CHRISTMAS CHURCH SERVICE
If you are unable to attend a Church Service, why not follow the service below in prayer and make spiritual Communion with Our Lord Jesus Christ? Perhaps you have been working in essential services, are caregiver at home or ill in bed. All of your intentions have been held before the Lord.
The Christmas Church Service;
Celebrant; 'The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
Congregation; 'Amen.'
Beginning hymn; O, Little Town of Bethlehem
Lyrics;
'Oh 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 streets shineth
The everlasting Light,
The hopes and fears of all the years,
Are met in thee tonight.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim thy 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 giv'n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessing of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
O Holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray:
Cast out our sins and enter in,
Be born to us today.
We hear the Christmas angels,
The great glad tidings tell;
Oh, come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!'
Celebrant; "Let us pray.
Hear the words of the Angel to Joseph,
'You shall call His Name Jesus,
For He will save His people from His sins.
Let us rejoice in the coming of God's Son,
As we join in prayer this Holy Night."
Invitation to Confession;
Celebrant; 'Christ the Light of the World has come,
to dispel the darkness.
Let us turn to His Light and reflect on our lives.'
Here follows a few moments of silence. Reach out to God with your heart, and think of any area in your life where you can improve as a person. If there is an area in your life on which you need to work, silently communicate with God and commit to addressing this area.
Celebrant; 'God our Father, You sent Your Son full of grace and truth;
Forgive our failures to receive Him.
Lord have mercy.'
Congregation; 'Lord, have mercy.'
Celebrant; 'Jesus our Saviour,
You were born in poverty and laid in a manger.
Forgive the times we have wanted money more than the ways of God.
Christ, have mercy.'
Congregation; 'Christ, have mercy.'
Celebrant; 'Spirit of Love,
Your servant Mary responded joyfully to Your Call.
Forgive us when our hearts are hard.'
Congregation; 'Lord have mercy.'
Celebrant; May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to life eternal.'
Congregation; 'Amen.'
Celebrant; 'May God Who loved the world so much,
That He sent His Son to be our Saviour,
Forgive us our sins, and make us holy to serve Him in the world,
through Jesus Christ our Lord
Congregation; 'Amen.'
Congregation;
'Glory to God in the highest; And peace to all of goodwill.
We praise You, we bless you, we adore You, we glorify You.
We give You thanks for Your Great Glory.
Lord God, Heavenly King, God the Almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Begotten Son of the Father.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
You Who take away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us. You are seated at the Right Hand of The Father,
Have mercy on us.
For You alone are Holy, You alone are Lord.
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ.
With the Holy Spirit in the Glory of God the Father. Amen.'
Readings;
First Reading from the Prophet Isaiah, 9;6-7
'For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given,
And the government will be upon His Shoulder.
And His Name will be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,
Of the increase of His government and peace,
There will be no end.
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.'
Responsorial Psalm
Response; Today is born our Saviour, Christ our Lord.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
Sing to the LORD, all you lands,
Sing to the LORD, bless His Name.
R. Today is born our Saviour, Christ our Lord.
Announce His Salvation, day after day,
Tell His glory among the nations,
Among all peoples, His wondrous deeds.
R. Today is born our Saviour, Christ our Lord.
They shall exult, before the LORD, for He comes;
He comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the earth with justice,
And the peoples with His constancy.
R. Today is born our Saviour, Christ our Lord.
Second Reading from Luke 2;7;
"Mary gave birth to her Firstborn, a Son,
And wrapped Him in swaddling clothes,
And laid Him in a manger."
Gospel Acclamation:
"Alleluia, Alleluia.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
And we have seen His glory.
Alleluia, Alleluia."
Celebrant; Gospel; Luke 2;1 - 16
"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)
And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee in Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and town of David.
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a Child. While they were there, the time came for the Baby to be born, and she gave birth to her Firstborn, a Son.
She wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
An Angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the Glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
But the Angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring great news that will bring great joy to all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you; He will be wrapped in cloths, and laid in a manger.'
Suddenly a great company of the Heavenly Host appeared with the Angel, praising God and saying,
'"Glory to God in the Highest Heaven,
And on earth peace to those on whom His Favour rests."
When the Angels had left them and gone into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another;
"Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger.'
Celebrant; 'This is the gospel of Christ.'
Congregation; 'Glory to Christ our Saviour.'
We always celebrate Christmas as a time of joy, peace and goodwill. We thus celebrate the gifts of gold and frankincense gifted by two of the wise kings. Yet in this year of 2020 our hands have been stretched out not to the first two gifts but, reluctantly, to the last. We have grasped the gift of myrrh and there is scarcely one on earth not left grieving at the loss of a loved one. We are sorrowing, mourning and dying.
