Order of Service - Christmas Eve Service:

GREETINGS / MINUTE FOR MISSION
ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: In hope the universe waits:
All: God’s purpose shall be revealed.
One: Limited by mortality, yet destined for liberation,
In hope the universe waits:
All: God’s purpose shall be revealed.
One: Groaning as if in childbirth, sampling the fruits of God’s harvest,
All: God’s purpose shall be revealed.
One: Trusting in what is unseen, believing the best is to come,
In hope the universe waits:
All: God’s purpose shall be revealed.
One: In the shadows of a barn where the Maker of All will be born,
In hope the universe waits
All: God’s purpose shall be revealed.

HYMN # 44 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

ADVENT CANDLE:
One: Turkey, cranberry sauce, mincemeat tarts, cookies!
All: We love to share good food with family and friends
One: in celebration of the gift of God’s child, Jesus.
All: Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us.
One: We live with love because we know that God is with us.
All: Today we celebrate God’s gift of love.

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 9: 2 – 7

ADVENT WREATH:
One: Advent Candles. Christmas carols. Prayers and praise.
All: We love to gather with others to worship
One: because of the gift of God’s child, Jesus.
All: Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us.
One: We worship together because we know that God is with us.
All: Today we celebrate God’s gift of Jesus Emmanuel.

HYMN #6 A Candle is Burning

PRAYER OF APPROACH:
One: Light looked down and saw darkness.
All: “I will go there,” said Light.
One: Peace looked down and saw war.
All: “I will go there,” said Peace.
One: Love looked down and saw hatred.
All: “I will go there,” said Love.
One: So he, the Lord of Light, the Prince of Peace, the King of Love,
came down and crept in beside us.

HYMN # 96 Will You Come and See the Light

STORY STOOL

HYMN # 69 Away in a Manger
Vs 1 – children
Vs 2 & 3 – children & congregation
Vs 1 – children

SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 2: 1 – 14

HYMN # 48 Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 2: 15 – 20

CHOIR ANTHEM: “Dream a Dream”

MEDITATION
Today around our house as I was puttering, and getting things ready for tonight, and getting other things ready for my jaunt east, CBC radio was playing. I don’t how many others listened to the various programmes, but beyond the common theme of Christmas – they were held together by references to Christmas’ message of Light.

December 21st is the longest night in the Northern Hempisphere. We may not feel it but our nights are already getting shorter – spring is on the way. It is no coincidence that the Christian Church posited the birth of Jesus on the longest night … It was intentional.

In the cold Mid-Winter … the gift of light comes … and illuminates the world … that’s the essence of Christmas. The Christ event marks the coming of light into a dark and troubled world …

Today when we pick up the newspapers and watch the news, we would be hard pressed to say we don’t live in a dark and troubled world … Violence, killing, war and conflict are rife throughout our world – in almost every corner of creation there are cries of victims … cries of hurt …

And so, tonight, along with our sisters and brothers of faith around the world, we pause to anticipate and welcome the light …

But how and where will the light come?

Tonight we stand in a borrowed space – a space that is okay, but is not the church space that for over a Century, our congregation has called home … Next year, we may well be in our own sanctuary – we will work diligently to that end … but right now, we are left in a strange and alien place …

Tonight we stand in the darkness, waiting for the light to come …

I read yesterday in a newspaper article on line about a member of the Christian Peacekeeper Team who is spending Christmas Eve sitting on the hills of Judea with Palestinian shepherds. Allan Slater from St Mary’s Ontario, is there because the Palestinian farmers have been losing sheep and land to encroaching Israeli settlements. The latest happenings have been the poisoning of sheep – the Christian Peacekeepers are there to keep watch through the night … and to wait for the light to come …

Tonight my home church is closing their doors forever … After over 150 years of ministry, first as South End Evangelical Church, then Centennial Evangelical United Brethren, and lastly since 1968 as Centennial United Church … after countless services and moments and memories … they are closing the doors and saying good bye … Tomorrow they will simply cease to be … by the end of the week another Congregation from another denomination will call that historic building home … my people, the church that sent me into the world are waiting for the light to come …

Tonight we could cite example after example of people waiting for the light to come … from war torn Sudan to conflict riddled Afghanistan … to the Tsunami ravaged regions that are still rebuilding … to Hurricane battered New Orleans … all around the world tonight are people who are simply waiting for the light to come …

We’ve had a hard year … this morning I quipped to the choir that 2006 is one of those years we will box up and tuck away with a “whew …” as we move in to 2007 … But that can only happen if we move in to 2007 with intention and faith …

We can stand in the darkness and lament the absence of the light … or we can courageously, boldly even – walk towards the light … the light of the town of Bethlehem glittering on a distant hill … the light of a stable down some back alleyway … the light of a single lantern glowing from the wall over the child …

The story of Christmas is not about accuracy and historicity (to throw out some big fancy terms). The story of Christmas is about having the courage to join the parade TO Bethlehem … having the courage to venture to the stable door … having the courage to look into the face of the child … having the courage to let the Child’s life, and message and love enter into us and become part of OUR story …

The story of Christmas is our story because on this night – not only does the light come … we become the light …

We are sent into the world tonight, and in the coming days to share the light of Christmas and to invite the world to join us …

CHRISTMAS PROCLAMATION:
One: They have heard it on the hills, they have heard it in the streets; the rumour prevails, and none can contradict it.
All: Some are looking up the prophets, some are studying the skies, others speculate or calculate, but none deny the facts.
One: Some are dancing back to sheepfolds, some are travelling foreign roads, some await more information, others celebrate the news.
All: In a foreign place, a ruler has imposed a new tax,
Women: in a hilly place, an old woman nourishes her new son,
Men: in a royal place, an old ruler senses a new threat,
All: in a busy place, a young couple cope with their new child.
One: At what seems to wrong time, in what seems the wrong place, among those who seem the wrong people, God has decided to bless, disturb, and visit us.
All: Thanks be to God.

HYMN # 60 O Come, All Ye Faithful

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE /THE LORD’S PRAYER (# 959 VU)

SPECIAL MUSIC: Aaron Hutton “O Holy Night”

CHRISTMAS RESPONSE:
One: A boy has been born to us;
All: A child has been given to us.
One: And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, the Prince of Peace. Once we were no people;
All: Now we are God’s people.
One: Once we walked in darkness;
All: Now we have seen a great light.

CHILDREN’S CHOIR: Christmas Round

STORY STOOL:
"The Story of Silent Night”
The Christmas Eve of 1818 was at hand. Pastor Joseph Mohr of St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf decided that he needed a carol for the Christmas Eve service. The little poem he had written two years earlier while serving at the pilgrim church in Mariapfarr just might work. Perhaps this poem could be set to music. He hurried off to see his friend, Franz Xaver Gruber, who was a schoolteacher and also served as the church's organist and choir master. Maybe he could help. He did.
In a few short hours Franz came up with the hauntingly beautiful melody that is so loved and revered to this day. At the request of Joseph, who had a special love for his guitar, Franz composed the music for guitar accompaniment. Just short hours later, Franz stood with his friend the pastor, Joseph, in front of the altar in St. Nicholas church and introduced "Stille Nacht" to the congregation.
One web site noted that many of the stories about Silent Night have come into being because scholars and musicians couldn’t stand the thought that such a beautiful and important Hymn like this, could have been written simply for a guitar … Yet it was … and it remains one of the most popular Christmas Hymns ever written ….


HYMN #67 Silent Night

The worship has ended….
…the work of Christmas has begun.
Go in peace.