Worship Service for December 24, 2020, at 6 PM

Pre-service Music: I Believe

Welcome

Opening Songs: 
O Come All Ye Faithful

Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
Oh come ye oh come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him Born the King of angels
Oh come let us adore him, Oh come let us adore him
Oh come let us adore him Christ the Lord!

Sing choirs of angels Sing in exultation,
Sing all ye citizens of hea’en above!
Glory to God Glory in the highest
Oh come let us adore him, Oh come let us adore him
Oh come let us adore him Christ the Lord!

Yea Lord we greet Thee Born this happy morning;
Jesus to Thee be glory giv’n!
Word of the Father now in flesh appearing!
Oh come let us adore him, Oh come let us adore him
Oh come let us adore him Christ the Lord!

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark the herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled”
Joyful all ye nations rise_ Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim “Christ is born in Bethlehem”
Hark the herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King”

Hail! the heaven-born Prince of Peace.
Hail the son of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die
Born to raise each child of earth, born to give them second birth
Hark the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”
Hark the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”

Invocation

P: In the stillness of this night,
C: A gift is given.

P: Wrapped in swaddling cloth, coming to us as a little baby,
C: God’s greatest gift is given.

P: In the miracle and mystery of God’s Son born in human flesh,
C: God has given us his salvation.

Confession and Forgiveness:

P: As we gather to celebrate the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us pray in repentant faith and seek God’s mercy for our sins.

(a time of silence to reflect and personally confess our sins)

P: In our Christmas joy, let us confess our sins.
C: Mighty God, on this day of celebration, we confess our sin to You. We are by nature sinful. Without Your help, we are powerless to overcome it. We confess our impatience with You and with others, our seeking after worldly passions, and our self-indulgent ways of life. By our sin, we have hurt others, ourselves, and You. We plead with You to forgive our sins for the sake of Christ and to transform our broken lives.

P: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, and the light shines on them. The grace of God has appeared through the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, bringing salvation to all people. I, a called and ordained servant of Christ, by His authority, forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.

Song of Praise and Thanksgiving: Angels We Have Heard On High

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

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;

Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come adore on bended knee Christ the Lord the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo; Gloria, in excelsis Deo

Old Testament Reading – Isaiah 7:10-14

The Sign of Immanuel
Again, the Lord spoke to Ahaz: “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.”  And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Gospel Reading – Matthew 1:18–25

The Birth of Jesus Christ
Now the birth of Jesus Christ[a] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us).  When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Children’s Message

Sermon Hymn – Away in a Manger

Away in a manger, No crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus, Lay down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky, looked down where he lay
The little Lord Jesus, Asleep on the hay.

Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay,
Close by me forever, and love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children, in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with thee there.

Sermon – “Merry Christmas! Love Has Come.”

1 John 4:7–16 

God Is Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Prayers

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

 The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen

Words of Institution

Peace

P: The peace of the Lord be with you all.
C: And also with you.
P: We greet each other in the peace of Christ.

Distribution

Prayer

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! Sleep in heavenly peace!

Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior 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! Jesus Lord at Thy birth!

Benediction

Closing Song: 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.

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!

Offering 

Upcoming Events

December 27, 11:00 AM – Worship
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December 31, 7 PM – A Time of Prayer
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