Worship Guide - Christmas Sunday

Worship Guide

December 25, 2022

Christmas Sunday

 

Creating Disciples of Jesus who Transform the World

 

ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE

 

Greetings:

 

Minister:   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

People:    And also with you!

 

Special Music: “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” Michael

 

Centering Words:

 

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation… a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

 

*Call to Worship:

 

Leader:     In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

People:   Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Let the seas roar and the mountains quake.

Leader:     Everything came into being through the Word. What came into being was life, and life was the light for all people.

People:    Sing to the Lord a new song, for God has done marvelous things.

Leader:     The Word became flesh and blood, and

                lived among us to bring all people to the light.

People:    Let heaven and earth break forth into joyous song, singing praises to our God.

Leader:     The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

People:    For Christ, our light, shines forth in glory. Christ, our life, brings grace and truth. Let us worship. Alleluia.

Leader:     Let us pray.

 

ALL: Incarnate One, we bow before you on this day to celebrate the coming of your presence among us. You are the fulfillment of God’s ancient promises, a living testimony to God’s faithfulness. We thank you for your life-transforming love: you are a gift of sustenance to souls who hunger and thirst; you are balm to the wounded and strength to the lame; you are the very light of God, shining for all the nations to see. With all creation, we rejoice at your coming, as we worship before your manger/cradle.   Amen.

 

Hymn: Love Has Come!”

 

Love has come, a light in the darkness!

Love explodes in the Bethlehem skies.

See, all heaven has come to proclaim it;

Hear how their song of joy arises:

Love! Love! Born unto you, a Savior!

Love! Love! Glory to God on high!

 

Love is born! Come share in the wonder;

Love is God now asleep in the hay.

See the glow in the eyes of His mother;

What is the name her heart is saying?

Love! Love! Love is the name she whispers;

Love! Love! Jesus, Immanuel.

 

Love has come- He never will leave us!

Love is life everlasting and free.

Love is Jesus within and among us;

Love is the peace our hearts are seeking.

Love! Love! Love is the gift of Christmas;

Love! Love! Praise to You, God on high!

 

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

 

Words of Assurance

 

With righteousness and equity, Christ has come to bring justice and grace, love and compassion.

Through the tender mercies of our God, and glorious love of Christ Jesus, we are forgiven.

Glory be to God. Amen

 

*New Testament Reading: Hebrews 1:1-4

 

1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

 

Leader:     This is the Word of God, for the People of God

People:    Thanks be to God!

 

WORD AND RESPONSE

 

Hymn: Sing We Now of Christmas” 

 

Sing we now of Christmas

Noel, sing we here!

Hear our grateful praises

to the babe so dear

 

Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!

Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!

 

Angels called to shepherds

"Leave your flocks at rest,

journey forth to Bethlehem

find the child so blest."

 

Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!

Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!

 

In Bethlehem they found him

Joseph and Mary mild,

seated by the manger

watching the holy child.

 

Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!

Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!

 

From the eastern country

came the kings afar,

bearing gifts to Bethlehem,

guided by a star

 

Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!

Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!

 

Gold and myrrh they took there,

gifts of greatest price;

there was never a stable

so like paradise.

 

Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!

Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!

 

Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me

 

Children’s Message“Joy to the World”

 

Hymn: “What Child is This” 

 

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.

 

This, this is Christ the King,

whom shepherds guard and angels sing;

haste, haste, to bring Him laud,

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.

 

This, this is Christ the King,

whom shepherds guard and angels sing;

haste, haste, to bring Him laud,

the babe, the son of Mary.

 

Sermon: “Christmas Day”  John 1:1-14

 

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into   being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

 

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

 

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

 

14 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.

 

RESPONSE TO THE WORD

 

Special Music: O Holy Night”  Stefanie

 

Prayers of the People: Joys and concerns

   Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer  

 

THE SACRAMENTS OF HOLY COMMUNION

 

Invitation, Prayer of Confession and Pardon:

 

Christ our Lord invites to his table

all who love him,

who earnestly repent of their sin

and seek to live in peace with one another.

Therefore, let us confess our sin before God

and one another.

 

Merciful God,

we confess that we have not loved you

with our whole hearts.

We have failed to be an obedient church.

We have not done your will,

we have broken your law,

we have rebelled against your love,

we have not loved our neighbors,

and we have not heard the

cry of the needy.

Forgive us, we pray.

Free us for joyful obedience,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 

Hear the good news:

Christ died for us while we were yet sinners;

that proves God's love toward us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

 

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

Glory to God. Amen

 

 The Great Thanksgiving  

 

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,

always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the earth,

You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life.

When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast.

You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets.

In the fullness of time you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to be

our Savior, and at his birth the angels sang glory to you in the highest and peace to your people on earth.

 

And so,

with your people on earth

and all the company of heaven

we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

 

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,

God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes

in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

 

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.

As Mary and Joseph went from Galilee to Bethlehem and there

found no room, so Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem and was despised and rejected.

As in the poverty of a stable Jesus was born,

so by the baptism of his suffering, death and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death,

   and made with us a new covenant by water and the spirit.

As your Word became flesh, born of women,

   on that night long ago, so on the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, give it to his disciples and said:

 

"Take, eat; this my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

 

When the supper was over, he took the cup,

gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:

 

"Drink from this all of you;

this is my blood of the new covenant,

poured out for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this, as often as you drink it

in remembrance of me."

 

And so,

in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,

we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving

as a holy and living sacrifice,

in union with Christ's offering for us,

as we proclaim the mystery of faith

 

Christ has died;

Christ is risen;

Christ will come again.

 

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,

and on these gifts of bread and wine.

Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,

that we may be for the world the body of Christ,

redeemed by his blood.

     By your Spirit make us one with Christ,

one with each other,

and one in ministry to all the world,

until Christ comes in final victory,

and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,

 

all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father,

now and forever.   Amen

 

And now with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever.   Amen

Sharing of the Cup and Loaf

 

Moment of Prayer and Meditation

 

Special Music: Carol of the Bells” Donna

 

Prayer of Thanks

 

Eternal God, we give you thanks

for this holy mystery

in which you have given yourself to us. 

Grant that we may go into the world

in the strength of your Spirit,

to give ourselves to others,

in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen

 

SENDING FORTH

 

Hymn: “Go, Tell it on the Mountain”

 

Go, tell it on the mountain,

over the hills and everywhere;

go, tell it on the mountain,

that Jesus Christ is born.

 

While shepherds kept their watching

o'er silent flocks by night,

behold throughout the heavens

there shone a holy light.

 

Go, tell it on the mountain,

over the hills and everywhere;

go, tell it on the mountain,

that Jesus Christ is born.

 

The shepherds feared and trembled,

when lo! above the earth,

rang out the angels chorus

that hailed the Savior’s birth.

 

Go, tell it on the mountain,

over the hills and everywhere;

go, tell it on the mountain,

that Jesus Christ is born.

 

Down in a lowly manger

the humble Christ was born

and God sent us salvation

that blessed Christmas morn.

 

Go, tell it on the mountain,

over the hills and everywhere;

go, tell it on the mountain,

that Jesus Christ is born.

 

Benediction