Christmas Eve Prep

December 24, 2014

Christmas Eve Service

Draft

Prelude

Centering Moment                                                           Rev. Mark CR

Time to turn off the cell phones.   It’s even time to put a piece of duct tape on the face of your watch.  It’s Christmas Eve and time is standing still for a moment. 

It is the time, maybe the only time of the year, when here and now drift away and we fall under the spell of story-time. 

Tonight we are both here, AND on a lonely hillside outside of Bethlehem.

Tonight, we are with each other, friends and family, returning students and relatives from far away, AND we are also with the Magi, on a journey and such a hard time for journey. 

Tonight we listen to our choir, AND we listen to choirs of angels, a whole heavenly host of angels we have heard on high. 

Tonight, like every night, is new, a never happening before moment in onrushing time, AND yet, we have been here before, done this before, told this story before, and heard it before.

There is a way that the story we tell tonight is always happening: birth and death and taxes, weary travelers with no place to stay, babies born, sudden signs of grace and glory and surprising generosity.

The past and the present are closely woven tonight, and we sense the presence of our own eternal selves, our souls perhaps, with our everyday selves tonight.

And when, at this evening’s end, we pass a visible sign of grace, the light of a candle, from hand to hand, we will see the radiance and beauty of one another, as seen through the eyes of a timeless love.

Come, it is Christmas Eve, let us worship together.

Carol: CH#144 O Little Town of Bethlehem

We light the HOPE Candle

As the HOPE candle is lit, a bell calls us to look for God's work of HOPE in our world.

Scripture Reading:  Luke 2:1-7

2 ^1-5 About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

^6-7 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

The Children Prepare a Manger for the Baby Jesus

Rev. Mark leads a Children's Moment. 

All children are welcome to come forward to help make a place for the Baby Jesus. 
 

Carol: CH#147.......Away in a Manger       

We Light the PEACE Candle

As the PEACE candle is lit, 
a bell calls us to look for ways we can make paths for PEACE in our world.

 

Scripture Reading:  Luke 2:8-12

^8-12 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

Christmas Reading: "The Legend of the Lightning Bug"       William Cintra

Special Music: "The Night Before Christmas" by Carly Simon     Lisa Scully and Lisa CR 


We Light the JOY Candle

As the JOY candle is lit, 

a bell calls us to reach deep inside ourselves and know the JOY of being God's child.

Scripture Reading: Luke 13-18

^13-14 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

^15-18 As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Carol: CH # 167.....Go Tell it on the Mountain

A Christmas Eve Affirmation:  Unison Reading

We believe in God whose light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness can never smother it.

We believe that on a night like this night in Bethlehem

there was born a Saviour,

who is Christ the Lord.

We believe in the Word who has become incarnate, our very flesh and blood,

yet full of grace and truth.

We believe in the blessed appearing of the salvation of our God,

that is for the happiness of all people.

We believe in Jesus the Christ, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of peace;

Of the increase of this rule and of this unique peace,

there will be no end.

The zeal of the God of hosts will do this.

We believe in God's great love.

We Light the LOVE Candle

As the LOVE candle is lit, 

a bell calls us to reach out to our world with the LOVE we have known.

Special Music        "Brightest and Best"                                                 Barbara Baker

 

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:19-20

^19-20 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

Responsive Reading:

Leader:  The prophet Isaiah once proclaimed:  The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:6

People:  Tonight, we open our hearts to our Messiah, our Savior, and he comes to us as a little child.

Leader:   Watch and listen, as a little child lights the Christ candle of our Advent wreath.  Let this light be a symbol pointing to the light of God's love and grace:  a light that is brought forth in the birth of the baby Jesus.

We light the CHRIST Candle;

In the quiet a child acolyte brings the light from the back and lights the Christ Candle. Another child follows with a bell.

Invitation to Communion: 

Carol: CH#153.......It Came Upon the Midnight Clear stanzas 1, 3 and 4 
    Elders come forward during the music, and pray over the bread and cup.

 Communion

     

All are invited to partake of the Lord’s Supper by coming forward down the center aisle for intinction. Break off a piece of bread and dip it in the cup. Alternatives will be available for gluten free on the right (pulpit side) of the sanctuary.

Please pick up a candle as you circle around the sanctuary to return by the outside aisle to your seat.

Communion Meditation

Sharing the Light

  

Two elders each light a candle from the Christ Candle of the Advent Wreath.

The elders light the candle of the first person to the right and left of the communion table.

Please pass the light from person to person as we sing.

For safety, the unlit candle should tip to the lit one.

Carol: CH # 145   Silent Night

Benediction

   Ministers offer a blessing from the middle of the sanctuary.

Closing Carol  CH #143   "Joy to the World"     st. 1