CHRISTMAS

Year B

Color: White

 

Christmas Eve/The Nativity of Our Lord

 

Scripture

 

Isaiah 9:2-7

 

This is a prophetic hymn of thanksgiving celebrating a radical reversal in the fortunes of Israel through the imagery of light and darkness. “It’s a boy” or “it’s a girl.” That is how we might announce the birth of a beloved child.  Our text is a birth announcement.  It is good news.  This is no “ordinary” child (if there is an “ordinary” child!); this is a prince.  The announcement is a sign of hope. Note the images.  Darkness, a symbol of depression and death becomes light, a symbol of life and joy. There is celebration.  “In the eighth century BCE, the words were uttered about the birth of a specific king in Judah, subsequently applied to other kings and even later to an expected messiah. The early church heard that promise and saw it fulfilled in Jesus, and Christians at worship will hear these words as proclamation of the birth of Jesus.” (New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 6) The central message here is that in the birth are signs of hope and confidence for the future.

Psalm 96

 

This “enthronement psalm” celebrates God’s presence in the temple in worship and God’s kingship over all creation. This is a good response to the Isaiah lesson for both texts celebrate God's presence in this world and the reliability of God's power to rule.

 
Titus 2:11-14

 

Our text delineates the essence of the meaning of salvation: we are saved by grace. The text reflects upon what is appropriate and what is inappropriate in Christian behavior. Grace transforms believers so that we gradually move away from impiety. Christian living has a present and a future reality. We live awaiting our hope: "the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." While Christmas reminds us grace has come to us, all of God’s purposes have not been achieved. We celebrate the presence of God’s transforming grace but we hope for the fullest form of God’s salvation.

Luke 2:1-20

 

We come to Luke’s version of the birth of Jesus. There are three scenes. First, is the birth of Jesus and the manger.  Second, is the encounter of the shepherds in the fields. Third, the shepherds visit Mary, Joseph, ands Jesus. Luke locates Jesus’ birth in a particular time and place. He is born during a time of relative peace. Bethlehem brings memories of David and God’s promise David’s heir would reign in peaceful glory. Caesar’s peace prevailed, but not God’s peace. The humble nature of Jesus’ birth stands out with the description of no room in the inn, their placement in a stable, and the manger. Jesus was not born into power, privilege, or pleasure. Could there be any connection with Jesus being placed in a manger with him later being the saving food of the world – “this is my body and this is my blood given for you.”  No room in the inn seems to be the forerunner of Jesus’ actual reception as he lived and offered his ministry. Don’t overlook the irony of God giving the world a savior but the savior comes as a little child. The shepherds worship God and they go and tell the news.

 

Greetings/Calls to Worship

 

The amazing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

And also with you.

 

Now is God about to do a wondrous thing.

A young woman shall give birth to a child.

And his name shall be Jesus, meaning Liberator.

For he shall save his people from their sins.

 

Holy, holy , holy, is the God of countless galaxies

and also of tiny babies!

The whole world is filled with God’s glory!

 

Or

 

Merry Christmas!

The irrepressible joy Christ’s birth be with you all!

And also with you!

The nations now see God’s saving justice

all kings shall look upon God’s beauty.

You are given us a new name to treasure,

spoken from the very mouth of God.

As bride and bridegroom rejoice together,

so God rejoices with us this day.

 

Or

 

Sing to the LORD a new song,
sing to the LORD all the earth;
bless the name of the LORD,
tell of God's saving acts day after day!

 

Or

 

Let us dance with delight in the Lord
     and let our hearts be filled with rejoicing,

for eternal salvation has appeared on the earth. Alleluia!

 

Prayers

 

Thematic

 

O Holy One,
heavenly angels spoke to earthly shepherds
and eternity entered time in the child of Bethlehem.
Through the telling of the Christmas story,
let our temporal lives be caught up in the eternal
in that same child,
that we might join shepherds and all the heavenly host
in praising the coming of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

 

Intercessory

 

With the angels of heaven we proclaim your glory, O God.
As the radiance of your presence lights up the heavens,
we pray for enlightenment
for your church on behalf of the whole world.

