8169 Perry Highway
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Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) | ||||||
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Christmas Eve
WORSHIP SERVICE Sunday, December 24, 2006 10:00 P.M.
MEDITATION
“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.” John 1:14
One of the great attractions of Christmas is that once a year it allows us to soak ourselves for a while in what is familiar – familiar carols, customs and rites. But this, however comforting it may be, can be very dangerous if it obscures the Advent of God in Christ. It can be very dangerous if it hides what the coming of God means; Christmas is, in many ways a much more dangerous festival for the Church to celebrate than Easter, because it is so much easier to domesticate it, to tame it. You cannot really destroy the awe, the terror, the splendor and mystery of the Resurrection. You cannot domesticate it, make it cozy and comfortable, but you can turn Christmas into a nice warm, sentimental celebration, and we must not do that! We must not make God into a baby and tie Him up in a cradle, so that we need no longer listen to His insistent demands upon us and upon our lives. Yet sometimes, it seems this is precisely what we do. We turn the great mystery of the Incarnation (God coming to us in Christ), of God made man into a fairy story for children, and if this is what we do, then small wonder if we are not ready for Christmas, for the coming of Him for whom we say we have been waiting…Christ is coming to each one of us, offering Himself to us that He may live in us and we in Him, and all he asks is that we should receive Him, that we should give Him room. “When the Fullness of Time Had Come”
Rev. Stuart McWilliam, Scotland
Truth is, Jesus rarely is what we first expect. So little wonder John the Baptist was bewildered, and began to question his expectation, because expectations do have their way of shaping perceptions. John had bought into a kind of swashbuckling Savior who stormed across the countryside, sword in hand, meeting out justice, toppling kings, replacing power in new partisan hands, separating the wheat from the chaff…but suddenly all his images were challenged by what he was hearing and he had to ask “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” John was confused…Life tends to mean for us what Christmas means. So, if Christmas means little more than the annual midwinter solstice, a break from winter doldrums, bonus time, Christmas carnival time, a boost for the economy, entertainment for children, and an increasing endorsement of American consumerism – if that is all we expect from Christmas – then life – once life returns to normal, returns to the meantime – life will amount to little more. If, however Christmas is perceived as the radical entrance of one who literally wants to change the way the world thinks, operates, perceives reality – then life in the ensuing meantime is more likely to follow that pattern. Life for us will mean for us precisely what Christmas means. “Waiting,” Rev. P. C. Ennis
Trinity Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA
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PRAYER TIME BEFORE WORSHIP: O God, who surprised this world by sending your Son to us, we center ourselves in your presence. Let not Christmas preparations we forgot about, weariness from cooking and shopping, deprive our souls this night of the joy and blessedness of the birth of our Son, Jesus Christ. May the Christmas story move from nostalgia and romantic images to a story that grips our whole life. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see what you are doing in our midst, O God. Help us to be like the shepherds who opened themselves up to what you were doing, and to be like Mary who treasured and pondered each new thing that you were accomplishing. We welcome your Son as Savior, King, and God with us in the flesh. Amen.
PRELUDE “Once in Royal David’s City” Callahan
“At the Cradle of Jesus” Bingham
“Advent Carol” (O Come, O Come Emmanuel) arr. Hopson
The Northmont Belles
CALL TO WORSHIP (Psalm 98)
Leader: Sing with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Community: Praise our God with songs and shouts of joy!
Leader: Sing praise to God – play music on harps, blow trumpets, shout for joy to
the Lord!
Community: The Lord is coming, he comes to visit the earth, to make his ways known, to rule the earth.
Leader: On this night, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.
Community: This is God’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
All: With the angels and archangels of heaven we say, “Glory and dominion, praise and thanksgiving be unto God for sending our Savior, Jesus Christ!”
*PROCESSIONAL HYMN “O Come, All Ye Faithful” No. 41
*INTROIT “Christmas Antiphonal” Hopson
Chancel Choir, Leslie Scheuer, soprano
Diane Goff & Sue Swick, handbells
*INVOCATION PRAYER
ANTHEM “What Child is This?” arr. Dobrinski
The Northmont Belles
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*AFFIRMING OUR SAVIOR’S BIRTH
In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. He is the one through whom God created the universe, the one whom God has chosen to possess all things at the end. He reflects the brightness of God’s glory and is the exact likeness of God’s own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word…The Son was made greater than the angels, just as the name that God gave him is greater than theirs…his kingdom will last forever. Hebrews 1:1-5, Good News Bible
ANTHEM “Come Run, Ye Shepherds” arr. Hopson
Come run, ye shepherds! The star is shining, the gates of Bethlehem high are lifted, Make haste to enter, and find the stable, And kneel down and worship the newborn King. (Refrain)
Sing Noel! On the way to Bethlehem; come and join us; Jesus, the Savior, is born. The prophets wrote, the sages spoke of this night of wonder, this night of joy; Come join our hearts, come join our voices in praise of the newborn King. (Refrain)
Refrain: Come play your pipe, come play your drum; Make merry and dance the way along, For Christ is born, yes, Christ is born: Yes, Jesus, our Savior, is born.
*HYMN “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” No. 38
THE PROPHETS FORTELL HIS COMING
Isaiah 52:7-10 (O.T. Page 683)
Psalm 96:1-6, 10-13 (O.T. Page 550)
Leader: The word of the Lord.
Community: Thanks be to God.
