The Second Sunday of Advent and Breadbasket Sunday
December 7, 2025 at 10 a.m.
The Holy Eucharist
The Word of God
Advent is a time of waiting, preparation, and expectation. Note that many congregational responses are different in this season.
Prelude
Please stand as the clergy and choir process in to the tolling of a bell. The second candle of the Advent wreath is lit.
Hymn
56 vv. 3-4 O come, O come, EmmanuelCelebrant Blessed are you, holy and living One.
People You come to your people and set them free.
The Collect for Purity
BCP 355Almighty 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.
Service music (identified with an S before the hymn number) can be found in the front section of the blue hymnal. Please join in singing
Hymn
S-92 KyrieLord, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.
The Collect of the Day
Celebrant The
Lord be with you.
People And
also with you.
Celebrant Let
us pray.
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Collect for Welcoming
O God, you made us in your own image and love all that you have made. Grant that the people of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church may have loving hearts, curious minds, and open doors, to be truly welcoming to all sorts and conditions of people, that all who seek after you may find you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The First Reading
Isaiah 11:1-10 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. The Word of the Lord.Thanks be to God
Psalm
72:1-7,18-19 Setting by Steven ElveySung by the choir.
1 Give
the King your justice, O God, *
and your righteousness to the
King’s Son;
2
That he may rule your people righteously *
and the poor with
justice;
3
That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *
and
the little hills bring righteousness.
4
He shall defend the needy among the people; *
he shall rescue
the poor and crush the oppressor.
5
He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one
generation to another.
6
He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *
like
showers that water the earth.
7
In his time shall the righteous flourish; *
there shall be
abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.
18
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, *
who alone
does wondrous deeds!
19
And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! *
and may all the
earth be filled with his glory. Amen. Amen.
The Second Reading
Romans 15:4-13 Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”; and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.The
Word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Please stand for the singing of the hymn and the reading of the Gospel.
Hymn
65 Prepare the way, O ZionThe Gospel
Matthew 3:1-12
The Holy Gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory
to you, Lord Christ.
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The
Gospel of the Lord.
Praise
to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
The Rev. Margaret McGheeOn Sundays and other Major Feasts there follows, all standing
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
Common Worship The Leader and People pray responsively, all kneeling Watchful at all times, let us pray for strength to stand with confidence before our Maker and Redeemer. That God may bring in his kingdom with justice and mercy, let us pray to the Lord. God of love, hear our prayer. That God may establish among the nations his scepter of righteousness, let us pray to the Lord. God of love, hear our prayer. That we may seek Christ in the Scriptures, and recognize him in the breaking of the bread, let us pray to the Lord. God of love, hear our prayer. That God may bind up the brokenhearted, restore the sick, and raise up all who have fallen, let us pray to the Lord. God of love, hear our prayer. That the light of God’s coming may dawn on all who live in darkness and the shadow of death, let us pray to the Lord. God of love, hear our prayer. That, with all the saints in light, we may shine forth as lights for the world, let us pray to the Lord. God of love, hear our prayer. Let us commend the world, which Christ will judge, to the mercy and protection of God. Silence. The Celebrant adds specific intercessions and a concluding Collect.The Confession and Absolution
Let us confess our sins to God. Minister and People God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen. The Celebrant stands and offers the absolution.The Peace
All stand. The Celebrant says to the people
The
peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And
also with you.
The Ministers and People greet one another in the name of the Lord.
Welcome and Announcements
The Holy Communion
Offertory Anthem
Adoramus Te | PalestrinaThe Doxology
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise him all creatures here below; Praise him above ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving
Prayer C, BCP 369
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 God thanks and praise.
God of all power, Ruler of the Universe, you are worthy of glory and praise. Glory to you for ever and ever.
At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home. By your will they were created and have their being.
From the primal elements you brought forth the human race, and blessed us with memory, reason, and skill. You made us the rulers of creation. But we turned against you, and betrayed your trust; and we turned against one another. Have mercy, Lord, for we are sinners in your sight.
Again and again, you called us to return. Through prophets and sages you revealed your righteous Law. And in the fullness of time you sent your only Son, born of a woman, to fulfill your Law, to open for us the way of freedom and peace. By his blood, he reconciled us. By his wounds, we are healed.
And therefore we praise you, joining with the heavenly chorus, with prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and with all those in every generation who have looked to you in hope, to proclaim with them your glory, in their unending hymn:
The Congregation joins in singing.
Sanctus
Wonder, Love & Praise 785
The People stand or kneel. The Celebrant continues on BCP page 371.
* * *
Remembering
now his work of redemption, and offering to you this
sacrifice
of thanksgiving,
We celebrate his death and resurrection, as we await the day of his coming.
God of our holy and righteous forbears, Redeemer and mother of Israel, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us. Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal. Let the grace of this Holy Communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ, that we may worthily serve the world in his name. Risen Lord, be known to us in the breaking of the Bread.
Accept these prayers and praises, Father, through Jesus Christ our great High Priest, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, your Church gives honor, glory, and worship, from generation to generation. AMEN.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
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 Breaking of the Bread
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept. Then the congregation joins in singing
Fraction Anthem
S-161Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.
Facing the people, the Celebrant says the following Invitation
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.
Hymn
67 Comfort, comfort ye my peoplePost-Communion Prayer
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.
The Blessing
Hymn
76 On Jordan’s bankThe Deacon, or the Celebrant, dismisses the people with these or similar words
Go in peace to
love and serve the Lord.
People Thanks
be to God.
Postlude
Serving Today
The Ministers: All members of the congregation
Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Margaret McGhee
Deacon: The Rev. Dr. Yvonne Amanor-Boadu
Lector: Peter Gullette
Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Obiribea Ofori-Bah and Mason Weber
Crucifer and Candle Lighter: Mason Weber
Music Director: Couri Reinholtz
Ushers: Pat Pesci and Jennifer Jones
Altar Guild: Mary Sier and Patti Sexton