Christmas Day C
Christmas 1C
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Christmas Eve C LECTIONARY GENERATED LITURGY Candlelight Service of Holy Communion Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 (15-20). Recommended text - NRSV. Hymns are from the Australian Hymn Book (AHB) or Together in Song (TIS) unless otherwise indicated. Permission is granted to churches to use this material in services of worship. This liturgy remains the property of Moira B Laidlaw Additional resources for Christmas Eve C: Candles and tapers- someone to light tapers as people enter church; Advent wreath with Advent candles removed and white Christ candle remaining - wreath decorated with white flowers and red flowers - Christmas bells etc; Someone to switch church lights on at midnight; one or more dampers/loaves for Holy Communion; two or more people to serve communion by the Intinction method - one serves people with a piece of damper, one holds cup for people to dip bread and eat before returning to seats; As One Voice, Volume two, Willow Production Pty Ltd, Manly Vale, NSW 2093, 1997; Five Australian Christmas Carols - First and Third Sets. Words by John Wheeler and music by William G. James, Chappell Music, Kings Cross The service starts promptly at 11.30pm and the Reflection on the readings has to be timed so that the lights come on at midnight as described below. The first thirty minutes of this service are held in darkness lit only with candles arranged around the church and by tapers which are handed, lit, to people as they enter the church. If it is too hot in your area to have so many candles, invite people to bring torches and to use them as lighting for the first part of the service. The service begins at 11.30pm and is timed so that TIS 304/AHB 228 “O come all ye faithful” begins at midnight. Tapers are extinguished and lights are switched on as people sing the second verse (...Light of Light eternal...) - very dramatic. CALL TO WORSHIP: Based on Isaiah 9 v 1,6b; Psalm 96 11-13. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined. Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it. Let the paddocks and fields exult, and everything in them. Let all the trees in the bush sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming, he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. And he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace. TIS 274/AHB 202: “The people that in darkness walked” TIS 292/AHB 225: “ Infant holy, infant lowly” TIS 316/AHB 240 “O little town of Bethlehem” In AHB 240, invite people to replace ‘men’ in v.2 with ‘all’ OPENING PRAYER God, creator of all life, you made us in your image, and sent your Son to share our flesh. Tonight as we celebrate the glad time of his birth, we pray that your love may be born anew in us. Help us to respond to the greatness of your love by sharing it with others. Amen. SHARING A SIGN OF PEACE May the peace and the love of the Lord be yours this night and always. Invite people to share these words with those round about. MEDITATIVE PRAYER On normal nights at this time we are asleep and a-dreaming. But this is no normal night, this is the night when the Dream in the heart of God took flesh and was born like us, with pain, and water, and blood, and crying, and struggle. A soloist or choral group could sing “Let God’s dream be born” verses 1, 6, and 7 from AS ONE VOICE volume two:30 It seems so long ago and so far away. In Bethlehem in Judea. On a cold night in winter, with shepherds startled by stars and angels. A night sky so different from ours. The Southern Cross flags our identity as it scatters its light across our sky. On this hot night in summer we are not gathered out in a field, shivering with cold and with fear over the appearance of angels. We are gathered for worship in seasonally-hot churches, the air fired with candles and heavy with anticipation. We choose to be here. Mary did not choose to give birth in that cold stable the only warmth for her the steamy breath of animals. Yet in that place, Mary, who had carried this baby close to her heart for nine months -- gave birth to a Saviour. We are here in the expectation that this Saviour will be born anew in our hearts and our lives on this holy night, in this sacred space. We join in the angel’s song: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward all people’! TIS 773: “Glory to God, glory to God” or Five Australian Christmas Carols - First Set : “The silver stars are in the sky” - page 3ff. or TIS 303/AHB 227: ‘Hark! the herald angels sing’ OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 9:2-7 GOSPEL: Luke 2:1-20 BRIEF REFLECTION ON THE READINGS PRAYER Gracious God, your angels broke into the midnight of a sleeping world to sing the news that Christ was born in Bethlehem. Break into the midnight of our dark world and stir hearts to hear again the message of your love. O God, on this night of joyful and expectant wonder, we look forward to the coming of the child whose birth was foretold by prophets, acclaimed by angels, and