Sayville Congregational United Church of Christ Sayville, www.sayvilleucc.org

Christmas Eve Worship Outline & Reading December 24, 2020

Worship will be available online from 5:00 PM Eastern on Eve and any time afterwards.

www.eChimestv.org

Christmas Eve 2020 1 Note: This is a Working Outline…just so you know! Merry Christmas, Ray.

Do You Hear What I Hear Christmas Candle One Candle is Lit First Reading The Chancel Choir “Hope” Second Reading NCH 132 Joy to the World Third Reading The Chancel Choir “Deep Peace” Fourth Reading NCH 135 Adeste Fideles Fifth Reading The Chancel Choir “The Joy of Christmas” Sixth Reading Sylvia Sewell Solo “O Holy Night” Seventh Reading NCH 125 “Angels We Have Heard on High” Eighth Reading Instrumental “Hallelujah! Ninth Reading NCH 134 Silent Night

Reading “A Visit from St. Nick”

Christmas Eve 2020 2 CHRIST CANDLE Lighting of the Christ Candle

On Christmas Eve, we light the candle that represents the Light & Life of Eternity; the Birth of Christ and all it brings into the world, the Universe…all creation, and each of our hearts. All at the same time. Really.

This Christ Candle is surrounded by the candles we have lighted each week during : Candles for Hope, Peace, Joy, Love Hope, Peace, Joy, Love. Now Christ.

And while these candles surround the Christ Candle, their light comes from the One who sent Christ to us, the One who calls us to follow in the path of his teachings; to bring our gifts to the world… rather than waiting for them to arrive on our doorstep.

This is the light born to us long ago, in a manger far away and (now) shines as closely as the hearts that beat within us all.

It comes to us as Truth and with provocation: “Yes, this is another Advent and Christmas, Your Advent and Christmas in this time of yours – what will you do to make all you remember today – live in you hearts and your lives – tomorrow… so others may know the Hope, Peace, Joy and Love that you do?

May this burn brightly in your hearts always, as it does in these candles we light today.

Christmas Eve 2020 3 FIRST LESSON Genesis 3:8-15; 17-19 The Message God announces in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve's punishment for their rebellion and that the seed of woman shall bruise the serpent's head.

When they heard the sound of GOD strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the humans hid in the trees of the garden, hid from GOD.

GOD called to the Adam: “Where are you?”

Adam answered, “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid.”

GOD said, “Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?”

1The Human said, “The companion you gave me gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it.”

GOD said to Eve, “What is this that you’ve done?”

“The serpent seduced me,” Eve said, “and I ate.”

GOD told the serpent:

“Because you’ve done this, you’re cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life.

Christmas Eve 2020 4 I’m declaring war between you and Eve, between your offspring and hers. The serpent will wound your head, you’ll wound the serpent’s heel.”

God told the Man: “Because you listened to Eve and ate from the tree That I commanded you not to eat from, ‘Don’t eat from this tree,’ The very ground is cursed because of you; getting food from the ground Will be as painful as having babies is for her; you’ll be working in pain all your life long. The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you’ll get your food the hard way, Planting and tilling and harvesting, sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk, Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you’ll end up dirt.”

Christmas Eve 2020 5 SECOND LESSON Genesis 22:15-18 The Message

God promises to Abraham that by his descendants all the nations of the earth will obtain blessings.

The angel of God spoke from Heaven a second time to Abraham: “I promise—I promise you! —because you have been willing to make such a sacrifice, because you have been willing to make enormous sacrifices of your heart – all because I asked you to do so—I promise you will be blessed.

“Abraham, I am your God, and I will bless you. And I will make sure that your children will flourish—they will be as many as stars in the sky! They will be as many as grains of sand on the beaches!

“And your descendants, I promise, will succeed against those who oppose them. They will bring peace and justice and and shalom to the world.

“I will make sure that all nations on Earth will find themselves blessed through your descendants because you have been faithful to me.

“I am your God and I promise you these things and more.”

Christmas Eve 2020 6 THIRD LESSON Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 The Message

The prophet announces the birth of a king to a people in darkness.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows— light! sunbursts of light! You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy. Oh, they’re so glad in your presence! Festival joy! The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants— all their whips and cudgels and curses— Is gone, done away with,

For a child has been born—for us! the gift of a child—for us! This child will take over the running of the world. The child’s names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal God, Prince of Wholeness. The child’s ruling authority will grow, and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness this One brings. This One will rule from the historic David throne over that promised kindom.

Christmas Eve 2020 7 This Prince of Wholeness will that kindom on a firm footing and keep it going With fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always.

The zeal of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this. For a child has been born—for us! the gift of a Child—for us!

Christmas Eve 2020 8 FOURTH LESSON Micah 5:2-5a The Message

The ruler is coming and will usher in a reign of justice for the poor and peace for all God’s creation.

But you, , David’s country, you who are one of the smaller clans of Judah— From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule Israel.

This one will be no upstart, no pretender. Their family tree is ancient and distinguished.

Meanwhile, Israel will be in foster homes until the birth pangs are over and the child is born, And the scattered kindred shall return home to the family of Israel.

This ruler will stand tall in their shepherd-rule by God’s strength, centered in the majesty of God-Revealed. And the people will have a good and safe home, for the whole world will hold this one in respect— and this one shall the be Peacemaker the one of peace.

Christmas Eve 2020 9 FIFTH LESSON Luke 1:26-35, 38 NRSV

The angel announces to Mary that she will give birth to God’s promised Beloved One, whose kigdom will never end.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a young woman engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.

The young woman’s name was Mary. And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! God is with you. Blessed are you among women,”

”But Mary was much perplexed by the angel’s words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him . He will be great and will be called The Beloved of the Most High, and God will give to Jesus the throne of Jesus’ ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kindom there will be no end.”

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have not been with a man?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born of you will be holy and be called The Beloved of God.

Christmas Eve 2020 10 SIXTH LESSON Luke 2:1-7 Against a backdrop pf emperors and taxes, Jesus is born.

Luke 2:1-7 The Message The Birth of Jesus

About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for.

So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

Christmas Eve 2020 11 SEVENTH LESSON Luke 2:8-16 The shepherds go to see the child and find him lying in a manger

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to bring you good news of great joy, to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all on earth who please God.

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Christmas Eve 2020 12 EIGHTH LESSON Matthew 2:1-11 The Wise Ones follow a star to find the child Jesus.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s rule—a band of wise scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”

When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly: It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land, no longer bringing up the rear. From you will come the leader who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”

Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”

Christmas Eve 2020 13

Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!

They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

Christmas Eve 2020 14 NINTH LESSON John 1:1-14 John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation

The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one.

Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!— came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.

There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.

The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. This One was in the world, the world was there through this One, and yet the world didn’t even notice.

Christmas Eve 2020 15 When the Life-Light came to their own people, they weren’t interested. But whoever was, whoever believed and followed and was interested, were made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten. God-begotten.

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like The Beloved One, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.

True today and for all days to come.

Christmas Eve 2020 16

A Visit from St. Nicholas By Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds; While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap, When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, Gave a lustre of midday to objects below, When what to my wondering eyes did appear, But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer, With a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name: "Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Christmas Eve 2020 17 Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!" As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; So up to the housetop the coursers they flew With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too— And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack. His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

Christmas Eve 2020 18 And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Christmas Eve 2020 19