Christmas Eve December 24, 2024
Prayer in Preparation for Worship:
O Lord, we welcome Thee, Our hearts for joy are leaping,
Thou Jesus, dearest Child, Thy precious promise keeping
Art come from heav’n to earth To be our Brother dear;
Thou, gracious Son of God, Wilt banish all our fear.
To Thee alone we cling, For Thee all else forsaking;
On Thee alone we build Tho’ heav’n and earth be quaking.
To Thee alone we live, In Thee alone we die;
O Jesus, dearest Lord, With Thee we reign on high. Amen
Pre-Service Hymn Singing, beginning at 6:50 p.m.
The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they Lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east beyond them far;
And to the earth It gave great light
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel
+ + + + + + + +
Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plain,
And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strain:
Glor – – – – ia, in excelsis Deo!
Glor – – – – ia, in Excelsis Deo.
+ + + + + + + +
Gentle Mary laid her Child Lowly in a manger;
There He lay, the Undefiled, To the world a stranger.
Such a Babe in such a place, Can He be the Savior?
As the saved of all the race Who have found His favor.
+ + + + + + + + + +
Once in Royal David’s city, stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby, in a manger for His bed.
Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little Child.
+ + + + + + + + + +
It came upon a midnight clear That glorious sound of old,
From angels bending near the earth To touch their harps of gold;
Peace on the earth, goodwill to men,
From heav’n’s all-gracious king.”
The world in solemn stillness lay To hear the angels sing.
All you beneath your heavy load, By care and guilt bent low,
Who toil along a dreary way With painful steps and slow;
Look up, for golden is the hour, Come swiftly on the wing,
THE Prince was born to bring you peace; Of Him the angels sing.
The Church’s “Original” Christmas Hymn
Of the Father’s Love Begotten
The approach Lutheran Christians take to worship has a number of notable differences from the way in which most
other church bodies worship the Lord. In our churches a heavy emphasis is placed on God’s Word being the centerpiece of our services – and not only in the multiple Scripture lessons and the sermon, but also in our use of Psalms that are read or sung, and in the various, Biblically-based, responsive parts of the liturgy (or, service order). Our services are so Bible-dependant because the Holy Spirit works only through God’s Word (not our human expressions) to edify, or build up, our faith. (And isn’t that a major part of why we come to worship….to grow Spiritually?) Furthermore, the expectation in our churches is that the Word of the Lord always will be presented and taught in an “orthodox” way (“true teaching” – in other words, not allowing for any speculation, let alone any false teaching). Individual emotionalism (when it lacks Biblical substance) and speculation should have no place whatsoever in our – or any – worship services…..since God’s Word alone (and not human feelings, opinions, etc.) builds faith.
Another significant feature of our worship services is that we typically use the historic Christian Creeds (the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian) to express our unity of faith….. We do this — not because they are the “only” way for a Christian to confess his/her faith (it’s certainly allowable to offer a spontaneous, straight-from-the-heart confession) but – because they are objective, time-tested, Biblically-orthodox expressions of what Christians do and must believe, and because they serve to unite our faith with that of faithful Christians across the centuries who also once used these creeds to confess publicly what they believed. Consequently, these “creeds” help to keep us Biblically grounded…..unlike subjective, individual expressions of faith, which can easily (and unknowingly) contain unBiblical statements….. and so can lead persons Spiritually astray.
In our services, we also sing hymns that span the centuries …… music from the present and recent past, but also from hundreds of – and even more than a thousand – years ago. Sometimes that means the melodies or lyrics we sing are anything but “contemporary.” Instead, they can sometimes sound quite foreign to the ear….at least during a person’s early exposure to them. The hymns we sing in our worship services are frequently quite different-sounding than the kind music you might hear on a radio or streaming service today. Admittedly some of these older hymns and songs do take work and patience “getting used to.” However, as is the case with the three creeds, singing these “older” hymns is important because they connect the church of today with the faithful church of the past. There is also a depth and substance to many of these classical hymns that simply cannot be found in the musical structure and lyrics of most of today’s contemporary Christian music. In addition, since these older hymns are both time- and Scripture-tested, we can be sure that their lyrics and music faithfully reflect the truths that are found in God’s Word. In fact, many of our Lutheran hymns are very Biblically based to the extent that one could easily and fairly describe them as “teaching” hymns and songs. Some Christians have even chosen to use them routinely as their personal prayers in poetry form.
