Bulletin – Sunday, December 24, 2023 – 4th Sunday in Advent / Christmas Eve

Sunday, December 24, 2023
4^th Sunday in Advent / Christmas Eve

Approach

Call to Worship

One:   Welcome! We come together tonight to celebrate: God loves the world, a child is born!
All:      The glow of the Divine lightens our hearts like an infant stepping to love.

One:   Here we are together in a world caught between anxiety and hope, celebrating what God has done in Christ.
All:      We will never be alone. May our remembering and celebrating change how we live, and open our hearts and community, so that all can live together and share in the fullness of life.

(adapted from Michael N. Jagessar / Professor Dr. Stephen Burns)

Lighting the Advent Candles

Hymn – “A Candle is Burning” (VU #6)

A candle is burning, a flame warm and bright,
A candle of hope in December’s dark night.
While angels sing blessings from heaven’s starry sky,
Our hearts we prepare now for Jesus is nigh.

A candle is burning, a candle of peace,
A candle to signal that conflict must cease:
For Jesus is coming to show us the way;
A message of peace humbly laid in the hay.

A candle is burning, a candle of joy,
A candle to welcome brave Mary’s new boy.
Our hearts fill with wonder, and eyes light and glow
As joy brightens winter like sunshine on snow.

A candle is burning, a candle of love,
A candle to point us to heaven above.
A baby for Christmas, a wonderful birth,
For Jesus is bringing God’s love to our earth.

We honour Messiah with Christ-candle’s flame,
Our Christmas Eve candles glad tidings proclaim.
O come, all you faithful, rejoice in this night,
As God comes among us, the Christian’s true light.

Opening Prayer

Loving God, you who are Holy Mystery, we come to you today, in this season of long nights, seeking the bring flame of your hope for our own healing and for the healing of the world. As we look toward the candles of hope, peace, joy, and love, the candles that surround the Christ candle, we silently pray to you, surrendering our hopes and fears and allowing your light to shine into us. Loving God, help us to surrender our burdens and celebrate with joy. Amen.

(Laura Rousseau, Winnipeg, MB  Gathering 2020-2021 page 35)

Hymn – “O Come, All Ye Faithful” (VU #60 – verses 1, 3, 5)

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.

Sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation.
Sing all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, 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 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.

The Story

Prayer of Illumination

God of hosanna and hallelujah, of whoops of delight and joyous shouts, open our hearts to the overwhelming magnitude of your love for us. God of silent nights and tender care, quieten our excitement – just a little – so that we may hear your word this night. God of astounded shepherds and praising angels, lift up our hearts to glorify you this evening as we hear the ancient story of the birth of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Scripture Reading:         Luke 2:1-7

² In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Hymn – “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (VU #64)

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 all one earth.

How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessed gift of 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.

Scripture Reading:         Luke 2: 8-14

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Hymn – “Angels We Have Heard on High” (VU #38 verses 1, 2, 3)

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous Strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Scripture Reading:         Luke 2:15-16

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

Hymn – “Silent Night” (VU #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.

Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight:
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly host sing Hallelujah,
Christ the Saviour is born,
Christ the Saviour 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.

Scripture Reading:         Luke 2:17-20

¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Hymn – “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” (VU #44)

It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth to touch their harp of gold,
“Peace on the earth, good will to all, from heaven’s all-gracious King!”
The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats o’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains they bend on hovering wing,
And ever o’er its Babble sounds the blessed angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife the world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel strain have rolled two thousand years of wrong;
And warring humankind hears not the love song which they bring.
O hush the noise, and cease your strife, to hear the angels sing.

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 splendours fling,
And the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing.

Our Response

Invitation to Offering

This is the season of gifts, and so we give thanks for all we have received. As we have been blessed, so we offer blessings here, that together we might do God’s work of justice and peace for all. Let us present the blessing of our offering.

(Sheryl Spencer, Mount Forest P.C. Gathering 2019-2020 page 40)

Offering Response – “May the Spirit of the Christ Child”

May the Spirit of the Christ Child show us how in love to live
For the joy and peace of Christmas is for us to share and give.
May the story of God’s coming, God with us – Emmanuel,
Fill the world with light of Christmas as in awe we do God’s will.

Closing Prayer

Gracious Lord, be the God of our Christmas celebration. We rejoice with the shepherds over the good news of Jesus’ birth. We join in the praises of the angelic choir, saying: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favours!”

We have heard the familiar story and sung the familiar carols. We know that you speak to us in many ways; in words of scripture, in songs of faith, in tradition, and in a family of faith, in crisis and in celebration. Like our sisters, brothers, and siblings in the ancient stories of scripture, we come together in hopes of helping to make a better world.

We long to free the world of pain and sorrow, injustice, poverty, and fear.

We try, we fail; we try, we fail; we try, we succeed in small ways. We lose heart, but you are constant. You welcome us and encourage us in words of scripture and in songs of faith. Fire us up with a passion to heal the world. Unite us with a deep friendship. Open us to new ways of living your call to truth and kindness.

Almighty God, you have favoured us with the greatest gift ever given – your only begotten Son. May we never take this your gift for granted; may our songs of praise never fade, and may we treasure it in our hearts always and forever. Bless all of us here gathered in worship as well as our loved ones at home. May peace and joy ring in our hearts and reverberate through our communities tonight in the name of Jesus the new-born King. Amen.

Hymn – “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (VU #48 verses 1, 3)

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 the angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem:
Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King.

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 newborn King;

Sending Out

And now, may the God of wonder, God of light, God of soaring majesty and humble simplicity lead us onward in our journey in this world. Keep us filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ child. Amen.

Hymn – “Joy to the World” (VU #59 verses 1, 2, 4)

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 Saviour 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.

He rules the earth 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.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!