In PDF format: 12-24-2022 Christmas Eve Service
Peace Lutheran Church
We welcome you in the name of the Lord Jesus. We are honored with your presence. If you do not have a church home, you are invited to join us regularly. Please introduce yourself to Pastor Jeremy Lucke or one of the Ushers as you leave today and sign the guest book in the entryway. We continue to observe the guidelines for health safety. If you have any questions, please see an usher. Everyone is welcome.
The ringing of the bell and the lighting of the Christ candle mark the beginning of our service and a time for quiet meditation, prayer and inward reflection as we begin our worship.
Children are welcome at our worship services. If you prefer, Peace Lutheran has a playroom equipped for children three years old and younger. The room is unstaffed and can be accessed in the fellowship hall where the service is also being live streamed for your convenience and enjoyment.
Holy Communion is celebrated every first and third Sunday and will follow the order of service in the bulletin. If you are a baptized Christian and share our faith in Jesus as Savior and have been instructed in the meaning and use of the Lord’s Supper, you are invited to partake. We have pre-wrapped communion wine or juice and wafers. We also have gluten-free wafers available. If you desire a gluten-free wafer, ask the server. May the body and blood of Jesus, present in the bread and wine, be a blessing to you.
There are times during the service when you will be asked to stand if you are able. Please feel free to remain seated if standing is difficult.
Offering. Peace Lutheran Church understands and teaches that Offerings are voluntary and to be from the heart. Whether we give or do not give does not determine our salvation. Whether we give much or little does not determine our standing before God. Sharing an Offering is an opportunity to quietly practice generosity with our neighbors. Offerings may be placed in the plates by the doors as we exit the sanctuary.
Serving You
Pastor Pastor Jeremy Lucke
Music Director Colleen Schulze
Choir Director Diane Crocker
Supt. Of Sunday School Brandy Stokes & Karyn Stanley
Admin Assistant Daniel Dusek
Parish Nurse Kathy Durling
Webmaster Jim Holroyd
Audio-Visual Johnathon Holroyd, George Abele, Nicholas Abele, Merv Munster, Callie Santora, Caleb Santora, Joyce Long, Oscar Gutbrod, Sam Worth, Rick Durling, Jim Holroyd, Nora Stanley, Debbi Weiler, Daniel Dusek
Today – Saturday, December 24, 2022
Musician Colleen Schulze
Reader Rob Schulze
Ushers Daniel Dusek
AS WE GATHER……… The days and weeks preceding Christmas are full of hustle and bustle for many. Between parties and shopping, cooking and baking, wrapping and card writing, along with many more things, we are occupied and busy as we anticipate this night and the assured joy to come celebrating the
Savior born for us. Over two thousand years ago, though, that wasn’t the case. Nobody was prepared for what was to take place. Yet everything soon changed in that little town of Bethlehem. Quietly, unexpectedly, even “like a thief in the night” was born in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ, our Lord. Tonight we gather amid the busyness to reflect, rejoice, and ponder anew the joy of our Savior born and to prepare our hearts to receive the greatest gifts ever given and received by and through Him—hope, forgiveness, newness, and an assured promise of eternal life through faith in Him.
CHRISTMAS EVE CAROL CELEBRATION Luke 2
Leader: We hear again the Good News from the Gospel according to St. Luke, chapter 2. Following each section of the reading, we hear and sing songs of Christmas joy, echoing the sounds of the angels on that first Christmas night.
Reader: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
Leader: It is helpful to consider the Christmas story from the perspective of Mary. The contemporary song, “Breath of Heaven,” does just this. The song portrays the mother of Jesus as a frightened young girl, attempting to deal with the circumstances of giving birth to the Father’s Son. Despite her human doubts, Mary’s faith in the goodness and mercy of God remains and helps her deal with the challenging situation she finds herself in. English songwriter Chris Eaton penned this song with the title, “Breath of Heaven,” in 1995. When singer Amy Grant first heard it, she decided she wanted to record the tune for her holiday album, but with the verses rewritten to personalize them.
By Karyn and Nora Stanley
Reader: And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Leader: Infant Holy, Infant Lowly is a traditional Polish Christmas Carol. Edith Margaret Gellibrand Reed, a British musician and playwright, translated the song into English and published it in December 1920. She found the carol in a 1908 Polish hymnal. The origin of the song is believed to date back to possibly as late as the 13th century based on manuscripts of the Polish Catholic Church. May we truly not forget that the message of Christmas is infant lowly.
CAROL “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly”
Infant holy, infant lowly,
For his bed a cattle stall;
Oxen lowing, little knowing
Christ the child is Lord of all.
Swiftly winging, angels singing,
Bells are ringing, tidings bringing:
Christ the child is Lord of all!
Christ the child is Lord of all!
.
Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping
Vigil till the morning new
Saw the glory, heard the story,
Tidings of a Gospel true.
Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow,
Praises voicing, greet the morrow:
Christ the child was born for you!
Christ the child was born for you!
Reader: 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 fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a 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.”
Leader: We can only imagine what the shepherds were wondering as they ran to see the Christ child. The song “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful” places both among the shepherds who rushed to see Jesus, and in the long procession of the “faithful” that have journeyed to Bethlehem in their hearts for over 2,000 years. This favorite Christmas hymn appears to be a result of a collaboration of several people. What we sing is a 19 th century version of a hymn written in the 18 th century. The Latin text comes from the Roman Catholic tradition, found in an 18 th century manuscript in the College at Douai—northern France.