Prayers of the People, concluding with:

Grant that, through our prayers,
our lives may radiate the presence of Christ
to all who dwell on earth,
for he is our Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Possible Hymns

 

Need we make hymn suggestions for this service? The traditional Christmas hymns are probably the best known hymns. (Not to mention that you have probably been hearing them since October!)

 

• “O, Come All Ye Faithful”
• “Joy to the World”
• “Once in Royal David’s City”
• “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
• “Silent Night”
• “O, Little Town of Bethlehem”
• “The First Noel”
• “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”
• “Infant Lowly, Infant Holy”
• “Good Christian Friends Rejoice”
• “Away in A Manger”
• “What Child Is This?”
• “In the Bleak Midwinter”
• “All Earth Is Waiting”
• “Angels From The Realms of Glory”
• “Lo, How a Rose E‘er Blooming”
• “As With Gladness Men of Old”

 

One liturgical/musical suggestion:

 

Throughout all the services of Christmas, this stanza from "As with Gladness Men of Old" (tune, Dix) can be a substitute to the doxology at the presentation of the offering.

    

“ As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare,
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin's alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heav'nly King.”

 

 

Christmas Day

                                                                  Color: White

 

Worship Suggestion from The Worship Closet

 

Instead of preaching a sermon (but staying in the worship space):

 

• Invite the congregation to share their favorite Christmas memories.  Begin and end the time of sharing with scripture and singing.
• Sing through all of the Christmas hymns in your hymnal.  This will probably work best if your music staff is available, of course.  If you have rhythm instruments (tambourines, triangles, wood blocks, etc), invite people (especially children) to “make a joyful noise” while you sing!

 

Instead of staying in the “traditional” worship space:

 

• After a time of prayer, scripture reading, and singing, move your worship service into a fellowship hall or larger classroom.  There, create greeting cards for all of the shut-in members and friends of the congregation.  Since you will be making these on Christmas Day, making cards that celebrate the coming New Year would be a good idea (unless you are able to hand deliver the cards that day, in which case Christmas Cards would be fantastic).

 

• If your church family loves to cook, move your worship service into the kitchen!  You could bake cookies (to take to a shelter or nursing home), or you could cook a full meal (either to deliver to people’s homes, or to invite those in need to share in the feast).  Remember: “O taste and see that the Lord is good…”

 

 

Scripture

 

Isaiah 52:7–10

 

Isaiah announces the return of the LORD to Jerusalem, a sign of the end of exile. "All the ends of the earth shall see God's salvation." God’s victory brings peace and salvation to the world.

 

Psalm 98

 

Here is a song of praise for God's intervention to save God's people. God’s love has prevailed. We behold the salvation of God.

Hebrews 1:1–4 (5–12)

 

“But in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.” In Jesus, God has given us no mere angel or messenger, but "the radiance of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being. . . [who] sustains all things by his powerful word." “God was in Christ, reconciling the world.” Here is incarnation. God enters the world in Jesus. Jesus Christ is God among us.

 

John 1:1–14

 

John’s prologue is a beautiful and dramatic telling of the mystery of incarnation; God entering human life and living along side of us. We are empowered to become children of God. “As Robert Morgan of Oxford University points out, in many ways the prologue to John’s Gospel provides the context in which we read all the other Gospels.” (Proclamation, Year B) We celebrate Jesus as God Incarnate, word become flesh. That celebration shapes all the other celebrations.

 

Greetings/Calls to Worship

 

L: Rejoice! Happy Christmas to everyone!

P: Happy Christmas to you also!

L: Christ our Savior is born.

P: God’s Light is poured into the world.

L: O Come, let us celebrate this wonderful gift.

P: Let us praise God with shouts of joy and singing!

 

Or

 

L: The world was once in darkness

P: Now we have God’s Light, Jesus to shine on us.

L: The words and promises of God are all true!

P: God has given us the best gift of all!

L: Rejoice! God is with us!

P: Praise be to God! AMEN.

 

Or

 

L:. Welcome to this Celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ.

P: We are happy to be here today.

L: We have traveled far to get to this point.

P: And all the way God has guided us.

L: Praise be to God who has given us the true Light.

