Planning for Rites and Rituals: A Resource for Episcopal Worship: Year C

The indispensable guide to curating resources for worship in the Episcopal Church.

Newly revised and reorganized, this guide to liturgical planning in the Episcopal Church is organized around the seasons of the church year and the cycle of Sunday readings in the revised common lectionary. Structured as a series of three volumes—one for each year in the lectionary cycle—Planning for Rites and Rituals includes guidance for making seasonal choices among the church’s authorized worship resources, brief commentary on each Sunday’s readings, guidance in approaching the Prayers of the People, and suggestions for observing commemorations from the church’s calendar. New introductory material suggests approaches to curating liturgical resources.

New editor Andrew Wright has applied his years of experience in planning liturgy at parishes across the Episcopal Church and mentoring clergy to this revision. Including contributions from throughout the church, this volume offers clergy and lay liturgical planners a framework for planning throughout the church year.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Church Publishing
• Release date: Jul 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9781640656734

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Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Welcome and Introduction

Year C: The Year of Luke

The Nature of Liturgy and the Planning of the Liturgical Year

Planning the Service of Holy Eucharist

Advent

Preparing for Advent

An Expanded Advent

Advent—Major Feasts, Seasonal Rites, and Other Commemorations

The First Sunday of Advent

The Second Sunday of Advent

The Third Sunday of Advent

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Christmas

Preparing for Christmas

Christmas—Major Feasts, Seasonal Rites, and Other Commemorations

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Eve

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Day

The First Sunday after Christmas Day

The Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Second Sunday after Christmas

Epiphany

Preparing for Epiphany

Epiphany—Major Feasts, Seasonal Rites, and Other Commemorations

The Epiphany

The First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ also called Candlemas

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany

The Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany

The Last Sunday after the Epiphany

Lent

Preparing for Lent

Lent—Major Feasts, Seasonal Rites, and Other Commemorations

Ash Wednesday

The First Sunday in Lent

The Second Sunday in Lent

The Third Sunday in Lent

The Fourth Sunday in Lent

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

Holy Week

Preparing for Holy Week

Holy Week—Seasonal Rites, and Other Commemorations

The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday

Monday in Holy Week

Tuesday in Holy Week

Wednesday in Holy Week

Maundy Thursday

Good Friday

Holy Saturday

Easter

Preparing for Easter

Easter—Major Feasts, Seasonal Rites, Other Commemorations

The Great Vigil of Easter

The Sunday of the Resurrection: Easter Day

The Second Sunday of Easter

The Third Sunday of Easter

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

The Fifth Sunday of Easter

The Sixth Sunday of Easter

Ascension Day

The Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day

The Day of Pentecost

Season After Pentecost Summer & Autumn

Preparing for the Season after Pentecost General Notes

Preparing for the Season after Pentecost (Summer)

Season after Pentecost (Summer)— Major Feasts, Seasonal Rites, and Other Commemorations

The First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday

Proper 1

Proper 2

Proper 3

Proper 4

Proper 5

Proper 6

Proper 7

Proper 8

Proper 9

Proper 10

Proper 11

Proper 12

Proper 13

The Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Proper 14

Proper 15

Proper 16

Preparing for the Season after Pentecost (Autumn)

Season after Pentecost (Autumn)— Major Feasts, Seasonal Rites, and Other Commemorations

Proper 17

Proper 18

Proper 19

Proper 20

Proper 21

Proper 22

Proper 23

Proper 24

Proper 25

All Saints' Day

Proper 26

Proper 27

Proper 28

The Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King Proper 29

Appendix 1: Planning Morning Prayer for Sunday Worship

Appendix 2: Planning Ante-Communion (Liturgy of the Word) for Sunday Worship

Index of Seasonal Rites

Index of Major and Lesser Feast Days

Welcome and Introduction

Welcome to the newly revised and integrated permanent Year C edition of Planning for Rites and Rituals. This volume is intended to be used on a 3-year basis rather than issuing a new volume tied to a specific calendar year, as Church Publishing produced for several years previously. This volume incorporates material from the two previous iterations of Year C (2018–2019 and 2021–2022), organizes some material differently, and adds new material.

While not everything from previous years could be used in this new edition, much has been retained. This volume still provides a wide range of thought-provoking, creative options for Sundays and holy days throughout the liturgical year. Looking for ways to engage a range of ages? It’s here. Looking for help seeing the images in each week’s scripture? We’ve got that. Want hymns keyed to the lectionary or brief introductions to the scriptures? It’s all here, in a single resource.

You will find that this resource offers two areas for engaging in planning, grouped by liturgical season and date. Each season begins with a Preparing for . . . section designed to get you thinking and your creative juices flowing. Seasonal Rites follows, offering expansive ideas for worship within or outside the primary Sunday service, and is followed by a quick overview of Major Feasts, Seasonal Rites, and other Commemorations follows, offering expansive ideas for worship within or outside the primary Sunday service and an overview of feast days and other important days to consider for the season or time of year. Since this is designed to be used for Year C for the foreseeable future, tying feasts to particular lectionary weeks was more challenging since the liturgical calendar is based in part on movable feasts.

Following these overview sections, every Sunday’s set of resources offers all you need for putting together a Sunday (or holy day) service as well as other ideas for formation and community engagement within and beyond your church doors. Additional attention has been given to how to shape planning for a service, grounded in the propers (the readings, collect, and preface) for the day.

As in previous volumes, dozens of individuals were part of the creation of the material used here. Parish clergy, educators, musicians, members of Altar Guilds, and many others are featured within these pages. Representation includes those working in small parishes and those in larger ones, those in rural locales and those in cities, clergy and lay.

New material has been prepared for this edition, and revisions have been made as necessary to prior contributions. New material and prior contributors, whose material may reappear in this volume, include the following, related to these sections of the text:

» Our introductory material includes Year C: The Year of Luke, written by Kimberly S. Jackson, a priest in the Diocese of Atlanta and a member of the Georgia State Senate, representing the 41st District.

» The Nature of Liturgy and the Planning of the Liturgical Year is provided by James Farwell, who serves in a dual appointment as professor of theology and liturgy at Virginia Theological Seminary and the H. Boone Porter professor of liturgy at The General Theological Seminary.

» Planning the Service of Holy Eucharist (as well as the brief appendices on planning Morning Prayer and planning Ante-Communion) provides an overview of the planning process that the resources in this volume are here to support. Editor Andrew Wright provides an approach to planning that will help to create liturgies that are meaningful, coherent, integrative, and faithful.

» The "Preparing for" seasonal overviews were drawn from both prior Year C volumes using material by James Farwell, professor at Virginia Theological Seminary and The General Theological Seminary, as well as material from Miranda Hassett, rector of St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Madison, Wisconsin.

» Major Feasts, Seasonal Rites, and Other Commemorations include material from prior volumes, including brief write-ups for some feast days provided by Martha Baker, a writer, editor, and educator in St. Louis, Missouri. New material in this section is provided by editor Andrew Wright of the Diocese of Newark.

» The scriptural overviews that open each Sunday or holy day come from Preparing for Sunday, a website previously available from Church Publishing.

» Reading Between the Lines, by New Testament scholar Deirdre Good, identifies and describes aspects of the language in the day’s readings, in addition to historical and theological features.

» Central Themes has incorporated material from previous sections, Ideas for the Day and Making Connections. This section offers thoughts for approaching the day and its text in preaching and worship, including contemporary issues, movies, technology and social media, literature, historical events, and figures related to the Sunday lections and season. It also offers insights into connecting our Episcopal tradition to each Sunday. This may take the form of referencing other areas of the Book of Common Prayer, our Baptismal Covenant, or faith in daily life. Contributors from previous editions that may be reprinted here include: Marcus Halley, college chaplain and dean of Spiritual and Religious Life for Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut; Demi Prentiss, lay leader and program consultant for Episcopal Church Foundation; Vicki Garvey, biblical scholar and educator in Chicago; Matthew Welsch, priest for youth and family at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City; Hickman Alexandre, vicar of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Brookhaven, New York; Michelle Boomgaard, rector of Christ Church in Springfield, Ohio; Jane Gober, canon for transition ministry in the Diocese of Pennsylvania; Will Mebane, rector at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Falmouth, Massachusetts; Paul Fromberg, rector of St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco; Ernesto Medina, pastor of First Lutheran Church in Fremont, Nebraska; Mike Angell, rector of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Megan Castellan, canon to the ordinary for formation and mission development in the Diocese of Central New York; Jay Fluellen, a composer, organist, and choir director; Lelanda Lee, poet, and church and community leader in Longmont, Colorado; and Sharon Ely Pearson, Christian educator from Norwalk, Connecticut. New material has also been prepared here in some places by the editor, Andrew Wright of the Diocese of Newark.

» Engaging all Ages offers ideas for deepening all ages in their engagement with worship (children, youth, and adults). They include thoughts for the congregation to take home and discuss, things to notice or highlight during worship (colors, senses, symbols, gestures), and ideas for action. Contributors from previous editions that may be reprinted here include: Jerusalem Jackson Greer, author, evangelist, and leader in agrarian ministry, interim director at Procter Center in London, Ohio; Kathy Hood Culmer, a biblical storyteller from Kingwood, Texas; Elizabeth Hammond, retired Christian educator of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Greenville, North Carolina; Imani Driskell, who serves on the Christian Formation Committee in the Diocese of Ohio; Fiona Vidal-White, director of Christian formation at Church of Our Saviour in Arlington, Massachusetts; and Lindsay Gottwald, an Episcopal educator in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

» Prayers of the People uses material from both prior volumes, 2018–2019 and 2021–2022, by Geralyn Wolf, Assisting Bishop of Long Island and former Bishop of Rhode Island, drawn from her Intercessions for Year C. Additional prayers of the people have been provided by editor Andrew Wright, composed over the years with parishioners in Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Worth, Texas; Grace Episcopal Church, Monroe, New York; and the Chapel of the Good Shepherd of the General Theological Seminary. Some intercessions provided here rely on the work of late Ormonde Plater ¹ and are adaptations of his extensive archives, hosted now by the Association of Episcopal Deacons.

» Hymn suggestions are drawn from Carl Daw Jr. and Thomas Pavlechko’s Liturgical Music for the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, 2nd Edition (Church Publishing Incorporated, 2024). These complement the theme and readings of the day and come from The Hymnal 1982, Lift Every Voice and Sing II, and Wonder, Love, and Praise.

Thank you for the trust you put in Church Publishing Incorporated to provide liturgical planning tools for your parish use. We value our partnership on the journey and are grateful for the many ways in which you care for the church’s worship.

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1. Ormonde Plater, Deacon Ormonde Plater Archived Documents, Association for Episcopal Deacons, https://www.episcopaldeacons.org/ormonde-plater-archive.html, accessed February 27, 2023.

Year C: The Year of Luke

The Gospel of Luke in Year C

The Revised Common Lectionary Year C takes us on a journey through the Gospel of Luke, with a brief pause for a few readings in John. In order to fit with the liturgical seasons, the readings from Luke are not always sequential, and some sections of Luke are completely omitted from this year’s lectionary readings. Perhaps most notably, much of the first chapter of Luke describing the arrival of John the Baptist is absent from the appointed lessons. Despite the omissions and sometimes circuitous route through Luke, Year C provides exposure to the vast majority of Luke’s gospel.

Things to Know about Luke

Traditionally, this gospel is attributed to a man named Luke, whom early New Testament scholars believed to be a physician. More contemporary scholars now question Luke’s status as a physician, and most conclude that Luke’s occupation is simply unknown. Likewise, the Gospel of Luke is addressed to an unknown person named Theophilus (cf. Luke 1:3). Because the literal translation for the name Theophilus means friend of God, one could argue that the book of Luke is dedicated to anyone who is a friend of God.

The Gospel of Luke is the longest of the four gospels and thus includes several points of information and parables that are unique. Luke is the only gospel author who writes a detailed birth narrative for Jesus and includes mention of the shepherds watching their flocks by night (cf. Luke 2:1–20). The stories of the Good Samaritan (cf. Luke 10:30–35), the Prodigal Son (cf. Luke 15:11–32), and the Persistent Widow (cf. Luke 18:1–8) are all included in Lectionary Year C and are also unique to Luke’s gospel.

