Advent Carol Service

4.00 p.m., Sunday 29th November, 2015

WELCOME TO THE ROBIN CHAPEL. Whether you come as part of

a Christian denomination or of none, all have a place within these
walls where the love of God dwells.
Every Sunday the Chaplain and Choir of the Chapel sing the service
of Choral Evensong, with Choral Eucharist being celebrated on the
first Sunday of every month.
As part of the Chapels interdenominational foundation we have
regular visiting preachers from across the various Christian churches.
There is an invitation to all to join us in worship at the Robin Chapel.
Full details of services and of other events can be found on the Chapel
website: www.robinchapel.org.uk

THE ROBIN CHAPEL, EDINBURGH

THISTLE TRUST

Drawing used by courtesy of Professor John Hume, Scotlands Churches Scheme

www.robinchapel.org.uk

Chaplain
The Reverend Thomas Coupar
Chairman of the Thistle Trust
Julian Birchall
Director of Music
Simon Niemiski
Organist
Morley Whitehead
The Robin Chapel Choir

CCL Licence & MRL Licence: 227071 ~ Scottish Charity SC003834

ORDER OF SERVICE
Introit: Rorate Cli
Drop down ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: Let the earth open and bring forth a Saviour. Lord, thou hast
blessed thy land: Thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the
beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Words: Introit for Votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin during Advent
Music: William Byrd

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
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
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.

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.
Words: Advent Antiphons trans. J.M. Neale
Tune: Veni Emmanuel (adapted from a French Missal
by Thomas Helmore)

Beloved in Christ, as we await the great festival of Christmas let us

prepare ourselves so that we may be shown its true meaning. Let us
hear, in lessons from Holy Scripture, how the prophets of Israel foretold that God would visit and redeem his waiting people. Let us rejoice, in our carols and hymns, that the good purpose of God is being
mightily fulfilled. Let us celebrate the promise that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will bring all people and all things into the glory of
God's eternal kingdom. The blind receive their sight, and the lame
walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised
up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.
But first, let us pray for the world which God so loves, for those who
have not heard the good news of God, or who do not believe it; for
those who walk in darkness and the shadow of death; and for the
Church in this place and everywhere, that it may be freed from all evil
and fear, and may in pure joy lift up the light and love of God. These
prayers and praises let us humbly offer to God, in the words which
Christ himself taught us:
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive
them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but
deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the
glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

1st lesson: Genesis 1:1-5 And God said: Let there be light
Choir: Provenal Nol arr. Sir Richard Terry Adam and his helpmate
Within a lovely garden dwelt Adam long ago,
Ere sin his heart did harden and work his over throw.
His helpmate was beside him, and there (till Satan spied him)
No joy was eer denied him, and naught he knew of woe.
To Adams helpmate lovely did Satan whispering turn:
Come now, it doth behove thee all godlike things to learn!
With eyes that shone and dancd and eager hand advancd
She lent an ear entrancd - Cupidity did burn.
Then, to her husband turning, the apple in her hand,
She says in accents burning, You too at my command
Will eat this fruit before thee, and see unfold the glory,
And feel the magic oer thee - will eat, and understand!
Then Adam did her bidding, and ate, and understood!
His darkened soul oer-riding came sorrow in a flood.
From out the heavens proclaimd a mighty voice exclaimd
Go forth ye now, ashamd! Twas God whose wrath pursued.
Tis thus for him we suffer, this day, by Satan bound!
But Jesus came to proffer his life to heal our wound.
Our chains he strikes asunder, and free we rise in wonder,
His love for us to ponder, in happiness profound.
Words: Translated by E.W. Simpson

2nd lesson: Psalm 13 Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death

Hymn:
Hark! the glad sound! the Saviour comes,
The Saviour promised long:
Let every heart prepare a throne,
And every voice a song.

He comes the prisoners to release

In Satan's bondage held;
The gates of brass before him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
He comes, the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure;
And with the treasures of his grace
To enrich the humble poor.
Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim;
And heaven's eternal arches ring
With thy beloved Name.
Words: Philip Doddridge (Paraphrase 36)
Tune: Crediton (Thomas Clarke)

3rd lesson: Isaiah 45:2-8 I form light and create darkness

Choir:
O Radiant Dawn, splendour of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine
on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. Isaiah had
prophesied, The people who walked in darkness have seen a great
light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.
Words: O Oriens (from the O antiphons for Advent)
Music: James Macmillan

Hymn:
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israels Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver;

Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
Words: Charles Wesley
Tune: Cross of Jesus (John Stainer)

4th lesson: Baruch 4:36-5:9 Look to the east

Choir:
Of one who is so fair and bright
Velut maris stella, [Like a star of the sea]
Brighter than the day is light,
Parens et puella: [Both mother and maiden]
I cry to thee, thou see to me,
Lady, pray thy Son for me,
Tam pia, [so pure]
That I may come to thee.
Maria!
All this world was forlorn,
Eva peccatrice, [because of Eve, a sinner]
Till our Lord was yborn,
De te genetrice. [through you, his mother]
With ave it went away,
Darkest night, and comes the day
Salutis; [of salvation]
The well springeth out of thee.
Virtutis. [of virtue]

Lady, flower of everything,

Rosa sine spina, [Rose without thorn]
Thou bare Jesu, heaven's king,
Gratia divina: [by divine grace]
Of all thou bearest the prize,
Lady, queen of paradise
Electa: [chosen]
Maid mild, mother
es effecta. [you are made]
Words: Anon.
Music: Benjamin Britten

Hymn:
People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the guest, is on the way.
Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in course the flower may flourish.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the rose, is on the way.
Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as sun and moon together.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the star, is on the way.

Angels, announce with shouts of mirth

Christ who brings new life to earth.
Set every peak and valley humming
With the word, the Lord is coming.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the Lord, is on the way.
Words: Eleanor Farjeon
Tune: Besanon (French trad. Arr. Martin Shaw)

5th lesson: Isaiah 9:2,3,6,7

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light
Choir:
Light of the world, we know thy praise,
the angels and archangels raise,
and all the host of heaven;
more worthily than our faint hymns,
whose jarring sound that glory dims,
which God to thee has given.
But thou didst not disdain to take
our low estate, or een to make
the tomb thy resting place;
so thou might bring into our night
the dawn of thine eternal light
to shine upon our face.
Nor death, nor hell, nor sin, is Lord,
but thou, O Son of God. Thy word
is now our sovreign law.
Therefore we thank thee, and we pray
thy light may shine unto the perfect day
on us for evermore.
Words: Revd Edward Capel-Cure
Music: Sir Edward Elgar (from The Light of Life)

6th lesson: John 3:16-21 Light of the world

Hymn:
Lo! he comes with clouds descending,
Once for favoured sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluya!
God appears, on earth to reign.
Every eye shall now behold him
Robed in dreadful majesty;
Those who set at nought and sold him,
Pierced and nailed him to the tree,
Deeply wailing
Shall the true Messiah see.
Those dear tokens of his passion
Still his dazzling body bears,
Cause of endless exultation
To his ransomed worshippers:
Alleluya!
See! the day of God appears.
Yea, Amen! let all adore thee,
High on thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and glory:
Claim the kingdom for thine own:
O come quickly!
Alleluya! Come, Lord, come!
Words: Charles Wesley
Tune: Helmsley (noted by T. Olivers)

Collect for Advent:

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of
darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this
mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious
majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life
immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Blessing:
Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you and scatter the darkness from before your path. And the blessing of God almighty, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with
you always.
Choral Amen Gibbons
Organ voluntary: Leighton Fantasy on Helmsley

THE ROBIN CHAPEL

www.robinchapel.org.uk
Chaplain
tcoupar@hotmail.com / 07814 588 904
Director of Music
organist@robinchapel.org.uk

THE ROBIN CHAPEL, EDINBURGH

THISTLE TRUST
CCL Licence & MRL Licence: 227071
Scottish Charity SC003834