With Bulletin For December 3 Service

Dear St. Paul’s Church Family,

  After months of planning and preparation, the time for St. Paul’s Christmas Concert and Christmas Market has arrived. Already the town is bustling with folks disembarking in waves for this weekend’s Christmas Stroll. There is excitement in the air. If on island, please join us for Friday evening’s festive concert, reception and Market preview. A unique and impressive array of gifts has been collected for sale. Saturday welcomes islanders and visitors into Gardner Hall to shop and to enjoy a scrumptious sit down lunch at old fashioned prices. 

  Risking nepotism, I want to thank Christmas Market chair, Olly Wolf, our staff and the dozens of volunteers who have publicized, donated, priced, displayed, baked, rehearsed, and will now cook and serve this weekend. The team spirit has been palpable. Proceeds from all these efforts help fund our compassionate work and loving presence in our island community.

 Last Sunday afternoon, as is our tradition, Peter Greenhalgh again organized a dedicated multigenerational crew to lovingly decorate our sanctuary for this weekend’s festivities and for the weeks ahead. And in a few days we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent and the new Church year with dramatic scripture readings and music. See you at church!

The peace and joy of Christ,

Max

This Week at St. Paul’s Church in Nantucket

Tuesdays -Thursdays

8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.  Regular church office hours; Parish House

Fridays

9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.  Regular church office hours; Parish House

Tuesday, December 5

10:00 a.m.         Sherburne Commons Worship

12:00 p.m.         Lunchbox Series

Wednesday, December 6

9:00 a.m.          Staff Meeting

12:00 p.m.         Mid-Week Music

2:30 p.m.          Meal Delivery Ministry

Thursday, December 7

11:30 a.m.          Bible Study

Sunday, December 10    Lessons & Carols 

9:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist 

10:45 a.m. Coffee Hour

Upcoming Happenings

St. Paul's Lunchbox Series D / Lunch with King David

Join us for Lunchbox on Tuesday, 5 December 2023, noon to 1 pm. This week at Lunchbox we continue to read (aloud) T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral and bear witness.  No homework. No thespian experience needed. To receive the script, please write to Sam Baker at  . 

The link address for Lunches with King David is Zoom Link for Lunch with King David

Mid-Week Music@ St. Paul’s

Wednesdays 12:00-12:30 p.m. for Mid-Week Music @ St. Paul’s. Join us on your lunch break in person on Fair Street or on Facebook Live at St. Paul’s Church in Nantucket— Episcopal or on YouTube at St. Paul’s - Nantucket (and taped for later viewing).

Save the Date

December 10 - 9:30 a.m., Advent Lessons & Carols

December 10 - 2:00 p.m., NCMC Community Chorus (time changed)

Christmas Services at St. Paul’s Church in Nantucket

Sunday, December 24

9:30 a.m.      Fourth Sunday of Advent Holy Eucharist

4:30 p.m.      Family Service with Holy Eucharist and Special Music

6:30 p.m.      Prelude of Christmas Instrumental and Vocal Music

7:00 p.m.      Christmas Eve Service with Holy Eucharist and Music;

Monday, December 25

9:30 a.m.     Holy Eucharist with Organ and Carols

Updated Contact Information

Please email if your contact information has changed and needs to be updated.

The information to access our daily broadcast offerings is as follows:

Sunday Holy Eucharist at 9:30am

• in person
• via Facebook Live at St Paul's Church in Nantucket - Episcopal
• or via Zoom at click here and then click on Join a Meeting and use the ID code and then the Passcode when prompted with the meeting ID # 983 0366 8882 Passcode: 373740
• to phone in 1-301-715-8592 code: 98303668882#

Thursday morning Bible study 11:30-12:30, in person at church and via Facebook Live or Zoom (with the meeting ID # 957 8383 4554 and Passcode 206515).

Joe Hammer’s Mid-Week Music @St. Paul's, Wednesdays at noon, in person at church and via Facebook Live.

St. Paul’s Church in Nantucket (Episcopal)

December 3, 2023

First Sunday of Advent

Holy Eucharist

Ringing of the Bell

Prelude                O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Veni Emmanuel)

                                Calvin Hampton (1938-1984)

Lighting of the Advent Wreath

Celebrant: Grant us, Lord, the lamp of compassion, that by it’s brightness we may shed its light on those around us, revealing the true and never-failing Light, Jesus Christ our Lord.

People: The Lord is my light and my salvation. The Lord is the strength of my life. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirt. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Hymn 616    Hail to the Lord’s Anointed   Es flog ein kleins Waldvögelein

The Acclamation 

Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

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.

Collect of the Day

The Lessons

A Reading from Isaiah 64:1-9

Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18

A Reading from 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Sequence Hymn 640               Watchman, tell us of the night       Aberystwyth

The Holy Gospel according to Mark 13:24-37

Sermon                                                               The Rev. Max J. Wolf

Music Meditation         Aria (Pastorale)

                                      Robert W. Jones (1932-1997)

The Prayers of the People

Confession of Sins

Absolution

The Peace

The Peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you.

Announcements

Offertory Anthem    Haste, My Soul

      Tune: Psalm 42, Claude Goudimel (1514-1572); arr. Philip Norman (b. 1953)

Haste, my soul, thou sister sweetest, Deck thee, ere the Bridegroom comes; Sweep thy house in manner meetest, In thine heart prepare him room; Soon shalt thou receive a guest, Gentlest, meekest, bravest, best: Soon to thee there shall be given Christ, the very Bread of heaven. W In his presence, passing measure, There is joy and charity; And his friendship bringeth pleasure; Altogether lovely he; At thine house he fain would stay, Break his journey there today, Sit and rest beneath thy gable, Eat and drink with thee at table.

The Holy Communion

The Breaking of the Bread

At the Communion      

 Es ist ein’ Ros’ entsprungen (Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming)

              Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Postcommunion Prayer (BCP 365)

Blessing

Hymn 68              Rejoice! Rejoice, believers                       Llangloffan

Dismissal

The people respond: Thanks be to God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Voluntary        Trumpet Tune on Wachet Auf (Sleepers wake!)

                                   Martha Sobaje (b. 1948)

All are invited to Coffee Hour after the service.

Celebrant                                    The Rev. Max J. Wolf  

Verger                                          Curtis Barnes

Eucharistic Minister                   Paul Borneman III

Acolytes                                      George & Finn Moore

Readers                                       Siobhan O’Mahony, Libby Tracey

Ushers                                         Phil Smith, Trish Anderson

Altar Guild                                   Dottie Gennaro

Music Director & Organist        Joe Hammer