Bulletin Christmas Eve December 24, 2015 NMPC
Prelude
Welcome
The Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, full of grace and truth. We have beheld his glory! Rejoice the Lord
is Here!! Alleluia, Amen!
We are welcomed in the name of
Christ. We are glad you are here tonight as we celebrate the birth of Christ.
Tonight we will hear God’s Word, sing familiar hymns, we will hear how the
world was forever changed through the willingness of ordinary people to respond
to God, we celebrate with a modern day nativity and come to the fullness of our
joy of salvation through the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, and finally be
sent out into the night through our candle light singing of Silent Night.
Let us worship God!
Choral Opening: Light of peace, calm our despair,
Light of hope, lift us up when we fall, Light of joy brighten our days, Light
of love, teach us your ways.
Call to Worship
L: Tonight we celebrate the one moment, the one birth, and
the one life that forever changed the world!
P: O come, O come, Emmanuel
L: Because you came to us, we have experienced the ultimate
hope to combat even the darkest moments.
P: O come, O come, Emmanuel
L: Because you came to us, we have seen the fullness of love
to the highest degree.
P: O come, O come, Emmanuel
L: Because you came to us, we have seen the face of peace in
its purest form.
P: O come, O come, Emmanuel
L: Tonight, we celebrate your birth that unleashes hope,
love, peace, and joy into the world from now until the day of your return.
P: O come, O come, Emmanuel
Lighting of the Advent Wreath Arvidson
family
Congregational/Choral Response: Light of life, Maker
of day, gather our shadows and cast them away. Beacon of Truth, gleaming and
bright, shine in our hearts, shatter our night.
Unison prayer: Gracious God, your Spirit has led us
throughout the days and nights of our Advent journey. Thank you for opening our
eyes to see more of your presence in our world and in our lives. We rejoice in
your ultimate gift of sending a Savior who has taught us the fullness of what
hope, love, peace and joy are all about. Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Amen.
Opening Hymn #41 O Come All Ye Faithful
“The People and Places of the Nativity” Looking at
the significance of ordinary people and places of the nativity story.
The story of Christmas is the story of love. It is the story
of a people lost in the darkness seeking to find a way home. It is the story of
a people seeking comfort from their pain and their struggles, their brokenness
and their suffering. The story of Christmas is the love story of God made
complete through the clashing of heaven with earth as God become flesh and
dwelt among us. How can this birth happen in such and unexpected way and in an
unexpected place? We visit some of those places where God came into
unsuspecting towns and called on the most ordinary people to fulfill God’s
promises.
The Promise
Hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, God chose a barren
woman named Hannah to give birth to a son who would become one of Israel’s
greatest prophets. But this was only a shadow of what was to come! Centuries
later, God chose a young woman named Mary to be the mother of our Savior. She
was a young girl, engaged to a man, eager for her wedding to take place. Like
many young women she had her idea of what life would be like as she kept her
wedding plans in her thoughts. Who else like her has God used to fulfill the
promise of God’s love? Is it you? Or your neighbor? Or perhaps, the stranger
down the street? When Mary learned she was expecting she traveled to see her
cousin Elizabeth. They shared the joy they had as they carried within them the
promises of God.
1 Samuel 2:1-4
Luke 1:39-42;46-49
Hymns#9 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Nazareth
Long before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah promised that
the Savior of the world would be born of a virgin. For hundreds of years, the
people of Israel waited and wondered who it might be. In time the angel of the
Lord appeared to Mary. Now Mary and Joseph were from Nazareth. Nazareth was an
insignificant agricultural village not far from the trade routes to Egypt. It
is a place that no one but a prophet would have foretold that this would be the
place of Jesus’ origins. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” one of the
first disciples Nathanial said to Jesus. And yet, how many insignificant small
towns across this nation and this world are the very place where God calls
people into lives that make a difference for the whole world. Presidents and
CEO’s and sports heros, and doctors, lawyers, teachers, moms and dads, and so
many others who count the support of their small hometown to be the source of
their success. In our community how are we the source of the success of those
around us? Let us be witnesses to the power of God at work even here.
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:18-23
Hymn #38 It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Bethlehem
The town of Bethlehem was a small town too. It had fewer
than a thousand people. It was however a town that could claim fame. King David
was born there. Yet, if we look back in Scripture, David was first a shepherd
boy before he was called by God to become King. God promised that one day a
shepherd king greater than David would come from Bethlehem. So, Jesus was born
in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth all to fulfill the promises of Scripture
for the salvation of ALL God’s people. As we hear how Jesus was born, let us
imagine all the places we have lived and consider the ways God has used our
ordinary live in those places to fulfill the promise of God’s love. Let us open
our hearts for God to take us and use us even now to be the source of restoring
God’s love to all.
