Christmas Eve Service - 12/24/2020
Call to worship:
L: A trumpet blares through the silent night! A new song heralds the coming light!
P: Let us sing the new song, Let us turn to the light, Let us build a new earth, Let us celebrate new life!
L: Let the sea’s deep rumble make the sky tremble! Let the field’s high chanting make the clouds dance!
A: Let us sing the new song, Let us turn to the light, Let us build a new earth, Let us celebrate new life!
Opening Hymn: Go, Tell it on the Mountain #251
Refrain:
Go, tell it on the mountain,
over the hills and everywhere;
go, tell it on the mountain,
that Jesus Christ is born.
1 While shepherds kept their watching
o'er silent flocks by night,
behold throughout the heavens
there shown a holy light. (Refrain)
2 The shepherds feared and trembled,
when lo! above the earth,
rang out the angel chorus
that hailed the Savior’s birth. (Refrain)
3 Down in a lowly manger
the humble Christ was born,
and God sent us salvation
that blessed Christmas morn. (Refrain)
Opening Prayer:
O Shepherd of the world’s peoples, we are alone in our fields, keeping watch in the night. Heavy clouds cover us; prowling wolves shadow us. Dispatch a shaft of light from heaven to kiss our feet! Send an angelic choir to sing their hymn in our midst! Show us the way to Bethlehem, that we may witness this thing that has happened. And when all is made known, we shall return to our fields, glorifying and praising you for all we have seen and heard. Amen.
Epistle Reading: Titus 2: 11-14
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, 12 training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Children's Message (video)
Hymn: What Child is This #219
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)
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)
Prayer of Dedication:
O God of creation, you cause the heavens to be glad and the earth to rejoice. You inspire the seas to roar and the fields to exalt. At your approach all the trees of the wood sing for joy, for they know that you come as no other comes: you come as righteousness and truth.
Most Holy Lord, you have chosen us to proclaim your good news to all the peoples on the earth. Tonight we rest in your glory. Tomorrow we will sing your message to all the earth! Amen.
Hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel #211
1 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 thee, O Israel.
2 O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Refrain
3 O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Refrain
4 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.
Refrain
5 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.
Refrain
6 O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Refrain
7 O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.
Refrain
8 O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Refrain
Gospel Reading: Luke 2: 1-20 (Key verse – Luke 2: 10-11)
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 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. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 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 for them in the inn.
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 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: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
15 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.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Sermon Title: For the grace of God has appeared (video)
Tonight, on the holiest of nights, we come into this sanctuary in silence, practicing our most reverent prayers. For tonight, a child is born to us and we will call Him Emmanuel, God with us, Prince of Peace, Almighty God. Tonight, this Baby; this Savior of our souls, comes into the world for the first time, in order to save us from our sins and to reconcile us back to Father God. It would seem that this is a bit much to pile onto a baby’s shoulders, but this baby is not an ordinary child. He is completely human and completely divine all at the same time, and His mission is to bring the message of salvation to us.
“We are here to celebrate this great thing that God has done for us. Let’s read in Titus 2: 11-14 - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.”
Jesus is indeed the true light that we have been waiting for all these long weeks or years if you count the people who were there. But we do not celebrate just because there is a baby born; not even because He is the King of the world. We celebrate Jesus’ birth because it means the old world is ending and a new world is being remade.
I feel that I must remind all of us that by the old world ending, I don’t mean that it is going to blow up or anything. We’ll save all of the explosions for the silver screen. What I mean is that the old way of thinking that we had no hope because we had no Savior; no one to stand up for us and advocate for us, is gone. We now can celebrate a new world with hope in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The grace of God has appeared to us on this Holy Night.
It is said that a baby changes everything and anyone who has ever had one knows that this statement is oh so true. But it pales in comparison to the statement made to the world that Jesus is born and here to save us from our sins. All of the pain, all of the grief, all of the overwhelming flood has been changed. We still have pain and grief and floods in the world, but now we have someone who is ready, willing, and able to help us through them; to love us through them.
The grace of God has appeared. Let us rejoice and be glad for everything God has done.
Amen.
Closing Hymn: Silent Night, Holy Night #239
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.
2. 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!
3. 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.
4. Silent night, holy night,
wondrous star, lend thy light;
with the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!
Candles will be lit by passing the light from one to the next while we sing.