CHRISTMAS EVE December 24, 2020 5:00Pm & 7:00Pm
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CHRISTMAS EVE December 24, 2020 5:00pm & 7:00pm Mount Calvary Ev. Lutheran Church San Antonio, Texas A FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS MOUNT CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Christmas Eve December 24, 2020 PRELUDE THE CALL TO WORSHIP P Beloved in Christ: Welcome! God has brought us together this night to hear again the good news that He so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Like shepherds long ago who hurried off to Bethlehem to see for themselves the good news the angel announced to them, in heart and mind let us go with them to see this thing which has come to pass: a baby lying in a manger who is Christ the Lord. Therefore let us hear again from Holy Scripture the loving purposes of God from the first days of our sin unto the glorious Redemption brought us by the Holy Child: and let us make this place glad with our carols of praise. With angel choirs let us blend our voices to sing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all on whom his favor rests.” Come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord! Stand THE PROCESSIONAL HYMN: Once in Royal David’s City LSB 376 Words: C.F. Alexander 1818-1895 Music: H.J. Gauntlett 1805-1876 Arr. David Willcocks Soloist: Malachi Elbert Soloist: Once in royal David’s city, stood a lowly cattle shed. Where a mother laid her baby, in a manger for His bed. Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ, her little child. Choir: He came down to earth from heaven, Who is God and Lord of all, And His shelter was a stable, and His cradle was a stall; With the poor, and mean, and lowly, Lived on earth our Savior holy. ALL: For He is our childhood’s pattern, Day by day like us He grew, He was little, weak and helpless, tears and smiles like us He knew; And He feeleth for our sadness, And He shareth in our gladness. ALL: And our eyes at last shall see Him, through His own redeeming love, For that child so dear and gentle, Is our Lord in heaven above; And He leads His children on, to the place where He is gone. ALL: Not in that poor lowly stable, with the oxen standing by, Shall we see Him; but in heaven, Set at God’s right hand on high; Then like stars His children crowned, All in white, His praise will sound! THE INVOCATION P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen. THE CHRISTIAN GREETING AND THE LORD’S PRAYER P The Lord be with you. C And also with you. P Fully confident of God’s goodness, thankful for His love, and trusting His mercy, let us pray to Him for the needs of the whole world, and all His people; for peace upon the earth He came to save; for love and unity within the one Church He did build. And particularly at this time let us remember before Him the poor, the cold, the hungry, the oppressed; the sick and those that mourn; the lonely and the unloved; the aged and the little children; all those who know not the Lord Jesus, who love Him not, or have grieved His heart of love. Lastly let us remember before Him those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore and in a greater light, that multitude which no one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in this Lord Jesus, we forevermore are one. These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of heaven, in the words which Christ himself has taught us: C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. THE HYMN: Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful LSB 379 Oh, come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant! Oh, come ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him Born the king of angels: Refrain: Oh, come, let us adore Him, Oh, come, let us adore Him, Oh, come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord! Highest, most holy, Light of light eternal, Born of a virgin, a mortal He comes; Son of the Father now in flesh appearing! Refrain Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above! Glory to God in the highest: Refrain Yea, Lord we greet Thee, Born this happy morning; Jesus to Thee be glory giv’n! Word of the Father now in flesh appearing: Refrain Sit THE FIRST LESSON Genesis 3:8-15, 17-19 God tells sinful Adam that the seed of the woman will bruise the serpent’s head. 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.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I 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.” The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” P This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. THE ANTHEM: Noël Nouvelet Mount Calvary Lutheran Choir French Traditional Carol, Translated and Arr. John Rutter, b. 1945 Noël, sing Noël, good people gathered here. Offer thanks, ye faithful to the news give ear. Sing we Noël, a new King born today. Noël, sing Noël good people gathered here. Unto humble Shepherds came the angel near; Hence, said he, to Beth’lem, be ye of good cheer. Seek there the Lamb of God, love’s own pure ray. Noël, sing Noël good people gathered here. When to Bethlehem they came in lowly fear, found they gentle Mary with her Son so dear. Heav’n’s mighty Lord all cradled in the hay, Noël, sing Noël good people gathered here. Eastern sages seek him, in the darkness drear By a star illumined shining forth so clear, Guiding them to Beth’lem far away. Noël, sing Noël good people gathered here. Now doth our Saviour Jesus Christ appear, Bringing salvation promised many a year. By His redeeming blood this happy day. Noël, sing Noël good people gathered here. THE SECOND LESSON Isaiah 9:2-7 The prophet foretells the coming of the Savior. P The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before You as people rejoice at the harvest, as people rejoice when dividing the plunder. You have shattered the yoke that burdened them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. C For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. P Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness forever. C The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. P This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. THE HYMN: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear LSB 366 Text: Edmund Sears. 1810-76 Tune: Richard Willis, 1819-1900 It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold. “Peace on the earth good will to all, from heav’n’s all gracious King” The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing. All you, beneath the heavy load, by care and guilt bent low. Who toil along the dreary way with painful steps and slow: Look up, for golden is the hour, Come swiftly on the wing. The Prince was born to bring you peace; of Him the angels sing. For lo, the days have come to pass by prophets seen of old. When down into the circling years – came Christ as was foretold. His word of peace shall to the earth God’s ancient promise bring.