"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
Luke 1:46
Welcome to Church!
As a way of loving our neighbor and protecting the most vulnerable, Emmanuel offers TWO ways to worship.
Holy Eucharist
8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m.
1608 Russell Road
The Rev. Charles C. McCoart, Jr. is Sunday's celebrant and homilist.
In keeping with guidance from the CDC, the City of Alexandria and the Diocese of Virginia, during indoor worship services masks are required.
Thank you for your support and cooperation.
Emmanuel at Home Morning Prayer
The portable version of the liturgy continues with links to music and a homily detailed below.
Faith Resources for Families & Children
Morning Prayer: Rite II
Fourth Sunday of Advent
The service continues with these sentences of Scripture
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
The Confession
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 of God's forgiveness
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 us 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.
Jubilate Psalm 100
Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.
Know this: The Lord himself is God; *
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise; *
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting; *
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
The Lessons
Micah 5:2-5a
You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.
Canticle 15
The Song of Mary Magnificat
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
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.
Luke 1:39-45(46-55)
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
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 ministers 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.
In this season of watching and waiting, let us pray for all people and places that yearn for God’s presence.
Nurturing God, into us you breathe life and love. Likewise, may our ministry bring healing, and grace to those whom we serve. We pray especially for our partners: St. Croix in Léogâne, Haiti and the Kwi family from Cameroon. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Creator God, you proclaim your boundless love for all that you have made. Guide us in service to this fragile earth, our island home. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Righteous God, you have shown your strength, scattered the proud, and cast down the mighty. Bless and strengthen all who work for justice. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
God the Master Builder, bless, nurture, shield, and guide the work of our Youth Ministry Renovation and Prayer teams as they discern a bright future for our parish programs with children and youth. Open our ears, eyes and hearts to new ways for our youngest members to participate in the full life of the church. Watch over all who parent, teach, and learn. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Compassionate God, you proclaim your love and mercy. Show your loving kindness to teenage parents and those unexpectedly pregnant. Comfort couples struggling with infertility and those nurturing new families Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Gracious God, you uplift the lowly and fill the hungry with good things. Bless all who struggle in body, mind, or soul, especially for Christian, Julia, Eric, Steve, Ben, Anne, Amy, Loretta, Susan, Eleanor, Jean, Margaret, Cindy, Tony, Neil, Nancy, Jeff, Michael, Leslie, Peggy, Michael, Bucky, Lisa, Peter, Joan, Jennie, Elizabeth, Lillian, Jeff, Steve and Howard. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Generous God, nothing of the earth, the sky, and the sea, is outside of your concern. In your mercy, shield and protect first responders, residents, business owners, and all who have been impacted by the devastating swath of tornadoes that hit Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri & Tennessee. Uphold and comfort all who grieve the loss of their loved ones, homes, and livelihoods. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Faithful God, you stir up the hearts of those who love you. We give you thanks for those who, like Mary, were courageous in their faith. We pray especially for the loss of 5.3 million lives worldwide to Covid-19 including 804,000 people in the United States, and all grieve for them this Christmas season. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of new life, you come among us in the places we least expect. Receive these prayers and those of our hearts, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The Collect of the Day
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. 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 ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3: 20, 21
Go in peace. Share the Good News.
Thanks be to God.
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
