Bulletin Date: December 23, 2012 5:00 am
Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year C
Christmas Pageant
Priest-in-Charge: The Rev. Catherine D. Hicks
(BCP—Book of Common Prayer, H-Hymnal 1982; S Numbers are the service music found in the front of The Hymnal 1982; WLP-Wonder, Love and Praise)
LEVAS-Lift Every Voice and Sing II)
As you enter this sacred space that has been set aside for time with God, join us in silence as we go to God in prayer.
Prelude While we are waiting, come Choir
The Ringing of the Bell
Opening Hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel H 56
Welcome
Lighting of the Advent Wreath
The Bidding Prayer
The Christmas Pageant—The Angel Gabriel
Scene I The Angel Gabriel and Zechariah Luke 1:5-23
The Angel Gabriel Nancy Long, soloist
Scene 2 The Angel Gabriel and Mary Luke 1:26-37
Scene 3 Mary goes to visit Elizabeth Luke 1:39-56
Scene 4 Joseph and the angel Matthew1:18-25
Congregational Hymn While shepherds watched H 94
their flocks by night
Scene 5 The angels announce the birth of Jesus Luke 2:8-15
Scene 6 The shepherds go to Bethlehem Luke 2:15-20
Congregational Hymn Away in a manger H 101
Congregational Hymn The first Nowell H 109
Scene 7 The Wise men come to Jerusalem Matthew 2:1-8
Scene 8 The Wise men go to Bethlehem Matthew 2:9-12
Congregational Hymn We three kings of Orient are H 128
(Congregation sings refrain)
Congregational Prayer
Purify our consciences, Almighty God, and bring us your divine comfort by visiting us every day, so that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Congregational Hymn Angels from the realms of glory H 92
Dismissal and Postlude
Announcements
Welcome to St Peter’s! Our hope is that you will find God’s love present with you in this place and that you will return here often.
The Christmas Eve service will be on Monday, Dec. 24th at 5pm. The choir has prepared a lovely selection of carols to begin our service.
Lessons and Carols will be Sunday, Dec. 30th at 11:00am.
Online Advent Calendar, Readings, Traditions, and music are at churchsp.org for Advent and Christmas
Christian Education takes a break on Dec. 30 and Jan. 6
The offering plates are in the back of the church to receive your offerings.
Why do we have a Christmas pageant every year?
Back in 1223, St Francis of Assisi decided that he wanted to experience the birth of our Lord and Savior for himself. “For once I want to see all this with my own eyes,” St Francis said, and so he arranged with a friend to prepare in a special way for Christmas that year.
Here’s an account in the very words of Brother Thomas de Celano, who was there when it happened and who wrote it down: “The joyful day approached. The Franciscans were called from many communities. The men and women of the neighborhood, as best they could, prepared candles and torches to brighten the night. Finally the Saint of God arrived, found everything prepared, saw it and rejoiced. The crib was made ready, hay was brought, the ox and ass were led to the spot and Greccio became a new Bethlehem. The night was radiant with joy. The crowds drew near and rejoiced in the novelty of the celebration. Their voices resounded from the woods, and the rocky cliff echoed the jubilant outburst. As they sang in the praise of God, the whole night rang with exultation. The Saint of God stood before the crib, overcome with devotion and wondrous joy. A solemn Mass was sung at the crib. The Saint dressed in deacon’s vestments, for a deacon he was [out of humility, St. Francis never became a priest, remaining a deacon all his life]. He sang the Gospel. Then he preached a delightful sermon to the people who stood around him, speaking about the nativity of the poor King and the humble town of Bethlehem.”
