10:00 HOLY EUCHARIST - RITE II
Christ Episcopal Church, North Hills
www.ChristChurchPGH.org
The First Sunday of Advent
November 29, 2020
The Rev. Canon James D. Shoucair, Rector
The Rev. Christine McIlvain, Deacon
The Rev. Lorena Ringle, Deacon
The Rev. Dr. Christopher Barker, Priest-In-Residence
Mr. Brandon Cooper, Lay Pastoral Assistant
CHRIST CHURCH STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Welcome to our service ONLINE at ChristChurchPGH.org!
PRELUDE Morning Song Rosalie Bonighton (1946-2011)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PROCESSIONAL HYMN (Congregation sings)
HYMN 58 (blue) Lo, he comes with clouds descending (vs 1 & 4) St. Thomas
1 Lo, he comes with clouds descending, 4 Yea, amen! let all adore thee, once for our salvation slain; high on thine eternal throne; thousand thousand saints attending Savior, take the power and glory; swell the triumph of his train: claim the kingdom for thine own: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleuia! Christ the Lord returns to reign. Alleluia! Thou shalt reign and thou alone
Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Tune: St. Thomas, melody John Francis Wade (1711-1786); harm. Att. Vincent Francis Novello (1781-1861)
CCLI License Number 1826146
THE ENTRANCE RITE
The people standing, the Celebrant says
Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
People And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
The Celebrant says
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: 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.
The following hymn is sung or said, all standing
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
THE COLLECT of the DAY
The Celebrant says to the people
The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of
this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall
come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through
him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
People Amen.
THE WORD of GOD
THE LESSONS (Please be seated)
THE FIRST READING: (Isaiah 64:1-9)
Reader A Reading From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence--as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil--to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.
After the reading, the Lay Reader says
The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
PSALM 80:1-7, 16-18 The congregation remains seated
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; * shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, * stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O God of hosts; * show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
4 O LORD God of hosts, * how long will you be angered despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; * you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, * and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; * show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, * the son of man you have made so strong for yourself.
17 And so will we never turn away from you; * give us life, that we may call upon your Name.
18 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
THE EPISTLE: (1 Corinthians 1:3-9)
Reader: A Reading From The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in
every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind-- just as the testimony of Christ
has been strengthened among you-- so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of
our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord
Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
After the reading, the Lay Reader says
The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
THE GOSPEL (Mark 13:24-37)
Then, all still standing, the Deacon reads the Gospel, first saying:
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said, “In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep away - for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
After the reading, the Lay Reader says
The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
THE SERMON The Rev. Cn. James D. Shoucair
THE NICENE CREED The congregation stands
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and un-
seen.
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 pow-
er 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 All kneel, as able
The Leader and People pray responsively
Leader In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence
Leader For all people in their daily life and work; People For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.
Leader For Donald, our president; Tom, our governor, this community, the nation, and the world; People For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
Leader For the just and proper use of your creation; People For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
Leader For all facing the coronavirus, we pray for all who mourn their dead, for the thousands who have contracted the virus, for all who are quarantined, for those who are stranded away from home, for those who have lost their employment, for those who fear the present and the future, for children who cannot assemble for school, for parents with needs for child care, for physicians, nurses, and home health aides, for hospitals and clinics, for volunteers who are serving their communities, for medical researchers, and for adequate and wise governmental policies. For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
People For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.
Leader For the peace and unity of the Church of God; People For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.
Leader For Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Dorsey, our Diocesan Bishop; James and Chris, our priests; Christine and Lorena, our deacons; Brandon, our Lay Pastoral Assistant; and for: ...; and for all bishops and other ministers; People For all who serve God in his Church.
Leader For the special needs and concerns of this congregation.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions
Leader Hear us, Lord; People For your mercy is great.
Leader We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence
The People may add their own thanksgivings
Leader We will exalt you, O God our King;
People And praise your Name for ever and ever.
Leader We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions
Leader Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them;
People Who put their trust in you.
Leader We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.
Silence
Leader and People
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; in your compassion forgive us our sins, known and un-
known, things done and left undone; and so uphold us by your Spirit that we may live and serve you in
newness of life, to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Priest stands and says
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all
goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
THE PEACE All stand.
The Celebrant says to the people
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
Then the Ministers and People greet one another in the name of the Lord.
THE HOLY COMMUNION
THE OFFERTORY
OFFERTORY SOLO Doug Anke Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion Kenneth T. Kosche (b. 1947)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion Shout, daughter of Jerusalem. See your King comes to you
Righteous and having salvation. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
THE DOXOLOGY Hymn Tune #124: Puer Nobis
Praise to God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise father, Son and Holy Ghost.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER B BCP p. 367
The people remain standing.
The Celebrant faces them and sings or says
The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth.
Here a Proper Preface is sung or said on all Sundays, and on other occasions as appointed.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who
for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
THE SANCTUS
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might; Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest.
The people kneel.
Then the Celebrant continues
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
At the following words concerning the bread, the Celebrant is to hold it, or to lay a hand upon it; and at the words concerning the cup, to hold or place a hand upon the cup and any other vessel containing wine to be consecrated.
On the night before he died for us, 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.”
Therefore, according to his command, O Father,
Celebrant and People
We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory;
The Celebrant continues
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation,
this bread and this wine.
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with [ and] all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.
By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father,
now and for ever. AMEN.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
People and Celebrant
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 tres-
pass 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.
