Worship Guide
December 28, 2025
First Sunday after Christmas
Creating Disciples of Jesus who Transform the World
ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE
Greeting:
Minister: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
People: And also with you!
Special Music: “Here With Us” - Stefanie
Centering Words:
How can we sing Christ’s praise in an imperfect world? By remembering that we are lifted, carried, and redeemed by God’s perfect love.
*Call to Worship:
Leader: Praise the God of mercy and love.
People: Praise God with angels in the highest heavens.
Leader: Praise Christ, who came as a child.
People: Praise Christ with all God’s children, young and old alike.
Leader: Praise the Holy Spirit, who calls us here.
People: Praise the Spirit from the depths of our souls.
Leader: Let us pray.
ALL: Loving God, we come into your presence with joy in this holiday season. But we also come with sorrow for a world struggling in pain. Bring hope to our weary world. Bring love to our hearts. Bring joy to our lives. And help us bring hope, love, and joy, as we follow your Son, Christ Jesus. Amen.
Hymn: “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen”
God rest you merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
for Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was born upon this day,
to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
In Bethlehem in Judah this blessed babe was born,
and laid within a manger upon this blessed morn;
for which his mother Mary did nothing take in scorn.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
From God our heavenly Father a blessed angel came,
and unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same,
how that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
The shepherds at these tidings rejoiced much in mind,
and left their flocks a-feeding in tempest, storm and wind,
and went to Bethlehem straightway, the blessed babe to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
Now to the Lord sing praises, all you within this place,
and with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace.
this holy tide of Christmas all others doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
Words of Assurance:
In love and mercy, God redeems us.
In grace and joy, God lifts us.
In strength and security, God carries us all the days of our lives.
Amen.
PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD
*Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 63:7-9
7 I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, because of all that the Lord has done for us, and the great favor to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely”; and he became their savior
9 in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
Leader: This is the Word of God for the people of God
People: Thanks be to God.
WORD AND RESPONSE
Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me”
Children’s Message: God’s Plan
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: “Signs and Power” Matthew 2:13-23
13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20 “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 21 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”
RESPONSE TO THE WORD
Hymn: “The First Noel”
The first Noel the angel did say
was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
in fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
on a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star
shining in the east, beyond them far;
and to the earth it gave great light,
and so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
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.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
This star drew nigh to the northwest,
over Bethlehem it took its rest;
and there it did both stop and stay,
right over the place where Jesus lay.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
Then entered in those Wise Men three,
full reverently upon the knee,
and offered there, in his presence,
their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.
Affirmation of Faith: “The Nicene Creed ”
We believe in one God, the Father, the
Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Gloria Patri
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,
world without end.
Amen. Amen.
Prayers of the People: Joys and concerns
Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer
SENDING FORTH
Hymn: “Joy to the World”
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.
Benediction
Hymn: “Until Jesus Comes”
Until Jesus comes, until Jesus comes,
I'll be watching and waiting until Jesus comes.
Until Jesus comes, until Jesus comes,
I'll be watching and waiting until Jesus comes.
