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Christmas Eve 4 PM

Join us in person or live-streamed Saturday, December 24 at 4PM or find our recorded service at your convenience. Details on our Worship page. Service words are below.


Welcome

Acknowledgement


The Promise

Prelude Now is Born the Divine Christ Child

Introduction


Children come to the front


The Prophecy

O Come O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

and ransom captive Israel

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.


O come, Desire of all nations, bind

in one the hearts of humankind;

O bid our bitter conflict cease,

and be for us our Prince of Peace. Refrain


Journey to Bethlehem

Silent Night

Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child Holy Infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace Silent night, holy night Shepherds quake at the sight Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia Christ the Savior is born Christ the Savior is born Silent night, holy night Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace Jesus Lord, at Thy birth Jesus Lord, at Thy birth


Shepherds on the Hillside

Angels we have heard on High

Angels we have heard on high

sweetly singing o'er the plains,

and the mountains in reply,

echoing their joyous strains.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!


Shepherds, why this jubilee?

Why your joyous strains prolong?

What the gladsome tidings be

which inspire your heavenly song?

Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!


Manger Scene

Away in a Manger

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus Asleep on the hay The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes I love you, Lord Jesus -- look down from on high And stay by my side, until morning is nigh. Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay close by me forever, and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in your tender care, And fit us for heaven to live with you there


The Journey of the Wisemen

We three Kings of Orient are

We three kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.


Refrain: O star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.


Glorious now behold him arise; King and God and sacrifice: Alleluia, Alleluia, sounds through the earth and skies. Refrain


The Promise Fulfilled

Joy to the World

Joy to the world! The Lord is come: Let earth receive the King; Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.


Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns: Let us glad songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.


He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love, and wonders of His love, and wonders, wonders, of his love.


Prayers of Intercession

My sisters and brothers in the peace of God, all the gifts we shall give and

receive in these days are but small tokens of the gift that shines forth in

God’s word made flesh this night. From grateful hearts let us intercede for

all who find themselves longing for this deepest, truest gift, saying: Let the

heavens rejoice; and let the earth be glad.

That the peace proclaimed by angels in the shepherds field might be realized in every place of conflict and on every street of violence. Let the heavens rejoice; and let the earth be glad.

That the child born to us might find in our hearts warm welcome by our openness to the needs of the homeless and the hungry and our willingness to nourish the growth of our souls. Let the heavens rejoice; and let the earth be glad.

That in this time of gift-giving we might become more responsive to the abandoned, the despairing, and the mourning. Let the heavens rejoice; and let the earth be glad.

That the rejoicing of this day might be a bond leading us to true communion of life and worship through the fellowship of the Church. Let the heavens rejoice; and let the earth be glad.

That the joy and the consolation of the Wonderful Counselor might enliven all who are living with disease or illness, especially ___. That the angels may join in our chorus of gratitude and thanksgiving, especially for ___. That the blessed hope we celebrate this night might be the fulfillment of all who have gone before us in faith, especially ___. Let the heavens rejoice; and let the earth be glad.

God of darkness and silence, you have pierced the quiet of this night by the utterance of your word in our flesh. May our words of praise and petition be strong echoes of your Christmas word, so that all might come to the peace you promise in Jesus, who is Lord and God this night and forever. Amen.

Offering God’s Peace


Sharing The Holy Meal

Offering Hymn O Come all Ye Faithful (1,3,4,5)

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels O come, let us adore Him O come, let us adore Him O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,

sing all ye citizens of heaven above;

glory to God in the highest Refrain

See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle, Leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear; We too will thither bend out joyful footsteps Refrain Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning, Jesus to thee be glory given; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing Refrain


Prayers over the gifts (together):

Source of light and happiness, accept all we offer on this joyful day. May we grow in Jesus’s love this and every day. Amen.


Eucharistic Prayer

My friends, every family sits around a table to share news from the day,

concerns about life, and stories they have heard. I invite you now to gather

around this table with the great family of creation to share the day, and

listen to God’s story.


It’s a special table because it is big enough for all. It’s a special table because it is made from the stuff of the earth: wood and ore, grain and grape, gifts from God. It’s a special table because Jesus is here. Let us share God’s story.

Praise the Lord and Praise his birth!

Jesus Christ who walked on earth!


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 our thanks and praise.


We thank you and praise you God for the gift of a world full of wonder and

for our lives and friends and family. We raise our voices and say,

Praise the Lord and Praise his birth!

Jesus Christ who walked on earth!


We thank you God, for your gift of love.

Sometimes we don’t love each other

and we fight and argue and our light grows dim.

To help us be loving people,

you gave us your Son, Jesus,

so that all who follow him might find love again.

We raise our voices and sing,

Praise the Lord and Praise his birth!

Jesus Christ who walked on earth!


With all the angels, we say you are holy,

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of power and might Heaven and Earth of your glory are full Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest. Blessed is one who comes in the name of the Lord

Blessed is one who comes in the name of the Lord

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of power and might Heaven and Earth of your glory are full Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest.

On the night that Jesus gave up his life for us,

he sat at supper with his friends.


He took the bread, gave you thanks,

broke it, and gave it to them.

He said, “Take this, all of you, and eat it:

this is my body which I give to you.”

After supper, he took the cup of wine,

said the blessing, and gave it to his friends.

He said, “Drink this, all of you:

this is my blood which I give to you.

This bread and wine, my body and blood,

are signs that I will live in you and you in me.

Do this in memory of me.”

So, we raise our voices and say,

Praise the Lord and Praise his birth!

Jesus Christ who walked on earth!


We ask that God’s Spirit would make these gifts holy. We ask that God’s

Spirit would us holy.

We pray that all who eat at his table may be made stronger and better able to follow Jesus.

So, we raise our voices and say,

Praise the Lord and Praise his birth!

Jesus Christ who walked on earth!

We pray all this in the name of our God,

God the creator, God, our friend Jesus,

and God, who lives in us.

Amen.


The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us 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 and forgive us our sins. As we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.

For the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory are yours. Now and forever. Amen.


The Breaking of the Bread

We break the bread of life, and that life is the light of the world.

God here among us, light in the midst of us, bring us to light and life.


The Communion

Music during the Communion: Christmas time is Here Again

The Gift

Prayer after Communion:

Lord of all, tonight you have brought earth and heaven together by sending Jesus to live with us. May we who have eaten at your holy table be blessed. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Doxology

Glory to God,

whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more

than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen


Blessing


Closing Hymn Hark the Herald

Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King, peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled." Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with the angelic hosts proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!" Chorus Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King." Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord; late in time behold him come, offspring of a virgin's womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail, the incarnate Deity, pleased as one of us to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel! Chorus Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings, Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise each child of earth, born to give us second birth. Chorus


Dismissal

Let us hold the silence as we wait for the moment of rejoicing.

Hallelujah! Christ has come!

The world is alight with promise!

Divine life is in our midst forever and forever!

Thanks be to God.

Go in peace as those who have met the Christ and carry that love into the

community around us in faith.

And may the world open its heart to receive the Divine and Human One, the church open its doors of welcome to those who wait outside and the voices of the people resound with joy.

Amen, Alleluia!


Postlude Children Go Where I Send Thee

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