Christmas Day Worship Booklet
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Merry Christmas Hephatha Family, For the past four weeks we have been in the season of Advent. Advent is when we get ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. On Christmas day we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child that we have been anxiously awaiting during advent. If you have an advent wreath, at the beginning of each section of carols and lessons, you will be instructed to light one of the candles until finally we culminate with the celebration of Christmas. In addition to this booklet, there is a special Christmas message that can be found on our website at Hephatha.net/christmas-day, available through links to our Facebook page and our YouTube channel. If you would like to sing along with Mr. Cooper for the carols, a link to his recording of the carols can be found at Hephatha.net/christmas-day. After each carol pause the video as the video is one long video with each carol, one after another. You can also sing these carols to your favorite version or without music as well. Each section has a reading, devotional thought, questions, some have actions, and a carol to sing. May Christ abide in your hearts in the New Year. Blessings to you and yours on this Christmas day, Pastor Arthur, Vicar Timothy, Mr. Cooper and the Ministry team 2 THE REASON (If you have an advent wreath light the first candle) Reading Genesis 3:1-13 The Fall Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I 3 commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Devotional thought: Sin entered the world. It didn’t stop with just Adam and Eve but it is inside of us as well. There are many things that we do each day that go against God’s will and commands. This is the reason why Jesus needed to come. If it was left up to us we would fall short. At Christmas we do not usually think about our sin but it is because of sin that Jesus came. He came to save us from our sin and to provide a way to live with Him forever. Questions and actions: Share a time when someone forgave you. How did it make you feel? Why was it a good thing? What about Christmas reminds you that Jesus is the light of the world? Spend time expressing thanks to God for forgiving us from sins. Carol “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” God rest ye merry gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember Christ our Savior Was born on Christmas Day To save us all from Satan's pow'r When we were gone astray Chorus: O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy In Bethlehem, in Jewry This blessed Babe was born And laid within a manger Upon this blessed morn 4 The which His mother Mary Did nothing take in scorn Chorus From God our heavenly Father A blessed angel came And unto certain shepherds Brought tidings of the same How that in Bethlehem was born The Son of God by name Chorus Now to the Lord sing praises All you within this place And with true love and brotherhood Each other now embrace This holy tide of Christmas All others doth deface Chorus CCLI Song #39441 © Public Domain For use solely in accordance with the SongSelect Basic Terms of Agreement. All rights Reserved. www.songtouch.com CCLI License #684779 (If using Mr. Cooper’s video press pause) 5 THE PLAN (If you have an advent wreath light the second candle) Reading Isaiah 9:2-7 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Devotional thought: God didn’t leave us in sin. He always wanted us to be in relationship with Him. Yes, God does not like it when we sin. The great news is that He didn’t leave us there. He loved us so much that He had a plan to forgive us. That plan was Jesus Christ. It was to give the world His son so that peace could come. 6 Questions: What is the best gift that you received for Christmas? Could be this year or years past. How is Jesus the best gift that God could give us? Carol “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn king; Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled Joyful, all ye nations, rise; Join the triumph of the skies; With angelic hosts proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem! Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn king! Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of the virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see! Hail th’ incarnate deity! Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel! Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn king! Hail, the Heav’n-born Prince of Peace. Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and Life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn king! CCLI Song # 27738 Charles Wesley | Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy © Words: Public Domain Music: Public Domain For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI License # 684779 (If using Mr. Cooper’s video press pause) 7 THE INVITATION (If you have an advent wreath light the third candle) Reading Luke 2:8-20 The Shepherds and the Angels And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.