St. Stephen's Episcopal church is a welcoming church located in the historic community of New Harmony, Indiana. Please join us every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. Our Worship Service is also streamed lived on Facebook at 10:00 a.m. CST
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The church office is open on Mondays 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
and on Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
The Christmas Poinsettia
SIGN UP SHEET
is available at the back of the church
Donations will be received for the
Christmas Poinsettias
Please sign the sheet for the flowers
before December 15, 2024
2025 GIVING ENVELOPES
are available at the back of the church
HOLY EUCHARIST with Rev. Mary Bargiel
Sunday, December 15th
SOUP and CAROLS
Wedmesday, December 18th
LESSONS and CAROLS
Christmas Eve Service
6:00 p.m.
REUNIFICATION DISCUSSION
Sunday, January 5, 2025
after Coffee Hour
ANNUAL MEETING
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Holy Eucharist
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church | New Harmony, Indiana
December 15, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
Third Sunday of Advent
Welcome to worship. Please join in speaking the bolded words.
Prelude Liz & Bish Mumford
Announcements
The service begins with the ringing of the bell.
All stand as able for the Advent Candle Lighting Service
An Advent Candle Lighting Service
Arranged by Liz Mumford
Prayers adapted by permission from Christianaid.org.uk website
The Officiant says
Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Officiant
We continue our Advent journey towards the Light of Christ this Third Sunday of Advent.
Reader 1:
From light comes life.
Deep in expectant earth, a seed stretches.
Safe in the womb, a child senses its season turning, and stirs.
It is Advent, something is coming,
People: God of light, may they grow –
the seed, the love, The Child.
Reader 1: O Lord, hear our song for Joy:
O Come, O Come Emmanuel sing vs 6 H56
O come, thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by thy drawing high;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadow put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Reader 2: Let us pray: Uncontainable, irrepressible, bubbling up in an explosion of energy. What the weary long for, what our children often embody, what makes the Divine smile – joy. It cannot be paid for, but is a priceless treasure.
As we hope for your arrival, as we pray for peace in your living, as we wait and watch and wonder how you might reveal yourself to us,
People: God give us joy in your Advent
(Light three candles)
Reader 2: Joy is not a commodity that can be bought or sold, but lives deep in the human spirit. Help us to hear that truth and believe it. Let go of what our consumer culture says will bring us happiness – money, success, a scramble to the top that leaves us flat. If we have robbed others of what they need in our clamor and quest for more than our fair share, forgive us. Help us hear the call of John the Baptist to turn around and begin again. God of love, we were made in joy. May we live that way.
People: We light a candle for joy.
May it light the way.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel sing vs 8 H56
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!
Reader 1: Our King and Savior now draws near.
People: Come let us adore him.
Liturgy of the Word
Collect of the Day
Presider The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Presider Let us pray.
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.
First Reading
A Reading from the book of Zephaniah
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors at that time.
And I will save the lame and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Canticle 9
The First Song of Isaiah Ecce Deus Isaiah 12:2-6
Surely, it is God who saves me;
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense,
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say,
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples;
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things,
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy,
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Second Reading Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
The people stand as able for the Gospel.
Prepare the way, O Zion H65
Prepare the way, O Zion,
your Christ is drawing near!
Let every hill and valley
a level way appear.
Greet One who comes in glory,
foretold in sacred story.
Oh, blest is Christ that came
in God’s most holy Name.
He brings God’s rule, O Zion;
he comes from heaven above.
His rule is peace and freedom,
and justice, truth, and love.
Lift high your praise resounding,
for grace and joy abounding.
Refrain
Fling wide your gates, O Zion;
your Savior’s rule embrace.
His tidings of salvation
proclaim in every place.
All lands will bow before him,
their voices will adore him.
Refrain
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. (Luke 3:7-18)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
John said 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? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Homily Rev. Mary Bargiel
The Nicene Creed
All stand as able for the creed.
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only 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: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from 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. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He 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 Prayers of the People: Intercessions
In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence
The leader and people pray responsively.
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.
For this community, the nation, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.
For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.
For Sean Rowe, our Presiding Bishop, and Jennifer, our Bishop; and all bishops and other ministers;
For all who serve God in his Church.
For the special needs and concerns of this congregation.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions
Hear us, Lord;
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence
The People may add their own thanksgivings
We will exalt you, O God our King;
And praise your Name for ever and ever.
We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions
Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.
Silence may be kept
Minister and People
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 have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and b the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.
The Peace
The people stand as able for the peace.
Presider The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
The Ministers and the People may greet one another from where they are in the name of the Lord.
Holy Communion
The Presider says
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and make good your vows to the Most High. Psalm 50:14
The Great Thanksgiving
The people are seated.
Let us with gladness present the offering and oblations of our life and labor to the Lord.
During the offertory (or at your own convenience), please consider giving to St. Stephens at the following link: https://onrealm.org/StStephensEpisc/-/give/now or by texting SSNH to 73256 and following the prompts. All donations go towards sustaining our church operations and our ministries
Offertory Anthem Liz & Bish Mumford
Doxology H380 v. 3
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Presider The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Presider Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Presider Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.
The Presider proceeds
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
For you are the source of light and life; you made us in your image, and called us to new life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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:
Sanctus S130
Presider and People
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full, full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.
The Presider continues
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all. He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: 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 for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Presider and People
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
The Presider continues
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.
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 Presider then continues
As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray,
People and Presider
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
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 thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Breaking of the Bread
A period of silence is kept.
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
The Celebrant says
The Gifts of God for the People of God.
All baptized persons are welcome to receive Holy Communion.
Communion Anthem Liz & Bish Mumford
After Communion, the Celebrant says
Let us pray.
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.
Blessing
The priest blesses the people, saying
The blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.
Rejoice! rejoice, believers H68
Rejoice! rejoice, believers,
and let your lights appear!
The evening is advancing,
and darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising,
and soon he will draw nigh;
up, watch in expectation!
at midnight comes the cry.
See that your lamps are burning,
replenish them with oil;
look now for your salvation,
the end of sin and toil.
The marriage-feast is waiting,
the gates wide open stand;
rise up, ye heirs of glory,
the Bridegroom is at hand!
Our hope and expectation,
O Jesus, now appear;
arise, thou Sun so longed for,
above this darkened sphere!
With hearts and hands uplifted,
we plead, O Lord, to see
the day of earth’s redemption,
and ever be with thee!
The Dismissal
Officiant
Let us go forth in the name of Christ.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14
Postlude Liz & Bish Mumford
Announcements
Thanks to those serving!
Acolyte, Reid Staubitz
Advent Reader 1, Karen Moser
Advent Reader 2,
Altar Guild, Peggy Meyer
Chalice Bearer, Charles Huck
Facebook Greeter,
Greeter, Phyllis Westfall
Homilist, Rev. Mary Bargiel
Intercessor, Mike Staubitz
Lector, Karen Moser
Music, Liz & Bish Mumford
Officiant, Hope Staubitz
Tech Coordinator, Mike Staubitz
Offertory, Gloria, Doxology, Sanctus, & Communion Anthem
used with permission © Windelm Music.
