7:00 pm Lessons and Carols Christmas Eve Service

             Lessons and Carols Christmas Eve Service
                                          7:00 pm
Prelude                                                                                                  
Stephanie Shorden

Hymn                                                                                                    
O Come, All Ye Faithful
v. 1-3 UMH #234
WORDS: John F. Wade, ca. 1743; trans. by Frederick Oakeley 1841, and others

1. 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;
 
Refrain
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
 
2. True God of true God,
Light from Light Eternal,
lo, he shuns not
the Virgin’s womb;
Son of the
Father,
begotten,
not created;
 
Refrain
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
 
3. Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens
of heaven above!
Glory to God,
all glory in
the highest;
 
Refrain
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
 
Call to Worship                                                                                      
Leader: Glory to God in the highest!
People: And on earth peace, good will to all people.
Leader: Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.
People: Glory be to God on high.
Leader: For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a savior, who is Christ the Lord.
People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to all people!
 
Lighting the Advent Candle                                                                
The Thom Family

Reader 1: Tonight, we light the candles of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace.  These candles and the light they shine remind us that our Hope for life eternal came in the form of Love in the Christ Child and our promise for everlasting Joy can bring us peace in the midst of darkness.
All: These gifts of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace have been a light on our path as we wait for Christ during advent.

Reader 2: But tonight, the wait is over, for Christ has come.
Tonight, we light the Christ candle.  Greater than any other light, Christ is God's greatest gift.
Tonight, as we light this candle, let its light shine upon us, may its warmth comfort us, and may we accept God's greatest gift.

All: We give thanks for the birth of Christ and how his life brings life eternal.  This is the best gift of Christmas - the gift of Jesus Christ.
Explanation of Service
                                                                                                                 
Lesson One                          
Isaiah's Epiphany                    
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Great will be his authority, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
 
Hymn
Angels We Have Heard on High    
v. 1, 3, 4 UMH#238
WORDS: Trad. French carol; trans. Crown of Jesus, 1862, alt. (Lk 2:6-20)

1. Angels we have
heard on high
sweetly singing
o’er the plains,
and the mountains
in reply
echoing their
joyous strains.

Refrain
Glo - - - - - ri – a,
in excelsis Deo!
Glo - - - - - ri – a,
in excelsis Deo!

3. Come to
Bethlehem and see
Christ whose birth
the angels sing;
come, adore
on bended knee,
Christ the Lord,
the newborn King.

Refrain
Glo - - - - - ri – a,
in excelsis Deo!
Glo - - - - - ri – a,
in excelsis Deo!

4. See him in
a manger laid,
whom the choirs
of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph,
lend your aid,
while our hearts
in love we raise.

Refrain
Glo - - - - - ri – a,
in excelsis Deo!
Glo - - - - - ri – a,
in excelsis Deo!
 
Lesson Two                          
The Servant, a Light to the Nations                                                        
Isaiah 42:1-9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry out or lift up his voice
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth,
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.

Hymn
What Child is This                
UMH #219
WORDS: William C. Dix, 1865 (Lk. 2:6-20; Mt. 2:1-12)
1. What child is this
who, laid to rest,
on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet
with anthems sweet,
while shepherds
watch are keeping?
 
Refrain
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard
and angels sing;
haste, haste to bring him laud,
the babe, the Son of Mary.
 
2. Why lies he in
such mean estate
where ox and
ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear,
for sinners here
the silent
Word is pleading.
 
Refrain
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard
and angels sing;
haste, haste to bring him laud,
the babe, the Son of Mary.
 
3. So bring him incense,
gold, and myrrh,
come, peasant,
king, to own him;
the King of kings
salvation brings,
let loving
hearts enthrone him.
 
Refrain
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard
and angels sing;
haste, haste to bring him laud,
the babe, the Son of Mary.
                                               
Lesson Three                        
The Annunciation of Mary      
Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Music
Still, Still, Still
Jubilee Bells
Donna Rickett ~ Flute

Lesson Four                          
The Angel Appears to Joseph  
Matthew 1:18-23
 
Now 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 pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce 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 fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”
 
Invitation to Offering
 
Offertory
In the Bleak Midwinter
Rachel Ford,
Stephanie Shorden
                                                                                                                 
Lesson Five                          
The Birth of Jesus                  
Luke 2:1-7

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.

Music
He Is Born Sing Noel
By Lloyd Larson
Sanctuary Choir
 
Lesson Six                              
The Shepherds and the Angels
Luke 2:8-20

Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

Hymn
The First Noel
v. 1, 2 UMH #245
WORDS: Trad. English carol (Luke 2:8-14; Mt. 2:1-12)
 
1. The first Noel
the angel did say
was to certain
poor shepherds
in fields as they lay;
in fields where they
lay keeping their sheep,
on a cold winter’s night
that was so deep.
 
Refrain
Noel, Noel,
Noel, Noel,
born is the
King of Israel.
 
2. They looked up
and saw a star
shining in the east,
beyond them far;
and to the earth
it gave great light,
and so it continued
both day and night.
 
Refrain
Noel, Noel,
Noel, Noel,
born is the
King of Israel.
 
 
Lesson Seven                          
Prologue to John                    
John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

Message
Rev. David Petty

Ceremony of Candles

Hymn                                    
Silent Night                          
vs. 1 UMH #239
WORDS: Joseph Mohr, 1818, alt.; sts. 1, 2, 3 trans. by John F. Young;  st. 4  trans, anon. (Lk. 2:6-20)
 
1. 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.
 
Hymn                                    
Joy to the World                    
UMH #246
WORDS: Isaac Watts, 1719 (Ps. 98:4-9)
 
1. Joy to the world,
the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
let every heart
prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
(and heaven and nature sing,)
and heaven and nature sing,
(and heaven and nature sing,)
and heaven, and heaven,
and nature sing.
 
2. Joy to the world,
the Savior reigns!
Let all their songs employ;
while fields and floods,
rocks, hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
(repeat the sounding joy,)
repeat the sounding joy,
(repeat the sounding joy,)
repeat, repeat
the sounding joy.
 
3. No more let sins
and sorrows grow,
nor thorns
infest the ground;
he comes to make
his blessings flow
far as the curse is found,
(far as the curse is found,)
far as the curse is found,
(far as the curse is found,)
far as, far as
the curse is found.
 
4. 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 of his love,
(and wonders of his love,)
and wonders, wonders
of  his love.
 
Benediction
Rev. David Petty

Postlude
Stephanie Shorden