Event details
Hymn Sing & Worship Service
A special worship service in the University Chapel, led by the dean and the associate dean of religious life and the chapel, that features festive music of the season! With music by Kenneth Grayson, Jr. H’71, H’02, and Eric Plutz, University Organist.
*All persons, including members of the broader community, are welcome to attend this event if they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 if over age 12. Face coverings must be worn at all times by everyone over age 2. Registration is required for contact tracing purposes.
Register in advance through this link
The bulletin for this service is below.
Princeton University Chapel, Second Sunday after Christmas, January 2, 2022
A Service of Holy Communion
You are invited to rise, in body or spirit, for those parts of the service marked with an asterisk (*)
Invitatory: Carillon on a Ukranian Carol by Gerald Near (b. 1942); Noël – Votre bonté grand Dieu by Claude Balbastre (1727-1799)
Welcome and Announcements: Dean Boden
*Hymn: On This Day Earth Shall Ring
*Call to Worship (From John Wesley’s Select Hymns, 1761)
All - Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.
One - Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.
One - Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.
One - Sing in Time. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend closely to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can. And take care you sing not too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.
One - Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing God more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your Heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as God will approve of here, and reward you when God cometh in the clouds of heaven.
Invocation: Come, O Fount of Every Blessing (Nettleton); Hymn No. 459 (New Century Hymnal)
Reading: Psalm 147:1-7
One - Praise the Holy One! How good it is to sing praises to our God, who is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
All – God builds up Jerusalem; God gathers the outcasts of Israel.
One – God heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.
All – God determines the number of the stars, and gives to all of them their names.
One - Great is our God, and abundant in power; God's understanding is beyond measure.
All – God lifts up the downtrodden, and casts the wicked to the ground.
One - Sing to God with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre.
*Hymn No. 561: When in Our Music God is Glorified (Engelberg)
Reading: Matthew 2:1-12 - In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, 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. 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.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men 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 at its rising, 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.
Solo: Mary's Little Boy Child by Jester Hairston (1901-2000) with Kenneth Grayson, Jr. h71, h02, baritone
Hymns of the Season: Members of the congregation are invited to choose a hymn they would like to sing.
Intercessory Prayers
(If there are prayer requests that you would like to share, please raise your hand.)
After each petition:
One : God of love and mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.
Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
*Exchange of the Peace
One: The peace of God be always with you.
All: And also with you.
(The people may exchange the peace with one another.)
Offertory Sentence
Music at the Offering: Of the Father’s Love Begotten; arranged by Wilber Held (1914-2015)
*Doxology: (Sung to the tune of hymn no. 27) Lasst uns erfreuen Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise God all creatures here below, alleluia, alleluia. Praise God above ye heavenly hosts, Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
*Communion
Invitation to Communion
Kyrie: Text: Ancient Greek; Music: Russian Orthodox tradition
One: This is the joyful feast of the people of God.
All: Let us rejoice and be glad.
Gloria: Music: Pablo Sosa. 1988 (Cueca dance rhythm)
One: Creator God, We bless you and praise you, you spoke and the Earth was formed. You drew a breath and the sea rose.
All: All of creation sings your praises.
Sanctus: Text and music: Anon, Argentina
One: From the dust of the Earth, you created our bodies. You gave us our senses and blessed us with the power of reason and love. Yet we turned against you and one another.
All: Have mercy on us, mighty God.
One: And so you sent us Jesus, the incarnate one, to show us how to love you. He announced good news to the poor, release to the captive, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed.
All: Through all his life and death, He reconciled us to you and to one another.
Agnus Dei: Music: Kirchenordnung, Braunschweig, 1528
One: Witnessing to that reconciliation, on the night he was arrested, in company with his good friends, Jesus took bread. After giving thanks, he broke it and said:
All: Take. Eat. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this, remembering me.
One: After supper, he took a cup of wine and said:
All: “Drink this, all of you. This is the new covenant, sealed in my blood; whenever you drink it, do this, remembering me.”
One: Remembering Jesus, we ask you to send the power of the Holy Spirit upon this bread and this wine that these gifts may be for us the sacrament of your healing presence among us in a broken and bleeding world. Feed us with your power; fill us with your peace; lead us, reconciled and redeemed, into the world, to work for the liberation and reconciliation of all peoples.
All: In the name of God, Creating, Redeeming, and Sanctifying, we pray, Amen.
One: The gifts of God for the people of God.
All of God’s People are Welcome at God’s Table. Please come forward to receive Communion. After receiving the bread, you may either eat it and then drink from the cup, or dip the bread in the cup. You are then invited to return to your seats to keep silence for meditation and prayer.
Music during Communion: The Sussex Mummer’s Carol by Percy Grainger (1882-1961); arranged by Dana Paul Perna
*Thanksgiving: Eternal God, we thank you for graciously calling us into community with Jesus and one another, and for beginning in us the age that is to come. Grant us courage and send us forth to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ. To Christ, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.
*Prayer for Princeton: O Eternal God, the source of life and light for all peoples, we pray you would endow this University with your grace and wisdom: give inspiration and understanding to those who teach and to those who learn; grant vision to its trustees and administrators; to all who work here and to all who bear her name give your guiding Spirit of sacrificial courage and loving service. Amen.
*Hymn: We Three Kings This hymn is carol no. 35 in the [Mainly] Christmas Carols booklet.)
*Benediction
Voluntary: In Dulci Jubilo, BWV 729 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
The University Chapel is a welcoming community of faith. We gather to sing God's praises, to hear God's living Word, to seek justice, and to proclaim God's love for all people.
University Chapel Staff: The Rev. Alison L. Boden, Ph.D., Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel; The Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames, Associate Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel; Nicole Aldrich, Director of Chapel Music and of the Chapel Choir; Eric Plutz, University Organist; Elizabeth Powers, Chapel Administrator; Otis Byrd, Jr. Seminary Intern; Edgar Gomez, Sexton; Lisa McGurr, Sexton
Every Sunday of every month the congregation is invited to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to Arm in Arm. If you are interested in making a contribution toward Sunday flowers in the chapel as a memorial please contact Liz Powers for details at 609-258-3048. The offering this morning will go to further the ministry of the University Chapel.
Calendar:
Today, Sunday, January 2, 2022 - You are invited to the narthex for refreshments immediately following the service.
Sunday, January 9, 2022, 11:00 a.m., University Chapel Service - The preacher will be Dean Boden.
Visit chapel.princeton.edu for more information
Sponsorship of an event does not constitute institutional endorsement of external speakers or views presented.