on thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the pow’r and glory,
claim the kingdom for thine own.
O come quickly, O come quickly, O come quickly!
Alleluia! Come, Lord, come!

Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788),
John Cennick (1718-1755) and Martin Madan (1726-1790)
Music: from John Wesley’s ‘Select Hymns with Tunes Annext’ (1765)
Hymn Tune: HELMSLEY

Conclusion

The night is far spent, the day is at hand.
Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light.
Come, O Lord, comfort the soul of your servant.

Even so, Lord, come.

O Lord Jesus Christ, come

at evening time, with light,

and in the morning, with your glory,

to guide our feet into the way of peace.

He who receives our prayers says:
Surely I come quickly.
I am the root and offspring of David,
I am the bright and morning star.

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you,
scatter the darkness from before your path,
and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.