O Emmanuel

Holy One, open our lips:

and we shall proclaim your praise.

Glory to God, Source of all being, Eternal Word and Holy Spirit;*

as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.  Amen.

PSALMODY

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

God-with-us here and now to dwell,

at one with our humanity,

in whom we find our destiny.

Rejoice! Rejoice! The human face

of God with us shall interlace.

OPENING

From Psalm 130, De Profundis

Out |of the depths * have I called |you, O Lord;


Lord, |hear my voice; *


let your ears consider well the voice of my |supplication.


If you, Lord, were to note what is |done amiss, *

O Lord, |who could stand?


For there is forgive-|ness with you; *

therefore you |shall be feared.


I wait for you, O Lord; my soul |waits for you; *

in your word |is my hope.


My soul waits for |you, O Lord, *

more than sentinels |for the morning. 


All you people, wait |for the Lord, *

for with the Lord |there is mercy;


with God there is plen-|teous redemption, *


the Lord shall redeem the people from |all their sins.

Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;*


as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.

Closing

Reading – Isaiah 7.13-19

Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.’

On that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the sources of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thorn bushes, and on all the pastures.

SILENCE

Responsory

There is a longing, deep within us,

to be with you, O God.


We are expectant

of your coming to walk the earth.

BENEDICTUS

Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,*

for he has come to his people and set them free.


He has raised up for us a mighty saviour,*

born of the house of his servant David.


Through his holy prophets he promised of old* 


that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all that hate us.


He promised to show mercy to our forebears,*

and to remember his holy covenant.


This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:* 


to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,*


holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.


You my child shall be called the prophet of the Most High,*


for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,


to give his people knowledge of salvation*

by the forgiveness of all their sins.


In the tender compassion of our God*

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,


to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,*
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.


Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;*


as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.


Christ, have mercy upon us.


Lord, have mercy upon us.

On this day, lift into the blessing of God’s compassionate gaze:

those who carry the responsibility for making laws;

all who work within the justice system;

all who have to trust others to bring justice. Amen.

Our Father in heaven,  hallowed be your name, 


your kingdom come, your will be done,

on earth as in heaven. 


Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. 


Do not bring us to the time of trial, but deliver us from evil. 


For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, 


now and for ever. Amen.

Collect

Gracious God,

may our hearts leap for joy

in the silence of the approaching night,

as your living Word becomes a human being,

speaking to us through flesh and blood,

through our neighbours, our enemies, and our friends.

Amen.

Blessing

As we go from this place,

help us to remember that we are cradled in your loving hand,

developing alongside our brother, Jesus

and gifted with life by your Holy breath. Amen.