Lessons and Carols
24
December 2015
The Gathering of the Community
Prelude
Processional Hymn
‘Once in Royal David’s City’
Common Praise #123
The Bidding and Collect
The Presider greets
the Community as follows.
My sisters and brothers in Christ, on this night when we
celebrate the birth of Jesus, let it be our duty and delight to hear once more
the message of the angels and go in heart and mind to Bethlehem to see the Son
of God lying in a manger.
As we hear God’s holy word, let us join with Mary, the favoured
handmaid, and offer ourselves in service to God’s holy and saving purpose for
the world. Let us bless the name of the
God of our salvation who brings the dawn of forgiveness and salvation to those
who live in the shadow of death and despair.
Let us give thanks to the one whose power has made us the children of
God.
As we mark once more the mystery of the Word made flesh, let us
join with the song of angels and saints and make this place ring with our
carols and hymns of praise.
But first, let us remember the poverty of the birth of the
Prince of Peace, and pray for the poor, the cold, the hungry and those among us
who find that there is no room for them at the inn.
Let us remember the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt, and
pray for the oppressed, refugees, the isolated and those on the edges of our
society.
Let us remember that the Lord of Glory experienced the pain of
life and death, and pray for the sick, the anxious, the weary and the bereaved.
And remembering the promise that Christ shall reign for ever
and ever, let us pray for the rulers of the nations, for peace and justice on
earth, for the unity and mission of the Church, that we may be a sign that
God’s rule on earth has already begun.
With joy in our hearts, let us hear again the story of the
birth of Christ, and join with Mary and Joseph, with shepherds and all the host
of heaven, and with all our ancestors in the faith in offering our worship.
A period of silence
is kept.
Let us pray.
Almighty God,
as we prepare with
joy
to celebrate the
gift of the Christ-child,
embrace the earth
with your glory
and be for us a
living hope
in Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen. [i]
The Proclamation of the Word of God
The First Reading
A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (9.1-7)
1
But there will be no gloom for those who were 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 will
make 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 lived in a
land of deep darkness — on them light has shined. 3 You have
multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as
with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4 For the yoke of
their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For a child has
been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he
is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace. 7 His
authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the
throne of David and his kingdom. He will
establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time
onward and forevermore. The zeal of the
Lord of hosts will do this.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Carol
‘In the Bleak Midwinter’
Common Praise #122
The Second Reading
A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah (11.1-9)
1
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of
his roots. 2
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the
fear of the Lord. 3
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears
hear; 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the
poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the
earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill
the wicked. 5 Righteousness
shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his
loins. 6 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. 7 The cow
and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion
shall eat straw like the ox. 8
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child
shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 9
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be
full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Carol
‘Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming’
Common Praise #117
The Third Reading
A Reading from the Gospel according to Luke (1.26-38)
26
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee
called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose
name was Joseph, of the house of David.
The virgin’s name was Mary. 28
And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with
you.” 29 But
she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this
might be. 30
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with
God. 31 And
now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him
Jesus. 32 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. 33 He will reign
over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the
angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 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. 36 And now, your
relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the
sixth month for her who was said to be barren.
37 For nothing will be impossible with
God.” 38 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.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Carol
‘’Twas in the Moon of Wintertime’ Common
Praise #146
The Fourth Reading
A Reading from the Gospel according to Luke (2.1-7)
1
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should
be registered. 2
This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of
Syria. 3 All
went to their own towns to be registered.
4 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.
5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom
he was engaged and who was expecting a child.
6 While they were there, the time came for her
to deliver her child. 7
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.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Carol
‘Angels from the Realms of Glory’ Common
Praise #143
The Fifth Reading
A Reading from the Gospel according to Luke (2.8-16)
8
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over
their flock by night. 9
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone
around them, and they were terrified. 10
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: 11
to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the
Lord. 12 This
will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and
lying in a manger.” 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 heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” 15
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.” 16
So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the
manger.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Carol
‘Shepherds in the Fields Abiding’ Common
Praise #135
Homily
The
Prayers of the Community
The Incarnation Litany
The appointed person
leads the Community in prayer.
In joy and humility let us pray to the Creator of the universe,
saying, “Hear us, O Lord, and grant us peace.”
By the good news of our salvation brought to Mary by the angel,
Hear us, O Lord, and
grant us peace.
By the mystery of the Word made flesh,
Hear us, O Lord, and
grant us peace.
By the birth in time of your timeless Son,
Hear us, O Lord, and
grant us peace.
By the manifestation of your radiant glory to the shepherds,
Hear us, O Lord, and
grant us peace.
By the submission of the maker of the world to May and Joseph
of Nazareth,
Hear us, O Lord, and
grant us peace.
May the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our
Saviour Jesus Christ,
Hear us, O Lord, and
grant us peace.
The person appointed
to lead the prayers says the concluding collect.
Let us pray.
Almighty God,
you wonderfully created
and yet more wonderfully restored our human nature.
May we share the divine life of your Son Jesus Christ,
who humbled himself to share our humanity,
and now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
The Presider leads
the Community in the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer (said).
With joy in our hearts, let us gather our prayers and praises
into one
and pray as our Saviour taught us.
Our Father in
heaven,
hallowed be your
name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in
heaven.
Give us today our
daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the
time of trial,
and deliver us from
evil.
For the kingdom,
the power,
and the glory are
yours,
now and for
ever. Amen.
Offertory Hymn
‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’
Common Praise #118 vv. 1, 2,
3, 4
The Sending Forth of the Community
Blessing
The Presider blesses
the Community as follows.
May the God of infinite goodness
scatter the darkness of sin
and brighten your hearts with holiness;
and the blessing of God,
the Creator of the stars of night,
the Sun of righteousness and
the Spirit who descended upon Mary,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Closing Hymn
During the singing
of ‘Silent Night’ candles will be lit.
‘Silent Night’ Common Praise #119
Dismissal
The Community is
sent forth in the name of Christ.
Go forth in the light of the newborn Christ.
Thanks be to God.
Postlude
[i] Liturgy Task Force, ‘ Trial Use Collects and
Seasonal Prayers over the Gifs and after Communion for Year C: Advent 1 through Epiphany 6’, 1.
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