WELCOME, ALL! POEMS & CAROLS THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS JANUARY 2, 2022 - St. Paul's Cathedral, Boston
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
138 TREMONT STREET, BOSTON, MA 02111 ▪ 617-482-5800 ▪ CATHEDRAL@DIOMASS.ORG ▪ WWW.STPAULBOSTON.ORG
POEMS & CAROLS
THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS ▪ JANUARY 2, 2022
WELCOME, ALL!
PRELUDE
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light George F. Handel (1685-1756)
Sung by Jameson Wells
WELCOME – The Rev. Deacon Cynthia Pape
OPENING HYMN
What star is this, with beams so bright The Hymnal 1982, #124
Puer nobis
2BIDDING PRAYER
Dear People of God: In this Christmas Season, let it be our duty and delight to hear once more the
message of the Angels, to go to Bethlehem and see the Son of God lying in a manger.
Let us hear and heed in poetry and prayer the story of God’s loving purpose and gift of the glorious
redemption brought to us by his holy Child Jesus, and let us make this place glad with our carols of
praise.
But first, let us pray for the needs of his whole world, for peace and justice on earth, for the unity
and mission of the Church for which he died, and especially for his Church in our country and in
our communities.
And because God particularly loves them, let us remember in God’s name the poor and helpless,
the cold, the hungry and the oppressed, the sick and those who mourn, the lonely and unloved,
the aged and little children, as well as all those who do not know and love the Lord Jesus Christ.
Finally, let us remember before God his strong and courageous Mother, and that whole multitude
which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in Jesus, we
are one for evermore.
And now, to gather up all these petitions, let us pray in the words which Christ himself has taught
us, saying:
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 Almighty God bless us with his grace; Christ give us the joys of everlasting life; and to the
fellowship of the citizens above, may the King of Angels bring us all. Amen.
3POEM
The Mother by Carole-Jean Smith (read by the author)
He was certainly flesh of her flesh,
this baby. Did she ever look at him
and say, he has my eyes, my hairline?
We forget how much of him
is her.
From the start, the spectacularity
of the event blinded us
to the import of its ordinariness: a newborn
in a blanket in a simple bed.
She nursed him.
Only a few sentences about her in all
of Scripture. Did she see her hands
in his, perhaps, and the shape
of the chin, the passionate focus?
Her presence in the mystical body.
4HYMN
What child is this, who, laid to rest 1982 Hymnal, #115
Greensleeves
56
COLLECT
Loving Word of God, you have shown us the fullness of your glory in taking human flesh: Fill us, in
our bodily life, with your grace and truth, that our pleasure may be boundless and our integrity
complete. Amen. (from Daily Prayers for All Seasons)
POEM
The Risk of Birth, Christmas 1973, by Madeleine L'Engle
Read by Anne Moore
This is no time for a child to be born,
With the earth betrayed by war and hate
And a nova lighting the sky to war.
That time runs out and sun burns late.
That was no time for a child to be born,
in a land in the crushing grip of Rome:
Honour and truth were trampled by scorn-
Yet here did the Saviour make his home.
When is the time for love to be born?
The inn is full on the planet earth
And by greed and pride the sky is torn-
Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.
7CAROL
In the bleak midwinter The Hymnal 1982, #112
Cranham
8COLLECT
Almighty God, your servant Dame Julian of Norwich wrote, 'Would you know your Lord's meaning
in this thing? Know it well, love was [your] meaning. Who showed it to you? Love. What did he
show you? Love. Why did he show it? For love. And I saw quite clearly in this and in all, that
before You made us, You loved us, which love was never slaked nor ever shall be. And in this love
our life is everlasting.’: May we live in the knowledge of Your love and may we take the risk of
manifesting your love on earth. All this we ask through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.
POEM
In the days of Caesar by Waldo Williams tr. Rowan Williams
Read by Molly Minnerath
In the days of Caesar, when his subjects went to be reckoned,
There was a poem mad, too dark for him (naïve with power)
to read
It was a bunch of shepherds who discovered
in Bethlehem of Judah, the great music beyond reason and
reckoning:
shepherds, the sort of folk who leave the ninety-nine behind
so as to bring the stray back home, dawning toward cock-crow,
the birthday of the Lamb of God, shepherd of mortals.
Well, little people, and my nation, can you see
The secret buried in you, that no Caesar ever captures in his lists?
Will not the shepherd come to fetch us in our desert,
Gathering us in to give us birth again, weaving us into one
In a song heard in the sky over Bethlehem?
He seeks us out as wordhoard for his workmanship, the laureate
of heaven.
ANTHEM
"Glory to God” with preceding recitatives sung by Liz Clutts and Laura Thomas.
9CAROL
Away in a manger 1982 Hymnal, #101
Cradle Song
COLLECT
Laureate of heaven, inscribe upon us the assurance of your presence and your grace, that we
might resist the lures of the Caesars of our day, and turn to you and your lost sheep, knowing
ourselves to be one of them and reveling in the green pastures you provide us. Amen.
10POEM
Remembering That It Happened Once by Wendell Berry
Read by Rhea Ranno
Remembering that it happened once,
We cannot turn away the thought,
As we go out, cold, to our barns
Toward the long night’s end, that we
Ourselves are living in the world
It happened in when it first happened,
That we ourselves, opening a stall
(A latch thrown open countless times
Before), might find them breathing there,
Foreknown: the Child bedded in straw,
The mother kneeling over Him,
The husband standing in belief
He scarcely can believe, in light
That lights them from no source we see,
An April morning’s light, the air
Around them joyful as a choir.
