St. Giles’ Cathedral

Morning Service at 11am

2nd Sunday in Advent

Sunday 10th December 2023

Organ Music

Max Reger Nun komm der Heiden Heiland

Kenneth Leighton Fantasy on Veni Emmanuel

Introit

A tender shoot

A tender shoot has started up from a root of grace, as ancient seers imparted from Jesse’s holy race: it blooms without a blight, blooms in the cold bleak winter, turning our darkness into light.

Text: William Bartholomew 1793-1867

Music: Otto Goldschmidt 1829-1907

Processional Hymn

Thy kingdom come!- on bended knee

the passing ages pray;

and faithful souls have yearned to see

on earth that Kingdom's day.

But the slow watches of the night

not less to God belong;

and for the everlasting right

the silent stars are strong.

And lo, already on the hills

the flags of dawn appear;

gird up your loins, ye prophet souls,

proclaim the day is near:

The day in whose clear-shining light

all wrong shall stand revealed,

when justice shall be throned with might,

and every hurt be healed;

When knowledge, hand in hand with peace,

shall walk the earth abroad:-

the day of perfect righteousness,

the promised day of God.

Text: Frederick Lucian Hosmer 1840-1929

Tune: Irish CH4 473 Melody from A Collection of Hymns and Sacred Poems, Dublin 1749

Scripture Sentences

The Preces

O Lord open thou our lips

William Byrd c1540-1623

Bidding

Prayer

Collect

Almighty God, you sent your servant John the Baptist to prepare your people to welcome the Messiah. Inspire the ministers and stewards of your truth to turn our disobedient hearts to you, that when the Christ shall come again to be our judge we may stand with confidence before his glory; who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

First Lesson 2 Peter 3 8-15a

The Choir sings Psalm 85

Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

Second Lesson St Mark 1 1-8

Hymn

Father eternal, ruler of creation,

Spirit of life, by whom all things are made,

through the thick darkness covering every nation,

light to our blindness, come now to our aid:

Your kingdom come, O Lord, your will be done.

Races and peoples, still we stand divided,

and, sharing not our griefs, no joy can share

by wars and tumults love is mocked, derided;

his conquering cross no kingdom wills to bear.

Envious of heart, blind-eyed, with tongues confounded,

nation by nation still goes unforgiven,

in wrath and fear, by jealousies surrounded,

building proud towers which shall not reach to heaven:

Lust of possession causes desolations;

meekness is honoured nowhere on the earth.

Led by no star, the rulers of the nations

still fail to bring us to the blissful birth:

How shall we love you, holy hidden Being,

if we love not the world which you have made?

Oh, give us purer love, for better seeing

your Word made flesh and in a manger laid:

Text: Laurence Houseman 1865-1959

Music: Old 124th CH4 261 Melody from French-Genevan Psalter 1551

Sermon

Anthem

Laetentur coeli

Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice. Let the mountains be joyful with praise, because our Lord will come, and will show mercy to his poor. In your days, justice and abundance of peace shall arise.

Text: Isaiah 49: 13; Psalm 72: 7

Music: William Byrd c.1540-1623

The Offering

Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in 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.

Hymn

Judge eternal, throned in splendour, Lord of lords and King of kings, with your living fire of judgement purge this land of bitter things; solace all its wide dominion with the healing of your wings.

Still the weary folk are pining for the hour that brings release; and the city's crowded clangour cries aloud for sin to cease; and the homesteads and the woodlands plead in silence for their peace.

Crown, O God, your own endeavour; cleave our darkness with your sword; feed the faithless and the hungry with the richness of your word; cleanse the body of this nation through the glory of the Lord.

Text: Rhuddlan CH4 264 Welsh Traditional Melody

Tune: Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918)

Benediction

Organ Voluntary

J.S.Bach Fugue in D minor BWV 539

CCL Licence No 980930

Streaming Licence 57837

The service was conducted by The Rev Dr George J Whyte