Prelude Nicaea Brass

Ding Dong Merrily on High arr. Tim Olt

O Come, O Come Emmanuel arr. Richard Price

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing arr. Nate Hepler

Away in a Manger arr. John Rutter

Go, Tell It on the Mountain arr. John Rutter

Welcome and Invocation Dr. Liam Goligher

Carol 195: Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come Antioch

Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her King;
let every 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.

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.

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,
far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.

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.

Christmas Prayer Dr. Liam Goligher

God, who makes us glad with the yearly celebration of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ, grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he will come to be our Judge, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Scripture: Isaiah 9:2, 6–7 Rev. Carroll Wynne

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Carol 225: Once in Royal David’s City Irby

Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed,
where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven who is God and Lord of all,
and his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall:
with the poor, and mean, and lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy.

And through all his wondrous childhood he would honor and obey,
love and watch the lowly maiden in whose gentle arms he lay:
Christian children all must be mild, obedient, good as he.

And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love;
for that child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heav’n above,
and he leads his children on to the place where he is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable, with the oxen standing by,
we shall see him, but in heaven, set at God’s right hand on high;
when like stars his children crowned all in white shall wait around.

Scripture: Matthew 1:18–25 Rudy Heuer

Now the birth of Jesus Christ 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.

Prayer Rev. Carroll Wynne

Carol 227: On Christmas Night All Christians Sing Sussex Carol

On Christmas night all Christians sing, to hear the news the angels bring;
on Christmas night all Christians sing, to hear the news the angels bring:
news of great joy, news of great mirth, news of our merciful King’s birth.

Then why should we on earth be sad, since our Redeemer made us glad:
then why should we on earth be sad, since our Redeemer made us glad:
when from our sin he set us free, all for to gain our liberty.

When sin departs before Your grace, then life and health come in its place;
when sin departs before Your grace, then life and health come in its place;
angels and men with joy may sing, all for to see the new-born King.

All out of darkness we have light which made the angels sing this night;
all out of darkness we have light which made the angels sing this night:
“Glory to God and peace to men, now and forevermore. Amen.”

Scripture: Luke 2:8–14 Dr. Liam Goligher

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths 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, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Hymn 214: Angels We Have Heard on High Gloria

Angels we have heard on high,
sweetly singing o’er the plains,
and the mountains in reply
echo back their joyous strains.

Refrain
Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
Say what may the tidings be,
which inspire your heav’nly song? (Refrain)

Come to Bethlehem and see
him whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King. (Refrain)

Scripture: John 1: 1–14 Judd Van Dervort

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Musical Meditation: Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light Johann Sebastian Bach

Nicaea Brass

Break forth, O beauteous heav’nly light, to herald our salvation; He stoops to earth–the God of might, our hope and expectation. He comes in human flesh to dwell, our God with us, Immanuel; the night of darkness ending, our fallen race befriending.

Homily Dr. Liam Goligher

Hymn: Silent Night! Holy Night! Stille Nacht

(Before we sing, we will light our candles, reminding us that Jesus, the Light of the World, is born!)

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 alleluia; 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.

Silent Night! Holy Night! Wondrous star, lend thy light; with the angels let us sing
Alleluias to our King; Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born!

Benediction

Postlude: Gaudete arr. Todd Marchand