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Christmas Eve

We Do Not Wait In Vain

Welcome to our Christmas Eve service. We are a hopeful church of charismatic practice & sacramental worship. Along with Christians throughout the last 2,000 years, in all nations, and in all denominations, we affirm the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. We endeavor to surrender our whole lives to Jesus as Lord in every dimension of our lives.

Opening Prayer

In anticipation we gather.
With expectation we wait.
We gather to watch for the coming of the good news
into our world and into our lives.
We wait to see the fullness of God’s vision.
O God, open the doors to our hearts,
that this year we may have room for the birth of Jesus.
O God, as we marvel over all that you are doing,
overwhelm us with so much wonder
that words of praise spring forth from our lips!
In this time of waiting, let true worship begin in our hearts.
Let our praises rise up to the heavens!
Let our celebrations spread new hope over a tired world!
Let us gather together all our dreams and lives
to worship our God! Amen.

Advent Candle Lighting

Reader: 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.

Reader 2: He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through him.

Reader 1: In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.

Reader 2: The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it.

Reader 1: The true light, which enlightens everyone,
was coming into the world.
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.

—from John 1:1-5, 9, 14, NRSV

Joy To The World

George Frederic Handel, Isaac Watts

Key: C

Verse 1:

Joy to the world the Lord is come

Let earth re-ceive her King

Let ev'ry heart / prepare Him room

And heavÕn and nature sing and heavÕn and nature sing

And heavÕn and heavÕn and na - ture sing

Verse 2:

Joy to the earth the Sav - ior reigns

Let men their songs em - ploy

While fields and floods / rocks hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy re-peat the sounding joy

Re - peat repeat the sound - ing joy

Verse 3:

No more let - sins and sor - rows grow

Nor thorns in - fest the ground

He comes to make / His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found far as the curse is found

Far as far as the curse is found

Verse 4:

He rules the world with truth and grace

And makes the nations prove

The glories of / His right-eous-ness

And wonders of His love and wonders of His love

And wonders won - ders of His love

What Child is This

William Chatterton Dix

Key: Bm

Verse 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

This, this is Christ the King / Whom shepherds guard and angels sing

Haste, haste to bring Him praise / The Babe the Son of Mary

Verse 2:

Why lies He in such mean estate / Where ox and ass are feeding

Good Christian fear for sinners here / The silent Word is pleading

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through / The cross be borne, for me for you

Hail, hail the Word made flesh / The Babe the Son of Mary

Verse 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

Raise, raise the song on high / The Virgin sings her lullaby

Joy, joy for Christ is born / The Babe the Son of Mary

CCLI Song # 30983

Unknown | William Chatterton Dix

Music: Public Domain

CCLI License # 2939410

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O Holy Night

Adolphe Charles Adam, John Sullivan Dwight and Placide Cappeau

Key: G

Tempo: 90 BPM

Time: 6/8

Verse 1:

O holy night the stars are brightly shining

It is the night of the dear Savior's birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Chorus 1:

Fall on your knees

O hear the angel voices

O night divine

O night when Christ was born

O night O holy night

O night divine

Verse 2:

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming

Here came the wise men from Orient land

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger

In all our trials born to be our Friend

Chorus 2:

He knows our need

To our weakness is no stranger

Behold your King

Before Him lowly bend

Behold your King

Before Him lowly bend

Verse 3:

Truly He taught us to love one another

His law is love and His gospel is peace

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His name all oppression shall cease

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we

Let all within us praise His holy name

Chorus 3:

Christ is the Lord

O praise His name forever

His power and glory

Evermore proclaim

His power and glory

Evermore proclaim

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Holy Holy Holy Lord

Peter Scholtes

Key: G

Verse:

Holy holy holy Lord

God of pow'r and might

Heaven and earth are filled with Your glo - ry

(repeat)

Chorus:

Ho - sanna, ho - s a n -na / in the high - est

Ho - sanna, ho - s a n - na / in the high - est

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. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 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. His authority shall grow continually, 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.

Isaiah 9:2–7 (NRSV)

O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Worship the LORD in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, “The LORD is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.”
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD;

for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.

Psalm 96:1–13 (NRSV)

In those days a decree went out from Emperor 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 for them in the inn.

In that 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.
But 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, as it had been told them.

Luke 2:1–20 (NRSV)

Prayer for Illumination

O God, our beginning and end,
by whose command time runs its course:
bless our impatience,
perfect our faith,
and, while we await
the fulfillment of your promises,
grant us hope in your Word. Amen.