St. John's Episcopal Church

St. John’s Episcopal Church 

Helena, Arkansas

 

Our mission is to know God, love God, and serve God

 by welcoming all, loving all and serving all.

 

Second Sunday after Christmas

 

January 2, 2022

 

 

THE HOLY EUCHARIST RITE TWO

 

Entrance Rite, Eucharistic Prayer A

 

The Word of God

 

ENTRANCE RITE

 

Entrance Hymn                                       Angels, from the realms of glory                               (H 93)

 

Opening Acclamation

The people standing, the Celebrant says

Celebrant	Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People	And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

 

The Celebrant may say

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

Opening Anthem or Song of Praise

The following is sung, all standing

Glory to God in the highest,

and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,

almighty God and Father,

we worship you, we give you thanks,

we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,

Lord God, Lamb of God,

you take away the sin of the world:

have mercy on us;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father:

receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,

you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High,

Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

 

Celebrant	The Lord be with you.
People	And also with you.
Celebrant	Let us pray.

 

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

THE LESSONS

 

First Reading                                           Jeremiah 31:7-14

The people sit.

A Reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah.

⁷Thus says the Lord:  “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel.’ ⁸See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here. ⁹With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.  ¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.’  ¹¹For the Lord has ransomed Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.  ¹²They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again. ¹³Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry.  I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.  ¹⁴I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty,”  says the Lord.

 

Reader	The Word of the Lord.
People	Thanks be to God.

 

Silence may follow.

 

Psalm                                                        Psalm 84

Remain seated and read responsively by whole verse.

 ¹How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts! *
  My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the Lord;
  my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

 ²The sparrow has found her a house
 and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; *
  by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts,
  my King and my God.

 ³Happy are they who dwell in your house! *
  they will always be praising you.

 ⁴Happy are the people whose strength is in you! *
  whose hearts are set on the pilgrims’ way.

 ⁵Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, *
  for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.

 ⁶They will climb from height to height, *
  and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.

 ⁷Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; *
  hearken, O God of Jacob.

 ⁸Behold our defender, O God; *
  and look upon the face of your Anointed.

 ⁹For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room, *
  and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God
  than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.

 ¹⁰For the Lord God is both sun and shield; *
  he will give grace and glory;

 ¹¹No good thing will the Lord withhold *
  from those who walk with integrity.

 ¹²O Lord of hosts, *
  happy are they who put their trust in you!

 

 

 

Second Reading                                        Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a

The people sit.

A Reading from Paul's letter to the Church in Ephesus.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. ⁵He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 

⁵I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ^19aand what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.

 

Reader	The Word of the Lord.
People	Thanks be to God.

 

Silence may follow.

 

Sequence Hymn                                       What star is this, with beams so bright         (H 124)

All stand.

 

Gospel                                                          Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

All stand.

Priest	The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
People	Glory to you, Lord Christ.

 

¹³After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” ¹⁴Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, ¹⁵and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

  ¹⁹When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ²⁰“Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” ²¹Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. ²²But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. ²³There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”

 

Priest	The Gospel of the Lord.
People	Praise to you, Lord Christ.

 

The Sermon                                                        Rev. Teresa Cantrell

 

The Creed

All stand

 

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.

 

The Prayers of the People

People may remain standing or kneel.

 

Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church;

That we all may be one.

Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;

That your Name may be glorified by all people.

We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;

That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.

We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;

That there may be justice and peace on the earth.

Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;

That our works may find favor in your sight.

Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble; We remember today all those who suffer from Covid-19 and all who are lonely or in distress.

That they may be delivered from their distress.

Give to the departed eternal rest;

Let light perpetual shine upon them.

We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;

May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.

 

LEM continues.

 

We pray for the search for our new rector.

 

Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.

 

The People may add their own petitions.

The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.

 

Lord, hear the prayers of thy people; and what we have asked faithfully, grant that we may obtain effectually, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Confession of Sin

The Celebrant says

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence may be kept.

 

Minister and People

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.

 

The Priest stands and says

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 Peace

All stand.

Celebrant	The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People	And also with you.

 

Then the Ministers and the People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.

 

Announcements and birthday and anniversary blessings.

