Advent Liturgy, Songs, and Prayers
November 29, 2025 - Advent Week One, Hope
Instrumental prelude -Each week we take a few moments for silent prayer and reflection during the instrumental prelude. We invite you to quiet your conversations as we begin, and to join us in quiet prayer; to pause for a moment without words, and enter this place with quietness and trust before the Lord.
Call to worship: (standing together)
Trisagion
Holy God,
Holy Mighty,
Holy Immortal,
Have mercy on us
THE ACCLAMATION (standing together)
Surely the Lord is coming soon.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus!
THE COLLECT FOR PURITY
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.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY (standing together)
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
THE LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT WREATH (standing together)
Blessed are you, Lord, God of our ancestors: to you be praise and glory for ever. You called the patriarchs and matriarchs to live by the light of faith and to journey in the hope of your promised fulfillment. May we be obedient to your call and be ready and watchful to receive your Christ, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are our light and our salvation.
Blessed be God for ever.
THE MAGNIFICAT: (standing together)
Celebrant: This Advent we continue praying together the Song of Mary.
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 for ever.’
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
SUNG WORSHIP | PREPARING THE MANGER (standing together)
Making space to welcome the baby Jesus. First Sunday: Hope
*Children bring evergreen branches to the manger, recognizing that the whole creation (Romans 8) is in hope of God coming among us to make things new and whole.
O come, O come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
Verse 2
O come, Thou Day Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadow put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
Verse
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Verse
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
THE LESSON (standing together)
Let’s read together the Benedictus
(The praise canticle of Zechariah, Luke 1.68-79):
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Sung Worship (continues)
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Come, thou long expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a king.
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
THE GOSPEL (standing together)
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. (Luke 1: 5-20)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.
Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.
Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.”
The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Message Cn Tim Clayton
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (kneeling or seated as you’re able)
Celebrant: Watching and waiting with expectation, let us pray for strength to stand with confidence before our Maker and Redeemer.
Intercessor:
That God may bring in his kingdom with justice and mercy,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
That God may establish among the nations his reign of righteousness,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
That we may seek Christ in the Scriptures and recognize him in the breaking of the bread,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
That God may bind up the brokenhearted, restore the sick, and raise up all who have fallen,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
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:
Lord, have mercy.
That, with all the saints in light, we may shine forth as lights for the world,
let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
We commend ourselves and all for whom we pray to the mercy and protection of our heavenly Father:
we pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
the intercessor continues
O God, thank you for calling us into being as Trinity North Shore and giving us the mission of connecting with you, our communities, and creation in your great love. Give us your eyes to see the world, move our hearts with your love, grow our relationships with those around us. Bless our mission partnerships with ARocha and Anchor Point Community and lead us to care more deeply for all in our lives.
Amen.
The Celebrant concludes:
Almighty God, as your blessed Son Jesus Christ first came to seek and to save the lost; so may he come again to find in us the completion of his redeeming work; for he is now alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
Amen.
THE NICENE CREED (standing together)
Let’s stand together and profess our faith using the words of the Nicene Creed:
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten 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, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and 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, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who 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 CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION OF SIN
(kneeling or seated as you’re able)
Let's confess our sins and those things that prevent our being filled with love for God and our neighbors:
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, our heavenly Father, who in his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins to all those who sincerely repent and with true faith turn to him, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
THE PEACE (standing together)
The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
And with your spirit.
(Let’s greet one another with a sign of peace)
Announcements and Upcoming Events -
more details on our Events Page
Annunciation, by Ivanka Demchuk
The Joseph Fund - ARDF Relief Support for the People of Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Mozambique, Turkey, Syria, Earthquake, Wildfire, Hurricane relief and other relief efforts.
Details on our Missions Page
News:
The Story of the Love of God
“When we learn to read the story of Jesus and see it as the story of the love of God, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves—that insight produces, again and again, a sense of astonished gratitude which is very near the heart of authentic Christian experience."