A major theme in the book of Luke is the message of Jesus’s radical welcome for everyone—especially those people who were often looked upon as outcasts. In some Episcopal churches, the invitation to Communion is preceded with these words: Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome. The gospel readings for Year C reinforce such messages of welcome by describing the wide variety of people who become companions with Jesus. They are tax collectors, fishermen, women and children, people who are poor, sick, or even demon-possessed. In Luke, Jesus meets people wherever they are on life’s journey and invites them to follow him.

The stories and parables within Luke also lend themselves well to regular preaching and teaching series about love, freedom, and justice. Beginning in Advent with John’s prophesy of a restructured equitable world order; to the Christmas story of an unmarried woman being chosen to give birth to our Lord; to the season of Epiphany in which Jesus makes it clear that his mission is to let the oppressed go free; to a passion narrative that includes the redemption of a dying criminal (cf. Luke 3:1–6; 1:46–55; 4:14–21; 23:39–43)—Luke’s gospel offers the preacher multiple opportunities to reflect on Womanist and Liberation theologies.

It is also important to note that the setting for the book of Luke is during a time when Jewish people were living under Roman occupation. This context is important to keep in mind as one considers the subversive and dangerous nature of Jesus’s parables and actions.

Techniques for Preaching Luke

As noted above, the gospel of Luke includes more parables from Jesus than any other gospel. Remember that parables are crafted narratives (read: stories) designed to help the listeners hear a message of Truth.

These crafted stories are multi-layered and wide open to various meanings. So, no matter how many times we read the story of the Good Samaritan (Fifth Sunday after Pentecost) or the Prodigal Son (Fourth Sunday in Lent), there are more layers in the story to explore. Consider approaching these familiar stories with a new lens by imagining the story from a more minor character’s point of view (e.g., the servants working alongside the son). Or rewrite the story to fit a twenty-first-century context (e.g., instead of leprosy, imagine the person in need of healing is HIV positive).

The aim is to keep mining the parables of Jesus in search of new lessons that the Spirit has prepared for the people of God for such a time as this. As we journey through Luke, I also invite you to try integrating some of your own parables into sermons. The author of Luke provides several examples of this as he shares many of Jesus’s stories.

Friends, I believe that we have a standing invitation to, in the Spirit of the teachings of Jesus, craft stories that help our listeners hear the Good News in a new way. We learn from Luke that Jesus was often moving around from village to village, home to home, and from land to sea to land. His context was constantly shifting, so I encourage you to consider reading these lessons in preparation for your sermon outside of your usual context. Instead of sitting in your office or favorite chair at home, change surroundings and take these readings with you into the public square. While riding public transit or sitting on a bench in a park, read the Beatitudes (cf. Luke 6:20–31; All Saints’ Day). Notice the people around you and imagine what these sayings might mean to and for them. Take Luke 4:21–30 (Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany) to the emergency room waiting room at your local hospital and read Jesus’s words in that context. The change in our own body posture and surroundings can help us hear the Spirit afresh.

Kimberly S. Jackson

Church of the Common Ground,

Atlanta, Georgia

The Nature of Liturgy and the Planning of the Liturgical Year

It is useful, perhaps, for those who prepare the liturgies of the church year to pause a moment before beginning their work to recall the nature of Christian liturgy and its implications for the arts of planning.

For Christians, worship is the highest human activity, and our principal public worship occurs through rituals. Christians have often called our particular rituals liturgies. In Word and Sacrament, around Book and Font and Table, we practice in liturgy the fundamental posture of gratitude and sketch out with our bodies, voices, and words the true nature of LIFE as God intends it—how God in Christ redeems our lives to come out of the darkness, out of death, and into the LIFE for which we long.

After all, our redemption in Christ is the first and primary meaning of the word liturgy. The term in its origin meant not so much the work of the people but a work for the people, for the common good—in this case, for the good of the whole world. So it was that scripture used the term liturgy to refer to Jesus as our great High Priest, the one in whom the mission of God was revealed and effected (e.g., Hebrews 8:6). Our rituals, then, are referred to as liturgies in a secondary sense: through our liturgies, we enter into the great Liturgy, the work that God has done and continues in Christ, by the Spirit’s power. We render thanks, rehearse the reign of God, and practice the coming kingdom, a great flourishing that is at once distant from the broken form in which the world now lives and, as Jesus says in Luke’s gospel, already among and within us (Luke 17:21). In our liturgies, we enter into the Mystery that is Christ, the Crucified-Risen One.

How does this happen in liturgy? By God’s grace, of course, since standing before God with praise and thanksgiving, with deep reverence and yet unafraid, is the very goal of the mission of God that only God can accomplish! But, in terms of the method, our formation occurs through the power of ritual repetition. It does not happen immediately or automatically. It happens only over time, as we move again and again among the familiar centers of sacred space and through the familiar sacred seasons.

This is how ritual works. Furthermore, the effectiveness of our worship to draw us unto the mission of God, the liturgy that is God in Christ, requires our consent and our intentional participation. Only when we are intentional in our engagement with liturgical practices does liturgy have the power—here a little, there a bit more—to awaken us to what God is up to in the world, in all the places and times of our lives. Liturgy might, in fact, be described as a place and a form in which we practice our capacity to pay attention to what God has done and even teach us that to which we ought to attend. We trust that God is at work in our liturgies to convert us, slowly but surely, to the reconciliation with God that they already enact.

Liturgy, then, is serious and joyful business! It matters that liturgy be done well, not with a commitment to perfection (a neurosis, probably, and impossible to sustain), but surely with a commitment to excellence. God does not need liturgy to redeem and renew us. Like the waters of a river blocked by fallen trees and debris, God’s love and will to redeem will find a way, but how much better to clear the stream, to let the waters flow. (This image we borrow gratefully from Gordon Lathrop.) To let the waters flow in liturgy with power and clarity, it must be planned well, prepared thoughtfully, with its purposes in mind, and its particular seasons and ritual elements carefully coordinated.

