United Benefice of St.Mary, Higham Ferrers, and St. John, Chelveston
The United Benefice of St Mary the Virgin, Higham Ferrers with St John the Baptist, Chelveston-cum-Caldecott
Sunday 21st December
FOURTH SUNDAY of
ADVENT
4
Watchet Auf - Sleepers awake
Father Paul welcomes us to this week’s service for the end of Advent
HYMN
Wake, O wake! With tidings thrilling
the watchmen all the air are filling,
arise, Jerusalem, arise!
Midnight strikes! No more delaying,
'The hour has come!' we hear them saying,
'where are ye all, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes in sight,
raise high your torches bright!' Alleluia!
The wedding song swells loud and strong:
go forth and join the festal throng.
Zion hears the watchmen shouting,
her heart leaps up with joy undoubting,
she stands and waits with eager eyes;
see her Friend from heaven descending,
adorned with truth and grace unending!
Her light burns clear, her star doth rise.
Now come, thou precious Crown,
Lord Jesus, God's own Son! Alleluia!
Let us prepare to follow there,
where in thy supper we may share.
Words: Phillip Nicolai (1556-1608)
Tune: Wachet Auf (also by Nicolai, adapted by J.S.Bach)
A Reading from Matthew’s Gospel
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25
HYMN
Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.
Christ be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ be our light!
Shine in your church gathered today.
Longing for peace, our world is troubled.
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has pow'r to save us.
Make us your living voice.
Chorus
Longing for food, many are hungry.
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us your bread, broken for others,
shared until all are fed.
Chorus
Longing for shelter, many are homeless.
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us your building, sheltering others,
walls made of living stones.
Chorus
Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
making your kingdom come.
Chorus
Bernadette Farrell (born 1957)
© 1994 Bernadette Farrell published by OCP Publications
A reflection on Matthew’s nativity and Joseph's dilemma
​
A PRAYER AND A BLESSING
HYMN
Lo, he comes with clouds descending,
once for favoured sinners slain;
thousand thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!
God appears on earth to reign.
Every eye shall now behold him
Robed in dreadful majesty
Those who set and naught and sold him
Pierces and nailed him to the tree
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing
Shall the true Messiah see
Those dear tokens of his passion
still his dazzling body bears;
cause of endless exultation
to his ransomed worshippers:
with what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture,
gaze we on those glorious scars.
Yea, amen, let all adore thee,
high on thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and glory,
claim the kingdom for thine own:
O come quickly, O come quickly, O come quickly,
alleluia! come, Lord, come!
Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788), Martin Madan (1726-1790), John Cennick (1718-1755)
Tune: Helmsley (Traditional northern dance tune)
MUSIC FOR MEDITATION
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140
J.S. BACH
Material used in this service is copyright of its respective rights owners. Music and hymn words are reproduced under ONE LICENSE number A-633137, Church Copyright License 2148907 and Music Reproduction License 2216255. Material in this order of service is taken from Common Worship, copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000-2006 and is used here with permission. www.commonworship.com.
images by permission of www.christart.com