P: May that Light shine on us, in us and through us now and forever. AMEN.

 

Or

 

L:    Wonder of wonders,
     God has come to us!
P:    Not as a judge, but a Savior,
     not in power, but as a servant.
L:    Wonder of wonders,
     God comes to us!
P:    Not in silence, but in the Word made flesh;
     not in the shadows, but bringing Light.
L:    Wonder of wonders!
P:    God is with us!

                           (Thom Shuman)

 

Prayers

 

Opening Prayer

 

The celebration of Christmas has just begun. Even though many of us have gone through the gift giving and receiving, have feasted with family and friends, there is yet another gift which has been given. You, O Loving God, have wrapped the gift of your Son Jesus Christ around our lives. The light of your love through him is shining brightly. It is not a harsh light, but a multitude of bright colors that remind us of the wondrous ways you love us. Open our hearts and spirits as we hear the words of your holy scriptures, and the beautiful music. Bring us to you with such joy that it will seem as though our feet aren’t even touching ground. AMEN.

 

Thematic

 

Light of life, you came in flesh,
born into human pain and joy,
and gave us power to be your children.
Grant us faith, O Christ, to see your presence among us,
so that all of creation may sing new songs of gladness
and walk in the way of peace. Amen.

 

Intercessory

 

With the angels of heaven we proclaim your glory, O God.
As the radiance of your presence lights up the heavens,
we pray for enlightenment
for your church on behalf of the whole world.

Prayers of the People, concluding with:

Grant that, through our prayers,
our lives may radiate the presence of Christ
to all who dwell on earth,
for he is our Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Litany

 

L: Look at the lights! Aren’t they beautiful?

P: We always thought of Christmas Lights as a secular celebration item.

L: Ah, but God is in all things!

P: The Light is in the world. It is not a separate thing to be hidden away.

L: The Light of God cannot be hidden! We are called to bear that light.

P: We, with our many gifts and talents, are being summoned by God to tell the good news.

L: This is a happy day! God wants us to proclaim the great joy which is given to all people.

P: That Jesus Christ is Born! Hallelujah!

 

Possible Hymns

 

Any/all the favorite Christmas Carols!!

 

Need we make hymn suggestions for this service? The traditional Christmas hymns are probably the best known hymns. (Not to mention that you have probably been hearing them since October!)

 

• “O, Come All Ye Faithful”
• “Joy to the World”
• “Once in Royal David’s City”
• “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
• “Silent Night”
• “O, Little Town of Bethlehem”
• “The First Noel”
• “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”
• “Infant Lowly, Infant Holy”
• “Good Christian Friends Rejoice”
• “Away in A Manger”
• “What Child Is This?”
• “In the Bleak Midwinter”
• “All Earth Is Waiting”
• “Angels From The Realms of Glory”
• “Lo, How a Rose E‘er Blooming”
• “As With Gladness Men of Old”

 

One liturgical/musical suggestion:

 

Throughout all the services of Christmas, this stanza from "As with Gladness Men of Old" (tune, Dix) can be a substitute to the doxology at the presentation of the offering.

    

“ As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare,
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin's alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heav'nly King.”

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHRISTMAS

Christmas Eve/The Nativity of Our Lord

Scipture

Isaiah 9:2-7

This is a prophetic hymn of thanksgiving celebrating a radical reversal in the fortunes of Israel through the imagery of light and darkness. “It’s a boy” or “it’s a girl.” That is how we might announce the birth of a beloved child.  Our text is a birth announcement.  It is good news.  This is no “ordinary” child (if there is an “ordinary” child!); this is a prince.  The announcement is a sign of hope. Note the images.  Darkness, a symbol of depression and death becomes light, a symbol of life and joy. There is celebration.  “In the eighth century BCE, the words were uttered about the birth of a specific king in Judah, subsequently applied to other kings and even later to an expected messiah. The early church heard that promise and saw it fulfilled in Jesus, and Christians at worship will hear these words as proclamation of the birth of Jesus.” (New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 6) The central message here is that in the birth are signs of hope and confidence for the future.