-N.T. Wright
Important News for Meeting Next Week! Also, Advent Retreat- Potluck, New Book Videos, Baptisms sign up and more!
Check out the latest update on our News page
To Marvel More
Now available
We are so excited to announce the release of our latest title from Trinity Books!
To Marvel More: Holy Attention in the Incarnation Poems of Martha Marchina
Translated with commentary by Elspeth Currie
*Please leave a review- If you have ordered over $50 on Amazon in the past 12 months you can leave a review. This helps us to promote the book!
Details on our Trinity Books Page
Christmas Eve at Trinity North Shore in Manchester by the Sea
4 pm in the CROWELL CHAPEL
3 Rosedale Ave, Manchester-by-the-Sea
Details on our Events Page
If you or your child are interested in being baptized on Christmas Eve, please reach out to one of the clergy.
We are super excited to be baptizing some littles in the beautiful chapel on Christmas Eve in Manchester by the Sea and want to be sure we don’t miss anyone!
Sung Worship/Offering: we worship together with our hearts in song and in giving
the opportunity to worship through giving is available online here.
There is also a giving area near the welcome table. Look for the box shaped like a church building on the table near the entry.
Advent Poem from To Marvel More:
The Annunciation:
The blazing Son is veiled within a maid,
And from her sends a flaming, mild fire.
So God in an untouched womb is laid,
And warms the earth by this more gentle pyre.
This Wild Darkness
ooh, in this darkness, light my way
ooh, in this darkness, please light my way, light my way…
Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord
Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord
Prepare Ye the way of the Lord
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen.
THE PRESENTATION OF THE GIFTS
All things come from you, O Lord,
And of your own have we given you.
THE SURSUM CORDA (standing together)
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is right, our duty and our joy, 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 glory 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:
THE SANCTUS
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
THE PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
(kneeling as you’re able or sitting)
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and when we had sinned against you and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent your only Son Jesus Christ into the world for our salvation. By the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary he became flesh and dwelt among us. In obedience to your will, he stretched out his arms upon the Cross and offered himself once for all, that by his suffering and death we might be saved. By his resurrection he broke the bonds of death, trampling Hell and Satan under his feet. As our great high priest, he ascended to your right hand in glory, that we might come with confidence before the throne of grace.
On the night that he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my Body, which is given for you: Do this in remembrance of me.”
Likewise, after supper, Jesus took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink this, all of you; for this is my Blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for you, and for many, for the forgiveness of sins: Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.”
Celebrant: Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, and we offer you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Word and Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Sanctify us also, that we may worthily receive this holy Sacrament, and be made one body with him, that he may dwell in us and we in him. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us with all your saints into the joy of your heavenly kingdom, where we shall see our Lord face to face.
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.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
your Name be hallowed,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
as in heaven, also on earth.
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 yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
(Matthew 6:9–13)
THE FRACTION
Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
Therefore let us keep the feast, Alleluia!
THE MINISTRATION OF COMMUNION
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.
A PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
(for those with us online)
Lord Jesus, truly present in the Holy Sacrament: come spiritually into my heart and give me yourself, for I love you above all else, and I desire to be united with you within my soul.
Amen.
Reminder Communion Instructions: Prayer and Blessing Opportunities are available from a member of the prayer team as you return to your seat after receiving the bread and wine. Personal and Confidential Prayer is available following the service.
Sung Worship
Gloria: The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came
The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
With wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame:
"All hail to thee- O lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favored lady."
Gloria! Gloria! Gloria! Gloria!
"For know a blessed mother you shall be,
All generations praise and honor thee;
Thy son shall be - Emmanuel, the Prince of Peace,
Most highly favored lady."
Gloria! Gloria! Gloria! Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
"To me let it be as it pleases God," she said.
"My soul shall praise and magnify God’s holy name."
Most highly favored lady."
