GRACE CHURCH OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD

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  • WELCOME
  • Contact Us
  • 2024 Evaluation Form
  • Leadership
  • Parish Calendar
  • Online Sunday Services at Grace
    • 05.11.25 Fourth Sunday of Easter
    • 05.04.25 Third Sunday of Easter
    • 04.20.25 Easter Sunday
  • Church and Faith
    • African American Heritage Trail
    • Our Three-Year Plan
    • Weddings
    • History of Grace Church
  • Praise and Sweat Classes
  • Climate Change
  • Donate
  • Liturgies to Say at Home
    • Spiritual Communion
    • Morning Prayer
    • Daily Devotions
    • Noonday Prayer
    • Evening Prayer
    • Compline for nightly use
    • The Angelus
    • BCP Services
  • Lobster Rolls and More
    • Community Suppers
    • Summer Lobster Rolls
  • Playground
  • Photographs
  • The Tisbury Connection

Fourth Sunday of Advent
Hybrid Eucharist
Grace Episcopal Church, Martha’s Vineyard
 
December 19, 2021

THE HOLY EUCHARIST:  RITE TWO, PRAYER A
 
All music printed by permission in accordance with ONE LICENSE, License #A-734784.   Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with License #A-734784. All rights reserved.
Welcome
Throughout the service, the people joining via zoom remain muted, but join in the responses in bold in the bulletin.

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Celebrant        Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
People             God’s mercy endures for ever.
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Celebrant
 
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.
 
All say
 
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
 
Celebrant        God be with you.
People             And also with you.
Celebrant        Let us pray.

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, 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 for ever. Amen.

The Lessons

The First Reading:  Micah 5:2-5a, read by Nevenka Daniels
Y
ou, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
         who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
         one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
         from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
        when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
        to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord
,
        in the majesty of the name of the 
Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
        to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.

The Word of the Lord
People             Thanks be to God.

Canticle 15:  The Song of Mary, read by Bernadine Prygrosky 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
        for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
        the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *
        in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *
        he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
        and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *
        and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
        for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *
        to Abraham and his children for ever.
​
  
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Second Reading:  Hebrews 10:5-10, read by Leslie Kachope

​W
hen Christ came into the world, he said,
           "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
                   but a body you have prepared for me;
            in burnt offerings and sin offerings
                   you have taken no pleasure.
            Then I said, 'See, God, I have come to do your will, O God'
                   (in the scroll of the book it is written of me)."

When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The Word of the Lord.
 
People             Thanks be to God.

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The Holy Gospel of our Lord  Jesus Christ according to Luke (1:39-55)
​

People    Glory to you, Lord Christ

​In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

And Mary said,
​

          "My soul magnifies the Lord,
                  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

           for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
                 Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

           for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
                 and holy is his name.

          His mercy is for those who fear him
                from generation to generation.

          He has shown strength with his arm;
                he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

          He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
               and lifted up the lowly;

          he has filled the hungry with good things,
               and sent the rich away empty.

          He has helped his servant Israel,
               in remembrance of his mercy,

          according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
               to Abraham and to his descendants forever."


The Gospel of the Lord.

People    Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Homily                                   The Rev. Stephen Harding

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.

​

The Prayers of the People, Form I 
In addition to your prayers during the service please click here to add a person to the Parish Prayer List.

Deacon or other leader

With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying "Lord, have mercy."

For the peace from above, for the loving-kindness of God, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
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.

For our Bishop, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For our President, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For this island, for every town, city and community, and for those who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

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..
 
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.

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.

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.

For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and degradation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
 
That we may end our lives in faith and hope, without suffering and without reproach, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
 
Defend us, deliver us, and in thy compassion protect us, O Lord, by thy grace.
Lord, have mercy.

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.

The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
Confession of Sin
 
Celebrant        Let us confess our sins to God.
 
Silence may be kept.
​
Celebrant 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.

 
Celebrant            Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
 
The Peace
 
Celebrant        The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People             And also with you.

Announcements

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Celebrant                                All things come of thee O Lord.
Celebrant and People            And of thine own have we given thee.
 
The Holy Communion
 
Eucharistic Prayer A
 
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.
 
Celebrant        It is right, and 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:
 
Celebrant and People
 
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
       Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
       Hosanna in the highest.
 
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."

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 of your Son, the holy food and 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.

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

Lord’s Prayer
 
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.

