(Community Gathers; Welcome & Land Acknowledgment)

Opening Hymn: In the Bleak Mid Winter
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan;
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain,
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty —
Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom Cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom Angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.

Angels and Archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air;
But only His Mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

Officiant Opening Prayer: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”Psalm 139
Lord, by your grace we have been brought to the beginning of another new year. You lead us into a future, another tomorrow, fresh possibilities and potentialities. All this we claim as your gift to us. Help us lay hold of the future that you give us. Guide us through the coming days. Lead us into the future and help us see tomorrow not as a threat but as a gift. Lord, give us a world that we could not have by our own efforts. Create among us newness beyond that which we can make on our own. Gracious God of new beginnings, begin some great new work among us. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jubilate Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song. Know this: The Lord himself is God; he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; give thanks to him and call upon his Name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures from age to age. *** Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end. Amen.***

Confession
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
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. Almighty God have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Readings

Gospel Hymn: ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime
'Twas in the moon of wintertime,
when all the birds had fled,
that mighty Gitchi Manitou
sent angel choirs instead;
before their light the stars grew dim,
and wandering hunters heard the hymn:

Refrain:
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria.

Within a lodge of broken bark
the tender Babe was found;
a ragged robe of rabbit skin
enwrapped his beauty round,
but, as the hunter braves drew nigh,
the angel song rang loud and high:

The Gospel: John 1:1-9

Twas in the Moon of Wintertime (cont’d)
The earliest moon of wintertime
is not so round and fair
as was the ring of glory on
the helpless infant there.
The chiefs from far before him knelt
with gifts of fox and beaver pelt.

Refrain:
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born,
In excelsis gloria.

O children of the forest free,
the kin of Manitou,
the holy child of earth and heaven
is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant boy,
who brings you beauty, peace and joy.

Reflection : Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first and the great commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. This is no commandment greater than these.

Prayers of People

The Lord’s Prayer

Blessing

Closing Hymn: We Three Kings
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star
We three kings, we three kings

Born a king on Bethlehem's plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign

Oh, star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light
We three kings, we three kings

Myrrh is mine, it's bitter perfume
Breaths a life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

Oh, star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

We three kings, we three kings
We three kings, we three kings
We three kings, we three kings
We three kings, we three kings
We three kings, we three kings

Dismissal

Gila’kasla and may God bless you and your families during this season of Advent and Christmas. Thank-you for your continued prayers and support of our parish ministry here at St. John’s. If you’d like to give financially please contact the office at 250-334-4331 or visit https://www.sjtdcourtenay.ca and click on the “Donate” tab.