1
O Come, All Ye Faithful VU 60 2
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; 3
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. 4
God of God, light of light, lo, he abhors not the virgin s womb; very God, begotten, not created: 5
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. 6
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, sing, all ye citizens of heaven above; glory to God in the highest: 7
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. 8
See how the shepherds summoned to his cradle, leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear; we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps: 9
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. 10
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to thee be glory given; word of the Father, now in flesh appearing: 11
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. 12
13
Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, the son of God is born this night. God's word has been made flesh among us. 14
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness a light has shined. 15
You, O Lord, have multiplied the nation. You have increased its joy. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. 16
His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He is also called Emmanuel, for in him God is with us. 17
May God illuminate our hearts and shine in our words and deeds. May the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love represented by the birth in Bethlehem this night fill our lives and become part of all that we say and do. 18
May we share the divine life of Jesus Christ, even as he humbled himself to share our humanity. Amen. 19
20
21
How joyfully, how hopefully, waits the world on Christmas Eve. How joyfully, how hopefully, it waits upon the obedience and the faithfulness of Mary - 22
who having been visited by the Angel Gabriel agrees to become the mother of the Most High, the promised one of Israel, our Emmanuel. 23
24
Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o'er all the earth; ye who sang creation's story, now proclaim Messiah's birth: come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King. 25
Shepherds in the field abiding, watching o'er your flocks by night, God with us is now residing, yonder shines the infant Light: come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King. 26
27
28
Such poor beginnings - for this promised one. A small town in a small land. Born nowhere important to no one important. How often our God works this way - - how often he comes quietly - 29
and works his miracles in the most ordinary of places - and the most ordinary of people. Behold, in a manger - our Lord, our Emmanuel. 30
31
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 street shineth the everlasting light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. 32
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 the world of sin, Where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in. 33
34
35
36
There is a time for loud proclamation and joyous song, and a time for soft words and quiet lullabies. A time for rejoicing and a time for prayer. 37
Prayer to the one who came so long ago - and who is still with us today, our Lord Jesus - our Emmanuel. 38
39
While shepherds watched their flocks by night all seated on the ground, the angel of the Lord came down, and glory shone around. 40
'To you in David's town this day is born of David's line a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord; and this shall be the sign: 41
'The heavenly babe you there shall find to human view displayed, all meanly wrapped in swaddling bands, and in a manger laid.' 42
'All glory be to God on high, and to the earth be peace! Good will to all from highest heaven begin, and never cease.' 43
44
45
Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear - know that something of great importance was announced by the star in the east - and by the angels from heaven so far. 46
So the shepherds left their sheep, the magi - their homes - that they might discover that which was being pointed to. And so we tonight leave our homes - to discover - and to wonder - and to worship - to worship our Emmanuel. 47
48
As with gladness men of old did the guiding star behold, as with joy they hailed its light, leading onward beaming bright, so most gracious Lord, may we evermore your splendour see. 49
As they offered gifts most rare at the manger crude and bare, so may we with holy joy, pure and free from sin's alloy, all our costliest treasures bring, Christ to you, our heavenly King. 50
51
52
This is the Christmas Story, a story that is not confined to a manger 2000 years ago in the ancient land of Israel - but rather reaches from the beginning of time to its very end - a story that John tells in other words when he wrote: 53
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. 54
What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 55
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. 56
57
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. 58
He rules the earth with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love... 59
60
61
It was cold and Mary and Joseph were fearful. But that did not stop the birth. They were poor and had no place fitting for their child. But that did not stop the birth. 62
They were uncertain about what God wanted from them. But that did not stop the birth. Today we are still sometimes cold and fearful, certainly poor in many ways. 63
We often feel we have no place and are unclear about what God wants of us. But these things did not stop the birth of Jesus then, nor will they now. Loving Jesus be born in us today. W 64
Like Mary and Joseph, who trusted in your grace, we offer ourselves to you and hallow our every thought and our every action, that Christ may be revealed through them to the world that is yet in darkness. Amen. 65
Having travelled to the stable together and having beheld the child, we leave now in peace encourages to share the light of God s love with all we meet. 66
67
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. 68
Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight: glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah, Christ the Saviour is born, Christ the Saviour is born. 69
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. 70
71