Micah 5:2-5
Luke 2:1-7
Hymn #44 O Little Town of Bethlehem
Time with the children Bethlehem Flash Mob
A Flash Mob is a large public gathering at which people
perform an unusual or seemingly random act and then disperse, typically
organized by means of the Internet or social media. Tonight we will come to
Bethlehem in a way we have never come before. We come to Bethlehem to see this
thing that God has done. We come bringing with us what we would like to be
present with God’s own Son. We bring with us that which we think belongs at the
manger today. Each year we greet the Christ child. Each year we gather at the
manger. This year in 2015 as we gather let us flash mob the nativity with what
we understand the manger of Bethlehem to look like tonight. Come little ones,
come young ones, come one, come all, come forward now.
‘Twas
the Night of Jesus’ Birth
Hymn #25 Away in a Manger
Countryside of Judea
God promised that one day the whole world, all the nations
would be restored to God. God promised that the Messiah would come announcing
this Good News that God will cross the country sides and shout from mountain
tops and raise up valleys until all have heard of his marvelous love. When
Jesus was born the good news of his birth covered the country side of Judea
where shepherds were watching over their flocks by night. Angels of the Lord,
came to give these shepherds, who made their home in the fields, the good news
of the Savior. Judea was
known as part desert, part agricultural, but, never self-sufficient enough to be independent. It wasn’t an area of a trade route so it missed out on a sizable economy. Yet, God chose to reveal to this countryside the news of the word become flesh. What are some unsuspecting places where you have heard good news? How can we keep our hearts open to hearing God’s good news wherever we are? Perhaps the angels still sing, just as God still speaks.
known as part desert, part agricultural, but, never self-sufficient enough to be independent. It wasn’t an area of a trade route so it missed out on a sizable economy. Yet, God chose to reveal to this countryside the news of the word become flesh. What are some unsuspecting places where you have heard good news? How can we keep our hearts open to hearing God’s good news wherever we are? Perhaps the angels still sing, just as God still speaks.
Isaiah 52: 6-7
Luke 2:8-20
Hymn #23 Angels We Have Heard on High
Jesus was born in a small town, raised in a small town,
never traveled much beyond Galilee yet his purpose was not limited to his
geographic location. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world.” He came to fulfill
God’s promise of love. He came and dwelt among us, he came as one of us. He
came bring light to the darkness. Friends tonight we are here to witness the
love of God shine in our hearts. May we hear the voice and may we trust the
promise. Amen.
Special Music O Holy Night Michael Teets
The Lord’s Supper
Invitation-ALL welcome
Explanation of intinction.
Prayer,
You created
light out of darkness
and brought
forth life on the earth.
You formed
us in your image
and called
us to love and serve you.
When we were
unfaithful
and turned
from your ways,
you did not
forsake us,
your love
remained steadfast.
You
delivered us from captivity,
made
covenant to be our sovereign God,
and sent
prophets to call us back to your way.
In the
fullness of time
you sent
your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Savior.
In him, your
Word, dwelling with you from all eternity,
became flesh
and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth,
and we
beheld your glory,
Immanuel! Remembering
your gracious acts in Jesus Christ,
we take from
your creation this bread and this wine
and joyfully
celebrate his dying and rising
as we await
the day of his coming.
With
thanksgiving we offer our very selves to you
to be a
living and holy sacrifice,
dedicated to
your service.
Gracious
God,
pour out
your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon
these your gifts of bread and wine,
that the
bread we break
and the cup
we bless
may be the
communion of the body and blood of Christ.
By your
Spirit make us one with Christ,
that we may
be one with all who share this feast,
united in
ministry in every place.
As this
bread is Christ's body for us,
send us out
to be the body of Christ in the world.
Institution,
Communion
Prayer
Empower us
by your Spirit, O God,
to be
Christ's presence in the world
even as
Jesus was God-with-us.
Give us
courage
to speak his
truth,
to seek his
justice,
and to love
with his love.
Keep us
faithful in your service
until Christ
comes in final victory
and we shall
feast with all your saints
in the joy of your eternal realm.
John 1:1-14 as I read John
the candles will be lit. It will begin with the light from the Christ candle
the light of the world has come to us and we will spread the light from our
hearts out into the world this Christmas. Hold the unlit candle to the flame.
Lighting of candles
Hymn #60 Silent Night
Dismissal Receive the Lord as he enters this night.
Go in peace. Amen.
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