Christmas Eve 2018 5:30 PM A Service of Story and Song Plymouth Congregational Church United Church of Christ
THE GATHERING GATHERING SONGS 1. Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Tis the season to be jolly, Don we now our gay apparel, Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Deck the Halls 2. See the blazing Yule before us, Strike the harp and join the chorus. Follow me in merry measure, While I tell of Yule tide treasure, 1. Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a onehorse open sleigh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a onehorse open sleigh! Jingle Bells 2. Dashing through the snow in a onehorse open sleigh, O er the fields we go, laughing all the way! Bells on bob-tail ring. They re making spirits bright. What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight! 1. And a happy New Year. Glad tidings we bring To you and your kin; Glad tidings for Christmas And a happy New Year! 3. Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh! We Wish You a Merry Christmas 2. Now bring us a figgy pudding, Now bring us a figgy pudding, Now bring us a figgy pudding, And bring it right here! Glad tidings we bring To you and your kin; Glad tidings for Christmas And a happy New Year! GREETING 3. And a happy New Year! 2
*CAROL 1. O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, 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! *PRAYER OF INVOCATION *A SIGN OF OUR UNITY AND RECONCILIATION O Come, All Ye Faithful 2. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation. Sing, all ye citizens of heav n above! Glory to God, all glory in the highest. O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord! We invite you to greet those around you, wishing them peace or the peace of Christ. LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE CAROL (seated) Josh, Sarah, Amelia, Elijah and Jacob Wright 1. O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. O Little Town of Bethlehem 2. For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above, While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love. O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth! And praises sing, and voices ring with peace to all on earth. JOSEPH, MARY, AND THE BABY JESUS CAROL (seated) 1. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head. The stars in the sky looked down where he lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ANGELS CAROL (seated) 1. Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o er the plains, And the mountains in reply, echo back their joyous strains. Gloria in excelsis Deo, Gloria in excelsis Deo. THE SHEPHERDS TELL THE GOOD NEWS THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS Away in a Manager Angels We Have Heard on High 2. The cattle are lowing, the poor baby wakes, But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes. I love you, Lord Jesus; protect me I pray, And stay by my side until night turns to day. 2. Come to Bethlehem and see Christ whose birth the angels sing; Come adore on bended knee, God, our world now entering. Gloria in excelsis Deo, Gloria in excelsis Deo. 3
*CAROL 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 heaven and nature sing! *THE WISE ONES BRING THEIR GIFTS Joy to the World OUR RESPONSE TO CHRIST S BIRTH 2. Joy to the earth! 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, repeat the sounding joy. When invited, please come forward singing, then present your Christmas offering up front. Bring your bulletins and candles as well. Then move to ring the Sanctuary. A portion of your offering tonight will go to the poor and needy of Syracuse through Plymouth s tender ministries of mercy and justice, and through local organizations with which Plymouth is in partnership. 1. We three kings of orient are; bearing gifts we traverse afar; Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star. Refrain : O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light. 2. Born a king on Bethlehem plain; gold I bring, to crown him again, King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign. (no refrain) We Three Kings 3. Frankincense to offer have I, incense owns a deity nigh, Prayer and praising, gladly raising, worship Him, God most high. (no refrain) 4. Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom; Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone cold tomb. (no refrain) 5. Glorious now behold Him arise, King and God and sacrifice; Alleluia, Alleluia sounds through the earth and skies. Refrain *A CHRISTMAS PRAYER AND THE PRAYER OF OUR SAVIOR Please pray the Prayer of our Savior using the words below: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. *PASSING OF THE LIGHT 4
*CAROL 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. Silent Night 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. 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 the angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem! Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King! *BENEDICTION Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 5 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! 2. Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord; Late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the incarnate Deity, Pleased as us with us to dwell; Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King! 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! About Plymouth Plymouth was founded in 1853 by a group of Syracusans who wanted to create a Christian abolitionist bulwark in the city. Since then, we have fought against slavery, poverty, and war; for immigrants, natives, workers, LGBT, and women s rights; and sought to be agents of mercy in a hurting world. We believe in beauty, laughter, the struggle for peace with justice, taking risks for God, and the Way of Jesus Christ. Our faith is over 2,000 years old; our thinking is not! We are Open and Affirming We believe God calls us to welcome all people and their gifts regardless of gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, physical ability, socioeconomic status, or religious background. We are Just Peace We covenant to live actively within the holy longing that weds justice with the quest for peace within us, between us, in community, and across the globe. We covenant to affirm the sacredness of all life and to honor and preserve creation. We are Sanctuary We provide a space of physical, emotional, and spiritual safety for immigrants without documents, and specifically pledge to the principles of the national New Sanctuary Movement. We are Immigrant Welcoming We seek to learn, support, and develop practices and programs that
facilitate the respectful welcome and inclusion of all immigrants into our congregation and community. We are Progressive Christians We try to walk in the way of Jesus Christ, our brother and savior. We believe God speaks new meanings for new days, and that She does so not only in the church and the ancient words of the Bible, but through the insights of science, the arts, the revelations of other religions, and the best strivings of the human spirit. We believe God has granted us a purpose, and that life is too short for long-faced religion. Join us! Join us for worship every Sunday at 10 am Tonight s usher is Kailyn Wright The Rev. Dr. John A. Terry, Interim Pastor; jterry@plymouthsyr.org Dr. Joseph Downing, Director of Music Kim Looney, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries Kathy Ferro, Church Administrator Mark Johnson, Sexton 232 East Onondaga Street Syracuse, New York 13202 (315) 474-4836 plymouthsyr.org office@plymouthsyr.org 6