Advent Prayers of the People (I)

The following Prayers of the People are written especially with Advent and the idea of expectation in mind. The versicle and response is from the Lords Prayer. The inspiration for this set comes from the wonderful collect by Percy Dearmer with which this POP concludes.

Bidder:

In waiting and in expectation, believing that Jesus shall come again, we pray…

God, Your Kingdom come.

People:

Your will be done.

Bidder:

We await the church that can worship You in truth and not in brokenness. Hold up each of us in our daily ministry and service to the world. Guide those who serve the church…

People may add their own petitions. The names of the leaders of the church, diocese, and denomination are especially appropriate.

Your Kingdom come.

People:

Your will be done.

Bidder:

We yearn for a society that does justice, loves mercy, and walks humbly. Guide those who lead our government to do what is best for all Your children.

People may add their own petitions. The names of the leaders of the local, state, and national government are especially appropriate.

Your Kingdom come.

People:

Your will be done.

Bidder:

We seek a world that knows Your Joy not our brokenness. Your peace not our war. Your plenty not our famine. Your beauty not our pollution. 

People may add their own petitions. Concerns for the welfare of the world are especially appropriate.

Your Kingdom come.

People:

Your will be done.

Bidder:

We long for communities that are one in Your Love not many in our divisions. Break down the walls we have made that separate us from one another.

People may add their own petitions. Concerns for the welfare of the local community are especially appropriate.

Your Kingdom come.

People:

Your will be done.

Bidder:

We hope for your consolation out of our suffering and trouble. Bring to us the healing beyond any earthly cure,.

People may add their own petitions. Concerns for the sick and troubled of the community are especially appropriate.

Your Kingdom come.

People:

Your will be done.

Bidder:

We want to rest in peace, we want light perpetual to shine upon us. We hold up all who have died

People may add their own petitions. The names of the recently departed and saints important to the community may be said.

Your Kingdom come.

People:

Your will be done.

Bidder:

O Lord, You have set before us the great hope that Your kingdom shall come on earth, and have taught us to pray for its coming: Give us grace to discern the signs of its dawning, and to work for the perfect day when Your will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

People:

Amen

The concluding collect are the words of Percy Dearmer.

A Liturgy of the Word to begin Advent Eucharists

I am presenting this as a Liturgy of the Word for Advent. The advent addition is not really exclusive, it could be used at other times. It starts with the celebrant, et all, at the rear of the church and begins without a procession or a hymn but an invitation to worship and confession. It is then that a Hymn of Praise is sung, one viably suitable for Advent thus NOT the Gloria, and then the procession occurs. The hope is to cause a little upset at the beginning to make people aware of what they are doing. Using sources from Enriching our Worship and the BCP this Liturgy of the Word is in compliance with the BCP rubrics. (Note I will be making some Advent Prayers of the People later).

This service starts at the rear without a hymn or procession.

The congregation should be facing the rear of the nave.

If possible the altar party, acolytes, etc. should be gathered around the baptismal font if it is located in the rear of the church.

Celebrant:

Blessed are you, holy and living One

All:

You come to your people and set them free.

Celebrant:

Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel:

The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your

God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your

mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love

your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment

greater than these.”   Mark 12:29‑31

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

silence is kept

All:

God of all mercy,

we confess that we have sinned against you,

opposing your will in our lives.

We have denied your goodness in each other,

in ourselves, and in the world you have created.

We repent of the sin that enslaves us,

            the sins we have done,

and the sins done on our behalf.

Forgive, restore, and strengthen us

through out Savior Jesus Christ,

that we may abide in your love

and serve only your will. Amen

Celebrant:

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen

All:

Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height and look toward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the word of the Holy One. Baruch 5:3

A Hymn of Praise appropriate for Advent then follows and the altar party and attendants process to their places.

Celebrant:

God be with you.

All:

And also with you.

Celebrant:

Let us pray.

The collect of the day is read.

All:

Amen

The Lessons

The people sit. One or two Lessons, as appointed, are read

After each Reading.

Reader:

Hear what the spirit is saying to God’s people.

All           

Thanks be to God.

Silence may follow.

A Psalm, hymn, or anthem may follow each Reading.

Then, all standing, the Deacon or a Priest reads the Gospel, first saying

Deacon:

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

according to__________________.

All:

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

After the Gospel

Deacon:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All:

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon

On Sundays and other Major Feasts there follows, all standing

The Nicene Creed

All:

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.

The Prayers of the People

Prayer is offered with intercession for

The Universal Church, its members, and its mission

The Nation and all in authority

The welfare of the world

The concerns of the local community

Those who suffer and those in any trouble

The departed (with commemoration of a saint when appropriate)

The Peace

All stand.

Celebrant:

The peace of Christ be always with you.

All:           

And also with you.

Then the Ministers and People may greet one another in the

name of the Lord.

A rite for recognizing a person's true gender and name. Trial 1

 Several friends of mine have requested I attempt to write a rite for transgendered individuals to claim their gender identity and name. This is a first attempt at a rite that I am very humbled to even attempt to make. Viably it would come after a sermon but before a Eucharist but at this point there is no provision for a Prayers of the People to make this fully workable.

