Welcome
Call to Worship Isaiah 9:2-7
“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.
For a child has
been born for us, a son given to us;
authority rests
upon his shoulders and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
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 on and forever
more.
Carol
O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God
appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by
thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark
shadows put to flight:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our
heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high, and close the
path to misery:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
18th
century, based on the ancient Advent Antiphons
WOV 193
Prayer
We are almost
there, O God, almost at the end of our waiting, our preparing, our barely
contained expectation. Each Advent we
have moments when we are not sure that we can find you in the midst of the
messy busy time we have created. But you
always break through, you always find us, you always come again, the light of
the world into the darkness. We give
thanks and praise for your faithfulness and grace. In the name of the one who came to bring life
and light we pray. Amen
Lighting of the Advent Candles
Over the past four
weeks, we’ve been lighting candles on this Advent Wreath for those who travel
in the way of Christ – for hopeful journey, for faithful journey, for expectant
journey, for joyful journey. Tonight we
light the star – the sign of great hope for those who journeyed from near and
far, the sign to us of the continuing hope for all who travel towards the light
of Christ. And as we light it we remain
seated to sing:
Carol
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Tune Forest Green
WOV 240
O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by:
yet in thy dark street shineth
the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.
O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the King
and peace to all on earth.
For Christ is born of Mary;
and, gathered all above,
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wondering love.
How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
the glorious love of heaven.
No ear may hear God’s coming;
but in this world of sin,
where yearning souls long to be whole,
the dear Christ enters in.
Responsive Psalm: 96 adapted from ‘Jim Cotter Out
of the Silence’
Sing to the great God a new song,
sing to
the Creator, sing the whole earth.
We sing to you, God, and praise your name,
telling of your salvation from day to day,
declaring
your glory to those who do not know you,
and your
wonders to the peoples of the earth.
Marvellous God, you are greatly to be praised,
more to be honoured than all the powers.
Glory and
worship before you,
power and
honour are in your sanctuary.
Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad:
let the sea roar, and all its creatures
delight;
let the fields be joyful, and all that is in
them:
then shall the trees of the wood shout for joy.
For you
come to judge the earth with your truth and your righteousness.
All creatures of the earth will sing your
praise,
for you are a God who is faithful,
for ever loyal to your covenant,
creating light
and hope out of darkness and truth out of despair for all peoples.
Luke 2:1-7
In those days a decree went out from Emperor
Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first
registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went
to their own towns to be registered. 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. 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.
Carol
Words based on
Piae Cantiones, 1582; Tune: Puer Nobis WOV 218
Unto us a boy is born!
Ruler of creation,
came unto a world forlorn,
the God of every nation.
Cradled in a stall was he
with sleepy cows and asses;
but the very beasts could see
that he all folk surpasses.
Now may Mary’s son, who came
so long ago to love us,
lead us all with hearts aflame
unto the joys beyond us.
Luke 2:8-14
The Shepherds and the
Angels
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. 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: to you is born
this day in the city of David a Saviour, 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.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
Carol
While shepherds watched their flocks by night
all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down
and glory shone around.
To you, in David’s town this day,
is born of David’s line,
the Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign
The heavenly babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
All wrapped around in swaddling bands
and in a manger laid.
Paraphrase of Luke 2:8-14; “Winchester Old” Melody
from Este’s Psalter, 1592 WOV 223
Light Candles
Prayer
Bright holy God, you come amongst us.
You fill us with awe and wonder.
You welcome our stories and prayers…
We pray tonight for peace, peace in places where there is anger and war
and fear… we pray for peacemakers and peace keepers, for rulers, for
politicians, for fighters, for older people and children, for all who are
caught up in conflict, in bitterness and in danger. We pray for peace with integrity and with
justice.
We pray on this night for travelers… for those who are travelling to or
from home for Christmas, for those who are travelling because they have no
place, no shelter they can call their own… for those who are travelling to
escape hardship and injustice.