UNISON PRAYER
On this night of nights, O God, we don’t want to miss a thing. To be a good listener takes considerable effort, and with you we are invited to hear “a new song” that you are offering, full of possibilities that we have not yet seen and can’t imagine. You invite us in to behold an event that started when Caesar Augustus wanted to conduct a census “for the whole world” but he put something into motion that transcends all earthly power. We praise you this night for all who have listened to the story of your Son’s birth in Bethlehem and said, “yes – praise God.” Thank you for Mary and Joseph who said, “yes” to what you were doing and were obedient to the angel’s words. Thank you for the Magi who traveled far and said “yes” to the
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newborn king and offered their finest gifts to him. Thank you for shepherds whose work cycle was interrupted, and they said “yes” to the angelic message and rushed off to find the newborn king. Thank you for multitudes of people who have said “yes” to this new way you are entering our world. May this story transform us, possess us and brace us tonight and always. In the name of him who came at Christmas. Amen.
LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE
A CHRISTMAS PRAYER
*HYMN “Joy to the World” No. 40
GIVING OUR GIFTS TO GOD - PRAYER OF DEDICATION
SOLO “Lullaby” arr. Beck
Dorothea Fisher, mezzo-soprano
THE NEW TESTAMENT TELLS OF HIS BIRTH (Luke 2:1-14) (N.T. Page 58)
Leader: The word of the Lord.
Community: Thanks be to God.
LITANY OF CHRISTMAS
Leader: Your prophet Micah, O God, said to the people of his day and to us, “Bethlehem, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I bring a ruler for Israel…when he comes, he will rule the people with strength that comes from the Lord…” That promise, seen this night in your Son Jesus Christ, has been fulfilled. With Advent behind us, we pray
tonight that more and more people would see that the coming of your Son to earth was for everyone, all ethnic groups, all nations, all conditions of people.
Community: Tonight we humble ourselves before the great mystery and wonder of your Son’s birth.
Leader: We give thanks this night for those special people in the Christmas story who said “yes” to his coming to earth – Elizabeth and Zechariah, the angels, Mary and Joseph, the innkeeper, the Wise Men – and even those who had no idea of the earth-shaking events that were going on, like Herod and Caesar Augustus.
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Community: We are grateful, wonderful God, for those times when we were aware that you were working through us, and those innumerable times when you were at work and we didn’t know it.
Leader: We pray this night for the Holy Land itself, where these stories unfolded, and we pray for Palestinian and Jew, Muslim and Christian, who share these same sites and walk the same land. After the 56-day war this summer, bring parties together that the welfare of one may be the welfare of all.
Community: We are bold to pray for a new day of peace in that place, and for those bold believers who are peacemakers in the area.
Leader: On this night, when we casually sing “peace on earth, good will to all,” and then walk out into a cold and hostile world, we pray for peace and offer ourselves to be peacemakers. We pray for the ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and all troops serving there. We pray for Lebanon so shaken by assassinations, and Iran and Syria.
Community: Bring wholeness and healing.
Leader: On this special night, we are painfully aware of those who are not filled with joy but remember the pain of loss. They remember a loved one no longer at their side, and life has taken a dramatic shift.
Community: Stand with these very people when on a night like this feelings are magnified. Sustain all who feel their jobs are threatened and who for some reason face a bleak new year.
Leader: Celebrating the birth of the Christ child, we pray for children everywhere, especially those children who are hungry, who aren’t wanted, those born in difficult circumstances, who strive against great odds to grow up, who don’t live with dignity and love.
Community: By helping the children of earth, O God, we would serve and minister to Christ himself.
Leader: We pray for those who are having difficulty with faith on a night such as this, who believe the Bethlehem story is just a fairy tale, a made-up account intended to give people a nice warm, sentimental celebration.
Community: Help us to believe that you broke into our world in a whole new way, that you visited us in human flesh and that your Son came with kingdom-sized demands on our lives.
Leader: In the New Year ahead, help each of us to grow and blossom as followers of Jesus Christ. We pray for those who have grown careless in their faith, too busy to pray and have forgotten their First Love. Draw us close to your side. For any shaken by doubt, restore them to faith and trust again.
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Community: We quietly pray for members of this congregation and all others: Dick and Dorothea Fisher, Bill and Ruthanne Springer, Dr. Howard and Mary Koepke, Don Frick, Nelda and Bill DeArmit, Dr. Si and Wilma Kooros, Ed Halboth, Carl Eidenmuller, Betty Hawthorne, Bob Werner, and our soldiers in the military.
Leader: May your warming presence that makes us whole, guide and grant us your peace.
Community: Keep us in close company with those near and dear to us.
All: In Jesus’ name. Amen.
ANTHEM “O Holy Night” Adam
Matt Fuchs, trumpet, Andy Goff, euphonium
READINGS Isaiah 60:1-5, 8-11 (O.T. Page 690)
John 1:1-5, 9-14 (N.T. Page 91)
Matthew 5:14-16 (N.T. Page 4)
(Note: Please do not tip your lighted candles)
HYMN “Silent Night, Holy Night” No. 60
(accompanied by the Northmont Bells)
BENEDICTION
WE WISH TO THANK ALL the members of the Northmont Chancel choir, the Northmont Belles, soloists and instrumentalists for their musical contributions to the services during this most holy time of year. May all of the music be dedicated to the glory of the newborn Child in Bethlehem.
LIGHTING THE CANDLES: Please be very careful as you light your candles this evening. When leaving the sanctuary following worship, please extinguish your candle and place it in the container by the exit.
NEXT SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31ST: There will be one service at 10:00 a.m., message by Dr. Antonson, the Northmont Chancel Choir and Holy Communion. There will be no church school.