December 24, 2018 Christmas Eve 8:00pm Contemporary Service - 8:45am in Craven Hall Chinese Service - 10:30am in the Cokesbury Room Traditional Service - 11:00am in the Sanctuary
Prelude He is Born arr. Homer Whitford Chiming of the Trinity Welcome and Opening Prayer Gary Mahathey *Processional Hymn 1. 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 th' angelic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!" Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new born King!" Hark the Herald Angels Sing 3. 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 us from the earth, born to give us second birth. Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new born King!" 2. Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord; late in time behold him come, off-spring of a virgin's womb. Veiled in flesh the God-head see; hail th' incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new born King!" *Lighting of the Advent Wreath Leader: Jesus, be the light in our darkness. As we light the candle of hope, All: we pray for those feeling hopeless. Leader: As we light the candle of peace, All: we pray for all who suffer the consequences of war and for all victims of violence. Leader: As we light the candle of joy, All: we pray for the heavy-hearted. Leader: As we light the candle of love, All: we pray for those who have never felt love, and for those who struggle to love others. Leader: Jesus be the light in the darkness,
All: that we might reflect your glorious light into the darkest corners of our sin-filled world. Amen. Leader: He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. All: What John the Baptist did for Israel, Advent can do for us. Leader: We need a savior. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! All: Let every heart prepare him room. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice. Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Lighting of the Candle Nativity Low How a Rose 1. Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming From tender stem hath sprung! Of Jesse's lineage coming As men of old have sung. It came, a flower bright, Amid the cold of winter When half-gone was the night. 2. Isaiah 'twas foretold it, The Rose I have in mind: With Mary we behold it, The virgin mother kind. To show God's love aright She bore to men a Savior When half-gone was the night. The Cherry Tree Carol 1. Joseph was an old man, An old man was he, He married sweet Mary The Queen of Galilee. 3. He neither shall be born In house not in hall, Nor in the place of Paradise, But in an ox-stall. 2. As Joseph was a-walking He heard Angels sing, This night there shall be born Our heavenly King.
Away in a Manger 1. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay. 2. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes; I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky and stay by my cradle till morning is nigh. Angels We Have Heard On High 1. Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains, and the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains: Refrain: Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo! 2. Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing; come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the new-born King. Refrain: Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo! The First Noel 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. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, born is the King of Israel. 3. And by the light of that same star three Wise Men came from country far; to seek for a king was their intent, and to follow the star wherever it went. 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. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, born is the King of Israel. *O Come All Ye Faithful 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; 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; O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Scripiture Readings Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25 Sermon Christmas Point of View: Joseph and Mary Rev. Jeff Coppley What Child is This 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 laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary! 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. 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. This, this is Christ, the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing: Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary Offertory The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. The Sacrament of Holy Communion It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the earth. You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets. In the fullness of time you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Savior, and at his birth the angels sang glory to you in the highest and peace to your people on earth. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. As Mary and Joseph went from Galilee to Bethlehem and there found no room, so Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem and was despised and rejected. As in the poverty of a stable Jesus was born, so by the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. As your Word became flesh, born of woman, on that night long ago, so, on the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever. Amen. Everyone is invited to the Lord s table to receive communion. After receiving communion, you will be given a candle for the candle lighting.
Candle Lighting Candlelight Service The ministers will light their candles from the Christ Candle. They will, in turn, with the help of our ushers, light the candles for worshippers. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear 1. It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold: "Peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven's all-gracious King." The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing. 3. For lo! the days are hastening on, by prophet seen of old, when with the ever-circling years shall come the time foretold when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling, and the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing. 2. Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled, and still their heavenly music floats o'er all the weary world; above its sad and lowly plains, they bend on hovering wing, and ever o'er its Babel sounds the blessed angels sing. *Silent Night 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, heav'nly 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!
*Joy to the World 1. Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King! Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room, and heav'n and nature sing, and heav'n and nature sing, and heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing. 2. Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains 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, 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, wonders of His love. *Benediction Chiming of the Trinity Postlude Joy to the World arr. Don Hustad Please extinguish your candles. *Please stand as you are able.