Christmas Eve Service

(words for hymns and bible readings follow the call to worship) 

Welcome & Intimations
Call to worship
MP 211 :Hark the Herald
Intro to service
Prayer & Lord’s Prayer
Reading John 1 : 1 – 5
MP 393 : Joy to the world
Making Christingles
Christingle Carol
Lighting the Christmas Candle
Poem
MP 597 : Silent night
Prayer
Video – Glorious night
Thinking about Christmas
MP 491 : O come all ye faithful
Blessing

Call to worship

Christ of the past
Word made flesh
Speak to us
Christ of the Present
Revealing the Father’s glory
Be born in us
Christ of the future
Bearing witness to your truth
Live your life in us

MP 211 :Hark the Herald

1 Hark! the herald-angels sing,
‘Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.’
Joyful, all you nations rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic host proclaim,
‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!’
Hark! the herald-angels sing,
‘Glory to the new-born King!

2  Christ by highest heaven adored,
Christ the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold Him come,
offspring of a virgin’s womb!
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see!
Hail, the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel
Hark! the herald-angels sing,
‘Glory to the new-born King!

3 Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace,
Hail, the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life of all He brings,
risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
born that man no more may die;
born to raise the sons of earth,
born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald-angels sing,
‘Glory to the new-born King! 

John 1:1-5 New International Version

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

MP 393 : Joy to the world

1 Joy to the world, the Lord has come!
let earth receive her King;
let every heart prepare Him room
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing,

2 Joy to the earth, the Saviour reigns!
your sweetest songs employ
while fields and streams
and hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy,

3 He rules the world with truth and grace
and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness,
the wonders of His love,
the wonders of His love,
the wonders, the wonders of His love,

Christingle Carol   

Jesus, our Saviour, came from his Father,
Lived here among us, joined in our fun,
Showed how he loved us, died for us gladly,
Shout Alleluia, sing everyone.

Light your Christingle, think of the Saviour,
Born in a stable, how the star shone,
Jesus is with us, light in the darkness,
Shout Alleluia, sing everyone.

Now praise the Father, now praise the Spirit,
Now praise our Saviour, Jesus the Son,
Praise our Creator, praise our Redeemer,
Shout Alleluia, sing everyone

MP 597 : Silent night

1 Silent night, holy night!
sleeps the world; hid from sight,
Mary and Joseph in stable bare
watched o’er the child beloved and fair
sleeping in heavenly rest,
sleeping in heavenly rest.

2 Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds first saw the light,
heard resounding clear and long,
far and near, the angel-song;
‘Christ the Redeemer is here,
Christ the Redeemer is here.’

3 Silent night, holy night!
Son of God, O how bright
love is smiling from Your face!
Strikes us now the hour of grace,
Saviour, since You are born,
Saviour, since You are born.

MP 491 : O come all ye faithful

1 O Come, all ye faithful
joyful and triumphant
O come now O come now
to Bethlehem:
come and behold Him,
born the King of angels;
Chorus – O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord!

2 True God of true God,
light of light eternal,
He, who abhors not the virgin’s womb;
Son of the Father,
begotten not created;

3 Sing like the angels,
sing in exultation,
sing with the citizens of heaven above,
‘Glory to God,
glory in the highest’:

4 Yes, Lord, we greet You,
born this happy morning,
Jesus, to You be glory given!
Word of the Father,
now in flesh appearing: