Worship | Sunday December 19th, 2010
Fourth Sunday of Advent - PEACE
| 11:00 A.M. Service of Worship |
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Download a printable version of the bulletin.
At CCC, we honor and celebrate people of all races, cultures, ages, abilities,
sexual orientations and gender identity.Let us now enter into the Holy One’s presence.
Welcome and Announcements Rev. Richard Thayer
Passing of the Peace
Believing that all people are children of God, greet each other with a sign of peace.*Call to Worship Rev. Richard Thayer
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel! You, who lead Joseph like a flock.
You are enthroned upon angels, and shine upon nations!
Rise up in your might, rise up and come to help us!
Restore us, O God; let your light shine, that we may be saved.
How long, O God of Hosts, will you answer our prayers with anger?
You have fed us tears for our daily bread.
Restore us, O God; show us your favor, that we may be delivered from anger and tears.
Place your hand upon us, and we will never turn away from you.
Restore us, O God of Hosts; let your light shine, that we may be saved.
Come, let us worship God!
Psalm 80, adapted*Congregational Carol (Congregation standing) arr. John Rutter
O Come, All Ye Faithful
1. O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to
Bethlehem. Come and behold him, born the King of angels.Refrain: O come, let us adore him. O come, let us adore him.
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.2. See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle, leaving their flocks,
draw nigh with lowly fear; we, too, will thither bend our joyful footsteps. Refrain3. Child, for us sinners, poor and in the manger, we would embrace thee with
love and awe. Who would not love thee, loving us so dearly? Refrain
4. Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation. O sing, all ye citizens of heaven
above! Glory to God, all glory in the highest. Refrain
5. Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning, Jesus, to thee be all
glory given. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing. Refrain.
Prayer Of Invocation And The Lord’s Prayer Jeanne Young
How may your Peace take shape in our world, O God? Does it arrive when compassion moves us to risk our dreams? When we live into our vision of a community made whole by Peace made real? How may your Peace take shape in our world, O God? Do miracles of open hearts and open minds join to miracles of willed reconciliation and willed non-violence? How may your Peace take shape in our world, O God? We pray for you to tell us. We pray for you to show us. We pray for you to lead us in the very words that Jesus taught us to pray.
Holy God, who art 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Lighting the Advent Candle The Board of Social Witness
Our fourth candle, the candle of Peace, is lit while we recite our Just Peace Covenant.
Scripture Matthew 1:18-25 Rev. Richard Thayer
Musical Offering Magnificat John Rutter
The Chancel Choir, Soloists and OrchestraMagnificat anima mea Dominum:
et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae:
ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.My soul doth magnify the Lord:
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden:
for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.Of a Rose, a lovely Rose,
Of a Rose is all my song.
Hearken to me, both old and young, How this Rose began to spring?
A fairer rose to mine liking, In all this world ne know I none.
Five branches of that rose there been, The which be both fair and sheen?
The rose is called Mary, heaven's queen. Out of her bosom a blossom sprang.
The first branch was of great honour: That blest Marie should bear the flow'r?
There came an angel from heaven's tower To break the devil's bond.
The second branch was great of might, That sprang upon Christmas night?
The star shone over Bethlem bright, That man should see it both day and night.
The third branch did spring and spread? Three kinges then the branch gan led
Unto Our Lady in her childbed? Into Bethlem that branch sprang right.
The fourth branch it sprang to hell, The devil's power for to fell:
That no soul therein should dwell, The branch so blessedfully sprang.
The fifth branch it was so sweet, It sprang to heav'n, both crop and root,
Therein to dwell and be our bote: (bote=salvation)
So blessedly it sprang. Pray we to her with great honour,
She that bare the blessed flow'r, To be our help and our succour,
And shield us from the fiendes bond.
––15th Century English Text
Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est: et sanctum nomen eius.
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis.For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is his Name.
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are filled with thy glory.
Hosanna in the highest.Et Misericordia
Patricia O’Connor, SopranoEt misericordia eius a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations.
Gloria Patri
Rachel Green, SopranoGloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sancta Maria, succurre miseris,
iuva pusillanimes, refove flebiles:
ora pro populo, interveni pro clero,
intercede pro devoto femineo sexu:
sentiant omnes tuum iuvamen,
quicumque tuum sanctum implorant auxilium. Alleluia.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,
et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Holy Mary, succour those in need, help the fainthearted,
support the weak: pray for the laity, assist the clergy,
intercede for all devout women: may all feel the power of your help,
whoever prays for your holy aid. Alleluia.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Call To Prayer Rev. Amy Lewis
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Let us pray.
Prayers of the People Rev. Amy Lewis
Presentation of Tithes and Offering Jeanne Young
Offertory In Dulci Jubilo J. S. Bach
*Doxology sung to the tune: VENI EMMANUEL
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Our God of peace; your mercies bestow;
Praise God aloud, you heavenly choirs,
Creator, Christ, and Spirit which inspires,
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
*Prayer of Dedication Jeanne Young
With these gifts, dear God, accept the praise and thanksgiving of our hearts, which rejoice in your goodness and love. Let our gifts point to your presence in the world, and further your dream for the world through Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-us. AMEN
Benediction Rev. Richard Thayer
*Choral Postlude A Christmas Recessional Joseph Martin
Angels We Have Heard on High
Choirs and Congregation:
Angels, we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains, in reply, echo back their joyous strains.
Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!Angels from the Realms of Glory The Choir
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies.
With th’angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the new-born King!
Hail the heav’n born Prince of Peace. Hail the Son of Righteousness.
Light and life to all he brings; ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by, born that we no more may die,
Born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the new-born King!
Notes on the Magnificat of John Rutter
Though he is perhaps best known for his carols and other short pieces, John Rutter also has a number of large-scale works for chorus and orchestra to his name. Most of these received their first performances in the United States, where Rutter is a frequent visitor, writing regularly for American choirs and conducting performances of his own music. The Magnificat was first performed in 1990 in Carnegie Hall, New York, conducted by the composer, and the UK première followed a year later in Coventry Cathedral.
The Magnificat - the canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke I: 46-55) - traditionally formed part of the ancient service of Vespers in the medieval Roman rite. After the Reformation it was incorporated into the evening services of the Lutheran and Anglican churches, where it was linked with the Nunc Dimittis. The Magnificat has been set to music more often than any liturgical text other than the Mass itself, in settings that vary enormously in style and scale, from the purity of Palestrina’s exquisite four-part unaccompanied compositions to Monteverdi’s grand, dramatic settings written for St Mark’s, Venice, and later the almost symphonic conception of Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, of which the Magnificat forms the final movement, written in 1780 for use in Salzburg Cathedral.
John Rutter’s initial inspiration for his Magnificat was another great masterpiece – that of J.S. Bach, though he has also revealed that he found the task of following in Bach’s footsteps a somewhat daunting prospect, as indeed any composer might. Despite the fact that the two works are about as different in style as they could possibly be, they nevertheless do share some basic similarities. For instance, both pieces conclude with a reiteration of the music of their opening movements, both make use of traditional Gregorian plainsong melodies, and in both works the focus is on the soloist for the more reflective verses, while the chorus is called upon to provide some appropriate vocal muscle in robust sections of the text such as ‘Fecit potentiam in brachio suo’ (He hath showed strength with his arm). And just as Bach included several additional Christmas movements in the original E-flat version of his Magnificat, so too Rutter incorporates three extra elements into the standard Latin text. Particularly memorable is his haunting setting of the beautiful 15th century poem, ‘Of a Rose, a lovely Rose’, which uses the image of a rose as an allegory for the Blessed Virgin Mary and her powers to intercede for mankind. The other two supplementary texts are the Sanctus from the Ordinary of the Mass, and a Marian antiphon, ‘Sancta Maria’ (Holy Mary).
John Rutter has stated that his intention was to write a Magnificat redolent of Mediterranean sunshine and celebration, evoking the spirit of the many exuberant festivals held throughout Europe in honour of the Virgin Mary. To this end, the work is full of energetic, syncopated rhythms and strong melodies, with more than a hint of the musical theatre from time to time. Rutter’s music is always beautifully written for the voice and superbly orchestrated, and although his unashamedly popular style has won him few friends amongst the upper reaches of the musical establishment, choral societies and audiences throughout the world have responded with wholehearted enthusiasm to its uninhibited tunefulness.
Program notes by John Bawdin
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FlowersThe Christmas plants on the altar this morning will be delivered by the Deacons to those considered to be in particular need of a loving hug from their church family.
Portions of this service were adapted from processandfaith.org
All musical resources reprinted with permission under CCLI License 2837543
Please turn off cell phones during the worship service.
Christ Congregational Church Christmas Orchestra 2010
Flute
Lynne Joseloff, Lauren Panfili
Oboe
Lazo Momchilovich, Larkin TurmanClarinet
Lizzy Raskulinecz, Mark Simon, Scott WolpertBassoon
David Bell, Eric Hall
French Horn
Tania Blockland, Tim Carrigan, Ron Friedman, Lynne GriffithTrumpet
Don Junker, Frank Gorecki , Steve YoungTrombone, Euphonium
Matt Dinkle, Brian Frye, Stuart KernPercussion and Tympani
Tom Jones, John SpirtasViolin I
George Alderson, David Swanson, Jane WeberViolin II
Jim Brown, Christopher Brown, Paul Geiser, David Gayer, Bruce TaylorViola
Susan Jones, Larry Lafoon, Laura Weber
Cello
Sarah Cotterill, Ann Marlowe, Meleny WeberBass
Justin WeberPianist
Sam BrushLectionary Readings for December 26
Isaiah 63:7-9 ? Psalm 148 ? Hebrews 2:10-18
Matthew 2:13-23
(Or the readings for Epiphany may be used):
Isaiah 60:1-6 ? Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3:1-12 ? Matthew 2:1-12
CCC Calendar
