WELCOME AND
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LIGHTING THE FOURTH CANDLE OF ADVENT Peggy
Kilgore & Ginny Langpap
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the
world –
John 1:9
We light these candles as a sign of the coming light of Christ.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things
came into being through him, and without him not one thing came
into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the
life was the light of all people. The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it–John 1:1-5
CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE: Candle Carol
K. Lee Scott
First time: Choir; Second time: All
Festival of Lessons and Carols
by Hal H. Hopson
The congregation is invited to sing the text in bold print.
CAROL:
O Come, All Ye
Faithful
All: O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him, born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal,
Lo, he shuns not the Virgin’s womb;
Son of the Father, begotten, not created;
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Choir: Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;
Venite adoremus, venite adoremus,
Venite adoremus Dominum.
All: Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy
morning.
Jesus, to thee be all glory giv’n.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
FIRST LESSON: Adam and Eve rebel against God (Genesis 3)
CAROL:
Of the Father’s Love
Begotten/All Creatures of Our God and King
by David Willcocks
Choir: 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.
All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with
us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam, thou silver moon with softer
gleam,
Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong, ye clouds that sail in
heav’n along,
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice, ye lights of evening find a
voice!
Alleluia!
O ye 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.
SECOND LESSON: God promises to faithful Abraham that his
descendants will be a blessing to all the nations of the earth
(Genesis 22)
CAROL:
The God of Abr’am Praise
All: The God of Abr’am praise, sing praises to God’s
name,
Who was and is and is to be, fore’er the same!
The one eternal God, before what now appears;
The First, the Last: beyond all thought through timeless years!
God’s spirit freely flows, high surging where it will;
God spoke of old in prophet’s word; that word speaks still.
Established is God’s law, and changeless it shall stand,
Deep written on the human heart, in every land.
God has eternal life implanted in the soul;
God’s love shall be our strength and stay, while ages roll.
All praise the living God! All laud that hallowed name,
Who was, and is, and ever shall be still the same!
THIRD LESSON: Christ’s birth and rule of peace and justice
are foretold by Isaiah (Isaiah 9)
CAROL:
Comfort, Comfort, O
My People
Choir: Comfort, comfort, O my people, tell of peace, now
says our God.
Comfort those who sit in darkness bowed beneath oppression’s
load.
Speak unto Jerusalem; speak of peace that waits for them;
Tell that all their sins I cover; tell that warfare now is over.
Hark, the herald’s voice is calling in the desert far and near,
Bidding us to make repentance since the kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey: Now prepare for God a way;
Let the valleys rise to meet him; let the hills bow down to
greet him.
O make straight what long was crooked, make the rougher places
plain;
Let your hearts be true and humble, as befits God’s holy reign.
See the glory of the Lord now o’er earth is shed abroad;
All the world shall see this token, God’s own word is never
broken.
FOURTH LESSON: The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown
(Isaiah 11)
CAROL:
Lo, How a Rose E’er
Blooming
Choir: Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath
sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, by faithful prophets sung.
It came, a flow’ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter, when half spent was the night.
Isaiah ‘twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the Virgin Mother kind.
To show God’s love aright,
She bore for us a Savior, when half spent was the night.
FIFTH LESSON: The angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she
will be the mother of Jesus (Luke 1)
CAROL:
Ave Maria
by Jacques
Arcadelt (1507-1568)
Choir: Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta
tu in mulieribus,
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art
thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, pray for us. Amen.
SIXTH LESSON: Saint Matthew tells of the birth of Jesus
(Matthew 1)
CAROL:
Good Christian
Friends, Rejoice
All: Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and
soul and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say: Jesus Christ is born today!
Ox and ass before him bow, and he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today, Christ is born today!
Choir: Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and soul
and voice;
Now ye hear of endless bliss: Jesus Christ was born for this!
He hath opened heaven’s door, and we are blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this, Christ was born for this!
All: Good Christian friends, rejoice with heart and
soul and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave: Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all to gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save, Christ was born to save!
SEVENTH LESSON: The shepherds go to Bethlehem (Luke 2)
CAROL:
Angels We Have Heard
on High
All: Angels we have heard on high sweetly singing o’er
the plains,
And the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Choir: Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous
strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heav’nly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Choir: Come to Bethlehem and see Christ whose birth the
angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
All: See him in a manger laid, whom the choirs of
angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend you aid, while our hearts in love we raise.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
EIGHTH LESSON: The wise men are led by the star to Jesus
(Matthew 2)
CAROL:
Out of the Orient
Crystal Skies
by William Byrd (1540-1623)
Chelsea Holland, solo
Solo: Out of the orient crystal skies a blazing star did
shine,
Showing the place where poorly lies a blessed Babe divine,
Born of a maid of royal blood who Mary hight by name,
A sacred rose which once did bud by grace of heav’nly flame;
This shining star three kings did guide, e’en from the farthest
east,
To Bethlehem where it betide this blessed Babe doth rest,
Laid in a silly manger poor betwixt an ox and ass,
Whom these three kings did all adore, as God’s high pleasure
was;
And for the joy of His great birth a thousand angels sing:
“Glory and peace unto the earth, where born is this new King.”
The shepherds dwelling thereabout when they this news did know
Came singing all e’en in a rout, falantidingdido.
PASTORAL PRAYER AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
OFFERTORY:
In the Bleak
Midwinter
by Paul Thurmond
NINTH LESSON: John unfolds the great mystery of the
Incarnation (John 1)
CAROL:
Joy To
the World
All: Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth
receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room,
And heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
All: Joy to the world, the Savior reigns! Let all
their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
Choir: Be joyful, sing alleluia, Christ the Lord is born.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King.
Repeat the sounding joy.
All: 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.
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE:
Angels, from the Realms of Glory
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