christmas day
25
december 2016
The Gathering of the Community
Processional Hymn
‘Infant Holy, Infant Lowly’
Common Praise #125
Introductory Responses
Blessed are you, Son of Mary;
born a child, you shared our humanity.
Let heaven and
earth shout their praise.
With all the voices of heaven
we celebrate the coming of our Saviour.
Let heaven and
earth shout their praise.
With all the creatures on earth
we sing and dance at Christ’s birth.
Praise and honour
and glory to you, O Lord most high.
Hymn of Praise
Gloria in excelsis [i]
Collect
Let us pray.
God whose Word became flesh,
breathe
a new song of joy
and
praise into the world,
so
that we may bear the good news of your salvation
and
proclaim your promise of peace to the ends of the earth;
through
Christ the Word. Amen.
[ii]
The Proclamation of the Word
First Reading
A Reading from the prophet Isaiah (52.7-10).
How beautiful
upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who
brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God
reigns.” Listen! Your sentinels lift up
their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the
return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you ruins
of Jerusalem; for the Lord has
comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord
has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of
the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
The Gradual Hymn
‘Good Christians All, Rejoice’
Common Praise #153
The Gospel
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (1.1-14).
Glory to you, Lord
Jesus Christ.
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
came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into
being. What has come into being in him
was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness did not overcome it.
There was a
man sent from God, whose name was John.
He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe
through him. He himself was not the
light, but he came to testify to the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through
him; yet the world did not know him. He
came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in
his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood
or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word
became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a
father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord
Jesus Christ.
The Sermon
An Affirmation of Faith
Let us affirm our faith.
We believe
that Christ is the
image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of
all creation;
that in Christ all
things in heaven and earth were created,
things visible and
invisible,
that Christ himself
is before all things,
and in him all
things hold together;
that Christ is the
head of the body, the church,
for in Christ the
fullness of God was pleased to dwell;
that through Christ
all things, whether on earth or in heaven,
have been
reconciled to God.
The Prayers of the Community
Intercessions, Petitions and Thanksgivings
The Exchange of the Peace
May the peace of Christ be always with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Communion
The Offertory Hymn
‘’Twas in the Moon of Wintertime’ Common
Praise #146
Prayer over the Gifts
Good and loving God,
we rejoice
in the birth of Jesus,
who came
among the poor
to bring
the riches of your grace.
As you have
blessed us with your gifts,
let them be
a blessing for others.
With the
trees of the field,
with all
earth and heaven,
we shout
for joy at the coming of your Son,
Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen. [iv]
Thanksgiving at the Table
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the
Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give
our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and
praise to you,
almighty and merciful God, through our Saviour Jesus
Christ.
In the wonder and mystery of the Word made flesh
you have opened the eyes of faith to a new and radiant vision
of your glory,
that beholding the God made visible,
we may be drawn to love the God whom we cannot see.
And so, with all the choirs of angels,
with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy
Lord,
God of power and
might,
heaven and earth
are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the
highest.
Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord.
Holy One, the beginning and the end, the giver of life:
Blessed are you for the birth of creation.
Blessed are you in the darkness and in the light.
Blessed are you for your promise to your people.
Blessed are you for the prophets’ hopes and dreams.
Blessed are you for Mary’s openness to your will.
Blessed are you for your Son, Jesus, the Word made flesh.
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come
again.
With this bread and cup we remember
your Word dwelling among us, full of grace and truth.
We remember our new birth in his death and resurrection.
We look with hope for his coming.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Holy God, we long for your Spirit.
Come among us. Bless
this meal.
May your Word take flesh in us.
Awaken your people. Fill
us with your light.
Bring the gift of peace on earth.
Come, Holy Spirit.
All praise and glory are yours, Holy One of Israel,
Word of God incarnate, Power of the Most High,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
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,
The Breaking of the Bread
We break the bread of life,
and that life is the light of the world
God here among us,
light in the midst
of us,
bring us to light
and life.
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
The Communion
Communion Hymn
‘Infant Holy, Infant Lowly’
Common Praise #125
The Sending Forth of the Community
Prayer after Communion
Radiant God,
with our
eyes we have seen your salvation,
and in this
meal we have feasted on your grace.
May your
Word take flesh in us,
so that we
may be your holy people,
revealing
your glory made known to us
in Jesus
Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.
[vii]
Glory to God,
whose power,
working in us,
can do infinitely
more
than we can ask or
imagine.
Glory to God from
generation to generation,
in the Church and
in Christ Jesus,
for ever and
ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn
‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’
Common Praise #138
Dismissal
Go forth in love to proclaim the birth of Christ.
Thanks be to God.
[i] Lang Carol
Mass.
[ii] Liturgy Task Force, ‘Trial Use
Collects and Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion for Year C: Advent 1 through Epiphany 6,’ 5.
[iii] Colossians
1.15-20 as arranged by the Rev’d Dr R. G. Leggett.
[iv] Liturgy Task
Force, ‘Trial Use Collects and Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion for
Year C: Advent 1 through Epiphany 6,’
13.
[v] Lang Carol
Mass.
[vi] Common Praise #744.
[vii] Liturgy Task
Force, ‘Trial Use Collects and Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion for
Year C: Advent 1 through Epiphany 6,’
13.
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