Many have cried out that there is no hope and questioned where God is in all of this. The answer is, He lies in a tiny crib having left behind His heavenly Throne, His sovereignty over legions of angels, the security He enjoyed as the Son of God. God looks out of the eyes of a tiny Babe, taking on our sorrows, our illness, our death. Jesus came among us to find out how it felt to cry, be wounded, to die. He came to find out how agonizing it is to lose a loved one and to weep at their grave.
In this year of Covid 2020, we have not even had the solace of travel to burials of family and friends. Quarantined, we have helplessly heard of deaths. We have witnessed loved ones suffering disease. We grieve for many who have been called to heavenly service. (Let us now remember those we have lost by name, and pray for the repose of their souls). We pray for the ill and suffering. We pray for an end to the Coronavirus, and draw comfort from the knowledge that previous pandemics have always eventually dissipated. And we turn to the gift of myrrh remembering that from the moment of His Birth the infant Son of God was destined to triumph over human death in order to win for us the joys of eternal life.
There is great hope knowing that God is not asleep. The Almighty knows exactly what we are going through. In His Hands lie all dominion and power to change world events. Let us humbly turn to God who has witnessed our struggle with a disease which has hijacked our lives and swayed the destinies of millions. Let us plead with Divine Providence for an end to the coronavirus. Let us change our lives if there is need to purify of sin.
.We know that Christ's death was not the end. He came that we might have eternal life. Let us be strong as we stand as men and women of faith, accepting that in God's gracious Plan He has allowed us to lift the lid of the jar of myrrh. Although suffering has marred our lives this past year, we may be assured that everlasting joy awaits us when we reach the Heavenly City. We do not know what lies in the future: but we know in Whose Hands the future lies. Strength and blessings to all, and a peaceful Christmastide knowing that the darkest hour always comes before the dawn.'
If you wish to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, please visit the following Prayer Chapel:
http://churchinterfaith.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/how-to-receive-jesus-christ-as-your.html
If you wish to visit the Chapel of Repentance:
http://churchinterfaith.blogspot.com/2017/03/prayer-chapel-of-repentance.htmlPrayers of Intercession;
Celebrant; 'Let us pray to Jesus our Saviour.
Christ, born in a stable,
give courage to all who are struggle with coronavirus.'
Congregation; 'Jesus, Saviour,
hear our prayer.'
Celebrant; 'Christ, for Whom the angels sang,
give the song of the kingdom to all who weep.'
Congregation; 'Jesus, Saviour,
hear our prayer.'
Celebrant; 'Christ, worshipped by the shepherds,
give peace on earth to all who suffer.'
Congregation; 'Jesus,, Saviour,
hear our prayer'
.
Celebrant; 'Christ, before Whom the wise men knelt,
give humility and wisdom to all.'
Congregation; 'Jesus, Saviour,
hear our prayer.'
Celebrant; 'Christ, whose radiance filled a lowly manger,
give the glory of Your resurrection to all who rest in You.'
Congregation; 'Jesus, Saviour,
hear our prayer.'
Celebrant; 'Jesus, Saviour, Child of Mary,
You know us and love us,
You share our lives
and hear our prayer.
Glory to You for ever. Amen.,
Breaking of Bread
Celebrant; 'Almighty God, You made a covenant with Your people, and declared Your purpose of justice and love.
When all things were ready, You sent Your Son to be Our Saviour.
In words and deeds He proclaimed Your Kingdom, and obeyed Your Will even to death on the cross.
Through His mighty death and resurrection, He overcame sin and death, to set the whole creation free.
We praise You, Father, that on the night before He gave His life, our Lord Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to His disciples and said; 'Take, eat; this is My Body which is broken for you.
Do this in memory of me.'
Congregation; 'Lord Jesus, You are the Bread of Life.'
Celebrant; 'After the same manner also He took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to them saying, 'Take this, all of you, and drink; for this is My Blood; the Blood of the New Covenant which is poured out for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins. Do This in memory of Me.'
Congregation; 'Lord Jesus, You are the Cup of Life, the wine that is blessed for our salvation.'
The Lord's Prayer;
'Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed by Thy Name;
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy Will be done,
On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever, Amen.'
Benediction;
Celebrant; 'May the joy of the Angels,
The eagerness of the shepherds,
The perseverance of the wise men,
The obedience of Joseph and Mary,
And the peace of the Christ-Child
Be yours this Christmas;
And the blessing of Almighty God be yours this Christmas, now and forever,'
Congregation; 'Amen'.
Final Hymn; Silent Night
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
Heavenly 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 dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
With thanks to Youtube,
and portraitsofbeauty by Rachel
https://portraitsofbeauty.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/myrrh-aloe-and-a-new-tomb/
