Order of Worship
December 24th 2022 ~ Christmas Eve
7pm & 9pm Service
Prelude
O Little Town of Bethlehem (Saint Louis)
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
Instrumental interlude
Verse 2
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep
The angels keep their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And peace to men on earth
Instrumental interlude
Verse 5
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born in us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel
CCLI Song # 27879
Lewis Henry Redner | Phillips Brooks
© Words: Public Domain
Music: Public Domain
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 3154366
As With Gladness Men of Old
Verse 1
As with gladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold
As with joy they hailed its light
Leading onward beaming bright
So most gracious Lord may we
Evermore be led to Thee.
Instrumental interlude
Verse 2
As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly manger bed
There to bend the knee before
Him whom heaven and earth adore
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek the mercy seat.
Instrumental interlude
Verse 3
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 heavenly king
CCLI Song # 1037710
William Chatterton Dix
© 1982 The Jubilate Group (Admin. by Hope Publishing Company)
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 3154366
We Three Kings (Kings Of Orient)
Verse 1
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain moor and mountain
Following yonder star
Chorus
O star of wonder star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light
Instrumental interlude
Verse 2
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever ceasing never
Over us all to reign
Instrumental interlude (No Chorus)
Verse 3
Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising all men raising
Worship Him God on high
Instrumental interlude (No Chorus)
Verse 4
Myrrh is mine its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing sighing bleeding dying
Sealed in the stone cold tomb
(No Chorus)
Verse 5
Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and sacrifice
Alleluia alleluia
Earth to heaven replies
Chorus
O star of wonder star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light
CCLI Song # 38002
John Henry Hopkins Jr.
© Words: Public Domain
Music: Public Domain
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 3154366
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Mendelssohn
Verse 1
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 th’angelic hosts proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Verse 2
Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail th’incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus our Emmanuel
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Instrumental interlude
Verse 3
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace
Hail the Sun of Righteousness
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that men no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
CCLI Song # 27738
Charles Wesley | Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
© Words: Public Domain
Music: Public Domain
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 3154366
Joy To The World
Antioch
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 men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat repeat the sounding joy
Instrumental interlude
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
CCLI Song # 24016
George Frideric Handel | Isaac Watts
© Words: Public Domain
Music: Public Domain
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 3154366
Welcome
The First Lesson
Isaiah 11:1-4a; 6-9
The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown.
1. Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make decisions by what His ears hear;
4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor,
And decide with fairness for the humble of the earth
6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion [a]and the fattened steer will be together;
And a little boy will lead them.
7 Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Choral Opening
The Dream Isaiah Saw
Thomas H. Troeger & Glenn L. Rudolph
Opening Prayer
Let us go, in heart and mind, to see what has come to pass.
Let us go with the shepherds to find the Savior!
Let us go with the wise ones to find God’s promise, born for us!
Let us go with the poor and humble to find our King, born in a lowly manger.
Let us go with all the world, with all the peoples of the nations.
Come, let us worship; come, let us adore him: Christ the Lord!
~ from “The Gift of Joy: Isaiah 12”
Opening Hymn
O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
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
Chorus
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Verse 2
Sing choirs of angels
Sing in exultation
O sing all ye bright
Hosts of heav’n above
Glory to God all
Glory in the highest
Chorus
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
Instrumental interlude
Verse 3
Yea Lord we greet Thee
Born this happy morning
Jesus to Thee be all glory giv’n
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing
Chorus
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
CCLI Song # 31054
C. Frederick Oakeley | John Francis Wade
© Words: Public Domain
Music: Public Domain
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 3154366
The Second Lesson
Luke 1: 26–35; 38
The angel Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Choir
Ave Maria
Ashana Lobody & Thomas Barquee; Arranged by Jack Manno & Paul Dankers
Soloist: Maureen Jackson
Translation
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and in the hour of our death. Amen.
The Third Lesson
Luke 2: 1, 3–7
St Luke tells of the birth of Jesus.
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 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.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Choir
Angels’ Carol
by John Rutter
The Fourth Lesson
Luke 2: 8-16
The shepherds go to the manger.
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 Savior, 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 he favors!”
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.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Congregational Hymn
Angels We Have Heard On High (Gloria)
Verse 1
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echo back their joyous strains
Chorus
Gloria
In excelsis Deo
Gloria
In excelsis Deo
Verse 2
Shepherds why this jubilee
Why your joyous strains prolong
Say what may the tidings be
Which inspire your heav’nly song
Chorus
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
Chorus
Gloria
In excelsis Deo
Gloria
In excelsis Deo
Instrumental Interlude
Verse 4
See within a manger laid
Jesus Lord of heav’n and earth!
Mary Joseph lend your aid
With us sing our Savior’s birth.
Chorus
Gloria
In excelsis Deo
Gloria
In excelsis Deo
CCLI Song # 27721
Edward Shippen Barnes | James Chadwick
© Words: Public Domain
Music: Public Domain
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 3154366
The Fifth Lesson
Matthew 2: 1-12
The wise men are led by the star to Jesus.
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
`And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'”
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Choir
Star of Bethlehem
Leslie Bricusse & John Williams; Arranged by Tom Fettke
Christmas Eve Message
Senior Pastor, The Rev. Dr. Robert de Wetter
Pastoral Prayer
Beloved in Christ, let us prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the Angels, to go to Bethlehem and see Jesus, the Son of God lying in a manger. Let us hear from Holy Scripture the loving purposes of God and let us make this place of prayer glad with our carols of praise and thanksgiving. Let us give thanks to God for the forgiveness we have received and the eternal life we have been promised through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Let us pray for the needs of this community and the whole world, for peace and justice on earth, for an end to hatred and divisions, for churches everywhere, and for church leaders. Let us pray in Christ’s name for the poor and helpless, the cold, the hungry, the oppressed, the sick, the mentally ill, the addicted, those that mourn, the lonely and unloved, the aged and little children, and all who do not know the love of Jesus Christ. Let us remember and pray for those who rejoice with us this night, but are upon another shore and in a greater light. Now we turn to the words that Jesus taught us as together we pray:
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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Offertory
Choir
Jesus, What a Wonderful Child
Traditional Spiritual Arranged by Joel Raney
Lighting of the Candles
Please keep the lighted candle upright and tip the unlighted candle. The candles are extinguished after the hymn.
Closing Hymn
Silent Night (Stille Nacht)
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
Wondrous star lend thy light
With the angels let us sing
Alleluia to our King
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born
Instrumental Interlude
Verse 4
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
CCLI Song # 27862
Franz Xaver Gruber | John Freeman Young | Joseph Mohr
© Words: Public Domain
Music: Public Domain
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 3154366
Christmas Eve Blessing
Postlude
Carol Postlude
Arranged by Hal Hopson
Our love in action now begins…
2022 Christmas Eve Participants
Thank you to all of this evening’s volunteers!