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Welcome!

We bid you a very warm welcome to our worship. As we gather in this sacred

space, silent prayer and reflection helps us to prepare for the service. Listening

devices are available for the hearing impaired during the service; please contact

one of our greeters.

Prelude Variatinos sur ‘In dulci Jubilo’ D. Bedard

Words of welcome

Please rise as you are able to sing our opening Hymn No. 138 in Common Praise.

1 Hark! The herald angels sing,

"Glory to the new-born King,

peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled."

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

join the triumph of the skies;

with the angelic hosts proclaim,

"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Refrain

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King."

2 Christ, by highest heaven adored;

Christ, the everlasting Lord;

late in time behold him come,

offspring of a virgin's womb.

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

hail, the incarnate Deity,

pleased as one of us to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel! Refrain

3 Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace!

Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

risen with healing in his wings,

Mild he lays his glory by,

born that we no more may die,

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born to raise each child of earth,

born to give us second birth. Refrain

Priest +The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

All And also with you.

We invite you to kneel for our opening prayer

All Almighty God, to you all hearts are open,

all desires known,

and from you 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.

Please rise as you are able to sing Hymn No 366 in Common Praise

1 Glory, in the highest glory,

peace to all in all their days.

Worship, thanks and praise unceasing

to the Source of all we raise:

reigning in the sapphire height,

hidden from our mortal sight,

now receive our adoration,

as we make our supplication.

2 Jesus Christ, the world’s Redeemer,

Lamb of God, for sinners given,

Word eternal, born of Mary,

Word made flesh, the face of heaven:

holy one, to you we pray,

hear us in the realms of day,

with the Spirit there united,

and the God-head high exalted.

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Priest Let us pray.

All Almighty God,

you have shone upon us

the new light of your incarnate Word.

May this light, enkindled in our hearts,

shine forth in our lives;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,

now and for ever. Amen.

Please sit for a reading from the Prophecy of Isaiah (Chapter 63.7-9)

I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,

the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,

because of all that the Lord has done for us,

and the great favour to the house of Israel

that he has shown them according to his mercy,

according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

For he said, ‘Surely they are my people,

children who will not deal falsely’;

and he became their saviour

in all their distress.

It was no messenger or angel

but his presence that saved them;

in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;

he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.

All Thanks be to God.

Please remain seated to chant Psalm 148

Cantor sings Refrain

All sing Refrain

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Choir only 1 Hallelujah!

Praise the Lord | from the | heavens; *

praise God | in the | heights. 2 Praise the Lord | all you | angels; *

sing praises, all you | heavenly | host. 3 Praise the Lord, | sun and | moon; *

sing praises, all you | shining | stars. 4 Praise the Lord, heav-|en of | heavens, *

sing praises, you waters a-|bove the | heavens. 5 Let them praise the name | of the | Lord; *

who gave the command and they | were cre-|ated, 6 who made them stand fast for ev-|er and | ever, *

who gave them a law which shall not | pass a-|way.

All sing Refrain

Choir only 7 Praise the Lord | from the | earth, *

you sea-monsters | and all | deeps; 8 fire and hail, | snow and | fog, *

tempestuous wind, do-|ing God’s | will; 9 mountains | and all | hills, *

fruit trees | and all | cedars; 10 wild beasts | and all cattle, *

creeping things and | winged | birds; 11 sovereigns of the | earth and all | peoples, *

princes and all rulers | of the | world; 12 young men | and young | women, *

old and | young to-|gether.

All sing Refrain

Choir only 13 Let them praise the name | of the | Lord, *

whose name only is exalted,

whose splendour is over | earth and | heaven. 14 The Lord has raised up strength | for his | people *

and praise for all | loyal | servants, *

the child-|ren of | Israel, *

a people who are near to the Lord.

Ha-|llelu-|jah!

All sing Refrain

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Please sit for a reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (Chapter 2.10-18)

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all

things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make

the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all

have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to

call them brothers and sisters, saying,

‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.’

And again,

‘I will put my trust in him.’

And again,

‘Here am I and the children whom God has given me.’

Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he

himself likewise shared the same things, so that through

death he might destroy the one who has the power of

death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives

were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that

he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of

Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers

and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful

and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a

sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because

he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to

help those who are being tested.

Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.

All Thanks be to God.

Please rise as you are able to sing our Gradual Hymn No. 144 in Common Praise

1 Sleep, holy child, now hid away

from human heartbreak, hate and strife.

What will you know of peaceful days

when even now they stalk your life?

2 Rest, Lamb of God, for comes the day

when earth will judge you, strike you, scorn.

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Sleep soundly now as Mary smiles

and holds you in her arms new-born.

We remain standing and turn to face the Deacon

All Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Deacon And the Word became flesh and lived among us.

All Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Deacon The Lord be with you.

All And also with you.

Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to

St Matthew. (Chapter 2.13-23)

All Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to

Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his

mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you;

for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’

Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night,

and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of

Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord

through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’

When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise

men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the

children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old

or under, according to the time that he had learned from

the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken

through the prophet Jeremiah:

‘A voice was heard in Ramah,

wailing and loud lamentation,

Rachel weeping for her children;

she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’

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When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared

in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the

child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those

who were seeking the child’s life are dead.’ Then Joseph got

up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of

Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over

Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.

And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the

district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called

Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the

prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.’

At the conclusion of the Gospel

Deacon The Gospel of Christ.

All Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Shine, fragile life, this starry night.

In sleep, unknowing, sigh, and nod,

for none on earth can overcome

the light in you that comes from God.

Sermon The Reverend John Stephens

After a time of reflection, please rise as you are able

Priest Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say,

All I believe in God,

the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

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He will come again

to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Please remain standing or kneel for our prayers

At the conclusion of the Prayers of the People:

Intercessor Rejoicing in the fellowship of Mary the mother of Jesus, and

St John the Beloved, our patron and all the saints we

commend ourselves and all people to your unfailing love.

Merciful God:

All Accept these our prayers for the sake of your Son

our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Confession and Absolution

Priest Dear friends in Christ,

God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy;

God welcomes sinners

and invites them to this table.

Let us confess our sins,

confident in God’s forgiveness.

Silence is kept

Priest Most merciful God,

All 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 neighbours as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

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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.

Priest Almighty God have mercy upon 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.

All Amen.

Please rise as you are able for the Peace

Priest The peace of the Lord be always with you.

All And also with you.

Please exchange a sign of peace

During the singing of Hymn No 148, a collection will be taken.

1 See amid the winter's snow,

born for us on earth below,

see, the tender Lamb appears,

promised from eternal years!

Refrain:

Hail, thou ever-blessed morn!

Hail, redemption's happy dawn!

Sing through all Jerusalem,

Christ is born in Bethlehem.

2 Lo, within a manger lies

he who built the starry skies,

who enthroned in height sublime

sits amid the cherubim. Refrain

3 Say, ye holy shepherds, say

what your joyful news today;

wherefore have ye left your sheep

on the lonely mountain steep? Refrain

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4 "As we watched at dead of night,

lo, we saw a wondrous light;

angels singing 'Peace on earth'

told us of the Saviour's birth." Refrain

5 Sacred infant, all divine,

what a mighty love was thine,

thus to come from highest bliss

down to such a world as this! Refrain

Prayer over the gifts

Priest God of light,

in the birth of your Son we see your glory.

May we who share in this mystery

grow daily in your love.

This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.

All Amen.

Priest It is indeed right that we should praise you,

gracious God,

for you created all things.

You formed us in your own image: you created us.

When we turned away from you in sin,

you did not cease to care for us,

but opened a path of salvation for all people.

You made a covenant with Israel,

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and through your servants Abraham and Sarah

gave the promise of a blessing to all nations.

Through Moses you led your people

from bondage into freedom;

through the prophets

you renewed your promise of salvation.

Therefore, with them, and with all your saints

who have served you in every age,

we give thanks and raise our voices

to proclaim the glory of your name.

Priest Holy God, source of life and goodness,

all creation rightly gives you praise.

In the fullness of time,

you sent your Son Jesus Christ,

to share our human nature,

to live and die as one of us,

to reconcile us to you,

the God and Father of all.

He healed the sick

and ate and drank with outcasts and sinners;

he opened the eyes of the blind

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and proclaimed the good news of your kingdom

to the poor and to those in need.

In all things he fulfilled your gracious will.

