On Sunday we decided to do a service of nine lessons and carols for Epiphany. Here is the template we used. Feel free to swipe and amend it to suit your own context. On this occasion I decided to concentrate on the magi and the prophesies of their coming, rather than pursuing all the "signs" of the season such as the wedding at Cana and the Baptism of Christ.
--------------------------------------------
The light and peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Beloved ones, we gather here in wonder and in awe,
at the manifestation of God’s glory in our midst:
Let us kneel in worship at the good news of God’s love
and bring the gifts of our hearts in grateful thanksgiving.
Let us join in the songs sung by angels and archangels
and the whispered words of worship given by Mary at the crib.
Let us dedicate ourselves once again to the service of the Servant-King
and let us bring to him the needs of the world he came to save:
We pray for those who like the Magi search for meaning in life,
that the bright star of the Light of Christ would illuminate their journeys.
We pray for those like Joseph, who work and dream of a better world.
That God’s Spirit would strengthen them with wisdom and insight.
We pray for those, who like the Holy Family, travel to foreign lands,
for refugees and all oppressed by the greed and the violence of others.
We pray for those, who like Herod, use their power to destroy and kill, that the message of the gospel would melt their hearts of stone.
These prayers we offer in the words that the Light of the World himself taught us:
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, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Congregational Carol
Please stand
O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him
Born, the King of angels:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
God of God,
Light of Light,
Lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
Very God,
Begotten, not created:
O come, let us adore him…
Lo! star-led chieftains,
Magi, Christ adoring,
offer him incense, gold and myrrh;
we to the Christ Child
bring our hearts’ oblations:
O come, let us adore him…
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above:
‘Glory to God
In the highest:’
O come, let us adore him…
100 CFC p226 Music: attr. John Francis Wade (1711-86) Words: Frederick Oakeley (1802-80)
1-A ruler born in Bethlehem
Micah 5:1-5
A reading from the book of Micah:
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labour has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace. Thanks be to God.
2 –A prophesy of kings bringing gifts
Psalm 72: 1, 8-15, 19
(sung by the choir)
1.Give the King thy judgements, O God : and thy righteousness unto the King's son.
8. His dominion shall be also from the one sea to the other : and from the flood unto the world's end.
9. They that dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him : his enemies shall lick the dust.
10. The kings of Tharsis and of the isles shall give presents : the kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts.
11. All kings shall fall down before him : all nations shall do him service.
12. For he shall deliver the poor when he crieth : the needy also, and him that hath no helper.
13. He shall be favourable to the simple and needy : and shall preserve the souls of the poor.
14. He shall deliver their souls from falsehood and wrong : and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15. He shall live, and unto him shall be given of the gold of Arabia : prayer shall be made ever unto him, and daily shall he be praised.
19. And blessed be the Name of his majesty for ever : and all the earth shall be filled with his majesty. Amen, Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
3 –The prophesy of a Star announcing One whose coming is near
Numbers 24:16-17
A reading from the book of Numbers:
The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is clear, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty,
who falls down, but with his eyes uncovered:
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near—
a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel.
Thanks be to God.
Choir Carol
4 –A prophesy of Camels, gold and incense
Isaiah 60:1-6
A reading from the book of Isaiah:
Arise, shine; for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Congregational Carol
As with Gladness part 1
As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold,
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright,
so, most gracious God, may we
evermore be led to thee.
As with joyful steps they sped,
to that lowly manger-bed,
there to bend the knee before
him whom heaven and earth adore,
so may we with willing feet
ever seek thy mercy-seat.
Dix NEH 47 Text: William Chatterton Dix (1837–98)
adapted from Conrad Kocher (1788–1872)
by William Henry Monk (1823–89)
5 –King Herod Meets the magi
Matthew 2: 1-6
A reading from the gospel of St Matthew:
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
Thanks be to God.
Choir Carol
6 –The Magi Worship Jesus
Matthew 2: 7-12
A reading from the gospel of St Matthew:
Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.Thanks be to God.
Congregational Carol
As with Gladness part 2
As they offered gifts most rare
at that manger rude and bare,
so may we with holy joy,
pure, and free from sin’s alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee our heavenly King.
In the heavenly country bright
need they no created light;
thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
thou its Sun which goes not down:
there for ever may we sing
alleluias to our King.
Choir Carol
7 –The Holy Family Escapes to Egypt
Matthew 2: 13-16
A reading from the gospel of St Matthew:
Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. Thanks be to God.
Choir Carol
8 –The Holy Family moves to Nazareth
Matthew 2: 19-23
A reading from the gospel of St Matthew:
When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazarene.” Thanks be to God.
Carol – We Three Kings
During which gold, frankincense and myrrh
are processed to the altar.
We three kings of Orient are,
bearing gifts we traverse afar
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star:
O star of wonder, star of night,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.
Choir solo
Born a king on Bethlehem plain,
gold I bring, to crown him again —
King for ever, ceasing never,
over us all to reign:
O star of wonder…
Choir solo
Frankincense to offer have I;
incense owns a Deity nigh:
prayer and praising, all men raising,
worship him, God most high:
O star of wonder…
Choir solo
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
breathes a life of gathering gloom:
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
sealed in the stone-cold tomb:
O star of wonder…
Choir
Glorious now, behold him arise,
King, and God, and sacrifice!
Heaven sings alleluia,
alleluia the earth replies:
O star of wonder…
J H Hopkins (1820-91)
9 – The Gospel is now open to all
Acts 10: 34-45
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. Thanks be to God.
Collect of Epiphany
O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: mercifully grant that we, who know you now by faith, may at last behold your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Nunc Dimittis
sung by the choir
During this canticle the altar is censed with incense and myrrh
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace:
according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared: before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles:
and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son:
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
Final Congregational Carol – The First Nowell
The first Nowell the angel did say
was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
in fields where they lay, keeping their sheep,
on a cold winter’s night that was so deep:
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
born is the King of Israel.
They lookèd up and saw a star,
shining in the east, beyond them far:
and to the earth it gave great light,
and so it continued both day and night:
And by the light of that same star,
three Wise Men came from country far:
To seek for a king was their intent,
and to follow the star wheresoever it went:
This star drew nigh to the north-west;
o’er Bethlehem it took its rest,
and there it did both stop and stay
right over the place where Jesus lay:
Then entered in those Wise Men three,
full reverently upon their knee,
and offered there in his presence
both gold and myrrh and frankincense:
Then let us all with one accord
sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
that hath made heaven and earth of naught,
and with his blood mankind hath bought:
The first Nowell NEH 36 Traditional English, third mode melody
The Blessing
Christ our Lord, to whom kings bowed down in worship and offered gifts,
reveal to you his glory and pour upon you the riches of his grace;
And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
