Christmas
Season
CELEBRATE: CHRIST HAS COME!
Opening Candle Meditation
LEADER: If you, O Lord, should count our sins, Who of us, O Lord, could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness, that all might look to you.
I will wait for the Lord. PEOPLE: My soul waits, and in His word do I hope.
My soul waits for the Lord:
More than watchmen for the morning,
More than watchmen for the morning.
[ Spoken while lighting all five candles ]
What we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord:
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”
has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
[ Spoken after the candle is lit ]
Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
Liturgy of the already
Luke 2:10-11, 14
LEADER: Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
PEOPLE: “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Hebrews 1:1-3
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Colossians 1:15, 19-20
He is the image of the invisible God. In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Hymn
Joy To The World!
Joy to the world! The Lord is 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
Joy to the world! The Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy
No more let sins and sorrows grow
nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessing flow
Far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found
Far as, far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love, and wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.
WAIT: CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN!
A LITURGY OF THE NOT YET
LEADER: O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
PEOPLE: And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
All the promises of God find their Yes in Jesus Christ.
That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye witnesses of his majesty.
And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which we will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever, Amen. Come Lord Jesus!
Hold Fast
What else does Christ’s death redeem?
Christ’s death is the beginning of the redemption and renewal of every part of fallen creation, as he powerfully directs all things for his own glory and creation’s good. (New City Catechism Q26)
How does the article “life everlasting” comfort you?
Even as I already now experience in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, so after this life I will have perfect blessedness such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has ever imagined: a blessedness in which to praise God eternally. (Heidelberg Catechism Q57)
Reading & Prayer
Personal Bible Reading. This week’s sermon text: Revelation 21:1-27
Pray on behalf of family and friends, the church local and global.
Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, kindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)
Closing Candle Meditation
LEADER: God of the watching ones, the waiting ones, the slow and suffering ones:
PEOPLE: Give us your benediction, your good word for our souls,
that we might rise and rest in the kindness of your company.
They will need no light of lamp or sun
For the Lord will be their light.
[ Spoken while extinguishing the candles ]
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
[ Spoken after all the candles are extinguished ]
He who testifies to these things says: “Surely I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.
Amen.