The Third Sunday in Advent
December 14, 2025 8:00 AM
Prelude: Savior of the Nations, Come! BWV 659--J.S. Bach
Opening Welcome & Announcements
Processional Hymn: #76 On Jordan's bank
Advent Wreath lighting
On this Third Sunday of Advent, we are invited to rejoice in the Lord, for he is near. In anticipation of the joy of Christmas, we light three candles on the Advent wreath, recalling that joy is one of the surest signs of God’s presence among us.
Today the advent wreath will be lit by The Ditmarsch family.
A reading from Hebrews: Faith is being sure of what we hope for; certain of what we do not see.
Opening Acclamation
Officiant: Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People: And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
Advent Responsory
Celebrant: Now it is time to awake out of sleep,
People: For the night is far spent and the day is at hand.
Celebrant: Now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed,
People: For the night is far spent.
Celebrant: Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light,
People: For the day is at hand.
Celebrant: Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh.
People: For the night is far spent and the day is at hand.
Collect of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
The Word Of God
Old Testament Lesson: Isaiah 35:1-10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus 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.
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you."
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people;
no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
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.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 146:4-9
4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the Lord their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
7 The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The Lord loves the righteous;
the Lord cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9 The Lord shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Hallelujah!
New Testament Lesson: James 5:7-10
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.
Sequence Hymn: #56 O come, O come, Emmanuel vs. 5-6
The Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11
Gospeller: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Gospeller: The Gospel of the Lord. People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Homily: The Rev’d Joseph Wolyniak
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Prayers of the people
With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying "Lord, have mercy."
For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the Holy Church of God, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
(Pause)
For our Bishop, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
(Pause)
For our President, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
(Pause)
For this city Denver and for every city and community, and for those who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
(Pause)
For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
(Pause)
For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
(Pause)
For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
(Pause)
For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
(Pause)
For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and degradation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
(Pause)
That we may end our lives in faith and hope, without suffering and without reproach, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
(Pause)
In the communion of saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.
To thee, O Lord our God. Silence.
Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions, we pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Confession + Absolution
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
All: 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.
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
The Holy Communion
The Peace
WLD Manual of Practice Reading
Chapter 3 - Scripture and Tradition
Let us pray. (prayed in unison)
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so
guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our
wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to
you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always
to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Offertory Sentence
Through Christ let us continually offer to God the sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his Name. But do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13:14, 15
Offertory Music: #53 Once He Came in Blessing
Doxology
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
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 triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."
Therefore, according to his command, O Father,
We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory;
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with [___ and] all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.
By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
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.
The Breaking of the Bread
Celebrant breaks Bread; silence is kept.
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast.
Invitation to Communion
The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
Communion Music -
Prelude modal by Jean Langlais; Trio in G Minor by Josef Rheinberger
Post-Communion Prayer
Let us pray.
Almighty and everliving God, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom. And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen
Sending Forth of the Eucharistic Visitors
(only when EV kits are present)
Will the Lay Eucharistic Visitors please come forward..
In the name of Christ Church, we send you forth bearing these holy gifts, that those to whom you go may share with us in the communion of Christ’s Body and Blood.
We who are many are one body, for we all share one bread, one cup.
The Blessing
May Almighty God, by whose providence our Savior Christ came among us in great humility, sanctify you with the light of his blessing and set you free from all sin. Amen.
May he whose second Coming in power and great glory we await, make you steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and constant in love. Amen.
May you, who rejoice in the first Advent of our Redeemer, at his second Advent be rewarded with unending life. Amen.
And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.
Recessional Hymn: #438 Tell Out, My Soul
Dismissal & Closing Announcements
Postlude: Toccata on Veni Emmanuel - David Pickering
Musicians for Today’s Service:
David Pickering, Guest Organist
Taylor Graham, cantor