For the complete schedule of Advent & Christmastide services at St. John’s, click here.
Compline Service Tuesday & Thursday Evenings in Advent
December 1 – December 20, 7 pm
Join The Rev. Dr. Julianne Buenting, interim rector, for a service of Compline with Scripture reflection throughout the Advent season. These services will be held via Zoom. Please refer to the St. John’s weekly email newsletter, the e-Eagle, for the Zoom link.
Online Prayer Services
“Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” Sundays, November 29–December 20, 6 pm
Sponsored by the National Cathedral, Washington, DC
Make room in your heart for the coming season of joy with a series contemplative and inspirational services of prayer and music shaped by the words of the prophet Isaiah. These services are presented by the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. You can attend online at the Cathedral’s website, or on their YouTube channel, which has close captioning.
Advent Reflections & Compline
Wednesdays December 2–23, 7 pm
Sponsored by the National Cathedral, Washington, DC
If you’re looking to recharge your spiritual batteries, visit the National Cathedral on Wednesday evenings during Advent for ways to make room in your heart for Christ at Christmas. Each meditation will end with a brief
service of Compline accompanied by music. This weekly program uses a webinar format. For more information about the speakers, and to register for one or all of this series, click here.
Blue Christmas Service
Wednesday, December 16
Sponsored by the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.
2020 has been a difficult year for so many, with grief, loss and hardship around every corner. Maybe the holidays are always hard for you, or you’re just not feeling very holly jolly this year. If you’re in search of hope and healing as we enter the Christmas season, we invite you to find it in this service of prayer, music and reflection held at the National Cathedral. Links and the time of this service will be posted as they become available.
Music for Advent
Virtual Messiah Sing
Sunday, December 13, 2020 from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Are you missing the annual Messiah Sing at St. John’s? Don’t despair! You can join Music Worcester for their Virtual Messiah Sing. Tickets are $10. There is a link to the score on their website.
Reflections on the O Antiphons of Advent
The Great O Antiphons of Advent are antiphons sung before and after the Magnificat at vespers between December 17 – December 23, the last seven days of Advent. The texts are of unknown origin and date at least from the ninth century. Each antiphon begins with the letter “O” and a name or attribute of God from the Hebrew Scriptures: O Sapientia, “O Wisdom”; O Adonai, “O Sacred Lord”; O Radix Jesse, “O Root of Jesse”; O Clavis David, “O Key of David”; O Oriens, “O Rising Sun”; O Rex gentium, “O King of nations”; and O Emmanuel, “O Emmanuel.” These may be familiar to you as the popular Advent hymn, “O come, O come, Emmanuel” familiar to many.
The Benedictines arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If you take the first letter of each one—Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia—the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come”. Therefore Jesus, whose coming we Christians have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven titles, now speaks to us: ero cras “Tomorrow, I will come
Reflections on the O Antiphons can be found here. As we enter the last part of Advent, we invite you to read and reflect upon them.
- December 17: O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence.
- December 18: O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.
- December 19: O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples; before you kings will shut their mouths, to you the nations will make their prayer: Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.
- December 20: O Key of David and scepter of the House of Israel; you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open: Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house, those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
- December 21: O Morning Star, splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
- December 22: O King of the nations, and their desire, the cornerstone making both one: Come and save the human race, which you fashioned from clay.
- December 23: O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Savior: Come and save us, O Lord our God.
Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to add prayer and reflection to your daily spiritual practice. Listen on your morning walk, evening commute, or anywhere in between!
•#AdventWord 2020: This podcast will be daily beginning November 29th. Listen to hear more about the global network of prayer. •The Forward Day by Day podcast: Listen to each day’s reflection.
•A Morning at the Office: includes all three readings as well as bonus prayers.
•An Evening at Prayer: Daily Evening Prayer according to The Book of Common Prayer
•Daily Prayer: includes two readings and follows the same text as our app and website.
•ChurchNext: discussions on a variety of topics in the Episcopal and Christian scope.
•The Good Book Club Podcast: regular church-wide readings of selected books of the Bible.
•Women and Angels of the Bible: This special series includes conversations between authors Lindsay Hardin Freeman and Kate Moorehead.
Available anywhere you listen to podcasts.