Leader:

Do you know who you are?

Seeker:

I know only the part of me I can see.

Leader:

Do you know who this is?

Community:

We know only the part we can see.

Leader:

Who knows who this person is?

All:

The God who creates us,

The God who is the Father that knows the hairs on our head,

The God who is the Mother that broods over us like a hen over her eggs,

The God who truly knows us and names us made very good,

The God who became one of us,

The God who died for us,

The God who rose from the dead for us,

The God who knows us and loves us,

The God who advocates for us,

The God who knits us as one family,

The God who fills us with the fire to change the world,

The God who fills us with the strength to change ourselves.

The God who is One God.

Leader:

Do you seek to recognize more fully who you are?

Seeker:

I do.

Leader:

Do you seek to recognize more fully this person?

Community:

We do.

Leader: 

Do we recognize that following Jesus means placing aside falsehoods and recognizing truth?

All:

We do.

Leader:

What falsehood do you place aside?

Seeker:

The falsehood that I am female/male/intersex.

The falsehood that my name is ___________.

Leader:

What falsehood do we place aside?

Community:

The falsehood that this person is female/male/intersex.

The falsehood of the name _________.

Leader:

What truth do you recognize?

Seeker:

The truth that I am female/male/intersex.

The truth that my name is ___________.

Leader:

What truth do we recognize?

Community:

The truth that this person is female/male/intersex.

The truth of the name __________.

Leader:

Will all who recognize this truth do all in your power to support __________ in her/his/zer life in Christ?

All:

We Will

Leader:

Let us rejoice with  ___________ in the light of revealed truth.

All:

We rejoice and are glad to know truth.

We rejoice and are glad to know _____________.

Leader:

The peace that flows from Truth, the Peace not of this world, the Peace of Jesus Christ be always with you.

All:

And also with you.

Advent Wreath Lighting Year B

 

The Lighting of the Advent Wreath

With Prayers for Year B.

The Advent Wreath is a common but non-liturgical aspect of Episcopal Worship. Thus this service should occur before the principle liturgical service of the day begins. The one exception is a worship that involves an Order for Evening where it can be lit after the Prayer for Light.  The prayers provided here are for use in Year B and correspond to the New Testament Lessons.

Leader:            Jesus Christ is the Light of the World.

People:                        The Light no Darkness can overcome.

Leader:            We await the coming of the Light.

People:                        The dawn of the New Heaven and the New Earth.

The Advent Wreath candles are lit.

[My suggestion is to light first the purple candle across from another purple candle, then the purple candle across from it, then the rose candle, then the final purple candle. This allows the wreath to be lit in a cross pattern.]

Concluding Prayer

First Advent

Leader:            We wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

People:                        The Holy Spirit has strengthened us and enriched us.

Leader:            The Father has given each of us many spiritual gifts.

People:                        We are called to use them in the Fellowship of Jesus Christ.

All:                        We wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen           

Second Advent

Leader:            To the Lord one Day is like a thousand years.

People:                        And a thousand years are like one day.

Leader:            The Lord is patient with us.

People:                        The Lord does not want any to perish.

All:                        To the Lord one day is like a thousand years. Amen

Third Advent

Leader:            Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.

People:                        We will give thanks in all circumstances.

Leader:            Hold fast to what is good.

People:                        We will abstain from every form of evil.

All:                        Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. Amen

Fourth Advent

Leader:            God strengthens us through the Gospel.

People:                        God strengthens us through the proclamation of Jesus Christ.

Leader:            The secret kept for long ages is now disclosed.

People:                        The secret is made known to all people.

All:                        God strengthens us through the Gospel. Amen

I'm a Sacristy Queen

 This is a satirical poem I wrote a few years back... One of the best ways to not become a bad liturgist is to poke fun at the part of you that can quite easily go over the top...

I'm a Sacristy Queen

I’m a Sacristy queen, as high as can be,
benediction, incense, sherry, or nothing, for me.
Others twitter and flitter to Michno, disgrace
It’s Lamburn’s formations that put a smile on His face.
Some say I’m outdated, that my time is past,
but projectors and big screens and hand claps won’t last.
Get down on one knee and show me some class.

I’m a Sacristy queen, just hear me squeak
At the Sursum Corda you dare not just speak.
Ad Orientem not ad hoc plebian.
Liturgical language is Jacobean.
Unless there’s a maniple it’s not a Mass
And if that’s a problem I’ll verger your ass.
Don’t come to the altar not dressed for the task.

I’m a Sacristy queen, a rubric fiend,
I’ll cite every council that’s ever convened.
Amice and Alb, surplice, or cotta?
Better dress right or persona non grata.
If your stole is not crossed, if your biretta's askew
Your one with the lord I'll simply construe
But if your in Almy its simply Adieu.

I’m a Sacristy queen, and my day will come,
When Hagia Sophia will be out done.
With my dress so divine and my purse quite on fire
I’ll lead the host of the heavenly choir.
In a procession that will surpass any Rogation
Onward and upward to an Heavenly location
Leaving Low Churchmen all in frustration.

I’m a Sacristy queen, as high as can be,
When it comes to liturgics don’t mess with me.

-Ben Garren