Parish Church of St Alphege Solihull

.Choral Eucharistin Christmastide

3rd January 20212nd Sunday of Christmas

Sunday observance of The Epiphany

A warm welcome to you. In order to worship safely a few elements of the

service differ from our usual practice. Each person is asked to remain in

their place throughout the service, other than to receive Communion

when you will be guided by a steward. The person presiding, as well as

brief notes in this order of service, will guide you as we proceed. While

the service itself may be filmed for the benefit of those at home, only

those leading will appear on film, not the congregation.

Please take this order of service away with you and use it for prayer at home/recycle it.

The GatheringThe Greeting

Please stand as able.

President: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy

Spirit.

All: Amen

The light and peace of Jesus Christ be with you.

And also with you.

We meet to celebrate the coming of Christ into the world.

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us

and we beheld his glory.

Prayers of Penitence

The grace of God has dawned upon the world

through our Saviour Jesus Christ,

who sacrificed himself for us to purify a people as his own.

Let us confess our sins.

Silence is kept

Christ came in humility to share our lives:

forgive our pride.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ came with good news for all people:

forgive our silence.

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Christ came in love to a world of suffering:

forgive our self-centredness.

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Absolution

May the God of all healing and forgiveness

draw you to himself,

that you may behold the glory of his Son,

the Word made flesh,

and be cleansed from all your sins,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Gloria in Excelsis

Please remain standing as you are able.

Gloria in excelsis Deoet in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.

Glory be to God on highAnd in earth peace, goodwill towards men,

Laudamus te, benedicimus te,adoramus te, glorificamus te,gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam,Domine Deus, Rex caelestis,Deus Pater omnipotens.

Domine Fili unigenite, Iesu Christe,

Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris,

qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis;

qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram.Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.

Quoniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus, Iesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu: in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

We praise thee, we bless thee,we worship thee, we glorify thee,we give thanks to thee, for thy great gloryO Lord God, heavenly King,God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesu Christ;O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For thou only art holy;thou only art the Lord;thou only, O Christ,with the Holy Ghost,art most highin the glory of God the Father.Amen.

Music by Josef Rheinberger

The Collect

Let us pray that we may see the light of Christ revealed to us today, and in all

our journeying:

A short silence

Creator of the heavens,

who led the Magi by a star

to worship the Christ-child:

guide and sustain us,

that we may find our journey’s end

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will

arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your

sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’

arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because

the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall

come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and

Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense,

and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

The Gospel

Please stand as able. The choir sings the Gospel Acclamation.

Alleluia, alleluia. We have seen his star at its rising, and have come to

pay him homage. Alleluia, alleluia.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

Glory to you, O Lord.

Matthew 2:1-12

n the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men[a]

from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born

king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him

homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with

him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired

of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea;

for so it has been written by the prophet:

“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least

among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to

shepherd my people Israel.”’

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time

when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and

search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I

may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and

there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped

over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they

were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his

mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-

chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been

warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another

road.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Please sit.

Creed

Please stand as able.

Let us affirm our faith in God:

We believe in God the Father,from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.

We believe in God the Son,who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high.

We believe in one God;Father, Son and Holy Spirit.Amen.

Intercessions

Please sit or kneel.

In peace let us pray to the Lord:

At the end of each prayer, the intercessor says:

Lord of glory,

Hear our prayer.

At the end of the prayers, we say together:

Father, we rejoice in our fellowship

with the shepherds, the angels, the magi,

the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph

and all the faithful departed.

In your unfailing love for us and for all people,

hear and answer our prayers through your Son,

our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen.

The Liturgy of the Sacrament

The Peace

Please stand as able.

Our Saviour Christ is the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government

and of peace there shall be no end.

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

The sign of peace is not physically offered, but only in spoken response. We

remain in our places.

Offertory Hymn

Please sit as we listen to two verses of the hymn ‘As with gladness men of old’

sung to the tune ‘Dix’. You are welcome to pray the words silently as the choir

sings.

As with gladness men of old

Did the guiding star behold,

As with joy they hailed its light,

Leading onward, beaming bright,

So, most gracious God, may we

Evermore be led to thee.

As they offered gifts most rare

At that manger rude and bare,

So may we with holy joy,

Pure, and free from sin's alloy,

All our costliest treasures bring,

Christ, to thee our heavenly King.

William Chatterton Dix

Prayer at the Preparation of the Table

Lord, accept your people’s gifts, not gold, frankincense or myrrh, but hearts

and voices raised in praise of Jesus Christ, our light and our salvation.