 
Celebrant            Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
People                 Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

People who are online
 
In union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of Your church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, we desire to offer You praise and thanksgiving.  We present to you our souls and bodies with the earnest wish that we may always be united to you.  And since we can not now receive you sacramentally, we beseech you to come spiritually into our hearts. We unite ourselves to you, and embrace you with all the affections of our souls. Let nothing ever separate you from us. May we live and die in your love. Amen.

Online leader
 
Let us spend a few moments reflecting on the fact that God so loved each one of us that God sent God's Only-Begotten Son into the world for all of us.
 
[Silence is kept]
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Postcommunion Prayer
 
Let us pray.
 
Celebrant and People
 
Almighty and everliving God,
we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food
of the most precious Body 
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.

 
Blessing
 
Dismissal
 
Leader             Go in peace to serve the Lord.
People             Thanks be to God.
​
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Sunday Prayers
 
Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Alan and Gayle, our Bishops
Stephen, Storm, and Sharon, our Priests
The Very Reverend Amy McCreath & the Cathedral Congregation of St. Paul
The Manna Community
The Cape & Islands Deanery
 
Joe, our President, Kamala, our Vice President
The Members of Congress; Charlie our Governor, and our elected officials
Pray for Our Country
 
The people of Afghanistan
The people of Haiti
All Refugees
 
For our planet 
All those affected by climate change

The Campers, Counselors, and Staff of Camp Jabberwocky
The People of Pine Ridge


Betty
Bill, Joy and their family
Bob & Lydia
​Carl
Carl McGary
Connie & her family
Christine & Richard
Danny
Deborah & her family
Gary
Gerry
Inez
Janice
Jeff
Kate
The Landry family
Lester & Betsy
Lorraine & Richard
Louise
Mike & Sarah
Deborah, Chris, Gunnar; Bill & Marcia; Valerie and all their family
Pat
Patricia
Paul
Phyllis
the Puetthoff family
Ralph
Ryan
Sandra
​the Scotten family
Shauna White Smith
Suzanne Goldstein
Tara
Wayman
William
Yolanda and her family
 
All Staff of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
Our Vineyard EMS, Fire, and Police Departments
All the Members of the New York City Fire Department
 
We pray for all those who are sick with Covid-19; all those who are dying from it; all who have survived it; those who have died from it; their families; and all who are
caring for them;  All those involved in the vaccination effort 
Those working to address racial injustice
 
Those who have died: Max, Scott, Ann, Eileen, Jane, Rebecca, Robert
All those killed because of oppression, gun violence, hatred or
the color of their skin

GRACE CHURCH
Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts
(508) 693-0332
                                                      Ministers                                      All Baptized Parishioners
                                                      Rector                                           The Rev. Stephen Harding
                                                      Priest Associates                        The Rev. Sharon Eckhardt
                                                                                                            The Rev. Dr. Storm Swain
                                                      Senior Warden                           DiAnn Ray
                                                      Junior Warden                            Lorraine Clark
                                                     Treasurer                                     Bernadine Prygrosky
                                                     Assistant Treasurer                    Ann Palches
                                                     Clerk                                              Deborah Medders
                                                     Parish Administrator                  Maureen O’Malley
                                                     Director of Music                        Wes Nagy
                                                     Sexton                                           Christopher Berry
                                                     Cellist                                             Jan Hyer
 
                                                                                   Vestry
                        Glenn Alberich, Jon Bates, Jennifer Haynes, Karen Huff, Peter Landry, Joan Merry
​                                                    Alternates: Fala Freeman, and Leigh Ann Yuen
ASSISTING IN OUR WORSHIP
 
Rector:  The Rev. Stephen Harding
Master of Ceremony: The Rev. Dr. Storm Swain
Parish Administrator: Maureen O’Malley
Videographer & Curator: Karen Huff
Music Director:  Wesley Nagy
Cellist: Jan Hyer
Acolyte: Hannah Haynes
Intercessor:  Ann Palches
Readers: Nevenka Daniels, Leslie Kachope, Bernadine Prygrosky
Singers:  Abby Bates, Rev. Sharon Eckhardt, Rev. Stephen Harding,
John Hickey, ​Ann Palches, Trudy Russell
Ushers:  Lorraine Clark, Phyllis Smith
 
 
 
 
 
 
P O Box 1197, Corner of Woodlawn Ave. and William Street, Vineyard Haven, MA
www.graceepiscopalmv.org   (508) 693-0332