Which brings us to the hymn around which today’s Christmas Service has been developed……..
The History Behind “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”
This hymn happens to be one of the oldest – and most precious – hymns not only in our Lutheran hymnals, but also in the Christian church’s entire treasury of sacred music. In addition, it is the oldest “Christmas hymn” still in common use in our churches.
In the early centuries of the Christian church’s existence, serious doctrinal disputes arose regarding Jesus’ divinity — whether Jesus was, in fact, truly God or merely human, or a hybrid being. The Council of Nicea (325 A.D.) unequivocally settled the matter, declaring that Jesus was fully divine and at the same time was fully human. Our Nicene Creed grew out of the doctrinal statements produced by that and subsequent church councils. This is part of what the Nicene Creed has to say about Jesus:
….and [we believe] in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God,
Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made,
being of one Substance with the Father, by Whom all things were made….”
The writer of “Of The Father’s Love Begotten,” Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, lived during the time when something known as the Arian heresy was threatening the true faith. Arius rejected the full deity of Christ and His equality with the Father and the Spirit. And so his followers (known as “Arians”) wrongly believed that Christ was a “created” Son of God, and so a lesser/inferior deity to the Father (which happens to be very similar to the false teaching of today’s Jehovah’s Witnesses). Prudentius’ hymn “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” reflects many of the statements set out in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds,which affirm the full deity of Christ as well as His total humanity – both natures being necessary for Christ to carry out His work of redemption. This hymn is often connected to the text John 1:1-18.
Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, the writer of “Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” was lived from 348-413. He was born in Spain a few years after the 325 A.D. Council of Nicea. Trained as a lawyer, Prudentius rose through the ranks of the Roman Empire, finishing his working days as an official in the court of the Christian Emperor Theodosius. At the age of 57, weary of civic life, he retired to write poetry. His poetry — especially his work Cathemerinon (“The Daily Round”)— became some of the most treasured sources of Christian hymnody through the Middle Ages. One specific collection of 12 long poems (“Hymnus omnis horae,” translated: “A Hymn for every hour”) served as the foundation for several of the greatest “office hymns” of the middle ages church. During that period, worship services were held in monasteries and convents every hour, on the hour. “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” was originally written — not a Christmas hymn, but – as a worship poem Prudentius prepared for the 9th hour of worship (3 p.m.). It began in Latin with the words, “Da puer plectrum” (translated: “Child, strike the lyre”).
The melody that we are going to be singing this evening belongs to a Middle Ages style of music known as “plainsong,” and comes to us from the 12th century. “Plainsong” (or plain chant) represented the first revival of musical notation since the days of the ancient Greeks. It is monophonic (one sound/note, versus multi-note chords). The more familiar “Gregorian” chants are also part of this musical classification. Plainsong music continues to be used by liturgical (structured worship) churches to this day, such as our Lutheran Church, the Catholic Church and the Anglican/Episcopal Churches. The author of this particular plainsong, “Divinium Mysterium” (translated, “Divine mystery”), is unknown to us. Some scholars believe that the tune first might have come from the area of Wolfenbütel, Germany (north central Germany; just south of Hanover). The oldest record we have of this song is found in the Piae Cantiones Ecclesiasticae et Scholasticae, (“Faithful songs of the church and scholastics”), which was published in Finland in 1582 by Theodoricis Petri – who apparently wanted to preserve the medieval songs and carols that were then being sung in Sweden.
The Church’s “Original” Christmas Hymn
Of the Father’s Love Begotten
We Praise Our God
at the Pastor’s invitation the Congregation will rise for
The Invocation
We begin this service in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Psalm for Christmas Eve selected verses of Psalm 89
P: I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
C: With my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations.
