Happening This Sunday

Who's Preaching Where on Sunday?

• Traditional Services | 9 am & 11:15 am in the Church – Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon (9 am) & The Rev. Dr. Doug Richnow (11:15 am)
• Awesome Worship Service for Families | 9:15 am in the Hall Life Center – The Rev. Libby Garfield
• Modern Worship | 11:15 am in the Hall Life Center – The Rev. Reagan Cocke
• Traditional Service | 8 am & 5 pm in the Chapel – Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon (8 am) & The Rev. Dr. Doug Richnow (5 pm)
  

Worship Online

• Traditional Service in the Church (9 am - with Order of Service & Announcements)
• Modern Worship in the HLC (11:15 am - with Announcements)
  

All-Ages Education Hour — 
10:15 am Administration Building

Advent: The Witness of Waiting - Hall Life Center
Family Matters – Room L18

Children's Sunday School – First Floor
Youth Sunday School – Room 238 & Chapel
Youth Confirmation – Room 236

Happening Today

Discover Chrismon Ornaments
This Advent you are invited to discover some of the beautiful Chrismon ornaments created by the women of St. John the Divine. Each Sunday, four pictures will be displayed on a poster for you to find on the Chrismon tree. Download a guide to the 16 ornaments featured this Advent.

The Collect of the Day
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Luke 3:7-18
3:7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.

Musical Offering in the Church

The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday. The day takes its name from the Latin word Gaudete (“Rejoice”), the first word of the Introit of this day’s mass: Gaudete in Domino semper (Rejoice in the Lord Alway, and again, I say rejoice…. Philippians 4:4-6). While we spent the first two weeks of Advent focused on Christ’s coming, the third week is one of joy and rejoicing in anticipation of Christ’s coming. In keeping with the theme, we light the pink candle of the Advent wreath and sing joyful music. Hymns today include “Hark a thrilling voice is sounding,” “Hark! the Glad Sound, “and “Rejoice! Rejoice Believers.”

Henry Ramsden Bramley (1833 – 1917) was an Anglican priest and hymnologist perhaps best known for his collaborations with the composer Sir John Stainer. At the Offertory, the SJD Chorale sings Bramley’s hymn “O Thou the Central Orb” as set in high Victorian style by composer Charles Wood. This anthem refers to Jesus as the “central orb” which disperses the gloom of sin and the warmth which awakens a “wintry world.”

During the Ministration, the Chorale sings a joyful 16th century English motet on the Philippians passage referenced earlier, “Rejoice in the Lord, Alway.” It is also the appointed New Testament reading for today.