We Gather Opening Voluntary Gesu Bambino Pietro A

Service of the Nativity of the Lord

Christmas Eve December 24, 2014

Nativity by He Qi Currently a Minnesota resident (USA), He Qi has studied at Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing Art Institute in China and Hamburg Art Institute in Germany. He was the first among Mainland Chinese to earn a Ph.D. in Religious art after the Cultural Revolution (1992). He also received his Honorary Doctor Degree from Australia Catholic University in Melbourne (May, 2011). His art works have been displayed in museums, galleries, universities and churches all over the world. We Gather Opening Voluntary Gesu Bambino Pietro A. Yon Christine Sasse, violin Call to Worship/ Lighting the Christ Candle Leader: Come, all peoples of the earth and rejoice. People: Let us come to Bethlehem and see what God is doing. We welcome you to Faith Leader: Come, friends of God, and be amazed. Des Peres for worship this evening! Learn more People: Let us come to the stable and see where God dwells. about us at Leader: Come, all who have despaired of God's presence. www.faithdesperes.org People: Let us come to the manger and see that God is alive among us. Leader: Come, all who have known darkness. People: Let us come to the Christ Child and see the light of the world. *Song Response Angels We Have Heard on High (refrain only) gloria

* Whenever you see this symbol, please stand if you are able.

*Opening Prayer

*Opening Hymn 134 Joy to the World antioch

Isaac Watts (1674 -1748) is known as the “father of English hymnody.” His text of Joy to the World is a paraphrase of Psalm 98. The music for this hymn is by George Frederic Han- del. Although born in Germany, Handel spent most of his life in England. He composed many oper- as and oratorios including Messiah, his best-known work.

We Proclaim

Prayer for Illumination

First Lesson isaiah 9:2-7 Leader: And the Word became flesh and lived among us. People: Thanks be to God.

Choir Anthem Of the Father’s Love Barry Talley Second Lesson Psalm 96 Leader: And the Word became flesh and lived among us. People: Thanks be to God.

The hymn text O Little *Hymn 121 Town of Bethlehem was a O Little Town of Bethlehem St. Louis result of the Rev. Phillips Brooks’ visit to the Holy Land in 1865. Brooks (1835-1893) was an Episcopal clergyman and was considered one of America’s greatest preachers of the 19th century.

Third Lesson Luke 2: 1-14 Sermon “ Light in the Darkness ” rev. dr. anne epling We Respond *Hymn 113 Angels We Have Heard on High Gloria

Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. Offering Our Gifts to God Faith Des Peres is (please sign the friendship pad.) participating in the Christmas Joy Offering of the Presbyterian Church (USA) as a Offertory Anthem means of expressing and O Holy Night Adophe Adam, arr. Sally DeFord experiencing God’s love. At a sign from the section leader, the congregation is invited to The flyer in the pews sing verse 3 as printed below explains more about this special offering. If you would like to contribute, please make your check payable to Faith Des Peres and note that the gift is for the Joy Offer- ing. Thank you.

Adolphe Adam (1803- 1856), composer of O Holy Night, was born in Paris. He enrolled in the Paris Conservatory in 1817 and studied piano and composition. He is credited with developing a type of French opera using more spoken and less sung dialog. He is also well known for composing the music for Giselle, in which the lead dancer which is one of the most sought-after roles in ballet . *Dedication of Gifts Christmas Doxology o tannenbaum

*Prayer of Dedication unison We give you thanks, Holy One, for the world of wonder you have made—forest and field, sea and sky, and for the gift of grace that you have given—a little child, lying in a manger. Receive these gifts of tenderness and love, of gratitude and praise, and use them for your glory; in the name of Jesus Christ, the child of Bethlehem, we pray. Amen.

We are Sent

*Fourth Lesson John 1: 1-5

Members of the worship team will assist with the candle lighting during the fourth lesson. *Closing Hymn 122 Silent Night, Holy Night! stille nacht

The text of Silent Night was written in 1816 by Joseph Mohr, an Austrian priest. Franz Xavier Gruber, a headmaster and church musician, provided the tune. Mohr, accompanying on guitar, and Gruber, together with the church choir, provided the first performance of the hymn at the Church of St. Nicho- las in Oberndorf on Christmas Eve in 1818.

At the conclusion of the service, please extinguish your candle. You may take it with you or leave it in one of the baskets at the door.

*Benediction

*Closing Voluntary It Came Upon a Midnight Clear Richard S. Willis

Together at Faith Des Peres

Prayer Joanna Gerst/ Toy & Jerry Kircher/ Brenda Toricelli Requests

Worship Teams 1 & 2: John, Beth & Mathew Willock, Tim & Sabrina Wrenn, Jim & Terry Baker Music: Katy Spears, Glockenspiel Thank We welcome our special musician Christine Sasse. Chris holds a bachelor's degree and performer's certificate from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and a Master's Degree from You! the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has served on the faculties at several colleges and universities and is presently teaching applied violin at Washington University. Chris was the first concertmaster of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra during its inaugural year under the direction of Leonard Slatkin. What’s Happening?

Year-end donations to the church: Contributions that you wish to include on 2014 tax documents must be in the church office no later than Sunday, December 28, or in the mail postmarked no later than December 31. Mission and Ministry thanks you for your abundant Christmas giving spirit. We delivered toys to 39 children at Southside Early Childhood Center and Lydia’s House, gifts for 20 women at Lydia’s House and $2000 worth of gift cards to families at both Lydia’s House and Southside Early Childhood Center to help pay for groceries, and needed items from Walmart and a local drug store. We know how easy it is to get lost in all the work that happens in this busy few weeks, and we thank you for taking time to care for these women and children. Thank you for passing Christ’s blessing onto them through your kindness. We wish you a very Merry Christmas. May the joy and love you give to these in our community come back to you many times over in the next year. Peace and Blessings. Erica Abbett, Whitney Hendricks, Elizabeth Pribor, Clarissa Schuller – Meyer and Keith Weber. We Welcome You to Faith Des Peres for Worship!

We are an inter-generational community. Adults and youth know each other on a first-name basis. We Who We come from across the St. Louis metropolitan area. Some of our members have been here a long time, and some of them are new. We accept people for who they are and where they are on their faith Are... journey. We are inquisitive by nature. We are not content with the same old answers to the same old questions, and we are OK with not having all the answers. We welcome young and old, singles and families, regardless of race, nationality or sexual orientation.

In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and What We the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone Believe... we worship and serve. (from the PC(USA) Brief Statement of Faith, 1983)

Because we believe Christ welcomes everyone to the table, we welcome everyone to the table. Anyone Communion.. who trusts in Jesus Christ is welcome to take communion at Faith Des Peres; you do not need to be a member of this church to receive communion, and children may also receive communion.

Acknowledgements Angels We Have Heard on High: Words and Music in the Public Domain. This arrangement ©1964 Abingdon Press (admin. The Copyright Company). All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-721276.

O Little Town of Bethlehem, Joy to the World and Silent Night, Holy Night: Words and Music in the Public Domain. Found in Glory to God, ©2013 Westminster John Knox Press. Used by permission. CCLI License #11095584.

Christmas Doxology: Words copyright © 2001 Dale A. Schoening. Published by The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church, PO Box 340003, Nashville TN 37203-0003. Web site http://www.umcworship.org. Used by permission.

This Sun, 12/28 10:30 am Worship/ Brunch Sunday School does not meet today. Week Mon, 12/30 Tai Chi does not meet tonight. Sun, 1/4 10:30 Worship