P: I will declare that Your love stands firm forever,
C: That You established Your faithfulness in heaven itself.
P: You said, “I have made a covenant with My chosen one, I have sworn to My servant David,
C: ‘I will establish Your line forever and make Your throne firm through all generations.'”
P: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; love and faithfulness go before You.
C: Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of your presence.
P: They rejoice in Your name all day long; the exult in Your righteousness.
C: For You are their glory and strength, and by Your favor, You exalt our Horn.
after which the Congregation may be seated for
The Opening Hymn Oh, How Joyfully
Oh, how joyfully, Oh, how merrily
Christmas comes with its grace divine!
Grace again is beaming, Christ the world redeeming:
Hail, ye Christians, hail the joyous Christmas time!
Oh, how joyfully, Oh, how merrily
Christmas comes with its peace divine!
Peace on earth is reigning, Christ our peace regaining,
Hail, ye Christians, hail the joyous Christmas time!
Oh, how joyfully, Oh, how merrily
Christmas comes with its life divine!
Angels high in glory Chant the Christmas story:
Hail, ye Christians, hail the joyous Christmas time!
O Thou Holy Child, O Thou Heav’nly Child, Dearest Gift of Christmastide!
To ev’ry nation Bringing salvation.
Hail, ye Christians, hail the joyous Christmas time!
Our Opening Responsive Reading
Pastor: Christ is the Alpha and Omega – the Beginning and the End — of the things that are, that have been, and that future years shall see
Congregation: Evermore and evermore!
P: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
C: We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
P: To Christ Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father
C: To Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
We Confess our Sins Before Our Lord
Pastor: God, our Heavenly Father, invites us to come into His presence and to worship Him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us now turn to Him, acknowledging our sinfulness and seeking His forgiveness for all our sins.
Congregation Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed You in my thoughts, words, and actions; I have done what is evil in Your sight and have failed to do what is good. For this I know that I deserve Your punishment, both now and for eternity. But I am truly sorry for all my sins and trusting in the perfect life and innocent death of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I plead: God have mercy on me, a sinner.
Pastor Our gracious Lord and Master has shown us His mercy: He has given His one and only Son to save us from all our sins. And now, carrying out my office as a called servant of Christ, and according to His command and authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May the peace of God rest upon all of you. Amen.
The Christmas Eve Prayer
We thank You, almighty God, for the gift of Your Son, + Who humbled Himself to become our Brother. + Grant that the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ + may free us from slavery to sin + and bring us into the glorious liberty of serving Him in His kingdom. + We ask this for the sake of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, + Who lives and rules with You and the Holy Spirit, + one God, forever and ever. Amen.
After which the Congregation may be seated for
The Opening Choral Selection “Away In A Manger”
Away in a manger No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus Laid down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus Asleep on the hay
The cattle are lowing The Baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus No crying He makes
I love You, Lord Jesus Look down from the sky
And stay by my side Until morning is nigh
Be near me, Lord Jesus I ask You to stay
Close by me forever And love me I pray
Bless all the dear children In Your tender care – O Emmanuel! –
And take us to heaven To live with You there
And take us to heaven To live with You there
The Sermon I John 4:9-10
This is how God’s love for us was revealed: God has sent His only-begotten Son into the world so that we may live through Him. 10 This is love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
God Sent His Only-Begotten Son
After which, the Congregation will rise for
The Post-Sermon Blessing
To Him Who loves us, and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father – to Him be glory and power, for ever and ever. Amen.!
The Confession of our Faith
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; Born of the virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.
Of the Father’s Love Begotten
Pastor: Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, the eternal Son of God, Who also took upon Himself our flesh and blood and became truly human, in order to become our Savior. In his opening verse of tonight’s featured hymn, its 5th century writer, Marcus Prudentius, jumps right into why a small Baby was born in Bethlehem. Let’s sing it now.
Hymn Of the Father’s Love Begotten
Of the Father’s love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see Evermore and evermore.
