December 24, 2024 Christmas Eve 

Call to Worship 

In those days, in the beginning, Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem. 
It was a long, hard journey.
Joseph  was to be registered, and Mary was expecting a child.
There was no room for them at the Inn.
The time came for Mary to give birth, so she delivered her child, wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger.
The angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace to all whom God favors.”
Let us worship our with-us God.
We join the long, hard journey.  We make room in our hearts.  We join the angel’s song. 

 

Hymn:  119 Hope is a star

 

Prayer of Approach 

Loving God:  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace— 

We are leaning forward.  We want a glimpse of your salvation.  We are craning our necks, straining to hear a murmur of the angels’ song, or an echo of a gloria. 

We always long for you, but on this night, on this holy Christmas Eve, we long for you to feel as close as possible. 

So as we prepare to hear this ancient story once again, we ask that you would awaken something new in us. 

Awaken in us a fire for your Word. Awaken in us proof of your nearness. Awaken in us your love, which is bigger than the sky, and as close as our very breath. 

We are listening for the angel’s song.  We are listening for the Shepherds words of witness.   

We stop to ponder the news in our hearts.  We come before you with praise and rejoicing.    Open our eyes that we may see.  Open our ears that we may hear.   Amen. 

Scripture:  Isaiah 9: 6-7  p 1072 

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.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.  NIV 

Hymn:  122  O come O Come Emmanuel v: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7

Call to Confession 

Christmas Eve is one of the most joyful and hopeful days of the year. 

The candles are lit! 

The music is joyful. 

It is a good night! 

But even here, on this good night, we know that we are works in progress. 

Even here, on this good night, we know that we could love more deeply. 

So we join  in the prayer of confession, not because we have to, but because naming that truth out loud allows us to receive God’s grace. 

And God’s grace only makes a good night better. 

So let us pray: 

Prayer of Confession: 

Loving Christ, When the shepherds heard that you were born, they dropped their things and ran.  They trusted the angels’ invitation. They believed that your love existed for them.  We wish that we were more like that.
Instead, somewhere between the angels’ song and the manger, we tend to lose our way. We doubt ourselves. We doubt the invitation.  We doubt that love could know our names.
Remind us that your love is personal and specific. Remind us that the good news of this day is for us. Amen. 

Assurance of Pardon 

Family of faith,  the angels are singing: 

Do  you hear them proclaiming that unto you a child is born. 

The child is for you.  It is a love that is personal.  It is for you and for me and all the others gathered here.  It is communal.   

For each of us and for the world, the salvation of the world has been born. 

It is a love that knows everyone by name. 

So hear and believe the good news of the Gospel: 

You are seen. You are claimed. You are included.  You are forgiven. You are loved. 

Glory to God in the highest heaven! 

Glory to God here and now. 

Alleluia! Amen. 

Hymn:  146 Angels from the realms of glory

Scripture:  Luke 2: 1-7  p 1590 

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.  NIV 

 

 

Hymn:  139 Hark the herald angels sing

Candle lighting Liturgy
One: In a weary and worn world, how do we begin again?  Where do we start?
All: Let us begin with hope. Let us begin with peace.  Let us begin with joy. Let us begin with love.
One: Yes, let us begin with love, for surely love knows your name.  Today, in addition to the candles of hope, peace, joy, and love, we light the Christ Candle.  For surely God is in this place. Surely the Spirit is near.  Surely love knows our name.
All: May we rest in that good news. Unto us a child is born.
A light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. Glory to God in the highest heaven! Amen. 

Candle is Lit 

Sing  164 O Little Town of Bethlehem v 1, 4 

 

Scripture:  Luke 2: 8-15  p 1591 

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.  NIV 

 

Hymn: 138 While shepherds watched

Prayer of Thanksgiving 

We begin again. 

Here at the end of the day, at the end of the year, instill in us the truth that love knows our name. 

Remind us that we are not too far, or too lost, or too distracted to miss the news of your love. 

Remind us that no matter where we go or what we do, you took on flesh for each of us. 

As you have come for us, come for all those in the world who need your salvation.  Come for all who wonder if there is a seat saved for them at your Table, for all who feel alone in a crowded room, for all whose outward name no longer matches their true sense of self, remind them that this good news exists for them as well. 

You love us. You know us. You came to earth for us. 

Of course the angels couldn’t help but to sing!  Of course the shepherds sang praises.   

With hope, we sing alongside the angels. 

With hope, we run toward you like the shepherds. 

With hope, we cast our eyes to the sky and look for your star. 

With hope, we begin again. 

We believe. 