greeted by shepherds. Open our eyes to see in him your loving purposes, and arouse within us the spirit of adoring praise. Loving God, in the stillness of this midnight hour, touch our understanding with your Holy Spirit, that we may know again in true reality the wonder of your love in Jesus Christ; and though there was no room for him in Bethlehem’s inn, help us to make more room for him in our lives, responding to his love and receiving his peace. A soloist or choral group sing “Let God’s dream be born” verses 6, and 7 from AS ONE VOICE volume two:30 Come, Lord Jesus, where there is hatred, give love, where there is sadness, give joy, where there is discord, give peace. Come Lord Jesus, be light for our darkness, for the hour of your birth is near. Come, Lord Jesus, be born in our hearts through faith. Amen. (The last part of this prayer adapted from a prayer in Worship Now St Andrew Press, Edinburgh, 1972) TIS 304/AHB 228: ‘O come all ye faithful’ Verses 1, 2, 6, & 7 (The lights are switched on as people begin to sing the second verse) THE LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE We light the Christ candle to proclaim that, out of love for the world, God dispelled darkness forever through the birth of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. The candle is lit. May the Lord Jesus Christ take all darkness out of our hearts, now and forever. Amen. PRAYER OF CONFESSION We celebrate the coming of the Light of the world; we have prayed for that light to enter our lives and our world. Yet we confess that there have been times when we have obscured the light for others through insensitivity and prejudice, through the use of careless and hurtful words or selfish and destructive actions. (silent confession) Come Lord Jesus, be light for our darkness and empower us with your Spirit to be faithful bearers of your light and love into all the shadowy and clouded areas of people’s lives. Amen. GREAT THANKSGIVING Loving God, at this blessed Christmas feast we give you thanks and praise. At the very beginning of time, you spoke the word that replaced the darkness of chaos with life-giving light - A light which has nurtured generations of people, and plants and creatures, great and small. A light which also revealed the fear and powerlessness caused by corrupt and evil actions. And so you created the Word which would once and for all dispel the darkness of chaotic and clouded lives. Through your love for the world the Word became flesh and lived among us. As the angels carolled glory to you in the highest heavens and peace to all people on earth, so we join with them and with all people to praise your name : Holy Lord, God of endless love, heaven and earth are surely full of your glory. The angels sang of it, the shepherds encountered it, we have been blessed with it. Blessed is he who is born this night. Glory to God, and on earth peace to all people. As you, O God, shared your love and yourself with us in the person of Jesus, so he shared himself with us in loving us and giving himself for us. On that never-to-be-forgotten night, as he sat at the table and broke bread with his friends, he said: ‘ Take and eat; this is my body which is broken for you. Remember me each time you do this.’ After they had eaten, he took the cup, and said: ‘Remember me as you drink from this, for it is my life, poured out for you - the beginning of a new relationship with God.’ Send the power of your Holy Spirit upon us, that we may experience the presence of the Word-made-flesh - Jesus Christ. Breathe your Spirit in us that we may be one body with him - faithfully following and serving him, and awaiting with expectation the coming of his kingdom. Amen THE LORD’S PRAYER BREAKING THE BREAD We break this bread and take this cup so that we can all share in the life of Christ. God’s gifts for God’s people. THE DISTRIBUTION People are invited to come forward, receive a piece of bread/damper, dip it into the cup, eat, and return to seat. As each person receives a piece of bread/damper, the server says: ‘The body of Christ broken for you’ and as each person dips the bread/damper into the cup, the server says: “The blood of Christ shed for you” PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Most gracious God, source of all blessing, we give you thanks for inviting us to share this meal as your family; strengthen us to be a blessing to one another and a blessing to all the world, glorifying you in all things, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. TIS 268/AHB 224: “Joy to the world” In AHB 224, invite people to replace ‘let men their songs employ’ in verse 2 with ‘let all their songs employ’. DISMISSAL WITH BLESSING Go in peace and joy to love and serve the Lord. We go in the name of the Christ Child. And the blessing of God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, go with you and remain amongst you now and always. Amen! Allelulia. RETIRING OFFERING - THE CHRISTMAS BOWL ORGAN POSTLUDE: Five Australian Christmas Carols - Third Set -page 14ff: “Merry, merry Christmas” |