Welcome to The Historic Saint Agnes Episcopal Church! We are glad to have you worship with us.
Additional information about Historic Saint Agnes and our ministries may be found
online here at www.stagnesepiscopalchurch.org and on social media (FB, IG) @historicsaintagnes.
Our Rector, Fr. Denrick E. Rolle, is today’s Celebrant and Preacher.
Our mass, Communion Service is either in E-flat by Frank Adlam or Robert Cruickshank, is sung with hymns, which can be found in the red Hymnal 1940 online. Follow along in the Book of Common Prayer (Prayer Book online).
Click the Facebook logo to view prior or join live services. Let us worship God together in spirit and in truth.
THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD
The First Sunday After The Epiphany
SOLEMN CHORAL EUCHARIST WITH SERMON
THE ORDER OF SERVICE
The Organ Prelude
The Processional to the Altar
THE ENTRANCE RITE
(At the ringing of the chimes, please stand)
The Call to Worship Prayer
Celebrant: Let us go forth in peace.,
People: In the Name of Christ, Amen
The Processional Hymns: 545, Second Tune; 53
Introit Hymn: 545
1. Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free;
To take away transgression,
And rule in equity.
2. He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
And love, joy, hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth:
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness, in fountains,
From hill to valley flow
3. Kings shall fall down before Him,
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing;
For He shall have dominion
O’er river, sea, and shore,
Far as the eagle’s pinion,
Or dove’s light wing can soar
4. To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
The mountain dews shall nourish
A seed in weakness sown,
Whose fruit shall spread and flourish,
And shake like Lebanon.
5. O’er every foe victorious
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All-blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His Name shall stand forever,
His changeless Name of Love.
Hymn 53
1. Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to you we raise,
manifested by the star
to the Magi from afar,
branch of royal David's stem,
in your birth at Bethlehem.
Anthems be to you addressed,
God in man made manifest.
2. Manifest at Jordan's stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme,
and at Cana, wedding guest,
in your Godhead manifest;
manifest in pow'r divine,
changing water into wine.
Anthems be to you addressed,
God in man made manifest.
3. Manifest in making whole
palsied limbs and fainting soul;
manifest in valiant fight,
quelling all the devil's might;
manifest in gracious will,
ever bringing good from ill:
Anthems be to you addressed,
God in man made manifest.
4. Grant us grace to see you, Lord,
mirrored in your holy Word.
May our lives and all we do
imitate and honor you
that we all like you may be
at your great epiphany
and may praise you, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.
The Opening Acclamations
Celebrant: Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them and they shall be His people.
People: God, Himself shall be with them and be their God.
Celebrant: Let you light so shine among men and women,
People: That they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.
Introit Hymn: 10
1. On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
announces that the Lord is nigh;
awake and hearken, for he brings
glad tidings of the King of kings.
2. Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
make straight the way for God within,
prepare we in our hearts a home
where such a mighty Guest may come.
3. For thou art our salvation, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward;
without thy grace we waste away
like flowers that wither and decay.
4. To heal the sick stretch out thine hand,
and bid the fallen sinner stand;
shine forth and let thy light restore
earth’s own true loveliness once more.
5. All praise, eternal Son, to thee,
whose advent doth thy people free;
whom with the Father we adore
and Holy Ghost for evermore.
The Collect for Purity (PB, page 355)
The Gloria in Excelsis Deo (PB, page 324)
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD OF GOD
The Collect for the Day
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
The First Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7
Psalm 29 Afferte Domino
The Epistle: Acts 8:14-17
The Sequence Hymn: 48
1. Earth has many a noble city;
Bethlehem, thou dost all excel;
Out of thee the Lord from Heaven
Came to rule His Israel.
2. Fairer than the sun at morning
Was the star that told His birth,
To the world its God announcing
Seen in fleshly form on earth.
3. Eastern sages at His cradle
Make oblations rich and rare;
See them give, in deep devotion,
Gold and frankincense and myrrh.
4. Sacred gifts of mystic meaning:
Incense doth their God disclose,
Gold the King of kings proclaimeth,
Myrrh His sepulcher foreshows.
5. Jesu, whom the Gentiles worshipped
At Thy glad Epiphany,
Unto Thee, with God the Father
And the Spirit, glory be.
The Holy Gospel: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
THE SERMON HYMN: 52
1. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him the Lord is his name.
2. Low at his feet lay your burden of carefulness,
high on his heart he will bear it for you,
Comfort your sorrows and answer your prayerfulness,
guiding your steps in the way that is true.
3. Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth you would count as your own;
truth in its beauty and love in its tenderness
these are the offerings to bring to his throne.
4. These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
he will accept for the name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling and hope for our fear.
5. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him the Lord is his name.
The Sermon: THE REVEREND FATHER DENRICK ROLLE, RECTOR
The Nicene Creed (PB, page 392ff)
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Intercessory Prayers Form V (PB Page 389)
The Concluding Collect
Hymn: “Hear Our Prayer, O Lord”
The Peace
Celebrant: The Peace of the Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
The Welcome to our visitors and Announcements
THE CELEBRATION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST
The Offertory Sentence (PB, page 376)
The Offertory Hymns: 51; Dundee; 52
Hymn 51
1. We three kings of Orient are;
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.
Refrain:
O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.
2. Born a King on Bethlehem's plain,
gold I bring to crown him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
over us all to reign. [Refrain]
3. Frankincense to offer have I;
incense owns a Deity nigh;
prayer and praising, voices raising,
worshiping God on high. [Refrain]
4. Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
breathes a life of gathering gloom;
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
sealed in the stone-cold tomb. [Refrain]
5. Glorious now behold him arise;
King and God and sacrifice:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
sounds through the earth and skies. [Refrain]
Hymn 52
1. As with gladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold;
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright,
So, most gracious Lord, may we
Ever more be led to thee.
