Christmas Eve Service December 24, :00 pm (Pre-Service Music begins at 9:45 pm)

Transcription

1 Christmas Eve Service December 24, :00 pm (Pre-Service Music begins at 9:45 pm) Phone Phone Kirkwood United Church of Christ 1603 Dougherty Ferry Road Kirkwood, MO Website Phone (314) Facebook us CHURCH STAFF Betsy Happel, Pastor Donna Bay, Administrative Assistant Merry Keller, Director of Music Ministry Ron Bryant, Accompanist Stephen Stark, Student Pastor Jennifer Brockhouse, Nursery Care Giver MINISTERS The Whole Congregation No matter who you are, or where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here! OUR WELCOMING STATEMENT Kirkwood United Church of Christ is called by God to be an open, diverse and caring community of Jesus disciples. In following Christ s commandment to love one another, we welcome all who wish to share in the fellowship, membership, leadership, worship, ministry, sacraments, rites, responsibilities and blessings of our faith community. As we affirm that every person is a child of God, no one is excluded, regardless of race, ethnic or socio-economic background, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, nationality or faith background. We are an Open and Affirming congregation. 1

2 ORDER OF SERVICE Christmas Eve 2016 *All who are able, please stand Pre-Service Music "Mary s Little Boy Child" by Jester Hairston Piano solo Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella Traditional French Carol Make Straight in the Desert a Highway by Carl P. Daw, Jr. and John Carter Merry Keller & Ron Bryant Ron Bryant Beth Heuermann & Jill Stoll Flute/Cello Duet KUCC Choir, Jill Stoll on Flute Welcome *Call to Worship The deeper the darkness the brighter the light shines. For love refuses to be extinguished by despair. Resilience and hope cannot be quenched while the light of love burns steadily, fueled by courage and by compassion. Look for the light and there you will find love. Look for the testimonies of faith, and there you will find hope. O come, all you faithful! Kathy Ury *Song O Come, All You Faithful vv. 1 & 3 Page 10 *Invocation Kathy Ury Creating God, on this holy night we come to give thanks for your light. It is our hope. In spite of the depth of our darkness, in spite of the weight of our oppression, in spite of all the barriers we put in your way, still your light shines and helps us imagine new possibilities. You illuminate our darkness, and you increase our joy. You are our hope. Tonight we celebrate the child born to us, the One we call Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, the Prince of Peace. This child confounds us, for in his humility you declare authority, and in his weakness you declare power. Open our eyes again to your ways, O God. It is in the name of our hope, our Christ, we pray, Amen. 2

3 Lighting of the Christ Candle John 1:1-5, 14 Susan Drake and Julie Jennings In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. What came into being through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father s only son, full of grace and truth. Music Peace Has Come Down Tonight by Don Besig & Nancy Price KUCC Choir Invitation to Christmas Offering Kristin Bowen Offertory Christmas Cello-bration arranged by Bob Phillips Beth Heuermann & Sarah Heuermann *Doxology O Come, O Come, Emmanuel v. 6 #116 O come, O Day-spring, come and cheer our spirits by your advent here; Love stir with-in the womb of night, and death's own shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel! *Prayer of Dedication O God of Hope, God of Peace, God of Joy, God of Love, we pray you bless these gifts, that they might become a blessing to this world you love so very much. May those who receive them know you are with them, now in this holy season and in all their days to come. In the name of the Child of Bethlehem, Emmanuel the Hope of the World, we pray. Amen. Readings and Carols First Reading Luke 1:26-38 Linda Reynolds When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David s house. The virgin s name was Mary. When the angel came to her, he said, Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you! She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. The angel said, Don t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over Jacob s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom. Then Mary said to the angel, How will this happen since I haven t had sexual relations with a man? The angel replied, The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God s Son. Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled unable to conceive is now six months pregnant. Nothing is impossible for God. Then Mary said, I am the Lord s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said. Then the angel left her. 3

4 Music Mary, Did You Know words by Mark Lowry, Jill Stoll, John Stoll & Mara Stoll Music by Buddy Greene Second Reading Luke 1:39-55 Beth Heuermann Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. She entered Zechariah s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. With a loud voice she blurted out, God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry. Why do I have this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. Happy is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill the promises he made to her. Mary said, With all my heart I glorify the Lord! In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior. He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant. Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored because the mighty one has done great things for me. Holy is his name. He shows mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors him as God. He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations. He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed. He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, just as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to Abraham s descendants forever. Music Rise Up Shepherd and Follow by Mark Hayes KUCC Choir Third Reading Luke 2:1-20 Douglas Anders In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. Since Joseph belonged to David s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guest room. Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. The Lord s angel stood before them, the Lord s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said, Don t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David s city. He is Christ the Lord. This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors. When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to 4

5 each other, Let s go right now to Bethlehem and see what s happened. Let s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us. They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told. *Song The First Nowell vv. 1, 2 & 4 Page 8 & 9 Fourth Reading The Legend of the Christmas Rose Lo How a Rose Mara Stoll on piano Music O Holy Night by Adolphe Adam Merry Keller, vocalist Ron Bryant, piano Sacrament of Holy Communion Invitation The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to our God. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. For we are called to give our thanks and praise. Prayer O God of all imagining, how do you call us on this night? We come to you just as we are: your children, full of both fear and love, brokenness and hope, confusion and clarity. We come in search of grace and peace, knowing it is from the wisdom of our Christ that we might receive both in our lives. Bless this bread and this cup from which we are about to partake. May they fill us with the hope of you, the insights of you, the peace of you. May we experience redemption and reconciliation so that we may be the example of your possibilities, Your Presence in this world. Amen, and amen. Words of Institution Sharing of Bread and Cup (passing of trays) Everyone is welcome to take communion, regardless of church affiliation or no affiliation. Please hold the bread and cup until all have been served so that we may eat and drink together. Gluten-free wafers are provided in each basket. 5

6 Prayer of Thanksgiving Fifth Reading Loving God, let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be your children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen. If You Want a poem by St. John of the Cross If you want, the Virgin will come walking down the road pregnant with the holy, and say I need shelter for the night, please take me inside your heart, My time is so close. Then, under the roof of your soul, you will witness the sublime intimacy, the divine, the Christ taking birth forever, as she grasps your hand for help, for each of us is the midwife of God, each of us. Yes, there, under the dome of your being does Creation come into existence eternally, through your woman, dear pilgrim - the sacred womb of your soul, As God grasps our arm for help, for each of us is His beloved servant never far. If you want, the Virgin will come walking Down the street pregnant With light and sing. *Sharing the Light of Christ Silent Night, Holy Night Page 11 *Commissioning and Benediction *Carol/Recessional Joy to the World! Page 12 6

7 SOURCES: Call to Worship adapted from RevGalBlogPals, Invocation adapted from David N. Mosser. Communion Prayer of Thanksgiving attributed to Robert Louis Stevenson, and adapted. Fifth Reading, If You Want, by St. John of the Cross, from Love Poems to God, translated by Daniel Ladinsky. Greeters & Ushers Cy & Carolyn Blackmore Communion Stewards Evie Appel, Rick Happel, Lev Reynolds, Barb Thompson 7

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