On the night he freely gave himself to death,

our Lord Jesus Christ took bread,

and when he had given thanks to you,

he broke it, and gave it to his disciples,

and said, “Take, eat:

this is my body which is given for you.

Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper he took the cup of wine;

and when he had given thanks,

he gave it to them,

and said, “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.

Whenever you drink it,

do this for the remembrance of me.”

Gracious God,

his perfect sacrifice

destroys the power of sin and death;

by raising him to life

you give us life for evermore.

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith.

All Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

Priest Recalling his death,

proclaiming his resurrection,

and looking for his coming again in glory,

we offer you, Father, this bread and this cup.

Send your Holy Spirit upon us

and upon these gifts,

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that all who eat and drink at this table

may be one body and one holy people,

a living sacrifice in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all glory is yours, almighty Father,

now and for ever.

All Amen.

Priest And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us,

we are bold to say,

All 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.

Priest We break the bread of life,

and that life is the light of the world.

All God here among us,

light in the midst of us,

bring us to light and life.

Priest The gifts of God for the people of God.

All Thanks be to God.

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We invite all baptized Christians to receive Communion at our altar. If you wish to

receive a blessing please come at the same time. Intinction is not permitted as it

contaminates the wine. It is acceptable to receive either bread or wine only.

If you are unable to make your way to the altar please ask a sidesperson to have

Communion brought to you. Gluten free wafers are available.

The sacrament of healing is available in the side chapel during

Communion.

Communion Anthem In the Bleak Mid-winter Holst

Please rise as you are able

Priest Source of truth and joy,

may we who have received the gift of divine life

always follow the way of your Son.

This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.

All Amen.

Priest Glory to God,

All whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more

than we ask or imagine. Glory to God from

generation to generation, in the Church and in

Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

We sit for the notices

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Please rise as you are able for the Blessing

Priest May the joy of the angels,

The eagerness of the shepherds,

The perseverance of the Magi,

The obedience of Joseph and Mary,

And the peace of the Christ-child

Be yours this Christmas;

And the blessing of God Almighty,

(+) the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always.

All Amen.

We sing our final Hymn No 135 in Common Praise

1 Shepherds in the field abiding,

tell us, when the seraph bright

greeted you with wondrous tiding

what you saw and heard that night.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

2 We beheld (it is no fable),

God incarnate, king of bliss,

swathed and cradled in a stable,

and the angel strain was this:

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

3 Choristers on high were singing,

Jesus and his Virgin birth

heavenly bells the while a-ringing,

"Peace, good will to all on earth."

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

4 Thanks, good shepherds, true your story,

let us go to Bethlehem;

angels hymn the king of glory,

carol we with you and them.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

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Deacon Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

All Thanks be to God.

Postlude Variations sur ‘In dulci jubilo” D. Bedard

The organ postlude is to uplift us as we go out into the world. Kindly refrain from

applauding. Please join us in the Trendell Lounge for refreshments.

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Sunday services Wednesday service

8:00am Holy Communion (BCP) 9:30am Holy Communion

10:00am Sung Eucharist (no service Jan 1)

We acknowledge our presence is on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded

territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Peoples.

Rector The Reverend John Stephens john.stephens@sjs.net

Assistant Priest The Reverend Elizabeth Ruder-Celiz erceliz@vst.edu

Deacon The Reverend Dr. Pitman Potter pbpotter@live.ca

Pastoral Care Team Coordinator Helen Kline

Rector’s Warden Judith Downes

People’s Warden Maggie Sanders

Treasurer Donald Wood

Property Trustee Peter Kidd

Vestry Clerk The Reverend Karin Fulcher

Music Director Michael Dirk organist@sjs.net

Choir Director Ann Chen

Children’s Ministry Annabelle Ip

Parish Administrator Janet Hamilton

PWRDF Rep Doug Symons

Verger/caretaker Regan Gorman

Please email the office if you would like the weekly newsletter sent to you.

Cover: artwork by John Stuart, www.stushieart.com

St John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church

Diocese of New Westminster

Anglican Church of Canada

1490 Nanton Ave. Vancouver, BC V6H 2E2

604 731 4966 (ex 11 for office, 31 for rector)

church@sjs.net www.sjs.net

Office Hours: Mon to Thurs, 8am to 3pm

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