We stand with one hand on the door,
Looking into another world
That is this world, the pale daylight
Coming just as before, our chores
To do, the cattle all awake,
Our own frozen breath hanging
In front of us; and we are here
As we have never been before,
Sighted as not before, our place
Holy, although we knew it not.
11CAROL
Jesus our brother, kind and good 1982 Hymnal, #65
Pierre de Corbiel
COLLECT
Giver of life and author of love: Be present at this hour as we pause to rest in your love. Fill us with
the memory of your goodness, bless us with the grace of your light, and send us out again with
renewed faithfulness to show your love to the world. Amen.
12POEM
Refugee by Malcolm Guite
Read by Jeffrey Seamans
We think of him as safe beneath the steeple,
Or cosy in a crib beside the font,
But he is with a million displaced people
On the long road of weariness and want.
For even as we sing our final carol
His family is up and on that road,
Fleeing the wrath of someone else’s quarrel,
Glancing behind and shouldering their load.
Whilst Herod rages still from his dark tower
Christ clings to Mary, fingers tightly curled,
The lambs are slaughtered by the men of power,
And death squads spread their curse across the world.
But every Herod dies, and comes alone
To stand before the Lamb upon the throne.
ANTHEM
Lula, Lullaby William Byrd (1540-1623)
Lula, Lullaby, my sweet little baby, why meanest thou to cry? Be still my blessed babe, though
cause thou hast to mourn, whose blood most innocent to shed, the cruel king hath sworn: and lo,
alas, behold what slaughter he doth make, shedding the blood of infants all, sweet savior for thy
sake. A King is born they say, which king, this king would kill: O woe, and woeful heavy day, when
wretches have their will.
COLLECT
We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod.
Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims; and by your great might
frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for
ever and ever. Amen.
13The Work of Christmas by Howard Thurman
Read by Michael Baenen
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
14CAROL
Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming 1982 Hymnal, #81
Es ist ein Ros
15PRAYER
Dear God: You know how hard this year has been and how much we have to do to heal the sin of
racism, discrimination, oppression, and hatred of those who are different. Let it be us, Lord, each
in our way, that makes a difference in the life of another: that the lost are found; the broken
healed; the hungry fed; the prisoner released; the nations rebuilt; and peace with all. May there
be music and hope in our hearts that we, having felt the radiance and warmth of His smile, may be
inspired to do His work. This we ask in His name, Amen.
INTERCESSIONS
You are invited to type prayers and thanksgivings into the chat section while we sing the chant.
CHANT
“Arise, shine for your light has come”
Arise, shine for your light has come
and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
FINAL COLLECT
Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this
light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
16FINAL HYMN
Hark! the herald angels sing The Hymnal 1982, #87
Mendelssohn
.
17DISMISSAL
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
We invite you to give thanks for this service by making a donation during the Offertory, or by using
our online donation page, which can be accessed with the QR code below, or by going to:
www.donatenow.networkforgood.org/stpaulboston.
LEADERS OF WORSHIP
Presider The Rev. Cynthia Pape
Music Director Louise Mundinger
Schola Justine Boonstra
Samuel Bradley
Kristine Caswelch
Josaphat Contreras
Laura Thomas
Jameson Wells
Readers Michael Baenen
Molly Minnerath
Anne Moore
Rhea Ranno
Jeffrey Seamans
Carole-Jean Smith
Livestream Minister Sean Griffin
Greeters Rhea Ranno & Jeffrey Seamans
All music printed by permission in accordance with ONE LICENSE, License #A-707998.
Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License #A-707998.
All rights reserved.
18ST. PAUL, BOSTON
SUNDAY MORNING CONGREGATION COVENANT
CREATED SEPTEMBER 2018
We embrace Christ’s call to respect the dignity of each person, knowing ourselves as equally
beautiful and equally in need of God’s grace. When in doubt, we will choose love, rejecting the
individualism and violent competitiveness that are rampant in our world.
On Sunday mornings, our shared intention is to worship God. We seek to be transformed by Jesus,
who is present in the Word, the sacraments, and each person here, so that we may be the face of
Christ to one another and in the world. This calling is precious, and we know it will be costly. While
held within the beauty and order of Anglican liturgy, we open ourselves to being divested of
prejudices, assumptions, and rigidity.
To help one another walk to freedom in Christ, we will:
• welcome new people joyously,
• allow ordained and lay leaders to focus on the ministry to the whole congregation to which Jesus
calls them, holding individual requests and church ‘business’ until after the service,
• incorporate a variety of voices and perspectives into our worship life, through welcoming
preachers and presiders from an array of genders, cultures, and social locations; encouraging and
training new members to participate in liturgical ministries; and making space in our prayers for
individual petitions,
• train and designate members of the congregation to respond to those in distress or particular
need during worship, and to take the lead in any situations where safety is uncertain,
• while celebrating that some people have particular, holy callings to help others in hardship, on
Sunday mornings we will refer those in financial need to cathedral staff and/or help them
brainstorm ways to find what they need, rather than giving out cash,
• pause twice a year to reflect on our experience living into this covenant and adjust our practices
if needed, acknowledge and work through conflict, and rejoice in what Christ is doing in our midst,
•strive to be good listeners and grow as a spiritual community through mutual prayer.
As a cathedral congregation, we strive to embody the justice and openness to brave change to
which our diocese is committed through its mission strategy.
19You can also read