 

The Holy Communion

 

Offertory Sentence

The Celebrant says

Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. 

 

Offertory Music

 

Doxology

 

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING

 

The People remain standing.

Celebrant	The Lord be with you.
People	And also with you.
Celebrant	Lift up your hearts.
People	We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant	Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People	It is right to give him thanks and praise.

 

Facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds

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 gave Jesus Christ, your only Son, to be born for us; who, by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, was made perfect Man of the flesh of the Virgin Mary his mother; so that we might be delivered from the bondage of sin, and receive power to become your children.

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:

 

Sanctus

 

 All sing.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

 

The People stand or kneel.

The Celebrant continues

Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.

He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.

On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, 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 we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Celebrant and People

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

 

The Celebrant continues

We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ. 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.

 

The Lord’s Prayer

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

People and Celebrant

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,

forever and ever. Amen.

 

THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD

 

Fraction Anthem

All sing

Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;

Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

 

The Celebrant says

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.

 

The ministers receive the Sacrament in both kinds, and then immediately deliver it to the people.

The Bread is given to the communicants with these words

The Body (Blood) of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you in everlasting life. [Amen.]

 

Communion Music

 

Post-Communion Prayer

After Communion, the Celebrant says

Let us pray.

 

Celebrant and People

Eternal God, heavenly Father,

you have graciously accepted us as living members

of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,

and you have fed us with spiritual food

in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.

Send us now into the world in peace,

and grant us strength and courage

to love and serve you

with gladness and singleness of heart;

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Blessing

May Almighty God, who sent his Son to take our nature upon him, bless you in this holy season, scatter the darkness of sin, and brighten your heart with the light of his holiness. And now, may the blessing of our holy undivided, Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with you now and always. Amen.

 

 

Post-Communion Hymn                                    Once in royal David's                     (H 102)

 

Dismissal

Celebrant	Let us go forth in the name of Christ.
People	Thanks be to God.

 

POSTLUDE

 

 

Happy New Year! Welcome to St. John’s.  We are so glad you’re here to worship and celebrate with us today.  Although this is a very joyous time of the year, let us not forget those in need of our prayers.

 

Please keep the following in your prayers:  Debra Richardson, Kathy Sullivan, Parker Pace, Courtney Turner, Jo Boone Wild, Gloria Higginbotham, Kathleen Gibson, Cole Jefferies, Carol Spencer, Bonnie & Charles Rowland, Jo Liddy, Janet Juengel, Vivian Wright, Jim Howe, Cliff Clark, Linda Dowling, Susan Taylor, Sylvia Ross, Sawyer Barry Smith, Gretchen Barry, and the family of Pat Wheeler.

Grace Food Pantry: plastic bags go in the labeled container in the narthex.

Thank you for your donations.  They are all greatly appreciated and needed.

There will be no in-person annual meeting this year due to the recent spike in COVID & Omicron cases.  

 

Thank you for all the donations for poinsettias this year.  They are available for pick-up today. 

 

Contact info:

Email:  rector@saintjohnshelena.org                

St. John’s Church Office:

Phone:  870-338-8115   

Email:   office@saintjohnshelena.org 

Mailing address:  P.O. Box 770, Helena, AR 72342

Street address:  625 Pecan St., Helena, Arkansas

 

 

The Most Rev. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church

The Rt. Reverend Larry R. Benfield, Bishop of Arkansas

The Rev. Teresa Cantrell

 

 

The Vestry of St. John’s Church, Helena

Mike Fielder, Senior Warden (2021)

Ed Pat Wright, Junior Warden (2023)

Brooke Tappan, Clerk (2023),

 Ben Pittman (2021), Ann Lee (2021), Mark Rogers (2022),

 Allison Biederman (2022), Susan Carter (2022),

Tap Jennings (2023)

Walter Morris, Treasurer

Pianist –Dagmar Bergan

Organist – Dr. Gabriel Statom

 

Lay Reader – Ann Lee

Acolyte – Katherine Pillow

 

Altar Guild – Lindalu Hargraves

 

Ushers – Mark Rogers & Jack Hornor

 

 

 

The flowers in the church today are given to the glory of God.