Jesus came because “of the Father’s love”……Just as He told Nicodemus in John 3:16: ”“For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life..” And we want to be sure to note that this “begetting” occurred before the world was created! The joyful message of Christmas is simply this: before He created the world and every one of us, our God knew what humanity would do…..that we would rebel in sin against Him. Yet He still created the world, and He still determined to send His one and only Son to die for us….because the Lord loves us all that much! This means no matter what you have done or do in the way of sinning, you already are fully and freely forgiven, by God’s grace, through the sinless blood that Christ shed to pay for your – and the world’s — sin and to earn your salvation.
Prudentius reminds us of the words spoken to the Apostle John in the book of Revelation: “Jesus is the Alpha and Omega,” namely the Beginning and the End. Jesus is everlasting. He was there at the earth’s creation. Do you know what that means? The Son – the Second Person of the Trinity – was intimately involved with the Father and the Spirit in creating the very people who would rebel against Him! Jesus knew, as He joined in creating our human race, that He would have to die to pay for all our sins! And yet He was willing to do that because He loves us so! Talk about Grace! Prudentius closes with the declaration that Jesus will be ruling in the future, just as He rules over all things now from on high.
Hymn Of the Father’s Love Begotten
Oh, that birth forever blessed
When the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving, Bore the Savior of our race,
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face Evermore and evermore.
In his second verse, which we just sang, Prudentius takes us to the manger in Bethlehem, where the Virgin Mary, having conceived miraculously through the power of God the Holy Spirit, has now given birth to her Son —Who has been given the name Immanuel (“God with us)! Notice how Prudentius describes Mary? “Full of grace.” This term doesn’t describe her supposed sinlessness (in fact, she was a sinner too. Mary needed a Savior every bit as much as we do!). Rather “full of grace” presents the truth that by grace (God’s undeserved love) Mary was chosen by the LORD to be the human vessel through which the Promised Christ would be born. …..The grace God extended to her is the same grace He daily extends to each of us, forgiving our sins, establishing and sustaining our faith, blessing us abundantly, and guaranteeing us eternal, heavenly glory through faith in Christ Jesus. In her hymn of praise known as “The Magnificat” (Luke 1:46-55), Mary acknowledges her sinful condition in these words: “because of God mySavior.” She makes clear her own need for a Savior, and then praises the LORD that, she is graciously and miraculously bearing and giving birth to the world’s (and her own) Redeemer! Luke records the events surrounding the birth of Jesus in chapter two of his Gospel:
Luke 2:1-7
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was
the first census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 And everyone went to register, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, his wife, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a Child.
6 And so it was that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn Son, wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Hymn Hymn 65 “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
1 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 streets shineth
The everlasting light.
The hopes and fears Of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
2 For Christ is born of Mary,
And, gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, The angels keep
Their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing To God the King
And peace to all the earth.
3 How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts To human hearts
The blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin
Where meek souls will Receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
4 O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin And enter in;
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
Oh, come to us, Abide with us,
Our Lord Immanuel!
Luke 2:8-14
8 There were in the same country shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified! 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: 11 Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: You will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.”
The Choral Selection The Glorious Angels Came Today
by Michael Praetorius
Concordia Publishing, 1960
The glorious angels came today,
aglow with light into the night of darkness deep
To shepherds who by moon’s bright ray
Did in the field o’er sheep their silent vigil keep
Joy great joy and tidings glad we bring from heav’n resounding.
For you, for you and all the world abounding.
Refrain God’s own Son is born a Child, is born a Child.
God the father is reconciled, is reconciled.
God’s majesty has come to earth
And sent His only Son to you in human kind;
A chosen virgin gave Him birth,
in David’s town the holy Infant you will find,
Lying helpless in a manger poor and bare and lowly,
To set you from from all your sorrow wholly. Refrain
Then sang the angels this refrain:
To God on high alone give praise and glory,
And peace on earth again shall reign.
Let all mankind with gladness heed this story
And rejoice in His good will. The Savior came in meekness
For you, for you to bear your flesh in weakness. Refrain
Luke 2:15-20
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Now let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby, Who was lying in the manger.
