If you are watching our live stream tonight, you are invited to find a candle, so that we can all light candles at the same time.
CALL TO WORSHIP (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
One: Here on the heels of Christmas,
All: We speak of love.
One: We speak of joy.
All: We speak of candle light and fireside.
One: We speak of dreams being fulfilled.
All: We speak of “glorias” and angel choruses.
One: We speak the words, “Do not be afraid.”
All: Here on Christmas Day, we are called to speak, for the world needs a light.
One: A light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.
All: Let us worship and listen. Then, let us speak. Amen.
Gathering Prayer (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
Let us pray:
God of today and tomorrow,
We know
That your fingerprints are all over this world.
And we know
That those who dream cannot keep silent.
So today we pray,
Give us eyes to see you.
Give us courage to trust you.
And give us lips to speak of you in our midst.
Gratefully we pray,
Amen.
(light candle)
We light this candle as a sign of the coming light of Christ.
As the Lord has promised, in days to come
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 us walk in the light of the Lord. Amen.
FIRST SCRIPTURE READING
Isaiah 61:10-62:3
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
HYMN O Holy Night
1 O holy night! the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope–the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
2 Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by his cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the Wise Men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend.
He knows our need– to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King, before him lowly bend!
Behold your King, before him lowly bend!
3 Truly he taught us to love one another;
His law is love and his gospel is peace.
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we;
Let all within us praise his holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise his name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
Prayer (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
Divine Voice,
In the beginning,
It was you who spoke over the water and brought forth creation.
And then it was you who asked, “Cain, where is your brother?”
It was you who spoke to Elijah in a still, small, voice.
And it was you, through angels,
Who spoke to Mary and Joseph and the shepherds.
You have always been speaking—
In words, in memories, in songs, and in dreams.
So today, as we prepare to hear your word read aloud,
We ask that you would speak to us once again—as only you can—
So that we might speak this same good news to others.
We are listening. We are grateful.
Amen.
SECOND SCRIPTURE READING
Luke 2:1-20
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom God favours!’
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
HYMN How Great Our Joy
1 While by the sheep we watched at night,
glad tidings brought an angel bright.
Refrain:
How great our joy!
Great our joy!
Joy, joy, joy!
Joy, joy, joy!
Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!
2 There shall be born, so he did say,
in Bethlehem a child today. [Refrain]
3 There shall the child lie in a stall,
this child who shall redeem us all. [Refrain]
4 This gift of God we’ll cherish well,
that ever joy our hearts shall fill. [Refrain]
THIRD SCRIPTURE READING
Luke 2:22-40
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 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,
which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.
Consider:
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Theologian Fred Craddock writes of Simeon and Anna blessing Jesus: “God is doing something new, but it is not really new, because hope is always joined to memory, and the new is God’s keeping an old promise.” For Simeon and Anna, Jesus represents their dreams fulfilled, but this moment is only the beginning for the rest of us. What are examples of hope joined to memory? What old promises are being made new for us today?
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Simeon blesses Jesus and Mary, but also warns that his calling will not come without cost. Many will reject this child, and ultimately, his journey will lead to death. God’s dreams persist despite opposition, rejection, injustice, and death. What are the particular costs and risks of pursuing God’s dreams?
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For the sake of Zion’s restoration, the prophet of Isaiah won’t keep silent and won’t rest (Isaiah 62:1). The prophet’s drive is divinely inspired, but also deeply rooted in his community. Relational connections compel us to speak up and work for change when one of our neighbors is harmed. Proximity diminishes apathy and fear. For whose sake won’t you keep silent?
HYMN What Child Is This?
1 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!
2 Why lies he in such mean estate
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear; for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear, shall pierce him through;
the cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail, the Word made flesh,
the babe, the son of Mary!
3 So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh;
come, one and all, to own him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
let loving hearts enthrone him.
Raise, raise the song on high.
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
the babe, the son of Mary!
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
One: We believe in telling the story—
All: The story of a loving and merciful God, who will not let God’s people go; the story of a baby who grew up and changed the world; the story of our faith.
One: We believe in speaking up—
All: For our neighbors, for the oppressed, for the overlooked and marginalized.
One: We believe in speaking out—
All: Against violence, greed, abuse, fear, scarcity mindset, and bigotry.
One: We believe in passing the mic—
All: So that we are not the only ones speaking, so that we can lift up the voices of those around us, so that we too might listen and learn.
One: We believe in the good news of the gospel.
All: We believe that this good news is too good to keep to ourselves. We believe that those who dream cannot keep silent.
One: Speak to us, Holy God.
All: Speak through us, Holy God. May it be so, amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (Rev. Alison Nicoll)
Oh God of Mystery and God of Wonder
In a time that is usually busy and chaotic – in a normal time of moving and chasing schedules and the preparations and the decorating and the food to fix and the parties to attend – we find ourselves in a different place – maybe longing for something to do – someplace to go – somewhere to be – no matter what our manner – we pause. For on this night, this still silent night we find peace – everything around us halts and is hushed as we usher in this light – this new life into the world – as we realize hope – as we realize that amidst a world full of struggle and strife – in a world full of division and decay, in a world full of injustice and oppression, that born this night is hope – hope for a better world – hope for a better way – hope in ourselves and what our hands and feet and words can birth when you are alongside us and present in every moment. Hope is born this night.
Oh Holy One, we light up joy – in moments where we see darkness – in a world that seems sometimes dim – we pray that we might find light within this darkness – as we sit within the warm glow of lights on trees and houses and candles lit, may we rejoice in the joy that is found this night.
God of many names, this night we give thanks that we are surrounded by love – these days are seemingly so filled with love and yet – we mourn the normal preparations for family get togethers, the grieve the absence of celebrating with friends and beloveds as we recount these as happy times overflowing with love. May we continue to recognize and hold close to our hearts the many who have lost loved ones this year, whose tables are emptier – due to death or due to trying to do the right thing – even when it’s hard. May all those who experience many different kinds of losses feel your love surrounding them on this night where love is born anew.
Oh Holy God, as we approach the manger on this still silent night, may we dwell within peace. We ask that in this moment we might find stillness long enough to be able to linger within the wonder of this night. To linger within the beauty of this night. To linger within the light of this night. The Christ Child is born – hope, peace, joy and love have come and yearn to be settled within our spirits and deep within our hearts. May we come to the manger on this still, silent night just as we are, ready to receive. Amen.
HYMN Angels We Have Heard on High
1 Angels we have heard on high,
sweetly singing o’er the plains,
and the mountains in reply
echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
2 Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
Friends, may your heads be full of dreams this Christmas Eve.
May your hearts be full of hope, of peace, of joy, and of love.
May you feel the arms of God around you,
even if you are worshipping alone tonight.
This isn’t the Christmas that anyone wanted,
but even so,
to us is born a savior who is the Messiah, the Lord
and he is with us
and he has come to live among us
and of his kingdom, there will be no end.
Next year, we will be together again,
but for now,
from wherever you are,
go in peace
and serve the Lord: Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit.