December 24, 2023
Prelude: God Rest Ye, Merry
trad. English Carol/Burkhardt
Introit: Siciliana and Allegro from Sonata in F Major
Handel
Bonnie Lee, flute; YunJuong Park, piano
Welcome
Advent Candle Lighting
[Isaiah 2:4, 11:6, 35:1, 7:14b]
Zak, Holly, Clara, Briar, & Davy Cannard
We light these candles for peace and hope, as a sign of the coming light of Christ.
Advent means coming. We are preparing ourselves for the days
when nations shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion
and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the rose it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The Lord shall give you a sign.
Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son,
and shall name him Immanuel (God is with us).
Let us walk in the light of the Lord.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Hymn 9)
Latin, c. 12th century/adapt. Helmore
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 Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Desire of nations, bind all peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife, and discord cease; fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
Confession
God who shows up in humble places and within humble people, we confess that we sometimes feel ashamed of our humanity in all its messiness and fragility. Forgive us when our desire for safety, certainty, and control leads us away from you. You entered our world as a human and through a human. You enter our world to bring unconditional love. You made us and you accept us fully. Forgive us when we keep striving for worthiness. Help us know and rest in your love today as we celebrate your birth. Amen.
Silence
In the Bleak Midwinter (Hymn 36)
Holst/Rossetti
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
Forgiveness in Jesus Christ
Peace
The peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Gloria Patri (Hymn 579)
Greatorex
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
Word without end. Amen, Amen.
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture Readings
Jill Cathey
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
New Testament: Luke 1:26-38
Solo: No Wind at the Window
Bell/Irish melody
Building the Crèche
Mary, Joseph, & Jesus
Away in a Manger (Hymn 25)
Attr. Murray
Away in a manger, no crib for His 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.
Angels
Angels We Have Heard on High (Hymn 23)
French carol
Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains.
Glo-ria in excelsis Deo, Glo-ria in excelsis Deo.
Shepherds
Angels from the Realms of Glory (Hymn 22)
Smart/Montgomery
Shepherds, in the fields 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!
Wise Men
The First Nowell (Hymn 56)
English carol
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.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Born is the king of Israel.
Homily: Birthing Christmas Hope
Focus: Christmas begins by holding it in our hearts, before it lives forth through us.
Response: Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
Weissel/Williams
Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates, behold, the King of glory waits;
The King of kings is drawing near; the Savior of the world is here!
Fling wide the portals of your heart; make it a temple, set apart
From earthly use for heaven’s employ, adorned with prayer, and love, and joy.
Redeemer, come! I open wide my heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide.
Let me Thy inner presence feel; Thy grace and love in me reveal.
Pastoral Prayer & The Lord's Prayer
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Call to Stewardship
Ann Hall
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. -Luke 2:22
Christmas Doxology from Angels, from the Realms of Glory
Salisbury Hymn Book/Smart
All creation, join in praising God the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising to the-eternal Three in One;
One in might and one in glory while unending ages run.
Charge & Benediction
Postlude: Sussex Carol
trad. English Carol/Wood
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