This last point brings us directly to the art of planning. The wise planner of liturgy who understands its power to form us over time will understand that to plan one season involves planning them all. The elements appearing with regularity in each season have power to shape us because they are linked to the variables of the other seasons. For example, an extended period of celebration without Confession in the Easter season can transform our sense of how deeply God knows and loves us unconditionally, no matter our sins, precisely because we have just finished the sustained penitential practices of Lent in which we acknowledge those very sins. The luminous, haunting power of plainchant sung by a cantor in Advent, perhaps, or music sung without instrumental accompaniment in Holy Week, will be a function of its contrast to a glorious symphony of instruments and robust power of congregational song in the adjacent seasons of the year—and vice versa. And this is not just a matter of meaning by difference: hymnody well chosen for, say, Advent and Epiphany will touch one another like echoes across a valley.

So, as the book before you provides suggestions for liturgical celebration for each season and Sunday of the year, let the user be wise: remember that the planning of any one season’s liturgies should be linked to the planning of all the others, and the choices made about any particular occasion will contribute to the rhythm and symmetry of the whole. To do this well is to release the full potential of liturgy to remake us, by God’s own grace, into the Body of Christ in the world, becoming what we receive, as Augustine put it, and becoming witnesses to the power and the will of God to transfigure the world.

James W. Farwell

Virginia Theological Seminary

The General Theological Seminary

Planning the Service of Holy Eucharist

These guidelines were written with the Sunday service of Holy Eucharist in mind. They can be easily adapted for midweek services or other occasions as well.

Liturgical worship creates an opportunity to receive and be shaped by an encounter with the presence of God in community as we worship. That is not the primary purpose of worship—the primary purpose is to respond to God in love, praise, and adoration. Nor does the liturgy, even if impeccably planned and enacted, have anything to do with making that encounter with the divine happen. We encounter God all of the time. In all times and all places, God is already there. Human beings are often not able to see that right away or are distracted. A secondary function of liturgical worship is that it frames this encounter with God and helps develop the congregation’s spiritual sensibilities so that we can take notice that God is already with us and so that we can allow that experience to shape us more deeply into the People of God that we are called to be.

Naturally, we have no control whatsoever over God’s presence and action in our midst during worship (or any other time). Nor should we seek to have control over the experience of the congregation gathered, of course, since that can become manipulative and exploitative. What we do have the opportunity to do is create worship that expresses the tradition and culture of a particular church or assembly and do so in such a way as to give the broadest possibility of the congregation taking notice of the presence and work of God in their midst. Planning liturgy is about framing the service in ways that highlight the implicit themes and provide entry points for congregational participation and reflection. Good liturgy, then, is meaningful, coherent, integrative, and faithful. To accomplish those hallmarks, it involves careful planning to know where to be flexible and where to uphold tradition; to know when to add or expand what we do; and to know how to show restraint.

Planning for the Season

Before discussing planning a particular Sunday service, some choices are typically made for an entire season or may be ongoing congregational practice year-round. Among these might be the following:

» Liturgical Color—While most Episcopal congregations follow a similar scheme, there is not an official approved color scheme in the Episcopal Church. The following pattern, or something similar, is used in most Episcopal churches:

Advent—Violet/Blue;

Christmas and Epiphany—White, Gold, or Festive;

Season After Epiphany—Green;

Lent—Violet/Lenten Array;

Holy Week—Violet/Red;

Easter Day and Season—White, Gold, or Festive;

Day of Pentecost—Red;

Season After Pentecost—Green;

Other feasts—White, Gold, or Festive (or Red, if it is a martyr’s feast day).

» Language of the Rite—Rite I, Rite II, Enriching Our Worship 1?

» Collect for Purity? Yes or no (required in Rite I)

» Nicene Creed—Always required on Sundays and Major Feasts; which version? Rite I, Rite II, EOW? Renewal of Baptismal Vows (BCP 292) is encouraged to be used on Baptismal Feasts

» Confession of Sin—Usually included; may be omitted on occasion

» Eucharistic Prayer—Multiple options with different emphases are described below

Planning for the Day

The planning process for a particular service of Holy Eucharist always begins with the lessons and readings from Scripture. This is the heart not only of preaching for the day and, oftentimes, formation for the day, but also for liturgy. Read the lessons through, including the psalm, a couple of times before making liturgical choices. The second layer to consider for planning is the nature of the day or season. What liturgical season is it, and are there themes for that season that should be incorporated? This is especially important from Advent I through the Day of Pentecost, since those seasons have very particular emphases. Reading the collect of the day is part of this layer as well. The collects in the Book of Common Prayer are not always clearly related to or connected to the particular readings for that lectionary year (or any lectionary year in some cases), but may express other elements of seasonal themes or provide additional focal points to work with. Once you have the propers in mind (the appointed lessons and the collect for the day) and the season, it is time to make some choices. The propers are the anchor points for planning the rest of the service.

In the first part of the service, called The Word of God in the Book of Common Prayer (often also called The Liturgy or Ministry of the Word), the focus is on the reading of scripture and how we respond to it. As sacramental Christians, this portion of the service is focused on encountering the Word of God, Jesus, in the Scriptures, just as the second part of the service is focused on encountering Christ in the meal. In this first portion of the rite, we will need to determine the Entrance Rite and the responses to Scripture.

Entrance Rite: Option 1

The first option for the Entrance Rite, and probably the most common choice in Episcopal Churches on a given Sunday, could include an opening hymn followed by the opening acclamation, collect for purity, and the Song of Praise. ¹ A procession to the Altar area, if desired, could accompany the opening hymn (we’ll talk about music selection below) or could take place during the Song of Praise. Acclamations are designated by season, with additional options found in Enriching Our Worship 1. The collect for purity is required in Rite I, but optional in Rite II. The Song of Praise is often the Gloria in excelsis (except in Advent and Lent, of course), but could be any canticle. If other hymns are considered in place of a canticle, it is important that the hymn be focused on praise to God, since that is the purpose of this element of the liturgy. The Kyrie eleison or Trisagion may be used instead of the Song of Praise in Rite II. The Kyrie or Trisagion is required in Rite I, but may be supplemented by or replaced by the Song of Praise. Each of these choices, which opening hymn, if any, which acclamation, whether or not to use the collect for purity, which song of praise, should be chosen in light of the question Which of these options best expresses and connects to the readings and themes of the day?