2. As with joyful steps they sped,
Savior, to thy lowly bed,
There to bend the knee before
Thee whom Heav’n and Earth adore,
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek thy mercy seat.
3. As they offered gifts most rare
At thy cradle rude and bare,
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heav’nly King.
4. Holy Jesus, ev’ry day
Keep us in the narrow way,
And when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds thy glory hide.
5. In the heav’nly country bright,
Need they no created light;
Thou its light, its joy, its crown,
Thou its sun, which goes not down;
There forever may we sing
Alleluias to our King.
The Presentation of Alms and Oblations
The Offertory Prayer/ Intention of the Mass
Celebrant and People:
Father, we offer to you these gifts which you have given us; this bread this wine this money. With them we offer ourselves, our lives, and our work, to become through your Holy Spirit a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice. As this bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, so may we and all your people become channels of your love; through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Celebrant: Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the Father Almighty.
People: May the Lord receive the sacrifice at your hands to the praise and glory of His Name, to our benefit and to that of His Holy Church.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING, Prayer A (PB, page 361 ff.)
(Remain standing. After the Lord’s Prayer, please kneel)
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD
The Antiphon (PB, page 364)
The Agnus Dei (“Lamb of God”)
The Invitation to receive the Sacrament
Celebrant: This is the true bread which come down from heaven and gives life to the world.
People: Whoever eats this bread will live forever.
Celebrant: 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.
(YOU MAY SIT DURING THE HOLY COMMUNION)
Communion Hymns: 47; 329; 46; 211
Hymn 47
1. What star is this, with beams so bright,
more beauteous than the noonday light?
It shines to herald forth the King,
and Gentiles to his crib to bring.
2. True spake the prophet from afar
who told the rise of Jacob's star;
and eastern sages with amaze
upon the wondrous token gaze.
3. The guiding star above is bright;
within them shines a clearer light,
and leads them on with power benign
to seek the Giver of the sign.
4. O Jesus, while the star of grace
impels us on to seek thy face,
let not our slothful hearts refuse
the guidance of thy light to use.
5. To God, Creator, heavenly Light,
to Christ, revealed in earthly night,
to God the Holy Ghost we raise
our equal and unceasing praise.
Hymn 329
1. How bright appears the Morning Star,
with mercy beaming from afar;
the host of heav'n rejoices;
O Righteous Branch, O Jesse’s Rod!
Thou Son of Man and Son of God!
We, too, will lift our voices:
Jesus, Jesus! Holy, holy, yet most lowly,
draw Thou near us; great Emmanuel, come and hear us.
2. Though circled by the hosts on high,
He deigned to cast a pitying eye
upon His helpless creature;
the whole creation’s Head and Lord,
by highest seraphim adored,
assumed our very nature;
Jesus, grant us, thro' Your merit,
to inherit Your salvation;
hear, O hear our supplication.
3. Rejoice, O heav'ns, and earth, reply;
with praise, O sinners, fill the sky
for this, His incarnation.
Incarnate God, put forth Your pow'r;
ride on, ride on, great Conqueror,
till all know Your salvation.
Amen, amen! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise be given
evermore by earth and heaven.
Hymn 46
1. Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
2. Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining;
Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall;
Angels adore Him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Savior of all!
3. Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion,
Odors of Edom and offerings divine?
Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?
4. Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
Vainly with gifts would His favor secure;
Richer by far is the heart’s adoration,
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
5. Brightest and best of the sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
Hymn 211
Come with us, O blessed Jesus,
With us evermore to be;
And in leaving now Thine altar,
Let us nevermore leave Thee!
O let Thine angel chorus
Cease not Their heavenly strain,
But in us, Thy loving children,
Bring peace, good will to men.
(PLEASE KNEEL FOR THE FINAL PRAYER AND BLESSING)
The Post Communion Collect
Celebrant and People:
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
Celebrant: The blessing of God Almighty, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you now and through eternity.
People: Amen
The Dismissal
Celebrant: Let us go forth in peace to love and serve the Lord
People: Thanks be to God!
The Processional into the World
Hymns: 49
1. From the eastern mountains,
Pressing on, they come,
Wise men in their wisdom,
To His humble home;
Stirred by deep devotion,
Hasting from afar,
Ever journeying onward,
Guided by a star.
Refrain
Light of life that shineth
Ere the worlds began,
Draw Thou near, and lighten
Every heart of man.
2. There their Lord and Savior
Meek and lowly lay,
Wondrous Light that led them
Onward on their way,
Ever now to lighten
Nations from afar,
As they journey homeward
By that guiding star. [Refrain]
3. Thou who in a manger
Once hast lowly lain,
Who dost now in glory
O’er all kingdoms reign,
Gather in the heathen
Who in lands afar
Ne’er have seen the brightness
Of Thy guiding star. [Refrain]
4. Gather in the outcasts,
All who’ve gone astray,
Throw Thy radiance o’er them,
Guide them on their way.
Those who never knew Thee,
Those who’ve wandered far,
Guide them by the brightness
Of Thy guiding star. [Refrain]
5. Guide them through the darkness
Of the lonely night,
Shining still before them
With thy kindly light.
Until every nation,
Whether bond or free,
“Neath thy starlit banner,
Jesus, follows thee. [Refrain]
The Processional into the World, Organ Voluntary
The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Organ Postlude
The Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.