We, too, want to see all this with our own eyes. And so through the centuries, churches have re-enacted this story, the story of a transcendent God who loves us mightily and comes to dwell among us, to be our light, our life, and our salvation, both in this world and in the next.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
823 Water Street PO Box 399, Port Royal, VA 22535
Website: www.churchsp.org Parish Office: (804) 742-5908
The Vestry
Linda Beck, Senior Warden – (804) 742-5056
Cookie Davis, Junior Warden (804) 742-5654
Cookie Davis, Cynthia Fields, Terri Harrison, Eunice Key, Boyd Wisdom
Clarence Kunstmann, Treasurer & Terri Harrison, Registrar
Brad Volland – Music Director & Organist
The Rev. Catherine D. Hicks, Priest- in- Charge
(540) 809-7489, (540) 898-1586, stpetersrev@gmail.com
Christ Centered, Biblically Based, Spirit Filled, Caring
Prayer List
Bill Carpenter, Cindy Fields, Toni Fabisy, Brad Volland, Boyd Wisdom, Vivian McDonald, Susan Linne von Berg, John and Sylvia Sellars, Shaun (requesting prayers for himself from our St Peter’s community)
Vivian Talbot (family of Catherine and Ben Hicks), Kelly Paterino (daughter of the Wisdoms), Helen and Harry Ferree (friends of Brad Volland), Annette McDonald (friend of Cookie Davis), Leilani Oldham (relative of Mike and Marilyn Newman), Marjorie Gilliland (mother of John Gilliland), Jon Dephouse (friend of Catherine Hicks), Steven Fox ( husband of our nursery worker, Judy Fox), David Watson (uncle of Ruth TenHoven), Bernie and Doyle (friends of Ruth TenHoven), Cathy Mercurio, Roland Richards, Ann Cooper (friends of Brad Volland), Russell Smith, Daniel Smith (brothers of Susan Linne von Berg), Jim Hedlund (friend of Nancy and Bill Wick), Leslie Hubble, Ally Harrison (niece and cousin of Nancy Long), Eudora Heath, Harold Whitfield (extended family of Laura Carey), Charles and Yvonne Johnson (friends of Laura Carey), Albert Barnett (uncle of Andrea Pogue), Kay Bodeen , Kathi Coles (sister-in-law and daughter of Clarence and Betty Kunstmann), Carrie Griffith (mother of Marilyn Newman), Loretta Harich, Carole Morehead (friends of Marilyn Newman), Butch and Carolyn Delhagen (sister of Mike Newman and brother-in-law of the Newmans), Jessica Machuga (granddaughter of Millie Muhly), Dorine Righman (sister of BJ Anderson), Alice Woodard (aunt of Catherine Hicks), Elizabeth Hicks (daughter of Ben and Catherine Hicks)
Serving in the Armed Forces
Alexander Long V Gordon Devine Jeffrey Woodard
David Locklerr Daniel Vanpike Joseph George
Collin Stoddard Jeremy Stoddard
Serving Christmas Eve, Dec. 24
Lector: C. Pannell LEM: L. Beck Acolyte: T. Fisher Gospel Bearer: K. Fisher Greeters: B. Wisdom, D. Beck
Elements: M. Muhly, B. Hicks
Fourth Sunday of ADVENT
December 23, 2012
ST. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Port Royal, VA
Lighting of the Advent Wreath
Advent 4, Year C
Leader: Our God comes to us as a baby in a manger.
All: Our God comes as a shepherd to feed the flock.
Leader: The shepherd will stand in the strength of our God.
All: And the name of the shepherd is Love.
Leader: The child shall be great to the ends of the earth.
All: And the name of the child is Peace.
Leader: Let us pray.
Come thou long expected Jesus. The joy of this season and its anticipation are deep within us as we wait with expectation for your coming. Remind us to care for the lonely and alienated this Advent and Christmas season. For it is in sharing that we find our truest selves. May we, in these holy days, live lives that befit the gospel. May we spread the good news by the cheer we share with those who have little. Remind us that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We pray in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
The candles are lit.
(This litany is based on the writing of Judith FaGalde Bennett and David Mosser)
Christmas Pageant Cast
The angel Gabriel…………………………………….. Jackie Collins
Zechariah………………………………………. Clarence Kunstmann
Elizabeth…………………………………………….. Betty Kunstmann
Mary…………………………………………………….. Kellie Modesitt
Joseph…………………………………………………… Ben Alexander
Baby Jesus…………………………………………. Kaydn Alexander
Angels…………………………………………………. Kimberly Fisher,
……………………. Cheyenne and Tierra Carter, Kelsey Sheward
Shepherds………………. Tucker and Zeke Fisher, T. C. Collins
King Herod……………………………………………….. Fred Pannell
Scribe…………………………………………………………… Ben Hicks
Star…………………………………………………….. Cheyenne Carter
Wise Men Helmut Linne von Berg, Mike Newman, Roger Key
Narrator Catherine Hicks