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Woship Resources 2008-2009 — Year B: Be a Sanctuary of Christ's Peace
Christmas Day:
Rejoice! Christ Has Come!
December 25, 2008
Following this worship outline, you will find the text for the readings used
in this service.
Call to Worship
*Hymn: “O Come, All Ye Faithful” HS 238
*Call to Worship Reading (from Isaiah 52)
*Invocation
*Response: “I Wonder as I Wander”
Have a soloist or a group sing the first verse of HS 251.
Prophets Foretell His Coming
Hymn: “Heir of All the Waiting Ages” HS 253
The Prophet Reading (from Isaiah 11)
The speaker may be in the costume of a prophet and comes forward from
the back to speak. The reading should be memorized or well practiced.
Music Interlude
A pianist can play one verse of HS 253.
The Angel Announces His Coming
Ministry of Music or Congregational Hymn:
“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” HS 255
The Angel Gabriel Greets Mary Reading (from Luke 1)
The speaker may be in a white robe to represent the angel and may
come from the back to speak.
Music Interlude
Play the last two lines of HS 255.
The Shepherds Are Sent to Bethlehem to Witness His Coming
*Hymn: “Angels We Have Heard on High” HS 237
*The Angels Appear to the Shepherds Reading (from Luke 2)
Three or more angels in white robes come forward during the last
verse of the hymn, speaking immediately after it.
*Music Interlude
Play the chorus of HS 237 as the angels leave.
Wise Men Come from the East to Worship Him
Hymn: “The First Nowell” HS 246
Wise Men from the East Reading (from Matthew 2)
Three Wise Men in costume come forward during the last verse,
speaking immediately after it.
We Go as Disciples to Serve the Cause of the Kingdom
*Hymn: “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” HS 252
*Sending Forth
All of the characters come forward during the singing of the last verse
of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” speaking immediately after it.
Prophet: God’s voice comes to every generation declaring the Good
News!
Angel Gabriel: The Christ is now within you as he promised. You are
the body of Christ.
Angels: As the body of Christ, you are called to bring peace on earth
and good will to all.
Wise Men: (This section may be divided among the Wise Men.)
Seek the Christ. Bring your best gifts to honor and serve the Christ in
one another and in those he came to heal and teach. Search for signs of
God’s kingdom among you. His star has risen and has come to rest over
this place.
Presider: Jesus came to reveal the presence of God in our world.
Jesus, Son of God is born again in our hearts today. Let the light of
the Holy Spirit grow in your hearts and in the heart of this
congregation until the whole world knows the presence of God.
*Hymn: “Joy to the World” HS 258
*Benediction
Remember that a benediction is a simple statement of blessing. There
are many examples in the writings of Paul. From Galatians 6:18: “May the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and
sisters. Amen.” Or you might add something like: “And, on this Christmas
morning, may you be blessed to grow in your discipleship in the
Community of Christ. Amen.”
*Recessional
Christmas Day Readings
Call to Worship, Adapted from Isaiah 52:1–8
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion!
Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city;
…My people shall know my name; …in that day they shall know
that it is I who speak; here am I.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one who announces
peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Come and worship the Lord
who sends his messenger to announce peace on earth.
The Prophet, Adapted from Isaiah 11
Listen, O people, to the voice of the Lord. The Messiah will come from Israel
and he shall be great like King David. He shall come as a branch from the great
tree that grows out of the roots of greatness. The spirit of the Lord shall rest
on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, the spirit of
knowledge and fear and delight in God.…
He shall come with justice and with righteousness and will stand with the
meek of the earth. When he comes he will establish his kingdom and it shall be a
peaceable one. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down
with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child
shall lead them…
People will no longer hurt or destroy on God’s holy mountain; for the earth
will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Listen, O people, to the voice of the Lord.
The Angel Gabriel Greets Mary, Based on Luke 1
Reader: When Mary was just a young woman, engaged to Joseph, an angel
appeared before her.
Angel: Mary, I greet you in the name of the Lord God who has chosen to
bless you above all women. Do not be afraid! You are in God’s favor. And
now, you will conceive 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, and of his kingdom there will
be no end. The child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of
God.
The Angels Appear to the Shepherds, Based on Luke 2
One of the angels may be the Angel Gabriel from the previous reading.
Presider: In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all
the world should register for the tax. All went to their own towns to be
registered. Joseph 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.
And 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.
Angel 1: Do not be afraid!
All Angels: Do not be afraid!
Angel 1: Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great
joy for all people. Listen. 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.
Reader: And suddenly the sky was filled with light and there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God.
Angel 2: Glory to God!
Angel 3: Glory to God!
All Angels: (Louder and more intense.) Glory to God! Glory to God
in the highest!
Angel 1: And on earth peace.
Angel 2: On earth peace.
Angel 3: Peace.
All Angels: Peace on earth, good will to all people.
All Angels: (Loudly) Glory to God in the highest and on earth
peace, good will to all.
There is silence for two or three seconds. Nobody moves. Then the piano
(music interlude) begins with a loud chorus of HS 237.
Wise Men from the East, Based on Matthew 2
Wise Man 1: (to the congregation) Where is this child that has
been born to be your king?
Wise Man 2: We have come for many days seeking a child.
Wise Man 3: We know from studying the stars that a special child has been
born among you. We have been waiting for many years for this wonderful
birth.
Wise Man 1: Where is this child? Is he here among you?
Wise Man 2: Tell us what you know!
Wise Man 3: We know that this child will grow and become your king. We
have seen his star. We have brought our finest gifts to give him.
Wise Man 1: We have come to worship him.
Wise Man 2: Please tell us where to find him.
Reader: They asked Herod the king where to find him, but it frightened
Herod. He believed that the child would take away his throne. The Wise Men
realized this and left, promising each other not to tell Herod what they
found. They set out to find the child and there, ahead of them, went the
star 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;
they knelt down and worshiped him. Then, they opened their treasure chests;
they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
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