Entrance Rite: Option 2

The second option for the Entrance Rite is to begin with the Penitential Order. ² The primary difference in this option is that it places the Confession of Sin and Absolution at the beginning of the Rite. If you are planning a liturgy of Ante-Communion or just using the liturgy of the word, the Penitential Order is required (if you are including a Confession of Sin). See Appendix 2 for more information on that service variation. If the Penitential Order is used, it also may begin with an opening hymn and include an opening acclamation for whichever season it may be (suggesting that it does not have to only be used in penitential seasons). This Entrance Rite also has the option of including the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments, and a sentence of scripture prior to the Confession and absolution. The Confession of Sin and Absolution are required in this form. The service then continues with either the Gloria in excelsis, the Kyrie eleison, or the Trisagion. So, in light of the lessons of the day and the season, which opening acclamation is best? Should the Decalogue be used on this occasion? Which of the three sentences of scripture or none is best? And, finally, does the entrance rite conclude with the Gloria, the Kyrie, or the Trisagion.

Entrance Rite: Option 3

The third Entrance Rite option is to begin with the Great Litany. ³ When the Great Litany is used, no opening hymn is needed, and it concludes with the Kyrie eleison. There is a contemporary form for the Great Litany in Enriching Our Worship 1, which allows for that form to be used in its entirety or in smaller sections. If the Great Litany is used, the Prayers of the People may be omitted. Is the Great Litany the best option for these readings or for this season/occasion?

There are a few other options that are uncommon, such as Order of Worship for the Evening, or special services such as Holy Baptism or Confirmation. These will not make up the vast majority of Sunday Eucharist services that one is planning, however.

Ministry of the Word

Once an Entrance Rite is determined, planning moves to the remainder of the Word of God, the first part of the liturgy. The salutation for the Collect of the Day can be drawn from the Book of Common Prayer or Enriching Our Worship 1. The collect is appointed, as are the readings. In most cases, the appointed psalm will follow the first reading, though the manner in which the psalm is to be read must be determined (see BCP 582 for more details on these options). Typically, a hymn will follow the second reading.

The remainder of this part of the service is focused on responding to the readings—the Sermon, the Creed, the Prayers, the Confession, and the Peace. The Nicene Creed is used on Sundays and Major Feasts, though there are three versions that are authorized: the version in Rite I that uses I statements, ⁴ the version in both Rite I and Rite II that uses We statements, ⁵ and the version in Enriching Our Worship 1. ⁶ On a baptismal feast day, if there are no baptisms, the Renewal of the Baptismal Vows is encouraged to be used. ⁷ Prayers of the People may be written by the congregation, conforming to the instructions on page 383 of the Book of Common Prayer, or one of the seven prepared examples (one in Rite I and six in Rite II) may be used. Forms drawn from other sources or authors may be used as well (such as those found in this volume). If you are writing your own intercessions or using a form written by others, the content should be shaped by and connected with the imagery of the lessons for the day. The Confession of Sin and Absolution may be omitted on occasion, but they are intended to be routinely in use. In Rite I, the Absolution is followed by optional Sentences of Scripture (the Comfortable Words), of which one, some, all, or none may be used. There are alternative forms for the Confession and Absolution in Enriching Our Worship 1. The Peace is given here, recalling the Gospel of Matthew’s admonition to come to the Altar after having resolved our differences and conflicts. ⁸ It may also be exchanged after the Breaking of the Bread, but that is an uncommon choice in the Episcopal Church. The Peace, for which there is an alternative in Enriching Our Worship 1, concludes the Word of God.

The Holy Communion

The second major section of the liturgy is the Holy Communion (sometimes called the Liturgy of the Table). This part of the rite may begin with a sentence of scripture. While there are examples provided in the Book of Common Prayer (pages 343–344 for Rite I and pages 376–377 for Rite II), any sentence of Scripture may be used. Rather than using the same sentence throughout the year, this is an opportunity to emphasize the themes of the day and carry them forward into Holy Communion. Whenever possible, selecting a sentence from the readings of the day may help reinforce the themes of the day and help tie the liturgy together more strongly. The psalm is often a good source for Offertory Sentences. Suggested Offertory Sentences from the readings are among the resources provided for each Sunday in this volume. After the Offertory Sentence a hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung.

The primary planning choice to make in this section of the liturgy involves which Eucharistic Prayer to use. There are 8 options in the Book of Common Prayer and 3 in Enriching Our Worship 1. ⁹ Which Eucharistic Prayer seems most apt with these readings for this season, on this day? Some churches do prefer to choose a Eucharistic Prayer for a season to emphasize the themes of the season that the Prayer reinforces. Suggestions for this choice will be included in the Sunday pages below.

Generally speaking, in Rite I, both prayers offer the use of a proper preface ¹⁰ that would permit the use of thematic language for the season. The prayers are quite similar to one another, with Prayer II being an adaptation of Prayer I. As such, Prayer I is more traditional, preserving more of the language that goes back to Cranmer’s 1549 prayer (though influenced along the way by Scottish prayers and others). Prayer I has more language emphasizing the atonement and may come across as more penitential to some ears than Prayer II.

In Rite II, Prayers A and B both permit proper prefaces and can therefore be adapted to any season or day. Generally speaking, Prayer A, which is a contemporized, shorter version of Rite I: Prayer I, has more language focused on the cross and atonement than many of the other prayers. Prayer B emphasizes incarnational imagery and is often selected for Advent and/or Christmas. ¹¹ Prayer C is unique in its extensive dialog between the celebrant and congregation and was written for the 1979 BCP. It inspires a variety of opinions from those who use it across the church. If your parish is open to using it, it has sections that emphasize seeing God at work in the world, so it may be suitable to use in the Season after Epiphany, but it also has significant penitential themes, so may be suitable for Lent. In a given year, one would use Prayer C for one or the other of those seasons (or some other time, during part of the Season After Pentecost, perhaps), but not back-to-back for both seasons. Prayer D is drawn from the Liturgy of St. Basil, originating in the fourth century. It has very powerful language of praise and glory for God as well as a section allowing additional intercessions to be included. It may be useful for significant feast days or more solemn celebrations.

