"Nuestra Señora Maestosa" by Shiloh Sophia McCloud
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
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 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 live online along with slides to follow the service.
Today's homilist is the Rev. Joan L. Peacock.
If you would like your own "bulletin" you can download and print this PDF.
Click here to join the Zoom at 10:00a.m.
Emmanuel at Home Morning Prayer
The portable version of the liturgy continues, 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
Third 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
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion—to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
Canticle: 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. Amen.
John 1:6-8,19-28
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
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.
Holy One, creator of angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, inspire your earthly evangelists to be heralds and proclaim the good news of you coming again in glory. Amen.
Holy One, you announce the year of your favor for all creation. Tune our hearts to listen deeply to the rhythms of life in all its forms that all who grace this earth may praise your name. Amen.
Holy One, 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.
God of mercies and all comfort, our only help in time of need: We humbly beseech you to behold, visit and strengthen your servant Chuck for whom we offer our prayers. Look upon him with the eyes of your mercy; comfort him with a sense of your goodness; and grant him patience in his recovery. In your good time, restore him to health and happiness to serve you the rest of his days. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Holy One, you clothe in strength souls both weak and weary. Extend your mercy especially to Christian, the Berry family, Eric, Wilfred, Doug, Carol, Tom, Loretta, Kris, Elizabeth, Bonnie, Ralph, Barrett, Tiffany, Delaram, 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.
Holy One, we pray for the soul of Teri Huntley 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.
Holy One, we uplift in prayer and mourn the tragic loss of 290,000+ souls in our country who have perished from Covid-19. Gather them into your kingdom, Lord, and comfort all who grieve for them. Amen.
Holy One, protect and shield all who live and serve in harm’s way throughout the world especially Jamie, Devin and Michael Ben. Amen.
Holy One, we pray for our sister churches: in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Falkland Islands and in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer we pray for the congregations, staff and clergy of St. Andrew's in Burke and Emmanuel in Rapidan. We pray especially for our partner parish Ste. Croix in Léogâne, Haiti and for Emmanuel’s refugee ministry with the Latifi family. 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.