This liturgy is under development.
On the Liturgy
- Before using this liturgy, please read the information and instructions throughout “The Service of the Word and Lord’s Supper.”
- The Third Sunday of Advent is sometimes called Gaudete Sunday (from the Latin for “rejoice”) since it has a lighter and more joyful tone in the midst of the sober and reflective season of Advent. Rose/pink is sometimes used instead of purple (just as rose/pink is used on Laetare Sunday, the Fourth Sunday in Lent). This liturgy reflects the spirit of Gaudete Sunday (e.g., by choosing more joyful and upbeat songs). For more on the season of Advent, see “A Guide to Advent.”
- This liturgy is built around the texts for Year A in the Revised Common Lectionary. See “Collects and Readings for Advent.”
- Hymn numbers correspond to Our Great Redeemer’s Praise (Seedbed, 2022). Chorus numbers correspond to The Chorus Book: Contemporary and Traditional Favorites (Lillenas, 2003). See also “Advent Hymns, Songs, and Metrical Psalms.”
- Some portions are written in a conversational tone to illustrate how the Minister might transition through the liturgy in a pastoral manner.
Artwork for Bulletins/Slideshows
- Antonello da Messina, Virgin Annunciate (c. 1472), oil on panel
The Service of the Word
THE PROCESSIONAL
THE ACCLAMATION
Blessed be God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Good morning brothers and sisters, and grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
…
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray.
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.
THE SUMMARY OF THE LAW
Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.
THE KYRIE AND/OR TRISAGION
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Holy God, holy and mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
THE GLORIA PATRI
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
HYMN
PRAYER BEFORE THE LESSONS
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O Lord, stir up your power, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy quickly help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.
THE FIRST LESSON: ISAIAH 35:1–10
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 35, at the first verse:
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; 2 it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8 And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
THE GRADUAL: LUKE 1:46–55
My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
HYMN
- Holy Is His Name — a rendition of the Magnificat
THE SECOND LESSON: JAMES 5:7–10
A reading from the Letter of James, Chapter 5, at the 7th verse:
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
HYMN
- Hail to the Lord’s Anointed (165) — same tune as Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
THE GOSPEL: MATTHEW 11:2–11
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew, Chapter 11, at the second verse:
Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” 7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
THE SERMON
For a sample sermon, see the embedded player below.
THE CREED
Let us confess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary: Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried: He descended to the dead: On the third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father: From there he will come 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 PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
The Service of the Lord’s Supper
THE INVITATION
If you truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from this point forward in his holy ways; draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty God.
THE CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
A time of silence may be observed before the general confession.
Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; we acknowledge and lament our many sins, which we have, from time to time, most grievously committed, by thought, word, and deed, against your divine majesty. We earnestly repent, and are sincerely sorry for our misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous to us. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father. For the sake of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, in your great mercy you have promised forgiveness to all who turn to you with sincere repentance and true faith. Have mercy upon us; pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE COMFORTING WORDS AND THE PEACE
Our Savior speaks comforting words to all who truly turn to him: Come unto me, all you that are burdened and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Peace be with you.
And also with you.
THE OFFERTORY
THE SURSUM CORDA AND THE SANCTUS
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Let us give thanks unto our God.
It is fitting and right to do so.
O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God, it is very fitting, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto you, because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great glory to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.
Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you, and saying,
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Glory be to you, O Lord most high. Amen.
SONG AFTER THE SANCTUS
THE PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
The congregation may be reminded to keep their eyes open for this prayer, which contains the words of institution that must never be omitted.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father; of your tender mercy, you gave your only Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption. By once offering himself there, he made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, offering, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.
So now, most merciful Father, we humbly ask you to bless and sanctify, with your Word and Spirit, these gifts of bread and wine; and grant that we may receive them according to the holy institution of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, in remembrance of his death and passion, and be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood.
In the same night that he was betrayed, he took* bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake* it; and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this* is my Body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Likewise after Supper he took* the Cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink you all of this; for this* is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins: Do this as often as you shall drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died;
Christ is risen;
Christ will come again.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Let us pray.
Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come; your 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 yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
THE MINISTRATION
The Minister may raise his hands to heaven when saying, “Lamb of God…,” open his palms and motion towards the bread and wine on the Table when saying, “Christ our Passover…,” and raise the bread and cup in the sight of the people when saying, “The gifts of God….”
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
Have mercy on us, and grant us your peace.
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
Therefore let us keep the feast.
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
The Ministers receive the Bread and Cup, and then invite the people to come forward to partake. When delivering the bread to each person, one of the following may be said:
- The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for you.
- The body of Christ, preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life.
- The body of Christ; take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you.
- The body of Christ; feed on him in your heart by faith, with thanksgiving.
- The body of Christ, the bread of heaven.
When delivering the cup to each person, one of the following may be said:
- The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for you.
- The blood of Christ, preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life.
- The blood of Christ; drink this in remembrance that Christ’s blood was shed for you, and be thankful.
- The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation.
The elements may be distributed in silence, or “…” may be played as a distribution song.
- …
THE POST COMMUNION PRAYER
Almighty God, having received this pledge of eternal redemption, we pray that as the feast day of our salvation draws ever nearer, so we may press forward all the more eagerly to the worthy celebration of the mystery of your Son’s Nativity, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
THE DOXOLOGY
“Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” is sung.
Praise God from whom all blessings flowPraise him all creatures here belowPraise him above, you heavenly hostPraise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
THE BLESSING AND SENDING
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.