We rejoice in the gift you have given.  Amen 

 

Hymn:  159 O Come all ye faithful

Reading:  Luke 2: 16-20 p 1591

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.  NIV 

 

 

Reflection:  All ye unlikely people who hear and respond 

Do we ever wonder why God sends the angels to the shepherds?  Shepherds were outcasts from society, often scoundrels and thieves and sometimes referred to as unclean. 

Unclean was a sort of catch-all word for anyone who was outside of the grace of God. 

I think the whole point of God sending the angels to the shepherds is to reveal that no one is outside of the grace of God.   

From the very start, God’s plan has revealed that his grace extends to unlikely people and unlikely places.  God chose simple peasants like Mary and Joseph and revealed that the only thing you need is to be open to God’s word and faithful to fulfill it.   

He provided a stable to remind us that this was not a king born to live in a palace, but among ordinary people.  God chose the shepherds, from among the dregs of society to be the first to see the newly born king and the first to speak of his birth to all those around.   

What distinguished the shepherds from anyone else is that having heard the Angels song, they were eager to see.   

What does eager to see mean?  Were they merely curious, or did they want to see and understand?  Sometimes English is such a restrictive language.  In Greek, the verb to see, can change it’s depth of meaning by which word people use to represent the seeing.   

 

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The word used in Scripture is “horao”.   

Now if they had merely been going to look with only their eyes out of curiosity the word in Greek would have been “blepo”.  That kind of seeing does not go beyond face value.   

But when you see with your mind and heart engaged there is also perception and knowledge and involves a spiritual awareness.  “Horao” leads is a way of seeing that leads to wonder and astonishment.   

These unlikely listeners to the Angel’s Song, were compelled to leave the flock on the hillside and rush into the town to see for themselves.   

 

When they got to the place where the star was standing still, they entered and what did they see?  A lowly place filled with unlikely people.  A donkey in the corner.  Evidence of the other inhabitants of the stable that had been hurriedly moved out was still spread all over the floor.   

 

Then as they looked further into the stable, they saw the baby, swaddled lying on the hay in the manger.  Not the place for a king.  That is the message that God so clearly wants to send.  This is not an ordinary king, this is an unlikely King, who will do so much more for the people than any ordinary king could do.   

When we look past the ordinary baby in an unlikely setting, we see that God’s extraordinary love is strongly evident.  That’s what “horao” is all about—seeing beyond the ordinary to catch the revelation of God.   

The star is evidence of a light radiating through the darkness and dimness of the stable.  In an ordinary baby we see the evidence that God is taking upon  himself the very dust from which he created us.   

This, all of this, leading the shepherds to see with a sense of wonder that means that they cannot keep this news to themselves.  They return to the fields glorifying and praising God for what they had seen and heard.  All who heard the story were astonished, including Mary, who pondered these things in her heart.   

Pondering is the spiritual response of “horao” as she reflected on all that God had accomplished through her. 

The shepherds continued on their way back through town, up again to the hill and the sheep; but the journey did not stop the sense of awe and worship and wonder.  At the time when worship was confined to the Temple it was not ringing off the walls of the city of Bethlehem.  The worship of the disciples rang off the walls of the Inn and the other inns that had not made room for Mary and Joseph.  The worship of the shepherds was heard in the homes of all the unlikely people who lived nearby.  

The shepherds are proof that this is a King for all people, as unlikely as they may be.  The journey while they sang songs glorifying and praising God reached all the other unlikely people, in unlikely places.  In this one revelation God removed so many barriers in order to bring his grace to more and more people. 

That unlikely King, who sleeps in the manger will go to an even more unlikely place, and there on the cross forgive a thief and promise him entry into Paradise.   

With the angels and the shepherds we join into the song that announces the fullness of the grace and mercy of God….the hymn is:     

 

 

Hymn:  141  Good Christians all rejoice

 

Litany of Praise and Devotion
We believe that on a night like this one, a baby was born and placed in a manger.
We believe that baby was God’s love in the flesh, who grew up to love the outcast and change the world.
We believe that Jesus’ love was so big and so personal that the world will never be the same.
So despite the mystery of this holy night, we believe that a star shone, that the shepherds ran, that the angels sang, and that love was born.
Yes, we believe it when the prophets say that unto you, unto us, a savior is born. 
Glory to God in the highest heaven!  We believe. 

Benediction 

Let us go from here  singing a song to the God of our salvation.
Let us Sing of mighty deeds and glory. Let us join the heavenly chorus and sing:  “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace.”
Sing of God’s salvation from day to day. Jesus Christ is born today! 

154 Silent Night

Merry Christmas