We pray for all who are sick, and for those who care for them and pray
for them. We pray for those who have
died, those we miss at our table……we pray our love for them be known and their
stories be a continuing part of our lives.
We pray for ourselves – for our hopes and fears, our joys and sorrows,
our blessings and our empty places.
God in your mercy hear our prayers and let our hearts be filled with
healing and hope – in Jesus name. Amen
Meditation
Christmas Eve – a really special time and special for me in that it has been
a newly discovered Christmas tradition – and yet I know for many here, it is,
and has always been the moment of the coming of the Christchild – in the night,
candles, expectation, excitement – the joy shared, the family together, the
gathering to worship and to celebrate with those we love the birth of the baby
Jesus, the coming of the light of the world.
And yet there are many who cannot be where they want to be at this time,
people separated by war, by prison, by financial constraints, by work, by
distance, by divisions, by death. Too
many people divided, angry, violent and vengeful. Tonight I want us to remember
another Christmas Eve where people were not where they wanted to be, where
violence was not just present but expected, and where the shared memory of the birth of
the Christ child overcame divisions and enmity.
It is one hundred years since the event took place that we commonly know
as ‘Christmas in the trenches’, where, at the first Christmas of WW1, soldiers
from both sides of the conflict put down their weapons, walked out into that
middle ground, no-mans land, greeted each other, shared Christmas blessings, may
have played a game or two of football, shared in worship and sang carols together. In that moment peace was found, humanity was
rebirthed, a new way of relationship was established. The units had to be broken up by their
respective armies – for they would no longer fight each other.
I am not sure how many of you know that there appears to have been a
similar exchange in World War II – between the Maori Battalion and the Germans
at Orsogno in Italy in 1943. Richard
Spence says ‘At Christmas Eve, just on midnight, the Maori struck up ‘Silent
Night’ in Maori. And the Germans replied
in their language.’
There is another way – an alternative to the vengeance and violence and
conflict that plagues this world– and it begins with humanity voicing its love
for one another – for in the light of love all becomes clear - for there Christ
is come.
As we sing we remember those who call out for peace. And we sing the first verse in Te Reo in
remembrance of those who laid down their weapons.
Carol
Mārie te
pō, tapu te pō
Marino, marama
Ko te Whāea, me te Tama
Tama tino, tapu rā
Moe mai i te aio
Moe mai i te aio.
Marino, marama
Ko te Whāea, me te Tama
Tama tino, tapu rā
Moe mai i te aio
Moe mai i te aio.
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,
heav’nly hosts sing Alleluia;
Christ, the Saviour, is born, Christ the Saviour, 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
Words Joseph Mohr, Music Franz Xaver Gruber WOV 236
Wait for midnight
It is Christmas Day – a child is born, a son is given.
We greet the Christ. And we sing
the good news ….
Carol
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her king;
let every heart prepare a room
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns!
Let all their songs employ;
while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
Christ rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of God’s righteousness
and wonders of God’s love, and wonders of God’s love
and wonders, and wonders of God’s love.
Isaac Watt 17th
– 18th C Tune Antioch WOV 224
And we greet each other – if you would blow out your candles now and we
will share the peace and blessing of
Christ.
The
Peace
Minister: Kia tau tonu te rangimarie o te
Ariki ki a
koutou. The peace of Christ be
with you all
People: A ki a koe ano hoki. And also with you
Commissioning and Benediction
We go out into this
Christmas morning in the peace of Jesus Christ.
May his peace, that lightens the soul with faith, lifts the spirits with
hope, and leavens the world with love, be ours, tonight and always.
And the blessing
of God, Creator, Son and Spirit go with us and remain with us now and
always. Amen
Carol
O come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him born the king of
angels;
O
come, let us adore him (x3) Christ the Lord.
God of God, Light of Light,
Lo! He abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God, Begotten not created; O come..
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exaltation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above,
‘Glory to God in the highest.’: O come..
Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given:
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come..
John Francis Wade Tune Adeste Fideles WOV
228
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