A
FESTIVAL
OF
NINE LESSONS
AND
CAROLS
Christmas
Eve
December
24, 2011
5:00
and 7:00 P.M.
As
We Gather
The time
came for the baby to be born and Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a
son. Tonight we celebrate that time so long ago, yet so very present
today, as the incarnate Lord dwells with us through Word and
Sacrament.
Processional
Hymn ~“Once in Royal David’s City”
The
Christmas Eve Bidding Prayer
P Beloved
in Christ, may it be our care and delight this Christmas Eve to
prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the angels; in heart
and mind to go unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to
pass, and the Babe lying in a manger.
Let
us read and mark in Holy Scripture the story of the loving purposes
of God from the first days of our disobedience to the glorious
Redemption brought us by this Holy Child; and let us make this holy
house of God glad with our carols of praise:
But
first let us pray for the needs of His whole world; for peace and
goodwill over all the earth; for unity and brotherhood within the
Church He came to build, and especially in our nation, our state and
our community. And because this of all things would rejoice His
heart, let us at this time remember in His name the poor and the
helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed; the sick in body
and in mind and them that mourn; the lonely and the unloved; the aged
and the little children; all who do not know the Lord Jesus, or who
love Him not, or who by sin have grieved His heart of love.
Lastly
let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon
another shore and in a greater light, that multitude which no man can
number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in
this Lord Jesus, we forevermore are one.
P
These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of
heaven, in the words which Christ himself has taught us:
C Our
Father who art in heaven, hallowed be 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 and the power and the glory forever
and ever. Amen.
Collect
for Christmas Eve
P O
God, because you once caused this holy night to shine with the
brightness of the true Light, grant that we who have known the
mystery of that Light here on earth may come to the full measure of
its joys in heaven; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
A
Carol by the Choir ~
“Before
the Marvel of this Night” Carl
Schalk
Voluntary
~ “To Jesus Who is King” Richard Hillert
Lesson
One Genesis 3:15
God
announces in the Garden of Eden that the Seed
of the woman (Christ) would destroy
Satan and his power.
15I
will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
Carol
by Choir and Congregation ~“The Tree of Life”
Lesson
Two Genesis 22:15-18
God
promises to faithful Abraham that through his descendants - and
eventually the Messiah - all the nations of the earth will be blessed
with salvation.
15And
the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven
16and said, “By
myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this
and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I
will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as
the stars of heaven and as the
sand that is
on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his
enemies, 18and in
your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because
you have obeyed my voice.”
Lesson
Three Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
The birth
and kingdom of Christ are foretold by the prophet.
2
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
6For to us a child is
born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7Of the increase of his
government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord
of hosts will do this.
Carol
by the Choir ~
“Break
Forth, O Beauteous, Heavenly Light”
Lesson
Four Micah 5:2-4
The
prophet foretells the glory of little Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus.
2
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
3Therefore he shall give
them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
4And he shall stand and
shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord
his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
Carol
by Congregation and Choir ~
“O
Little Town of Bethlehem”
Lesson
Five Luke 1:26-28
The angel
Gabriel salutes the Blessed Virgin Mary.
26In
the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of
Galilee named Nazareth, 27to
a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And
he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is
with you!”
Carol
By Choir ~
“There
is no Rose of such Virtue” Stephen Caracciolo
Soloist:
Andrea Frobel
Song
by the Soloist ~ “Magnificat”
Soloist:
Jennifer Steffens
The
Christmas Gospel ~ Lesson Six Luke 2:1-7
St. Luke
tells of the birth of Jesus. We read in unison.
1And
it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from
Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2(And
this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3And
all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4And
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into
Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because
he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5To
be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6And
so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished
that she should be delivered.
7And
she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling
clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them
in the inn.
Carol
by Choir and Congregation ~ “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly”
The
Christmas Gospel ~ Lesson Seven Luke 2:8-16
The shepherds
go to the manger. We read in unison.
8And
there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
9And,
lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10And
the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11For
unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord.
12And
this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13And
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying,
14Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15And
it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem,
and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made
known unto us.
16And
they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying
in a manger.
Carol
by the Choir ~ “Therefore Be Merry” Mark Sedio
Soloist:
Jennifer Steffens
Lesson
Eight Matthew 2:1-11
The Wise Men
are led by the star of Jesus.
1Now
after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the
king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying,
“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his
star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3When
Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with
him; 4and
assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he
inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5They
told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the
prophet:
6“‘And you, O
Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7Then Herod summoned the
wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had
appeared. 8And he
sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the
child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may
come and worship him.” 9After
listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star
that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to
rest over the place where the child was. 10When
they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11And
going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and
they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they
offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Carol
by Congregation and Choir ~ “Joy to the World”
Lesson
Nine John 1:1-15
St. John
unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.
1In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. 2He was
in the beginning with God. 3All
things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made
that was made. 4In
him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5The
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6There was a man sent
from God, whose name was John. 7He
came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might
believe through him. 8He
was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9The true light, which
enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10He
was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world
did not know him. 11He
came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12But
to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God, 13who
were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will
of man, but of God.
14And the Word became
flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the
only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15(John
bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said,
‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before
me.’”)
Carol
by Choir ~ “The Glory of the Father” Egil Hovland
Candlelight
Carol by Congregation and Choir
“Silent
Night”
Recessional
Hymn ~ “O Come All Ye Faithful”