Enriching Our Worship 1 has three prayers. Prayer 1 has a preface that may be used or the appointed proper preface for the day may be used, to provide a seasonal thematic connection. Prayer 1 also contains some intentional language about the need for repentance and narrates salvation history in a way that may be helpful during Lent in particular. Eucharistic Prayer 2 in EOW1 uses expansive language of creation and includes feminine imagery for God. This prayer could be suitable at any time, but perhaps most useful during the Season after Epiphany and the Season after Pentecost. EOW Prayer 3 employs Wisdom language, a reference to Jesus as a light to the nations, and also incorporates feminine imagery. Perhaps Advent, Christmas, or the Season after Epiphany would be the most fruitful times of year to use this prayer thematically.

In addition to determining the eucharistic prayer, the form of the Lord’s Prayer needs to be chosen (often a congregation will have a consistent practice as to which form is used) and which sentence to use at the Breaking of the Bread (usually called a Fraction Anthem—whether said or sung). There are multiple options between the Book of Common Prayer, Enriching Our Worship 1, and The Hymnal 1982 (S-151 through S-172; just the text can be used if singing is not an option).

Postcommunion and Conclusion

After Communion, there is a single postcommunion prayer in Rite I, two options in Rite II, and two others provided by Enriching Our Worship 1 as alternates. While these prayers are all similar, it is worth asking which best responds to the themes for the day that are being emphasized. The blessing may use one of the forms in Rite I, such as the Book of Occasional Services (Seasonal Blessings) or Enriching Our Worship 1, or the priest may devise their own in Rite II. The Blessing is optional in Rite II but is required (and prescribed) in Rite I. The Dismissal is required in Rite II but optional in Rite I. Consider which text of the Blessing and the Dismissal best ties in with and connects with the themes of the day.

Regarding Music

There are about six places for music in the service of the Holy Eucharist: the Opening Hymn, the Song of Praise, the Sequence/Gradual Hymn, the Offertory Hymn, the Communion Hymns, and the Postcommunion Hymn. Music sometimes is offered as Prelude and Postlude to the service, of course, and several parts of the service may be sung or chanted, such as the Sanctus.

Opening Hymn—Usually, you would want something that is strong and either familiar or easy for the congregation to pick up. This is the first opportunity for people to be involved in the service and contribute directly to the worship experience, so you want it to be a hymn that is accessible. Often, this hymn ties in with seasonal or general themes for the day. On some special feast days/seasons, there are hymns that are directly intended for that season or day and should be considered.

Song of Praise—Intended as an opportunity to use the canticles if the Gloria in excelsis were not used. There are many good settings for canticles in the Service Music section of The Hymnal 1982 that could be used here and could underscore seasonal themes, especially from Advent through the Day of Pentecost. Please also note that Enriching Our Worship 1 has added a large number of new canticles that may also be used. As noted, a song or hymn may be used here, but it should be focused on praise.

Sequence or Gradual Hymn—This hymn is typically sung following the second reading, prior to the Gospel reading. It may accompany a Gospel procession in many churches. For this hymn, it is helpful to consider hymns that are closely tied to the readings in particular for this hymn, since it is sung in the midst of the readings.

Offertory—In churches with choirs (large or small), the offertory is often a choral anthem. However, a hymn may also be used here. Themes from the readings and season should be considered, but also the location of the service. This hymn is an opportunity to express preparing oneself for Communion, whether focused on forgiveness or the giving of oneself in service or ministry.

Communion Hymns—Usually these hymns are thematically tied to the action of the rite while this hymn is being sung, the administration of Holy Communion. The section in The Hymnal 1982 that focuses on Holy Communion is often useful for this selection.

Postcommunion Hymn—If this is used for an exit procession, it’s helpful if it is strong and familiar to the congregation. This is the last opportunity to emphasize the themes of the day in music.

Note: While choir anthems are often sung at the Offertory, they can be sung anywhere in the service, and there may be occasions where it is more desirable for the choir to sing their anthem as a sequence or during communion—or for the opening or postcommunion. Additionally, instrumental music may be used in any of these six locations instead of a sung hymn or anthem, if that is preferred.

Summary

To recap these guidelines for planning, briefly:

1. Review Lessons, Season, and Collect; ask the Preacher if they know their focal theme(s).

2. Are there additional concerns/events to consider?

3. Determine Entrance Rite.

4. Determine Response to the Readings, particularly the Intercessions.

5. Determine Offertory Sentence.

6. Determine Eucharistic Prayer and Fraction Anthem.

7. Choose Postcommunion Prayer.

8. Choose music: Opening, Song of Praise, Sequence, Offertory, Communion, Postcommunion.

Often it is helpful to select music after the other choices are made, since the intended emphasis will be clearer prior to selecting hymns. Hymns are among the most powerful and memorable choices one can make in the liturgy. As one liturgical scholar, of blessed memory, opined, They won’t be whistling the sermon in the parking lot. ¹² The more intentionality that we bring to service planning, however, the more likely it is that the experience in worship is going to be formative for the people who assemble, allowing more and more opportunities to be aware of the encounter with God not only in liturgy but in life.

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1. Rite I, pp. 323–325; Rite II, pp. 355–356 in The Book of Common Prayer 1979 (New York, NY: Church Publishing, 2007). All references in this volume to the prayer book are to The Book of Common Prayer 1979 (hereafter BCP) unless otherwise noted as a prior volume.

2. BCP: Rite I, p. 319; Rite II, p. 353.

3. BCP, 148.

4. BCP, 327.

5. BCP: Rite I, p. 326; Rite II, p. 358.

6. Enriching Our Worship 1 (New York, NY: Church Publishing 1998), 53. Hereafter, referred to as EOW1.

7. Baptismal Feast days are listed in the BCP on page 312; the Renewal of Baptismal Vows is on page 292.

8. Matthew 5:22–24.

9. Additionally, there are authorized expansive language versions of the Rite II Eucharistic Prayers available from General Convention. Thematically, these latter prayers are not different from their Book of Common Prayer counterpart but may be more suitable in congregations using inclusive and expansive language on a regular basis. These may be found at https://www.episcopalcommonprayer.org/existing-liturgies1.html, accessed March 19, 2023.

