Worship Service
Sunday, December 24, 2023, at 7 p.m.
PROCLAMATION OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
CALL TO WORSHIP “O, Come, All Ye Faithful” vs 1,2,3
Verse 1
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him, born the king of angels
Refrain
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
Verse 2
The highest, most holy, light of light eternal,
born of a virgin, a mortal he comes;
Son of the Father now in flesh appearing! (Refrain)
Verse 3
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God in the highest (Refrain)
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Pastor: Most merciful God,
People: We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
HYMN OF PRAISE Joy to the World vs 1,2,4
Verse 1
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king;
let ev’ry heart prepare him room and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
Verse 2
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
Verse 4
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.
FIRST LESSON 1 John 4:7-16 – Lay Leader
7Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.
GREETING
Pastor: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
People: And also with you.
KYRIE
HYMN OF PRAISE
CHRISTMAS PRAYER
Lay Leader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Lay Leader: Let us pray. . .
People: Amen.
LIGHTING OF THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE
HYMN “Away in the Manger” vs 1,2,3
Verse 1
Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,
the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;
the stars in the sky looked down where he lay;
the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
Verse 2
The cattle are lowing; the poor baby wakes,
but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky
and stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
Verse 3
Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask you to stay
close by me forever and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in your tender care
and fit us for heaven, to live with you there.
PSALM HYMN “O Little Town of Bethlehem” vs 1,2
Verse 1
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
Verse 2
For Christ is born of Mary, and, gathered all above
while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the king, and peace to all the earth!
SECOND LESSON Titus 2:11-14
11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, 12training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, 13while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION “Good Christian Friends Rejoice” vs 1
Good Christian friends, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
give ye heed to what we say:
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!
GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 1:18-25
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the thirteenth chapter.
People: Glory to you, O Lord.
18Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ 22All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ 24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Pastor: The Gospel of the Lord
People: Praise to you, O Christ.
THE MESSAGE Pastor Abera Hellemo
HYMN “Angels We Have Heard on High” vs 1,3
Verse 1
Angels we have heard on high,
sweetly singing o’er the plains,
and the mountains in reply,
echoing their joyous strains.
Refrain
Gloria in excelsis Deo;
gloria in excelsis Deo.
Verse 3
Come to Bethlehem and see
him whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn king. (Refrain)
NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Each prayer petition will end with –
Lay Leader: God of Grace
People: Hear our prayer.
Pastor: Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray.
People: Amen
PEACE
Lay Leader: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
People: And also with you.
OFFERTORY MUSIC O Holy Light
OFFERTORY PRAYER
Lay Leader: Let us pray.
People: Eternal God, with Mary we treasure the gift of your Son, and in our hearts we ponder the mystery of his birth. Receive these offerings, that our lives may declare the wonders of your love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
THANKSGIVING PRAYER
PREFACE
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
Pastor: In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Pastor: Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
People: 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.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION:
At All Saints, we practice open communion. If you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and have been baptized, you are invited to commune. Those not receiving the bread and wine are invited to come forward for a blessing. Grape juice is also available.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
Pastor: Almighty God, you provide the true bread from heaven, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant that we who have received the Sacrament of his body and blood may abide in him and he in us, that we may be filled with the power of his endless life, now and forever.
People: Amen.
BENEDICTION
Pastor: May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ child. And may almighty God, Father, † Son, and Holy Spirit bless you now and forever.
People: Amen.
HYMN OF LIGHT “Silent Night, Holy Night!”
Verse 1
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.
Verse 2
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav’nly hosts sing, alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born!
Verse 3
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from your holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at your birth, Jesus, Lord, at your birth.
SENDING
Pastor: Filled with the joy of Christ’s birth, go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God!