CHRISTMAS PAGEANT Cover Art by Dava Boyce, 5th Grade SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2018 5:00 P.M. THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT CHRIST CHURCH 118 N. Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314 www.historicchristchurch.org
Welcome to Christ Church. Please silence all electronic devices. Restrooms are located on the first floor of the Parish House across from the churchyard. Nursery care is available today for infants through age four in the Parish House Nursery from 4:00 to 6:45 p.m. The Infant Caring Room is open for parents to care for their child while watching the service on closed circuit television. Prelude Greeting Opening Hymn 56 (Standing) 1. 2. O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! 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. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! 3. 4. Veni, veni, Emmanuel O come, O come, thou Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai s height in ancient times didst give the law, in cloud, and majesty, and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! O come, thou Dayspring from on high, and cheer us by thy drawing nigh; disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death s dark shadow put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! Hymn 66 (Seated) 1. Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. 2. Born thy people to deliver, born a child, and yet a king, born to reign in us for ever, now thy gracious kingdom bring. Stuttgart 3. By thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone; by thine all-sufficient merit raise us to thy glorious throne. -1-
Hymn 79 (Seated) St. Louis 1. 2. 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. 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 to God the King, and peace to men on earth. 3. 4. How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven. No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in. O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel! Hymn 101 (Seated) 1. Away in a manger, no crib for his bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. Cradle Song 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 side until morning is nigh. Hymn 111 (Seated) 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, 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. Stille Nacht -2-
Hymn 96 (Seated) All will sing the verses, while only the Angels sing the refrain. Gloria 1. Angels we have heard on high, singing sweetly through the night, and the mountains in reply echoing their brave delight. (Angels only) Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo. 2. Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why these songs of happy cheer? What great brightness did you see? What glad tidings did you hear? (Angels only) 3. Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing; come, adore on bended knee Christ, the Lord, the newborn King. (Angels only) Hymn 89 (Seated) Carol 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. 2. Yet with the woes of sin and strife the world has suffered long; beneath the heavenly hymn have rolled two thousand years of wrong; and warring humankind hears not the tidings which they bring; O hush the noise and cease your strife and hear the angels sing! 3. For lo! the days are hastening on, by prophets 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 all the world give back the song which now the angels sing. -3-
An offering will be taken during We Three Kings. If you wish to make your contribution by check, please make it payable to Christ Church. Hymn 128 (Seated) 1. 2. We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts, we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star. O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright; westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light! Born a King on Bethlehem s plain, gold I bring to crown him again, King for ever, ceasing never over us all to reign. 3. 4. Frankincense to offer have I: incense owns a Deity nigh; prayer and praising, gladly raising, worship him, God Most High. Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom; sorrowing sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb. Three Kings of Orient Announcements and Blessing Hymn 83 (Standing) 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. God from God, Light from Light eternal, lo! he abhors not the Virgin s womb; only-begotten Son of the Father; Adeste fideles 3. See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle, leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze; we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps; The Dismissal Postlude Please remain in your pew until the procession concludes. Parents/Guardians of pageant participants should come to the Fowler House to pick up their child(ren) immediately following the service. We invite all to join us for a dinner of homemade ziti, meatballs, and sausage at the Yuletide Feast in the Parish House Auditorium. Gluten free options will be available. Walk across the churchyard and enter the Parish House through the double doors. Turn left and proceed up stairs to the Auditorium. -4-
CAST AND CREW OF THE CHRIST CHURCH CHRISTMAS PAGEANT Guardian Angel: Banner Carriers: Angel Gabriel: Narrators: Wise People: Innkeeper: Joseph: Mary: Census Taker: Sheep: Angels: Animals: Townspeople: Shepherds: Production Staff: Organist Lucy Watkins Henry Wegner, Jeremiah Haas, Chloe Lehman Aria Thorpe-Metz Dava Boyce and Connor Skarin Lucian Andrews, Josiah Baldwin, and Linden York-Simmons Ian Crowley Henry Trigg Reese Hearding McKinley Jolly Three and Four-Year Olds Kindergarten and 1st Graders 2nd Graders 3rd Graders 3rd Graders 6th-12th Graders M. Jason Abel The Rev. Seldon Walker, Associate Rector/Curate Ariel Rudy, Director of Children s Ministries SPECIAL THANKSGIVINGS FOR THESE VOLUNTEERS For our Set Assembly Team, led by Russ and Claire Haymes and all our set-up volunteers. For Emily Bryan and Elizabeth Trigg, our Director and Yuletide Feast coordinator, respectively. All the volunteers who helped get the children dressed and seated. Sunday School teachers and Shepherds who work with our children and helped prepare the pageant. Sunday Schoolers who provided art for the bulletin. For more information on the Children, Youth & Family Ministries at Christ Church visit our website at www.historicchristchurch.org or call 703.778.4944. -5-
SCHEDULE OF HOLIDAY SERVICES Monday, December 24 Christmas Eve Services 3:00 p.m. Worship with Communion and Carols (Holy Eucharist Rite II) 5:30 p.m. Worship with Communion, Choir, and Carols (Holy Eucharist Rite II in the Historic Church) 5:30 p.m. Unto Us This Night: A Celebration of God With Us (Holy Eucharist Rite II in the Auditorium) 8:00 p.m. Festive Worship with Communion, Choir, and Carols (Holy Eucharist Rite II) 10:30 p.m. Festive Worship with Communion, Choir, and Carols (Holy Eucharist Rite II) Tuesday, December 25 Christmas Day Service 10:00 a.m. Worship with Communion and Carols (Holy Eucharist Rite II) Monday, December 31 New Year s Eve Service 10:00 p.m. Prayer service with readings from the Bible CHRIST CHURCH OFFICES HOLIDAY SCHEDULE Monday, December 24- offices closed Tuesday, December 25 offices closed Wednesday, December 26 offices closed Thursday, December 27 offices closed; church open to tours from noon to 4:00 p.m. Friday, December 28 offices closed; church open to tours from noon to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, December 29 church open to tours from noon to 4:00 p.m. Monday, December 31 offices closed; church open for tours, First Night and service at 10:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 1 offices closed
Childcare is available for the 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Christmas Eve services. Children are welcome at all services. The Family Service is designed with children in mind.