10. The preface is the paragraph that introduces the Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy). In many prayers, it is a fixed preface, which is the same for every Sunday or Feast Day. Some prayers, however, have a changeable preface that can be inserted into the prayer. These are called Proper Prefaces because they convey the themes of the propers of the day. The appointed proper preface is listed with the Collect of the Day in the 1979 BCP, and the proper prefaces themselves are on pages 344–349 for Rite I and 377–382 for Rite II.

11. Marion Hatchett notes that Rite II, Prayer B merges an early prayer, that of Hippolytus, and a draft written for this prayer book by the late Frank T. Griswold, III, while he was a parish priest, prior to becoming Bishop of Chicago or Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church (Commentary on the American Prayer Book, 375).

12. Marion Hatchett in a lecture, probably more than once, in the late 1990s at the School of Theology in Sewanee.

Advent

Preparing for Advent

In the opening section of this book, we considered the importance of planning any single season of the liturgical year in relationship to all the others. That is true not only with respect to the whole year but also with respect to two smaller cycles within the year: the incarnational cycle (Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany) and the Paschal cycle (Lent, Holy Week, Easter, through Pentecost).

Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, while foreshadowing the death of Christ, all play on the larger theme of the Incarnation as such and its significance for the redemption of the world, both now and finally. It is common to think of these three seasons as moving along a narrative, and they surely do, since Year C’s gospel of Luke (interspersed with selections from John and Matthew from Christmas through Epiphany) foregrounds both Jesus’ life and ministry and our own discipleship as a journey along the Way. But one might also think of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany along the lines of a three-movement symphony where primary motifs appear and reappear, in relation to the Incarnation, in various forms throughout the three seasons.

So, while the next pages of this book will deal with Advent, the wise planner will take a look at the sections on Christmas and Epiphany and then plan each season with a view to the whole cycle. The same principle should apply to the planning of the Paschal cycle.

Seasonal Themes

Advent’s theme is, consistent with its historical genesis as a penitential observance, focused on God’s call as redeemer and judge of all time. Advent sets our celebration of the Incarnation into this framework of anticipation of this redemption and gracious judgment.

The tone of this penitence, slightly different than the Lenten lections, is filtered through confidence and eagerness that God is coming and the call to make ready as a cause of joy. Themes in preaching and liturgical catechesis, then, might well focus on repentance and making ready; anticipation of a great gift; longing for the reign of God; the deepening of our sensitivities to what is broken in a world that needs God’s coming; and the attunement of our expectation that God’s promise will be fulfilled, as the readings shift toward the approach of the Feast of the Incarnation/Christmas.

What would it mean to focus in catechesis and preaching, in adult and children’s education, on the Christian life as the cultivation of desire for God? How might the choice of hymns, the tone, and choices of liturgy, the preaching, lead us not to the satisfaction of our desires but to the stoking of the fire of our longing for that which is not yet fulfilled? God is with us, indeed, and yet we long for God to be with us. God is with us, but the emphasis on this truth awaits the seasons of Christmas and Epiphany. Maranatha, the cry of ancient Christians (I Corinthians 16:22; the Didache sect. 10): both The Lord has come, but also Come, Lord! It is the latter meaning that preoccupies this season.

Liturgical Possibilities

Rites

Given Advent’s origin, it would be appropriate to open the liturgies over the course of the season with the Penitential Order (BCP 351 for Rite II), which puts into sharp relief the distance between the world we seek (and create) and the world as God is bringing it in. This would provide Advent the differential relationship with Christmas that exists between Lent and Easter and would give a recognizable, parallel shape to those two cycles of the calendar. It is always commendable, if the space allows it, for the Penitential Order to be led from the Font, after which the procession can move toward seating on the Kyrie or Trisagion.

Whether using the Penitential Order for the season or not, the penitential Acclamation (for Lent) from the Prayer book would be appropriate. An alternative would be the Advent acclamation from Enriching Our Worship (EOW1), as the prayer book provides no Advent-specific acclamation. Using the EOW1 Acclamation within the Penitential Order—that Acclamation focuses on God’s coming to set us free—would nicely combine the Advent themes. One might even consider opening the First Sunday of Advent with the Great Litany, and the alternative form in EOW1 provides language at once more contemporary and flexible than the Litany in the prayer book. Either way, lifting up the penitential themes of Advent might offer rich resources to mine in a season in which we find ourselves contending regularly with the powers of market forces and the gratification of desires for accumulation that have little to do with the open-handed self-offering that Jesus embodies and to which he calls us.

There are a number of ways to simplify the liturgies of Advent; such simplicity also being appropriate to penitence, recollection, and a return to one’s baptismal vows. One could use more silence; one could make sure that music is simplified and contemplative in nature—a good counterpoint to the rush and noise of the commercial season, and perhaps a way to redeem for the latter a sense of what all the busyness is about.

Prayers of the People, if they are written by members of the congregation or by the deacon or priest, might be oriented around the theme of hope for God’s coming as the framing symbol for the healing of the sick, the fulfillment of longing, and the prayers for those who are in leadership of the nations. Repeating scriptural or seasonally thematic tropes and allusions within the people’s responses in the intercessions might remain set for the whole season (e.g., let us pray to the Lord/Come, Lord Jesus or Lord Jesus, hear our prayer/come to us and set us free), while the stanzas of the intercessions would change from week to week, freshly attendant to the needs of the world.

Of course, as for all seasons, the choice of eucharistic prayer should have some stability over time and capture the focus of scripture. Certainly, with Advent being only four weeks, the best practice would seem to be a single eucharistic prayer for that whole season that foregrounds incarnational imagery—Prayer B or EOW1 Prayer 2, perhaps. Prayer D would also be appropriate, although that robust prayer, in its full West Syrian shape and with its sources both ancient and ecumenical, is perhaps best reserved for Principal and Major Feasts.

Finally, while the arc of the Paschal cycle, Lent through Pentecost, is arguably the most defensible pattern for the preparation of adults for Holy Baptism (the catechumenate), it is a practical reality, depending on when adult seekers have come into the process of formation, that Easter baptisms may not always offer the right timing. In such cases, the Admission of Catechumens in the fall could lead to the Enrollment of Candidates for Baptism (see the Book of Occasional Services 2022, p. 157 and following) on the First Sunday of Advent, leading to the baptism on the First Sunday after Epiphany (traditionally, the Baptism of Our Lord as reflected in the lectionary’s appointed readings), and mystagogical formation continuing through the season of Epiphany. In that case, one would want to include prayers for the candidates, preferably with the laying on of hands, throughout the seasons of Advent and Christmas.