17 When they had seen Him, they told others the message they had been told about this Child. 18 And all who heard it were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Hymn Of the Father’s Love Begotten
Let the heights of heav’n adore Him, Angel hosts His praises sing,
Pow’rs, dominions bow before Him
And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Ev’ry voice in concert ring Evermore and evermore.
Can’t you just see – and hear – that angelic choir singing above Judea’s hillsides to the shepherds? Prudentius reminds us of that scene in this third verse, describing the hymns of praise sung by the angel chorus. And, of course, the shepherds couldn’t keep this news to themselves. They hurried to see the Baby, then rushed away to announce the joyous news to friends, family, and strangers. May we, who worship at Jesus’ manger tonight, also be eager to go and tell this good news to the people whose lives touch ours that “to us, a Savior is born; He is Christ, the Lord.” We have no way of knowing just what was the response of the residents of Bethlehem toward Christ and His parents on that holy night so long ago; the Scriptures simply don’t give us enough information. Surely, though the Shepherds must have wondered what was taking place – and even Mary and Joseph must have been amazed that what was happening to them was all in fulfillment of the promises God had made long ago across the pages of the Old Testament through His holy prophets. What were they to make of this spectacle? Prudentius tells us in the following verse:
Hymn Of the Father’s Love Begotten
This is He Whom heav’n-taught singers Sang of old with one accord;
Whom the Scriptures of the prophets
Promised in their faithful word.
Now He shines, the long-expected;
Let creation praise its Lord Evermore and evermore.
Taking a cue from St. Paul in Galatians 1:8 (“If anyone, even an angel, speaks a Gospel different than the Gospel I proclaimed to you, let him be condemned”), Prudentius points out the harmony of the angelic message on that first Christmas, with all the Old Testament prophesies about the Coming Messiah. God had fulfilled every one of the Messianic promises that He made to His people over the entire span of the Old Testament, starting in Eden following our first parents’ fall into sin, and ending with the Old Testament’s final book, where Malachi prophesied about the coming of the Sun of Righteousness. What follows are just a few of the many Messianic promises God made:
Genesis 3:15
Very soon after Adam and Eve’s “fall” into sin in the Garden of Eden God promised: “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush His heel.”
Genesis 22:18
Centuries later, God repeated His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: “In your Seed, all the of the earth will be blessed.”
Isaiah 7:14
Some 700 years before Jesus was born, through the prophet Isaiah God promised: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give a sign for all of you. Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son and name Him Immanuel.”
Isaiah 9:6
God also spoke these words about the Coming Savior through Isaiah: “For to us a Child is born. To us a Son is given. The authority to rule will rest on His shoulders. He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Jeremiah 23:5-6
And a little over 100 years later, God allowed the prophet Jeremiah to make this statement about the Promised Messiah: “Listen, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, Who will reign wisely as king and establish justice and righteousness on earth. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely. This is His name by which He will be called:
‘The Lord Our Righteousness.’”
And finally, in our fifth verse Prudentius will finish with a Trinitarian doxology (or, hymn of praise), which was very common among early Christians. In this final verse – which we’ll sing in a few moments – he reaffirms a number of the Scriptural truths about the Triune God that have been faithfully expressed in the Athanasian Creed. He also reminds us of the eternal honor and glory from us that are due the Triune God…..Which includes, along with the Persons of the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Person of God the Son – that Baby (and Savior of the world) lying in Bethlehem’s manger, Whom we especially worship this evening.
Because God loved us so much, He came into our world to save us through the redeeming work of the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Although tonight our minds picture the baby Jesus cradled in the manger, that Child, God’s Son, is the LORD God Who lives and reigns from all eternity, and Who will one day return to judge the world and take us to heaven to be with Him. Those of us who believe in Jesus and what He did for us, by God’s grace, are guaranteed eternal life with Him. That is what Prudentius is talking about when he says “future years will see.” Everlasting life in heaven is part of your future, for Jesus’ sake. Please listen now to some of the beautiful descriptions of heaven that God has given to us in the Scriptures.
“‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”(Matthew 25:34).