THE BREAKING of the BREAD
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread and says:
Alleluia, Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; People: Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Facing the people, the Celebrant says the following Invitation
The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in
your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
The Administration of Holy Communion
Prayer For Spiritual Communion at Home
Lord Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love you above all things and desire to receive you
into my soul. As I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart. I embrace you, knowing
that you are already here, and unite myself wholly to you, secure that you will never let me go. Amen.
- Based on the prayer attributed to St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
After Communion, the Celebrant says
Let us pray.
Celebrant and People
Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior
Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us
now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and
singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE BLESSING
HYMN IN PROCESSION (Congregation sings) HYMN 66 (blue) Come, thou long-expected Jesus (vs 1, 2 & 4) Stuttgart
1 Come, thou long-expected Jesus, 4 By thine own eternal Spirit born to set thy people free; rule in all our hearts alone; from our fears and sins release us, by thine all-sufficient merit let us find our rest in thee. Raise us to thy glorious throne.
2 Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art: dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Music: Stuttgart, melody from Psalmodia Sacra, oder Andachtige und Schone Gesange, 1715; adapt. and harm. William Henry Havergal (1793-1870) alt.
CCLI License Number 1826146
POSTLUDE Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland Robert Lind
The Altar Flowers are offered to the glory of God by Diane Stuart in celebration of Diane’s November 28 birthday and John’s December 7 birthday.
The Aumbry Candle is offered to the glory of God by Lana Mazur in praise and thanksgiving.
We pray today for the needs and concerns of this congregation
For those who are sick or face other adversities: Ryan H., Karen & Gordon E., The Cipriani Family, Brian N., Chris & Mary
For those who are shut-in: Evelyn, Tudy, Gretel, Edwina, Elwood, Joyce, Ann Lyn.
For those who are deployed:
For those who have died: Genevieve Lacroix, Nancy Maxson
Serving This Sunday
Lay Reader Steve Conner
Altar Guild Diane Stuart
The Little Link Welcome Newcomers!
If you are with us for the first time (or the first time in a long time), we are delighted that you are with us! Things are a
little different right now in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and many are worshipping with us virtually. As we navigate
through this murky time, we hope that we are soon able to welcome all back into our building to worship together as a
community and we look forward to seeing you here then!
Announcements
Live Stream ONLINE Services - Now through at least Sunday, December 6, services will be held online ONLY. With the high num-
bers of COVID cases in Allegheny County, we have decided that this would be the safest plan. We will monitor the situation again at
that time to determine how best to proceed from there. Keep wearing your masks and stay safe!
ZOOM Coffee Hour - Do you miss coffee hour after the service? We have solved that with a Zoom Coffee Hour after the 10:00
services on Sundays. Brew a cup on your home coffee pot, grab a donut from your counter and join us online at this address -
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82695708784
Stewardship 2021 - “Maintaining Hope and Connection In Isolating Times” - Today is Consecration Sunday for the 2021 stew-ardship campaign. Many have taken advantage of the “Easy Pledge Button” in the emails and on the website. Still others have mailed their pledges in. However you have pledged, we thank you. If you haven't done so yet, please prayerfully consider a pledge to the church for 2021.
Year-end Statements - We normally send out year-end contribution statements after the year ends, but if you need a statement now to check the status of your 2020 pledge, please contact Jan Krotine ([email protected] or 412-366-2858).
Holiday Gifts Program - Thank you to everyone who made donations towards the Thanksgiving dinners for the HEARTH resi-dents. We had a wonderful response and exceeded HEARTH's requested amount so we'll donate the excess as gift cards that can be used by the HEARTH families for Christmas. For anyone who wishes to participate additionally for Christmas, HEARTH suggests purchasing gift cards and mailing them directly to HEARTH at PO Box 318, Glenshaw PA 15116. They suggest $50 gift cards to any
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of the following: Kuhn’s, Giant Eagle, Uber, Lyft, Sheetz, At Home, Home Goods; or $25 gift cards to Macy’s, Dick’s, Target, Mar-shals, TJ Maxx. You might want to enclose a note saying that it’s part of Christ Church’s Christmas gift program. Any questions, contact Jerry Stephenson ( [email protected] ).
Communion on Your Doorstep - Are you missing receiving communion on Sunday but not comfortable with coming to church during the pandemic? Great news! The Christ Church clergy are offering to drop by with communion at your door! They will be masked and only come as far as your door step to keep all parties safe and will take safety measures when distributing the wafer. Please click the link on the front page of the website for the form to contact and arrange a suitable time for Canon Jim or Brandon to stop over.
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2020 Christmas
Flower Offering Form
Name:_____________________________________________
[Person(s) making the offering]
___ In memory of ___ In Thanksgiving for ___ In Honor of
___In Celebration of
___Other:__________________________________________
Of/for:_______________________________________________
[name(s) of persons for whom offering is made or other mes-
sage]
Donation= any amount
Please send payment with coupon,
and make checks payable to Christ Church Altar Guild.
Requests should be received no later than
Sunday, December 20
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLACE YOUR
ORDER ONLINE THIS YEAR -
CHRISTCHURCHPGH.ORG
Christmas Worship Schedule
Thursday, December 24 - Christmas Eve
4:30 p.m. - Children’s Program
(ONLINE ONLY preceding the 5:00 p.m. service Live
Stream)
5:00 p.m. - Family Festival Eucharist
(Live Streamed on YouTube)
6:15 p.m. - Drive-thru Communion
10:00 p.m. - Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols
(ONLINE ONLY - prerecorded)
Friday, December 25 - Christmas Day
9:00 a.m. - Morning Prayer
(Live Streamed on Facebook Only)