Orthodox Icon of John the Baptist
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’” Mark 1: 2-3
Welcome to Church!
As a way of loving our neighbor and protecting the most vulnerable, Emmanuel now offers two ways to worship each Sunday -- continuing with portable Emmanuel at Home Morning Prayer at your convenience -- or now gathered in community live on Zoom Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m.
Live Emmanuel at Home Morning Prayer
Sundays at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom, the officiant, reader and music
will be online along with slides to follow the service.
Today's homilist is the Rev. Grace Pratt.
If you would like your own "bulletin" you can download and print this PDF.
Click here at 10:00 a.m. to join us.
Emmanuel at Home Morning Prayer
The portable version of the liturgy continues below, with links to music and two homilies, one for adults and one for children.
This Advent service also includes a musical bonus:
a seasonal performance produced by Ryan Fitch, MM.
If you missed a Sunday service, check out
And join us Wednesday evenings during Advent at 7:00 p.m. for
.
Though we worship apart, we are still One Body, in communion with Christ and one another. Feel free to share with family and friends!
Morning Prayer: Rite II
Second Sunday of Advent
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isaiah 40:3
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
Isaiah 40:5
Confession of Sin
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
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.
Prayer of acceptance for God's forgiveness of our sins.
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep in eternal life. Amen.
The Invitatory
Lord, open our lips. And our mouths shall proclaim your praise. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him.
Venite Psalm 95:1-7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth,
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
The Lessons
2 Peter 3:8-15a
Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.
Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.
Canticle: The Song of the Redeemed Magna et mirabilia
Revelation 15:3-4
O ruler of the universe, Lord God,
great deeds are they that you have done,
surpassing human understanding.
Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth,
O King of all the ages. Who can fail to do you homage, Lord,
and sing the praises of your Name?
for you only are the Holy One.
All nations will draw near and fall down before you,
because your just and holy works have been revealed.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
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.
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.
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, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your minsters with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
God of power and might, tear open the heavens and come quickly to this weary world. Humbly we implore you to open your ears to our prayers.
Abiding God, you teach us to wait faithfully and patiently upon your coming. Sustain and support us in our doubts and questions as we walk the road to Bethlehem. Amen.
Celestial God, you set the stars in the sky and breathe life into the earth. Renew the face of creation where it is in need of your healing touch that the universe may ring out your praise. Amen.
Steadfast God, you never tire of seeking justice. Where people suffer from discrimination, judgment, and injustice, speak words of comfort and truth. We pray especially for the healing of political and racial wounds in our nation. Amen.
Tender God, you know joy and sorrow alike. We pray for those struggling personally and financially this holiday season. Be a companion to those distant from family and friends; and keep us connected however we can. Amen.
Healing God, gather all in need to your saving embrace, especially: Christian, the Berry family, Eric, Wilfred, Doug, Carol, Tom, Loretta, Kris, Elizabeth, Bonnie, Ralph, Barrett, April, Tiffany, Cindy, Timothy, George, Tom, Joe, Christa, Tony, June, Nancy, Jeff, Leslie, Peggy, Sally, Butch, Evan, Bucky, Katie, David, Peter, Erica, Chanelle, Larry, Beth, Doug, Bill, Hai and Sadie. Uphold those living with mental illness, struggling with addiction, victims of violence and survivors of abuse, and all impacted by Covid-19. Watch over all who provide comfort, care, hope and support. Amen.
Loving God, we pray for the soul of Mary Boxter and all who have died in the communion of your Church, and those whose faith is known to you alone, that with all the saints, they may have rest in that place where there is no pain or grief, but life eternal. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Eternal God, we uplift in prayer and mourn the tragic loss of 276,000+ souls in our country who have perished from Covid-19. Gather them into your kingdom, Lord, and comfort all who grieve for them. Amen.
Merciful God, protect and shield all who live and serve in harm’s way throughout the world; especially Jamie, Devin and Michael. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Redeeming God, we pray for our sister churches: in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Reformed Church of Spain and in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer we pray for the congregations, staff and clergy of Santa Maria in Falls Church, Immanuel, Old Church in Mechanicsville and St. Paul's in West Point. We pray especially for our partner parish Ste. Croix in Léogâne, Haiti and for Emmanuel’s refugee ministry with the Latifi family. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Here you may add your own prayers for family, community, church and world.
The Collects
A Collect of the Day
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for Counting our Blessings
O God, in your love you have given the people of this land gifts of abundance beyond what our forebears knew or could imagine. Mercifully grant that we may not be so occupied with material things that we forget spiritual gifts, and thus, even though we have gained the whole world, lose our souls; through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.
A Collect for the Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Offertory
Let us with gladness present the offerings and oblations of our life and labor to the Lord. Amen.
The General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus forever and even. Amen.
Ephesians 3: 20, 21
Go in peace. Remember the poor.
We Are Here for You
Emmanuel Church is a community of faith which seeks to nurture and support individuals and families in every stage of life and circumstances. If you or a member of your family needs pastoral care please reach out to Joani via email.