Gloria! Gloria! Gloria! Gloria!
Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem all on a Christmas morn,
And all the saints (Christian folk) through-out the world will ever sing,
"Most highly favored lady."
Gloria! Gloria! Gloria! Gloria!
THE POST COMMUNION PRAYER (standing together)
Heavenly Father, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood 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.
THE BLESSING
May God himself, the God of hope, joy, peace, and love, make you perfect, whole, and holy, and keep you safe and blameless, in spirit, soul and body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be with you now and remain with you forever.
Amen!
THE DISMISSAL
Alleluia, alleluia: Let us go forth to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God, Alleluia, alleluia.
SUNG WORSHIP
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
"To me let it be as it pleases God," she said.
"My soul shall praise and magnify God’s holy name."
Most highly favored lady."
Gloria! Gloria! Gloria! Gloria!
May the Peace of God be with you today
*Personal and Confidential Prayer is available after the service in the back of the chapel, look for the team with the Prayer badges around their shoulders.
Cn Timothy Clayton, lead pastor
Mtr Wendy Dixon, clergy
Mtr Jen Keifer, clergy
Michael Pritzl, sung worship leader
Christian Erickson, keyboards, vocals
Ian Clayton, production, guitar
Jennifer Mahnke, vocals, reader, intercessor
Juniper Mahnke, vocals
sung worship during Advent:
Trisagion, Maker of the Stars, written by Michael Pritzl
O Come, O Come Emmanuel, The hymn has its origins over 1,200 years ago in monastic life in the 8th or 9th century. 1851 translation by John Mason Neale
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, written by Charles Wesley to the tune of “Stuttgart” by Christian Frederich Witt.
Joy to the World, written by Isaac Watts to the tune “Antioch” by George Frideric Handel
Ode to Joy, based on a poem first written by Friedrich Schiller, and later used and adapted by Ludwig van Beethoven in the Fourth movement of his 9th symphony.
40, written by Paul David Hewson / Adam Clayton / Larry Mullen / Dave Evans
This Wild Darkness (Light my Way), written by Moby
Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord, written by Stephen Schwartz
Doxology, written by Thomas Ken in 1674
Gloria: The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came, Words Based on the Angelus Ad Virginem - Latin 13th century, paraphrased in 1834 by Sabine Baring-Gould, adapted by Michael Pritzl, Music by Michael Pritzl
Future Past, written by John Mark McMillan
Today’s liturgy is based on the Book of Common Prayer, 2019, the Renewed Ancient Eucharistic Rite, and the Church of England’s Times and Seasons liturgical supplement for Advent.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We all live on Indigenous land. We would like to acknowledge the Massachusett Tribe: the tribe of Indigenous peoples from whom the Colony, Province, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts have taken their name. We would like to pay our respect to the ancestral bloodline of the Massachusett Tribe and their descendants who still inhabit historical Massachusett Tribe territories to this day.
We are grateful to Thomas Green, VP of the Massachusett Tribe, for providing this paragraph. https://massachusetttribe.org/the-tribe
Saturday Evening Vigils
The practice of holding vigils on Saturday evening has roots in ancient Christian traditions, originally as the solemn Great Vigil of Easter, which was a night-long watch that celebrated the resurrection of Christ and was the first celebration of Easter. Over time, the vigil shifted to Saturday morning in some traditions, primarily due to fasting rules, but was restored to the evening in the mid-20th century, and Saturday evening Mass for Sunday obligations became a common practice in the 1970s
*Eucharist Adoration moment:
This is an adaptation of a spiritual practice known as Eucharistic Adoration, normally practiced in the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and in some Anglican expressions.
”Trinity”, and “Annunciation” artwork by Ukrainian Icon Artist, Ivanka Demchuk
be·gin·ning
/bəˈɡiniNG/
noun: the point in time or space at which something starts.
mer·cy
/ˈmərsē/
noun: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.