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer existed. 2 And I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband….. It has the glory of God. Its radiance is similar to a very precious stone, like crystal-clear jasper.” (Revelation 21:1,2,11).
“I heard a loud voice that said, “Look! God’s dwelling is with people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3,4).
at the pastor’s invitation the Congregation will rise
Pastor: What a blessed future we have, by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ!
Congregation Heaven will be more beautiful and wonderful than we can begin to imagine!
Pastor: For Jesus’ sake, the LORD has guaranteed us an eternity of being together with Him and His angels, with the people we’ve read about in the Bible, with other believers in Christ who have died in faith and who are already in heaven, including all our Christian family members!
Congregation An eternity of happiness and peace awaits us, where we will live with God and worship and praise Him forever and ever!
Pastor: How blessed you and I are…..that we can look forward to our eternal future in heaven with such confidence! But we don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to worship and praise our Lord! Together with those angels and believers already in heaven, while we’re here on earth every day can praise and thank God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through the lives of faith that we lead, as well as through our Christian witness to others of the great things that the LORD has done for us. It is our privilege, then, to praise and thank the God of our salvation already now and forevermore. Let’s do that now by singing the final verse of “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”
Hymn “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”
Let the heights of heav’n adore Him,
Angel hosts His praises sing,
Pow’rs, dominions bow before Him And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Ev’ry voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore. Amen.
We Bring our Offerings and Prayers to the Lord
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord
Offerings will be received this morning through offering plates passed among those who have gathered here for worship. However, for those viewing this service online, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) You can mail a check (no cash, please) to our church address
(415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745); or
2) You can donate through our website: www.gracelutherannwa.com
As the offerings are brought forward, the Congregation rises for prayer
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Prayer of the Church on Christmas Eve
P: Eternal Father, we give You thanks and praise on this holy night for sending Your one and only Son to share our humanity, to carry our guilt, and to become for us the perfect Lamb Who takes away the sin of the world.
C: We adore You, O Lord.
P: Keep our faith in Your Son alive and strong. Nourish us with Your Word and Sacrament and, by Your Holy Spirit, give us strength to overcome Satan’s power and pride. Help us to withstand the temptations the world and our sinful nature put in our path.
C: Give us courage, O Lord.
P: Remember those ministers of the Gospel throughout the world who this evening are proclaiming that a Savior has been born. We especially commend to Your care the missionaries we, as members of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, have called. Since they cannot enjoy the fellowship of their extended families this Christmas, we pray that You would give them the inner joy that comes with service in Your kingdom.C: Protect all those who preach the gospel in our place, O Lord.
P: We pray for our community, O Lord, and for all who live and work and find delight here. Keep the economy of our nation strong so that we may enjoy plenty from which to bring You our first and best offerings.
C: Govern and prosper Your people, O Lord.
P: As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who are less fortunate than we are. Give us hearts that truly care for people who need our help. If it is Your will, bring Your powerful healing to those who are sick or diseased in body or mind. We pray especially for brothers and sisters who are setting aside their celebration today to care for the sick, feed the bedridden, and stand at the side of the dying.C: Sustain those who endure the troubles of life, O Lord.
P: Be a source of strength to the members of this congregation. Comfort all who have lost a loved one during the past year, support those who are troubled, and be with those who are spending Christmas alone. If any are among us today who have lost the true meaning of this festival, let them rediscover the joy that comes from Christ alone.
C: Let Your peace reign in the hearts of all, O Lord.
P: Hear us, Lord, as we bring You our private personal petitions and praises.
Silent prayerP: As You sent Your Son to bring peace to all people on earth, so we pray for all people, those known and those unknown to us. Hear us as we join in the prayer Your Son taught us:
C: Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us this today 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 for ever and ever. Amen.The Benediction
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The LORD look upon you with favor, and give you His peace. Amen.
The Closing Hymn Hymn 60 “Silent Night”
1 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.
2 Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heav’nly hosts sing, Alleluia;
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
3 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.
Silent prayer, Announcements, Post-service Music
The portions of God’s Word used in this worship flyer have been taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version Copyright 2019, The Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
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