CAROL “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
C. Frederick Oakeley; John Francis Wade; Words: Public Domain; Music: Public Domain
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:
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord!
.
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God….In….the….highest:
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord!
Reader: 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!”
Leader: Some of the Christmas songs we cherish have deep historical roots. “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice” dates back to the thirteenth century so it would have been known by Martin Luther and his family in Wittenberg. Originally, the lines of the song alternated between Latin and German. Together we raise our voices to heaven as we join the “multitude of the heavenly host” in holy song.
CAROL “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice”
Text medieval Latin carol; tr. John M. Neale , 1818-1866, Tune: German carol, 14th, cent.; ©1978 Lutheran Church in America, The American Lutheran Church, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
Good Christian friends, rejoice
with heart and soul and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say:
Jesus Christ is born today;
Ox and ass before him bow,
and he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!
.
Good Christian friends,
rejoice with heart and soul and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave;
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Call you one and calls you all
to gain his everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save!
Christ was born to save!
Reader: When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherd 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 the manger.
Leader: Almost a century old now, the text of “Gentle Mary Laid Her Child” was written by Joseph C. Cook for a carol-writing competition in 1919. It won the competition and was printed in the Christian Guardian magazine the following year and then, about ten years later, it appeared in a Canadian hymnal. The words, which have been set to a melody from the sixteenth century, create for us a vision of that marvelous birth, complete with the shepherd and angels.
CAROL “Gentle Mary Laid Her Child”
Gentle Mary laid her child
Lowly in a manger;
There He lay, the Undefiled,
To the world a stranger,
Such a babe in such a place,
Can He be the Savior?
Ask the saved of all the race
Who have found His favor.
.
Gentle Mary laid her child
Lowly in a manger;
He is still the Undefiled
But no more a stranger.
Son of God of humble birth,
Beautiful the story;
Praise His name in all the earth;
Hail the King of glory!
Reader: And when the shepherds saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Leader: Each generation adds to the list of favorite Christmas songs as different nations and cultures enrich the repertoire. The spiritual “Go Tell It on the Mountain”, for many years limited to African American songbooks, has become a treasured addition to hymnals not only in the United States but worldwide. The shepherds glorified and praised God as they returned to their fields and their lives. We shape our worship and lives with praise to God for the gift of the Savior, the baby Jesus born in Bethlehem.
Carol “Go Tell It on the Mountain”
Text: African American Spiritual, refrain; John W. Work II, 1873-1925, stanzas, alt. Tune: African American Spiritual; setting : Hugh Porter, 1897-1960
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and ev’rywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!
.
While shepherds kept their watching
O’er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.
.
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and ev’rywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!
.
Down in a lonely manger
The humble Christ was born;
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn.
.
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and ev’rywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!
SERMON
Leader: Let us pray for God’s great mercy, asking that He would hear our petition and grant them according to His gracious will.
Leader: As we recall the first Christmas, Lord, we thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ. Give us faith to never forget the magnitude and importance of His sacrifice for us in coming to earth to be our Savior, our Brother, and our Friend. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Leader: As we remember Mary and Joseph, we thank You for the gift of family. Give us hearts to fully appreciate the gifts we receive through them and seek to be those who cherish and nourish our family associations. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Leader: As we echo the song of the angels, we thank You for the gifts of poetry and music and for all of the writers and composers who have enriched our celebration with their devotion and creativity. Give us eagerness to ever seek to bring You all that is the best and most beautiful in our worship. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Leader: As we think of the shepherds to whom the angel brought the greatest news, we thank You for those who serve in the various vocations of life, including those whose daily work often goes unnoticed. We commend to Your special care, Lord, those in the military, our first responders and medical personnel, and all whose labor on our behalf is specially challenging or hazardous. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Leader: As we consider those who were at the inn surrounding Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus, we pray for all situations and conditions of people, especially those on our hearts at this time (moment of silence). Be with them and bless them according to their needs, Lord, and give us opportunities to be of comfort and assistance in Your name. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Leader: As we pray, gracious God, we remember our dear ones who have completed their earthly lives and now are in Your eternal keeping. As the brightness of the light of Christ shines on them, may we follow their footsteps in ways of peace and love throughout our lives as we live to Your glory. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Leader: These and any other things You would have us ask of You, heavenly Father, grant to us for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.
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
DISTRIBUTION Music – Part 1 – Part 2
Luke writes that Mary “treasured up all these things in her heart.” That phrase “all these things” includes her personal experience of that first Christmas night with the angels and the shepherds and the promise of God coming true. God has kept His covenant with His people, and we are blessed by it. With renewing faith, growing hop, and expanding love on this most holy night, we sing.
CLOSING CAROL “Silent Night, Holy Night”
Words by: Joseph Mohr, Music by: Franz Xaver Gruber, John Freeman Young; Music: Public Domain, Words: Public Domain
(Individual candles will be lit during the singing, and extinguished after the Benediction. Those with lit candles remain still as those without lit candles bend their candles to receive the light.)
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav’nly hosts…….sing, Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
Christ, the Savior, is born!
.
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from your holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at your birth,
Jesus Lord, at your birth.
Leader: Let us pray. O God, You make this most holy night to shine with the brightness of the true light. Grant that as we have known the mysteries of that light on earth we may also come to the fullness of His joys in heaven; through the same Jesus, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