Amen.

The Eucharistic Prayer

Please stand as able.

The Lord is here.

His Spirit is with us.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

Lord of all life, you created the universe,

where all living things reflect your glory.

You give us this great and beautiful earth,

to discover and to cherish.

We give you thanks for your beloved child, Jesus,

whom you made known to the magi from the east,

who knew of him only what the silent stars could tell.

You have drawn us again to his feet

and in him we have found the fulfilment of all our searching.

You made us all, each wonderfully different,

to join with the angels and sing your praise:

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctusDominus Deus Sabbaoth,Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua:Hosanna in excelsis.

Holy, holy, holyLord God of HostsHeaven and earth are full of your gloryHosanna in the highest.

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini:Hosanna in excelsis Blessed is he who comes in the name

of the Lord.Hosanna in the highest.

Music by Josef Rheinberger

We thank you, loving Father, because, when we turned away,

you sent Jesus, your Son.

He gave his life for us on the cross

and shows us the way to live.

Send your Holy Spirit that these gifts of bread and wine

may be for us Christ's body and his blood.

On the night before he died, when darkness had fallen,

Jesus took bread. He gave thanks, broke it,

and shared it with his disciples, saying:

“This is my body, given for you. Do this to remember me.”

After they had eaten, he took the cup of wine,

gave thanks, and shared it with his disciples, saying:

“This is my blood, poured out for you and for many,

for the forgiveness of sins.”

So Father, with this bread and this cup

we celebrate his love, his death, his risen life.

As you feed us with these gifts, send your Holy Spirit,

and change us more and more to be like Jesus our Saviour.

Help us, Father, to love one another,

as we look forward to that day when suffering is ended,

and all creation is gathered in your loving arms.

And now with Mary, Joseph, the Magi, St Alphege and all your saints we give

you glory, through Jesus Christ, in the strength of the Spirit, today and for

ever.

Amen.

A bell is rung to signify the sacramental presence of Christ, followed by a

moment of stillness.

The Lord’s PrayerPlease sit.

Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us, let us pray with confidence

as our Saviour has taught us:

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, the power and the glory,for ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of Bread

The celebrant breaks the consecrated bread.

We break the bread of life

and that life is the light of the world.

God here among us, light in the midst of us, bring us to light and life.

Agnus Dei

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi:Miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi:Miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi:Dona nobis pacem.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world: have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world: have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world: grant us peace.

Music by Josef Rheinberger

The Invitation

Christ is the true bread which has come down from heaven.

Lord, give us this bread always.

The celebrant raises paten and chalice and says

The Body and Blood of Christ.

Amen.

The Giving of Communion

Only the celebrant receives Communion under both kinds (bread and wine).

The hosts (bread) for the congregation will be in a closed ciborium (container)

which is uncovered just before the congregation receives. The stewards will

guide everyone to the right location.

Communion Motet

What Child is this, who, laid to rest,On Mary's lap is sleeping?Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ, the King,Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:Haste, haste to bring Him laud,The Babe, the Son of Mary!

Why lies He in such mean estate,Where ox and ass are feeding?Good Christian, fear: for sinners hereThe silent Word is pleading.

This, this is Christ, the King,Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:Haste, haste to bring Him laud,The Babe, the Son of Mary!

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,Come, peasant, king to own Him.The King of kings salvation brings;Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

This, this is Christ, the King,Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:Haste, haste to bring Him laud,The Babe, the Son of Mary!

Words by William Chatterton DixMusic Trad. arr. Christopher Dearnley

Post Communion Prayer

Lord God, the bright splendour whom the nations seek: may we who with the

wise men have been drawn by your light discern the glory of your presence in

your Son, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Almighty God, we thank you for feeding uswith the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ.Through him we offer you our souls and bodiesto be a living sacrifice.Send us out in the power of your Spiritto live and work to your praise and glory.Amen.

DismissalNotices

The celebrant will give the details of any particularly important notices and

read any Banns of Marriage.

Please see the weekly pewslip (available online or via the Parish Office) for a

full list of notices.

The Blessing

Please stand as able.

The Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,

teach you to walk in his way more trustfully,

to accept his truth more faithfully,

and to share his life more lovingly;

that by the power of the Holy Spirit

you may come as one family to the kingdom of the Father,

and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always.

Amen

We have seen his glory, the glory revealed to all the nations.

Go in peace to proclaim to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ. Amen.

Organ Voluntary: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern – Johann Pachelbel