Saint Edmund, Chingford
Communion: Fourth Sunday of Advent
Sunday 21 December 2025 10.00

Greeting

Our Lord says, ‘I am coming soon.’
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Introit Hymn

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.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free ‿
thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel ‿
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer ‿
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel ‿
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel ‿
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Lord of Might,
who to thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
in ancient times did’st give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel ‿
shall come to thee, O Israel.

Words of welcome or introduction may be said.

Prayers of Penitence

A voice cries out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’
So let us listen, and turn to the Lord in penitence and faith.

God, through Jesus Christ,
will judge the secret thoughts of all:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven:
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Let anyone who has an ear
listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

We sing Verse 1 and chorus of Card A1 (‘Long for light, we wait in darkness’)

Longing for light, we wait in darkness.
Longing for truth, we turn to you.
Make us your own, your holy people,
light for the world to see.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light! Shine in your Church
gathered today.

The candle is lit on the Advent Wreath

People of God: prepare!
God above all, maker of all, is one with us in Christ.
Maranatha!
Come, Lord Jesus!

God, the mighty God, bends down in love to earth.
Maranatha!
Come, Lord Jesus!

God with us, God beside us,
comes soon to the world he had made.
Maranatha!
Come, Lord Jesus!

We are God’s children, we seek the coming Christ.
Maranatha!

We sing final Verse and chorus of Card A1 (‘Many the gifts, many the people’)

Many the gifts, many the people,
many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another,
making your kingdom come.

Christ, be our light! Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light! Shine in your Church
gathered today.

The president says

Almighty God,
who in Jesus Christ has given us
a kingdom that cannot be destroyed,
forgive us our sins,
open our eyes to God’s truth,
strengthen us to do God’s will
and give us the joy of his kingdom,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Collect

The Collect, the prayer for the week, is said.
God our redeemer,
who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary
to be the mother of your Son:
grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour,
so we may be ready to greet him
when he comes again as our judge;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Old Testament Reading

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.’

New Testament Reading

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gradual Hymn

The advent of our King
our prayers must now employ,
and we must hymns of welcome sing
in strains of holy joy.

The everlasting Son
incarnate deigns to be;
himself a servant’s form puts on,
to set his servants free.

Daughter of Sion, rise ‿
to meet thy lowly King;
nor let thy faithless heart despise ‿
the peace he comes to bring.

As Judge, on clouds of light,
he soon will come again,
and his true members all unite
with him in heaven to reign.

All glory to the Son
who comes to set us free,
with Father, Spirit, ever One,
through all eternity.

Gospel Reading

When the Gospel is announced the reader says
Our Lord says, ‘I am coming soon.’
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.

The birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Ruth Holmes

Affirmation of Faith

We say together in faith

Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come.

We believe in God the Father,
who created all things:
for by his will they were created
and have their being.

We believe in God the Son,
who was slain:
for with his blood,
he purchased us for God,
from every tribe and language,
from every people and nation.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit:
the Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come!’
Even so come, Lord Jesus!

Prayers of Intercession

John White

These responses may be used

Maranatha! or Come Lord!
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

And at the end

Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay;
give new courage to your people,
who trust in your love.
By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom
on earth as in heaven,
where you live and reign with the Father and the Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Peace

In the tender mercy of our God,
the dayspring from on high shall break upon us,
to give light to those who dwell in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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

Offertory Hymn

The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame.
‘All hail,’ said he, ‘thou lowly maiden, Mary,
most highly favoured lady,’ Gloria!

‘For known a blessèd mother thou shalt be.
All generations laud and honour thee.
Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
most highly favoured lady,’ Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head.
‘To me be as it pleaseth God,’ she said,
‘my soul shall laud and magnify his holy name.’
Most highly favoured lady, Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel the Christ was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn;
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
‘Most highly favoured lady.’ Gloria!

The Preparation of the Table

The table is prepared and bread and wine are placed upon it.

Look upon us in mercy not in judgement;
draw us from hatred to love;
make the frailty of our praise
a dwelling place for your glory.
Amen.

The Eucharistic Prayer

The Lord be with you
and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

You are worthy of our thanks and praise,
Lord God of truth,
for by the breath of your mouth
you have spoken your word,
and all things have come into being.

