The Worship Bulletin for Sunday morning, the First Sunday of Advent  We hope  you find this helpful in following along with the service. You are encouraged to respond in the appropriate places. The service is taken from the Book of Common Prayer. If you do not have a copy, you can access it at either https://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/BCP.pdf  or    http://prayerbook.ca/resources/bcponline/.

         

St. Stephen’s Anglican Parish

10:30 am St. Stephen’s On-line Service, Chester

First Sunday of Advent

29 November 2020

 

  

 

Our mission is to worship God and care for

God’s people in the spirit of Christ….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORNING PRAYER

(Book of Common Prayer – The “Red” Book)

 

The Lighting of the Advent Wreath

The Penitential Rite:                          p. 4

Responsory:                                        p. 5

Venite:                                                 p. 6

 

The Proclamation of the Word

 

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 – p. 434                              

 

Lesson:                                   Isaiah 64:1-9

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.

 

The Word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God

Te Deum:                                            p. 7

 

Epistle:                                   1 Corinthians 1:3-9

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.

 

The Word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God

 

Benedictus:                                        p. 9

 

Gospel Lesson:                            Mark 13:24-37

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 awake - 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."

 

The Word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God

 

Reflection:

Apostles’ Creed:                                 p. 10

The Litany:                                        p. 30

 

Collect of the Day

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness

and put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life

in which your Son Jesus Christ c ame to us in great humility,

that on 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.

Amen.

 

The Lord’s Prayer, Prayer of St. Chrysostom, and The Grace – p. 34-35

 

 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Announcements

Advent Program!

We will be hosting an Advent Program this year. Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. starting THIS TUESDAY, 1 December - 1:30 p.m. Please note that this program will be run via the Zoom teleconferencing app - but you do not need to download it in order to participate. You do not even need a computer to do so, as people may "phone in". Please email the Rector at ian.wissler@gmail.com or call the Parish Office before Tuesday morning if you would like an invitation which will enable you to participate.

About the Advent Program: Four sessions will be held, each Tuesday through the 22nd of December, at 1:30 p.m. Each session will last an hour.

JOURNEYING THE WAY OF LOVE:

ADVENT CURRICULUM

For the season of Advent, Journeying the Way of Love offers four sessions to be explored as we await the coming of Christ by moving through the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke

Luke’s gospel provides a pattern for understanding how we can live the Way of Love as individuals, as families and friends, as a community, and out in the world.

Contents

• Advent One: The Annunciation: Saying “Yes” to the Journey

• Advent Two: Mary and Elizabeth: Journeying with Family and Friends

• Advent Three: The Birth of John the Baptist: Journeying with Community

• Advent Four: The Birth of Jesus: Journeying with the World

Participants are encouraged to read and reflect on these passages in Luke throughout the season of Advent and “try on” the spiritual practices of the Way of Love.

We pray that you will be able to join in!

 

 

Advanced Care Planning and Personal Directives Workshops

A free workshop offered by the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA), is available, and will be running for the coming months.  Learn about how to write your personal directive for healthcare. They will be offered every month until March, and are free!  For anyone thinking about their health, wellness and getting their personal affairs in order, this is a wonderful tool.

Advance Care Planning and Personal Directives – INSPIRED Program, NSHA

Explore what advance care planning is and what to include when creating a personal directive. To register, please call Andrew Comstock at (902) 483-8943
• Tuesday, December 8th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm (online via Zoom for Healthcare)

 

Rector's Discretionary Fund - Our Parish maintains the Rector's Discretionary Fund, for the relief and assistance of both parishioners and members of the broader Chester Municipality Community, should they have a material difficulty which we may be able to alleviate. In addition to your alms to the general ministry of the Parish of St. Stephen, you may also donate directly to it. All donations should be identified as being for the Rector's Discretionary Fund, while all cheques for that purpose need to be made to St. Stephen's Parish, Chester, with "Rector's Discretionary Fund" in the memo line.                             

Missions to Seafarers Shoe Box Campaign 2020

It is again time for the Shoe Box Campaign at the Mission To Seafarers .

Shoe Boxes can be picked up at the back of the church if you would like to participate. There is a list of suggested items but you are welcome to put together whatever you see fit.

ITEMS: mittens/gloves, scarves/toques, socks, tooth brush and paste, shaving foam/disposable razors, nail clippers, deodorant, shampoo, body wash, soap/facecloth, lip balm/hand lotion, playing cards/game, pen/pencil, Nova Scotia/Canada souvenir, post card/signed Christmas card, small unbreakable ornament, bagged candy (no chocolate).

*Please Note these will delivered to Halifax November 30^th, please return by November 29^th Latest!!

 

PWRDF Update -As the Saint Stephen’s Church PWRDF representative, I participated in a virtual Diocesan meeting of parish representatives. We had excellent presentations by two staff members of PWRDF. We learned that PWRDF spent $6.6 million on Development last year throughout Canada and the world. The Federal Government has given PWRDF $1.9 million as an extension of the All Mothers and Children Count campaign to buy PPE”S and other equipment to ensure their partners in Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Mozambique are able to keep their health clinics safely open during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Any donation to this programme is matched 6:1 by the Government of Canada. If you go the the webpage, pwrdf.org, you can see how to donate the this very worthwhile programme.

We also learned that PWRDF is ranked in the top 100 of Canadian charities. They manage their resources very well with only 10% of their budget going to staff expenses and fundraising efforts. With this mind, I hope you will join me in using the World of Gifts to give very meaningful gifts to family and friends especially over the Christmas season. Some of the larger items  are suitable for a group or organization to consider as a fund raising project. Details of the World of Gifts were sent out with the Anglican Journal and are available at pwrdf.org. Of course donations can be made to PWRDF through their website or through the special church envelopes.

 

Hiya Field (hiyafield@gmail.com)