Westminster United Church - Christmas Eve, 2007
Welcome to this 9:00 P.M. Communion Service
Ministers: Rev. James Farrell & Jane Clarke, LPM
Cold is the earth, stone cold; no hope, no change, just cold relentless. Yet, cold in the earth is the seed, hidden, waiting for the warmth of spring to bring it alive. In a cold cattle stall, a baby stirs.
The Christ Candle
Hymn: Advent Candle Lighting Song
Come, O hope of every nation, Cause the tree to bloom again, that the healing leaves of justice, may address and heal earth’s pain.
Come, O Child of peace among us, Come and dwell within us here. Turn our weapons into ploughshares, with your peace dispel our fear.
Come, O Child of joy and gladness, come and lift our doubts away. Here to teach us love and kindness, be here and forever stay.
Come, O love, in Christ incarnate, fill us with your grace sublime, So that we in all our actions, may unveil a love divine.
Come, O light of light eternal, Mirrored in the baby boy. By your radiance banish darkness, Advent of our peace and joy.
Mysterious God, you come to us this season as softly as a mother’s sigh, as startling as the cry of a newborn child. May we encounter you in our hearts, that we might cradle your love and be stirred by your glory. We pray in the name of the One whose coming we celebrate, Jesus Christ, the Bethlehem baby. Amen.
1. Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and soul and voice!
Give ye heed to what we say: News! News!
Jesus Christ is born today.
Ox and ass before him bow, and he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today! Christ is born today!
2. Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and soul and voice!
Now ye hear of endless bliss: Joy! Joy!
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He hath opened heaven's door, and we are blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this! Christ was born for this!
3. Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and soul and voice!
Now ye need not fear the grave: Peace! Peace!
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all to gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save! Christ was born to save!
Prayer of Transformation (unison)
God, this is the wonder of Christmas: that we are united in praise and worship. When we fail to give thanks and prayer and praise, forgive us. This is the joy of the Christmas season: that compassion flourishes and relationship is restored. When we fail to reach out friendship’s hand, forgive us. This is the inspiration of Christ’s birth: that refugees and the poor are honored and the powerful are brought low. When we see crying needs and fail to meet them, forgive us. This is the glory of Christmas: that God’s love has been and always will be there for us. When we miss the vital significance of this season, open the door of the Bethlehem stable and lead us to the light…(Silent Reflection)
Assurance of Pardon (one)
Reading from the Hebrew Scriptures
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
The Future King
Senior Choir Anthem
From the Christian Scriptures
Luke 2:1-20
The Birth of Jesus
Christmas Eve Reflection
Our Church Tithes and Offerings
Offertory
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give him – give my heart.
Prayer of Dedication: (One)
Hymn “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”
1 It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold,
'Peace on the earth, good will to all, from heaven's all-gracious King!'
The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.
2 Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings
unfurled;and still their heavenly music floats o'er all the weary
world; above its sad and lowly plains they bend on hovering
wing, and ever o'er its Babel sounds the blessed angels sing.
3 Yet with the woes of sin and strife the world has suffered long;
beneath the angel strain have rolled two thousand years of
wrong; and warring humankind hears not the love song which
they bring. O hush the noise, and cease your strife, to hear the angels sing.
4. For, lo! the days are hastening on, by prophets seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years shall come the time foretold,
when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendours fling,
and the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing.
Invitation to the Table
The Peace & Great Thanksgiving
One: The Holy Child of Peace has come to dwell among us!
All: Christ has come among us!
One: The peace of Christ be always with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Lift up your hearts
All: We lift them up to the Lord
One: Let us give thanks to God
All: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
We manifest thanks and praise, recognizing the God of life,
source of all that is and all that ever shall be, for on this night,
love came among us, born in a stable in Bethlehem.
By the birth of Jesus, son of Mary,
we meet you within humanity and we
learn to discover your holiness within us.
In Jesus, we experience light to the world,
hope in the midst of darkness and joyful celebration for
everyone. Therefore, with all who embrace the Holy,
we raise our voices, as we say,
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed are those
who come in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
We seek to live as thankful people,
For in Jesus we encounter,
a new sign of love and peace for the world.
He is care for the poor.
He is food for the hungry.
He is healing for the sick.
He lives among the poorest and least of us,
teaching us of our poverty and of divine wealth.
When we did not recognize him
and did not understand what he taught us,
he loved us still,
and overcame our ignorance and cruelty
with compassion and forgiveness.
Even when we put him to death on the cross,
he defeated the power of sin and death.
Death could not hold him and with him everyone
witnesses the gift of new life.
On the night before he died, at supper with his friends,
Jesus took bread, gave thanks to you,
broke it and gave it to them,
saying, “Do this in remembrance of me”.
After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine,
said the blessing, gave it to his friends,
saying, “This cup that is poured out for you
is the new covenant”.
God of life, with this bread and sharing this cup,
we celebrate the birth and life of Jesus,
and we commit ourselves to the eternal divine we meet in him.
Encountering the Holy this night and among these gifts,
may we take light and hope, love and peace, into the world;
through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ
now and forever.
All: Amen.
One: Let us pray together as Jesus, who imaged God as father,
taught us to pray by saying: “Our Father…”
Breaking the Bread/lifting the Cup
Sharing the Bread and Cup
As you come forward to partake of the Communion elements from this table, please collect a candle before returning to your seat.
Prayer after Communion (One)
Hymns by candle light:
Silent Night
Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin, mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace!…
Silent night, Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight;
glories stream from heaven afar,
heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah, Christ the saviour is born,…
Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light
radiant beams from thy holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus Lord at thy birth,…
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…
Joy to the earth! the saviour reigns: Let all their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains 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…
He rules the earth with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love…
Commissioning (One)
Postlude
Christmas Blessings to All