Psalm 96

This “enthronement psalm” celebrates God’s presence in the temple in worship and God’s kingship over all creation. This is a good response to the Isaiah lesson for both texts celebrate God's presence in this world and the reliability of God's power to rule.

Titus 2:11-14

Our text delineates the essence of the meaning of salvation: we are saved by grace. The text reflects upon what is appropriate and what is inappropriate in Christian behavior. Grace transforms believers so that we gradually move away from impiety. Christian living has a present and a future reality. We live awaiting our hope: "the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." While Christmas reminds us grace has come to us, all of God’s purposes have not been achieved. We celebrate the presence of God’s transforming grace but we hope for the fullest form of God’s salvation.

Luke 2:1-20

We come to Luke’s version of the birth of Jesus. There are three scenes. First, is the birth of Jesus and the manger.  Second, is the encounter of the shepherds in the fields. Third, the shepherds visit Mary, Joseph, ands Jesus. Luke locates Jesus’ birth in a particular time and place. He is born during a time of relative peace. Bethlehem brings memories of David and God’s promise David’s heir would reign in peaceful glory. Caesar’s peace prevailed, but not God’s peace. The humble nature of Jesus’ birth stands out with the description of no room in the inn, their placement in a stable, and the manger. Jesus was not born into power, privilege, or pleasure. Could there be any connection with Jesus being placed in a manger with him later being the saving food of the world – “this is my body and this is my blood given for you.”  No room in the inn seems to be the forerunner of Jesus’ actual reception as he lived and offered his ministry. Don’t overlook the irony of God giving the world a savior but the savior comes as a little child. The shepherds worship God and they go and tell the news.

Greetings/Calls to Worship

The amazing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

And also with you.

Now is God about to do a wondrous thing.

A young woman shall give birth to a child.

And his name shall be Jesus, meaning Liberator.

For he shall save his people from their sins.

Holy, holy , holy, is the God of countless galaxies

and also of tiny babies!

The whole world is filled with God’s glory!

Or

Merry Christmas!

The irrepressible joy Christ’s birth be with you all!

And also with you!

The nations now see God’s saving justice

all kings shall look upon God’s beauty.

You are given us a new name to treasure,

spoken from the very mouth of God.

As bride and bridegroom rejoice together,

so God rejoices with us this day.

Or

Sing to the LORD a new song,

sing to the LORD all the earth;

bless the name of the LORD,

tell of God's saving acts day after day!

Or

Let us dance with delight in the Lord

and let our hearts be filled with rejoicing,

for eternal salvation has appeared on the earth. Alleluia!

Prayers 

Thematic

• O Holy One,
  heavenly angels spoke to earthly shepherds
  and eternity entered time in the child of Bethlehem.
  Through the telling of the Christmas story,
  let our temporal lives be caught up in the eternal
  in that same child,
  that we might join shepherds and all the heavenly host
  in praising the coming of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Intercessory

• With the angels of heaven we proclaim your glory, O God.
  As the radiance of your presence lights up the heavens,
  we pray for enlightenment
  for your church on behalf of the whole world.
  
  Prayers of the People, concluding with:
  
  Grant that, through our prayers,
  our lives may radiate the presence of Christ
  to all who dwell on earth,
  for he is our Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

Possible Hymns

Need we make hymn suggestions for this service? The traditional Christmas hymns are probably the best known hymns. (Not to mention that you have probably been hearing them since October!)

• “O, Come All Ye Faithful”
• “Joy to the World”
• “Once in Royal David’s City”
• “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
• “Silent Night”
• “O, Little Town of Bethlehem”
• “The First Noel”
• “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”
• “Infant Lowly, Infant Holy”
• “Good Christian Friends Rejoice”
• “Away in A Manger”
• “What Child Is This?”
• “In the Bleak Midwinter”
• “All Earth Is Waiting”
• “Angels From The Realms of Glory”
• “Lo, How a Rose E‘er Blooming”
• “As With Gladness Men of Old”

One liturgical/musical suggestion:

Throughout all the services of Christmas, this stanza from "As with Gladness Men of Old" (tune, Dix) can be a substitute to the doxology at the presentation of the offering.

“As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare,                                                                                                                                                                                                    

So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin's alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heav'nly King.”