ORDER OF WORSHIP December 24, 2016 Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols Candlelight Service Please sign and pass the Friendship Book ( pew pad ) where you can also record any prayer requests. Our prayer is that you will experience the presence of the Living God as we worship together. We invite you to focus your heart and mind in worship. Please silence your cell phones. WELCOME PRELUDE CALL TO WORSHIP * indicates please stand as you are able. Rev. Don Meekhof Organ Carole Stuart Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy, for all people. To you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. There is nothing in death or life, in things present, or things to come, nothing in all creation, that can separate us from the love of God, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice! Thanks be to God! Amen! GATHERING PRAYER Lois Robertson LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLES Dick & Trudy Raymond *SONG OF WORSHIP: SEE INSERT THE CANDLE OF HOPE (to the tune of "O Worship the King, All Glorious Above!", Hymn #29) Who Is This Child? INTRODUCTION FIRST READING: Carole Stuart Richard & Debbie Welch
Glory Revealed to All (Isaiah 40:1 5) Christ is coming. Be glad and believe! ON JORDAN S BANK THE BAPTIST S CRY (Hymn #136) On Jordan s bank the Baptist s cry announces that the Lord is nigh: awake and listen for he brings glad tidings of the King of kings. SECOND READING: Let every heart be cleansed from sin, make straight the way for God within, and so prepare to be the home where such a mighty guest may come. For you are our salvation, Lord, our refuge and our great reward; without your grace we waste away like flowers that wither and decay. To heal the sick, stretch out your hand, and make the fallen sinner stand; shine out, and let your light restore earth s own true loveliness once more. (VERSE 5) To you, O Christ, all praises be, whose advent sets your people free; whom with the Father we adore and Holy Spirit evermore! Ben Stuart A Servant with Gentle Strength (Isaiah 42:1 4 REB) Christ is coming. Be glad and believe!
ANTHEM Emmanuel, Expected Jesus Choir Ruth Elaine Schram THIRD READING: Equal, Beloved, and United (Galatians 4:4 7 and 3:27 28) Ben Stuart The Son has come. Be glad and believe. Welch Family Singers Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning Reginald Heber SPECIAL MUSIC Why Lies He in Such Low Estate? INTRODUCTION Carole Stuart FOURTH READING: Richard & Debbie Welch A Servant of Peace Is Born (Luke 2:1 7) Christ has come. Rejoice and receive! O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM (Hymn #155) 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. 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. INTRODUCTION Lois Robertson ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH (Hymn #152) 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. Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? Say what may the tidings be which inspire your heavenly song? Gloria in excelsis Deo, Gloria in excelsis Deo. Come to Bethlehem, and see him whose birth the angels sing; come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Gloria in excelsis Deo, Gloria in excelsis Deo. See within a manger laid Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth! Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, sing with us our Savior s birth. Gloria in excelsis Deo, Gloria in excelsis Deo.
FIFTH READING: POEM Bill Colvin Adored by Outsiders (Luke 2:15 21) Christ has come. Rejoice and receive! SIXTH READING: Her Baby, Newly Breathing Carole Stuart Brian Wren Bill Colvin Taking the Form of a Slave (Philippians 2:5 11) Christ has come. Rejoice and receive! O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL (Hymn #173) 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. 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. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation! O sing, all ye citizens of heaven 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. Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning, Jesus, to thee be all glory given; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore him, O come let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord. INTRODUCTION SEVENTH READING: Let Loving Hearts Enthrone Him! WHAT CHILD IS THIS? (Hymn #150) 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. Why lies he in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christians, fear; for sinners here the silent Word is pleading. Nails, spear shall pierce him through, the cross be borne for me, for you; hail, hail the Word made flesh, the babe, the son of Mary. So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh, come, peasant, king, to own him. The King of kings salvation brings; let loving hearts enthrone him. Raise, raise the song on high, the virgin sings her lullaby; joy, joy, for Christ is born, the babe, the son of Mary. Lois Robertson Ben Stuart and Bill Colvin Royal Robes for a Rescued People
(Colossians 2:6 and 3:12 15) Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Rejoice, believe, and follow. HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING! (Hymn #171) Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn 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! Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, off-spring of the Virgin s womb: veiled in flesh the God-head see; hail th incarnate Deity pleased as man with us to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. 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. EIGHTH READING: Richard & Debbie Welch A Jew for All Peoples (Luke 2:25 32) Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Rejoice, believe, and follow. LIGHTING OF ALL CANDLES Debbie Welch
SILENT NIGHT (Hymn #164) 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, 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. 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. A CALL TO PRAYER: Come to Me Lois Robertson from Matthew 11:28, 30 A PETITION Christ Among Us Carole Stuart NINTH READING: Richard & Debbie Welch Love s Living Word (John 1:1 13, 18) Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Rejoice, believe, and follow. JOY TO THE WORLD! THE LORD IS COME (Hymn #146)
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. 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. 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. 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. A BLESSING Go in Peace! Richard Welch POSTLUDE Organ