Who Seek God and Are Drawn by Christ
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CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE CITY OF ROCKVILLE AND THE DIOCESE OF WASHINGTON THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST DECEMBER 24, 2020 AT 8:00 PM PRELUDE A CHRISTMAS PRELUDE Charles Callahan Robert Toense, flute AT THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE CAROL O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL Adeste Fideles O come, all ye faithful, Sing, choirs of angels, joyful and triumphant, Sing in exultation; O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem; sing, all ye citizens of heaven above; come and behold him, glory to God, glory in the highest; born the King of angels; (Refrain)) Refrain: O come, let us adore him; O come, let us Yea, Lord, we greet thee, adore him; O come, let us adore him, Christ, born this happy morning, the Lord! Jesus, to thee be glory given; Word of the Father, God from God, now in flesh appearing. Light from Light eternal, (Refrain) Lo! he abhors not the Virgin's womb; only begotten Son of the Father; (Refrain) CCLAMATION A Priest The Word was made flesh and dwells among us. People We behold his glory. Priest There is on Body and one Spirit: People There is one hope in God’s call to us; Priest One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism; People One God and Father of all. LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE READING We have been watching and waiting and Christmas is finally here! Tonight, we light the Candle of Hope, the Candle of Peace, the Candle of Joy and the Candle of Love. Now we add the large white candle in the center of Advent wreaths: the Christ Candle. As all the candles are lit, we know that God’s love shines in our world and in our hearts. We are Children of Light and we can spread God’s light to other people by sharing God’s love. PRAYER Dear God, thank you for being our Light in the darkness. Help us walk in that Light forever and ever. Thank you for Advent. Thank you for Christmas. Thank you for each other. Amen. CAROL ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH Gloria Angels we have heard on high, Refrain: singing sweetly through the night, Gloria, in excelsis Deo! and the mountains in reply Gloria, in excelsis Deo! echoing their brave delight: (turn page for next verses) Shepherds, why this jubilee? Come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, Why these songs of happy cheer? the new-born King. (Refrain) What great brightness did you see? What glad tidings did you hear? (Refrain) See him in a manger laid Whom the angels praise above! Come to Bethlehem and see Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, him whose birth the angels sing; While we raise our hearts in love. (Refrain) COLLECT FOR THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD The Lord be with you. And also with you. O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. LITURGY OF THE WORD FIRST LESSON Isaiah 9:2-7 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named them light has shined. You have multiplied the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before Father, Prince of Peace. you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when His authority shall grow continually, and there shall dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and be endless peace for the throne of David and his the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. and with righteousness from this time onward and For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for this. the fire. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. CAROL JOY TO THE WORLD Antioch A paraphrase of Psalms 98 and 96 Joy to the world! the Lord is come: No more let sins and sorrows grow, let earth receive her King; nor thorns infest the ground; let every heart prepare him room, he comes to make his blessings flow and heaven and nature sing, far as the curse is found, and heaven and nature sing, far as the curse is found, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing. far as, far as the curse is found. Joy to the world! the Savior reigns; He rules the world with truth and grace, let us our songs employ, and makes the nations prove while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and the glories of his righteousness plains, and wonders of his love, repeat the sounding joy, and wonders of his love, repeat the sounding joy, and wonders, wonders of his love. repeat, repeat the sounding joy. EPISTLE Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives his own who are zealous for good deeds. that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. CAROL THE FIRST NOWELL The First Nowell The first Nowell the angel did say This star drew nigh to the northwest, was to certain poor shepherds o'er Bethlehem it took its rest, in fields as they lay; in fields where they lay and there it did both stop and stay keeping their sheep, right over the place where Jesus lay. on a cold winter's night that was so deep. (Refrain) Refrain: Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Then let us all with one accord born is the King of Israel. sing praises to our heav’nly Lord; that hath made heav’n and earth of nought, They looked up and saw a star and with His blood our life hath bought. shining in the east beyond them far, (Refrain) and to the earth it gave great light, and so it continued both day and night. (Refrain) GOSPEL Luke 2:1-20 The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Glory to you, Lord Christ. In those days a decree went out from Emperor glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were Augustus that all the world should be registered. This terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be was the first registration and was taken while afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city This will be a sign for you: you will find a child of David called Bethlehem, because he was wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." descended from the house and family of David. He And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. "Glory to God in the highest heaven, And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped and on earth peace among those whom he him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, favors!" because there was no place for them in the inn. When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, In that region there were shepherds living in the the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made glorifying and praising God for all they had heard known what had been told them about this child; and and seen, as it had been told them. all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ. HOMILY The Rev. Meg Ingalls CAROL AWAY IN A MANGER Cradle Song Away in a manger, The stars in the bright sky no crib for his bed, looked down where he lay; the little Lord Jesus the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. asleep on the hay. PRESENTATION AND EXAMINATION OF THE CANDIDATES Priest The Candidate for Holy Baptism will now be presented.