Space

Beginning a new liturgical year at a time where the eschatological in-breaking is envisioned might be a time to alter the space a bit in buildings where that is possible. A little disorientation, in proper measure, can be healthy for liturgical life now and again, so long as the stability of the liturgical centers (Ambo, Font, and Table) is honored. For those spaces that have flexible seating and depending on their configuration and the size of the congregation, chairs might be moved into choir seating or some other contrasting arrangement for plainchant.

Other Rituals and Resources

Many ritual options exist for use with the congregation during this season. The Advent wreath is perhaps the most commonly known, and drawing in members of the congregation, particularly children, is typical and a good way of incorporating those not usually in the liturgy leadership team (acolytes, crucifers, etc.).

In that practice, the candle of the day for the Advent wreath is commonly lit before the liturgy begins, but it could also be a rich addition to the entrance rite, specifically during the Kyrie or Trisagion. That would also make it consistent with other patterns of lamplighting (e.g., in the Order of Worship for the Evening).

Of course, some clergy and congregations make much of the colors of the candles, as well as the pause that occurs at the third Sunday of Advent, where instead of a violet candle (or blue), a rose candle is sometimes lit. (The occasion is what is known informally as Gaudete Sunday, named for the opening Introit of the day in the Latin mass ¹). These sorts of customs, while sometimes charming, can interfere with the clean lines of the seasons as intended by the 1979 prayer book; and, when too much is made of allegory, such as we light the rose candle on the Third Sunday of Advent because . . . , or we light this altar candle first because it stands for . . ., it can actually distance people from liturgical practice, which is not done because it stands for something but because it is itself an end: participation in the Paschal Mystery. Its meaning is in its doing. Perhaps it is best to choose blue or violet candles and keep them uniform throughout, letting the focus instead be the arc of the lectionary carrying us toward the Christmas feast. Blue is a perfectly acceptable color for Advent candles and vestments, as long as one does not make claims that blue was the color of Advent in the English Sarum rite. This cannot, historically, be defended. ²

Many other possibilities exist for ritual or para-ritual practices in Advent. The Jesse tree; the Advent Word activity initiated originally by the Society of St. John the Evangelist; and the O Antiphons. Information about the first two is easily obtainable from a quick web search. As to the O Antiphons: Each O Antiphon is an address that names God with an accompanying prayer reflecting the themes of Advent and more. Of course, these are the antiphons that constitute the verses of Hymn 56 (O come, o come, Emmanuel), and one begins to use them, if daily, on December 17th. Clergy and musicians can develop various ways to return to that hymn each Sunday of Advent that will highlight the antiphons. These might be used as a center of reflection in catechesis for children and adults. Or a daily Eucharist might supplement the Sunday Advent observances from December 17 onward, building the preaching and perhaps even a brief reflection outside the liturgy itself on the theological content of each antiphon.

A word is due on Advent Lessons and Carols (The Book of Occasional Services 2022, pp. 22–26). This is a lovely service rooted in English tradition as well as in the older, general form of scriptural vigils. Many Episcopal Churches use Advent Lessons and Carols during this season, and quite a number make it the liturgy of the Word at a Sunday Eucharist, often near the end of the season. It is commendable to encourage people to practice this liturgy as another form in which to cultivate the desire for God’s coming, but its use at the Eucharist produces a liturgy that is somewhat unbalanced, with its elements pulled out of shape. Better to deploy this ritual at a separate occasion, perhaps a Sunday night, allowing it to stand on its own integrity as a service of Word and Prayer.

Finally, some churches have moved into the practice of a Blue Christmas—a liturgy that makes space for the complex emotions and memories that the liturgical season or cultural practices of Christmas can sometimes bring about. (Since it is usually scheduled in Advent, it is included here.) This can be planned using the Order for Holy Eucharist, sometimes called Ordo Eucharist using the materials from The Book of Common Prayer, on page 400 and following; or one of the prayer book propers, perhaps drawn from those for healing, might be used. The point is to open up a space where people can acknowledge, in a cultural season in which everyone is supposed to be excited, the grief that comes from maturation as well as loss, including the loss of those we love; from trauma and catastrophe that may have become associated with the season; from the gradual or sudden diminution of family connections. A Blue Christmas liturgy would do well to use hymnody resounding with God’s comfort, companionship, and power to heal; make use of silence and candlelight; and make other appropriate adaptations to elements discussed above while giving voice to the hope that comes to us as God’s promise, even in the midst of sadness.

Some Practical Considerations

In addition to choosing the eucharistic prayer, developing the prayers of the people, and selecting appropriate music, it is important to consider the following:

» Choose the color (blue or violet).

» Be aware that Advent often begins the Sunday following Thanksgiving Day, which can be a low-attendance Sunday. In those years, especially, teaching about Advent practices may need to begin before Thanksgiving and again on the first Sunday in December.

» Assume a gradual increase in attendance over the season and plan accordingly for the sacraments.

» Determine the customary for lighting of the Advent wreath or other rituals.

Seeing through Other Eyes

In planning for the seasons and feasts of the year, it is important to take into consideration a variety of experiences and points of view.

Through the Eyes of a Child

During Advent, we, along with our families and all who are in the church, wait for the birth of the baby Jesus, who is a gift God gave to us and to all people because God loves us so much and has made us one big family. It is a time we prepare for when Jesus will come again to earth, and God will be in all and make all things new. During this season, we ask what we can give to others to celebrate the fact that, in Jesus, God loves us so much that his promise to be with us is always complete. In Advent, we tell stories of hope and promise and wonder how the light breaks through the darkness. The Advent wreath helps us to count the days and weeks toward Christmas, a circle of evergreen shows us that God’s love never ends, and we light candles (one for each Sunday of Advent) to help us remember that Jesus brings the light into the world.

Through the Eyes of Youth

In Advent, we advertise that we have faith in the birth of Jesus as well as faith that Christ will come again. We in the church prepare for the birth of Christ by giving the gift of ourselves as