Christmas Eve Service Liturgy

Prayer

Almighty God, who has given us your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin: Grant that we, being regenerate and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit forever, one God, world without end. Amen.

Prayer

By coming to earth as a human, you equipped yourself with righteousness. You anointed yourself with faithfulness. You yourself are righteousness and truth. You are the joy of all. We lift you high!  So we tell the heavens to rejoice with us today, for you have showed mercy to your people. Let the clouds drop the dew of righteousness on the world. Let the foundations of the earth sound a trumpet blast to the dead for the resurrection to come.  May compassion also spring up for all people of this earth. We are overjoyed since we have met you, Jesus, the Savior of all! Amen.  

Congregation: Alleluia. To us a child is born: Come let us adore him. Alleluia.

Song: All Is Well (234 Hymns of Grace)

His Advent

Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7

1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 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.3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy;  they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 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. 7 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.  

Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11

1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her  that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned,  that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.  3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;  the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.  5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,  for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?”  All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.  7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass.  8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.  9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news;   lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news;  lift it up, fear not;  say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”  10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him;  behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.  11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms;  he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. 

Song: Go Tell It On The Mountain (225 Hymns of Grace)

Song: O Come All Ye Faithful (231 Hymns of Grace)

Reading: Romans 15:12

12 And again Isaiah says,  “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;  in him will the Gentiles hope. 

Song: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (218 Hymns of Grace)

Reading: Song of Mary, Luke 1:46-55

46 And Mary said,  “My soul magnifies the Lord,  47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,  48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;  49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;  52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;  53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.  54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,  55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”  

Reading: Song of Zechariah, Luke 1:67-79

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,  68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people  69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,  70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,  71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us;  72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,  73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us  74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,  might serve him without fear,  75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.  76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,  77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins,  78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high  79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  

Reading & Devotional: John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Song: What Child Is This (230 Hymns of Grace)

Reading: Luke 2:10-11

Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Reading: Revelation 21:3

Behold, the dwelling place of God is with mankind. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God.

Reading: Song of the Angels, Luke 2:13-15

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,  14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”  15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  

Song: Angels from the Realms of Glory (222 Hymns of Grace)

Reading: Song of Simeon, Luke 2:28-32

27 And [Simeon] came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,  29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,    according to your word;  30 for my eyes have seen your salvation  31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,  32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”  

Closing Prayer:

We are not sure what to call you, Child of the Living One. Not the child of Joseph; you are not actually his blood. And while you are the son of one, I should be calling you the son of many.  Ten thousand names would not be enough to call you, since you are the Son of God and also the Son of Man. You are David’s son and Mary’s Lord.  For your sake Mary also was hated. The one who conceived you was persecuted. The sea raged against her, as it did against Jonah. Herod, that raging wave, sought to drown the Lord of the seas.  But Adam would rejoice, for you are the key to paradise. So we will flee with you, that we may gain life wherever we go. Prison with you is no prison, because we gain heaven through you.  With you, the grave is no grave, for you are the resurrection!  Amen.