You fashioned us in your image
and placed us in the garden of your delight.
Though we chose the path of rebellion
you would not abandon your own.

Again and again you drew us into your covenant of grace.
You gave your people the law and taught us by your prophets
to look for your reign of justice, mercy and peace.

As we watch for the signs of your kingdom on earth,
we echo the song of the angels in heaven,
evermore praising you and singing:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Lord God, you are the most holy one,
enthroned in splendour and light,
yet in the coming of your Son Jesus Christ
you reveal the power of your love
made perfect in our human weakness.

Embracing our humanity,
Jesus showed us the way of salvation;
loving us to the end,
he gave himself to death for us;
dying for his own,
he set us free from the bonds of sin,
that we might rise and reign with him in glory.

On the night he gave up himself for us all
he took bread and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way, after supper
he took the cup and gave you thanks;
he gave it to them, saying:
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.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

Therefore we proclaim the death that he suffered on the cross,
we celebrate his resurrection, his bursting from the tomb,
we rejoice that he reigns at your right hand on high
and we long for his coming in glory.

As we recall the one, perfect sacrifice of our redemption,
Father, by your Holy Spirit let these gifts of your creation
be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;
form us into the likeness of Christ
and make us a perfect offering in your sight.

Look with favour on your people
and in your mercy hear the cry of our hearts.
Bless the earth, heal the sick,
let the oppressed go free
and fill your Church with power from on high.

Gather your people from the ends of the earth
to feast with Edmund, and all your saints
at the table in your kingdom,
where the new creation is brought to perfection
in Jesus Christ our Lord;

by whom, and with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Silence

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

The Breaking of Bread

The president breaks the consecrated bread.

We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body,
because we all share in one bread.

Agnus Dei

We sing

Jesus, Lamb of God:
have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins:
have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the world:
give us your peace.

Giving of Communion

The president says the invitation to communion.

Every time we eat this bread
and drink this cup,
we proclaim the Lord’s death
until he comes.

Prayer after Communion

Silence is kept.

Heavenly Father,
who chose the Blessed Virgin Mary
to be the mother of the promised saviour:
fill us your servants with your grace,
that in all things we may embrace your holy will
and with her rejoice in your salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

With love and compassion,
come, Lord Jesus.

With judgement and mercy,
come, Lord Jesus.

In power and glory,
come, Lord Jesus.

In wisdom and truth,
come, Lord Jesus.

Notices are given.

Blessing

Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you,
scatter the darkness from before your path,
and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.

Hymn

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,
great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
to set the captive free,
to take away transgression,
and rule in equity.

He comes with succour speedy
to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy,
and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing,
their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying,
are precious in his sight.

He shall come down like showers
upon the fruitful earth,
and love, joy, hope, like flowers,
spring in his path to birth:
before him on the mountains
shall peace, the herald, go;
and righteousness in fountains
from hill to valley flow.

Arabia’s desert-ranger
to him shall bow the knee;
the Ethiopian stranger
his glory come to see;
with offerings of devotion
ships from the isles shall meet,
to pour the wealth of ocean ‿
in tribute at his feet.

Kings shall fall down before him,
and gold and incense bring;
all nations shall adore him,
his praise all people sing;
to him shall prayer unceasing,
and daily vows ascend;
his kingdom still increasing,
a kingdom without end.

O’er every foe victorious,
he on his throne shall rest;
from age to age more glorious,
all-blessing and all-blest;
the tide of time shall never ‿
his covenant remove;
his name shall stand for ever,
his changeless name of Love.

The Dismissal

A minister says

As we await our coming Saviour,
go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council (2000)

The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches in the USA. Used by permission. All Rights Reserved.

Hymns
CCLI Licence No 1207856

O Come O Come Emmanuel, by John Mason Neale (1818-1866) translated from Latin Advent Antiphons Public domain

The advent of our King (Instantis adventum Dei), by Charles Coffin (1676-1749), translated by John Chandler (1806-1876) Public domain

Gabriel’s Message – The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (Birjina gaztettobat zegoen), Basque Carol, translated by Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924) Public domain

Hail to the Lord’s anointed, by James Montgomery (1771-1854) Public domain