Lectionary Readings
Jeremiah 31:7–14
God will gather the scattered people and turn their mourning into joy.
Psalm 147:12–20
Praise the Lord! God protects, blesses, and gives guidance.
Ephesians 1:3–14
God adopted us, making us heirs through Christ Jesus.
John 1:(1–9) 10–18
The Word became flesh and lived among us.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
Come, let us praise our God and Creator,
who has given us every spiritual blessing
in Christ.
Come, let us praise Christ our savior,
who has redeemed us
by the riches of God’s grace.
Come, let us praise the Spirit,
who marks us as beloved heirs of God.
Come with wisdom and understanding;
let us hope in Christ together
and praise God forever. Amen.
Prayer of the Day
God our shepherd,
you gather and watch over your flocks.
You bring your people back from exile.
You deliver us from our enemies.
You make us like well-watered gardens
and turn our mourning into joy.
Grant us this day the gift of coming home
to you and to your purposes,
so that we might live together
in the joy of our salvation. Amen.
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Thanksgiving For Baptism
At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Everlasting God,
your mercy rains down on us in Jesus Christ.
We thank you for our new life through baptism.
We are renewed like watered gardens
and our lives bloom with your incarnate love.
Through Christ, we pray. Amen.
Confession and Pardon
At the baptismal font:
Who is worthy to stand before God?
None but Christ alone.
The Son of God came in the flesh of a human body
to live among us.
It is Christ who redeems us,
gathering our tears and our fears,
redeeming each and every one.
With this confidence let us confess
our sin before God and one another.
Gather us,
your children who run and hide,
ashamed, afraid, apathetic.
We trade your goodness for ashes.
We trade your peace for control.
We trade your promise for certainty.
Gather us to you
and return us to your abundant mercy;
may it flow over us,
renewing our weary souls.
Lifting water from the font:
The light of all life
and the breath of all creation claims you,
calling you “good” from the very beginning, very good.
Believe the good news: in Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.
— Word —
Prayer for Illumination
At the lectern or pulpit:
O God,
through your mighty acts
we receive grace upon grace.
From your fullness,
feed us with your life-giving Word,
that our lives, like bread,
may feed a hungry world. Amen.
Scripture
Before the readings:
Listen for the mystery of God’s grace.
Ephesians 3:2–3
After the readings:
The mystery of the ages
revealed to the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Ephesians 3:9–10
Sermon
Ascription of Praise
After the sermon:
Glory to God in the highest
and peace to God’s people on earth! Amen.
Luke 2:14
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Affirmation of Faith
The one sufficient revelation of God
is Jesus Christ,
the Word of God incarnate,
to whom the Holy Spirit
bears unique and authoritative witness
through the Holy Scriptures,
which are received and obeyed
as the word of God written.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.27
Prayers of Intercession
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
let us pray for the life of the world,
saying: O Christ, our light, hear our prayer.
We pray for the church . . .
May we live this day as your beloved children,
rejoicing that we have been adopted by your grace
and given every spiritual blessing in you.
O Christ, our light, hear our prayer.
We pray for the world . . .
Bless our sisters and brothers throughout the earth.
May we all live at peace with our neighbors,
receiving from your hand all that we need.
O Christ, our light, hear our prayer.
We pray for this community . . .
Let your Word made flesh live among us,
full of grace.
Bring light to all who cannot raise their eyes
to the future.
Bring life to all who are weighed down and weary.
O Christ, our light, hear our prayer.
We pray for loved ones . . .
Lead them beside quiet streams
and along smooth paths,
that their mourning may be replaced with laughter
and their tears with songs of joy.
O Christ, our light, hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ, hope of the world,
help us to bear witness to your light
so that all may believe and have life in you;
in your holy name we pray. Amen.
— Eucharist —
Invitation to Offering
At the communion table:
Rejoicing in the birth
of Christ our Savior,
we give to God
what we first received from God,
the gifts of our lives.
Prayer of Dedication
At the communion table:
God Most High, receive the gifts of our lives
as an offering of gratitude for your grace.
Overshadow us with your Holy Spirit
and let it be with us according to your word,
for nothing is impossible with you. Amen.
Luke 1:35–38; 1 Corinthians 1:4
Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God:
Like a shepherd, you gather us up;
you fill us with the finest wheat
and turn our sorrow into joy.
Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church and the heavenly choir:
A Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy”) is sung.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Through Christ all things came into being;
he is the light that darkness cannot overcome,
your Word made flesh, full of grace and truth.
The words of institution are included here.
Remembering your goodness and grace,
we offer ourselves to you with gratitude
as we share this joyful feast.
A Memorial Acclamation
(e.g., “Christ has died”) is sung.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon this bread and cup;
make us one in the body and blood
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
As you have made known to us
the mystery of your will,
teach us to proclaim the mystery of faith,
living to praise your glory!
Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Spirit,
we bless you, God of glory,
now and forever.
An Amen is sung.
Lord’s Prayer
Breaking the Bread
Communion of the People
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Prayer after Communion
At the communion table:
We sing a new song to you, Lord.
Through this bread and wine
we receive your joy.
All of creation praises you,
joining with glad voices
to share the good news
of Christ’s saving birth.
We give thanks
for the Word you first sang,
Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
May the God of glory,
the Word of life,
and the Spirit of truth
bless you all,
now and forever. Alleluia!
John 1:14
Whatever you do, in word or deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God. Amen.
Colossians 3:17
The Newborn Child
Georges de la Tour
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
-
Here in This Place (OEG) GATHER US IN GTG 401, STF 2236
-
Blessed Jesus, at Your Word (EG) LIEBSTER JESU GTG 395, PH 454
-
Come and Seek the Ways of Wisdom (G) MADELEINE GTG 174
-
Noel (G) NOEL/Chris Tomlin VT 255
WORD
- There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy (E) IN BABILONE GTG 435, PH 298
-
O Word of God Incarnate (G) MUNICH GTG 459, PH 327
-
Who Would Think That What Was Needed (G) WHITE ROSETTES GTG 138
-
Blessed Be Your Name (O) Matt Redman LUYH 343
-
El dios de paz / Peace-giving God (G) EL DIOS DE PAZ SSS 65
EUCHARIST
-
Jesus, Lover of My Soul (G) ABERYSTWYTH GTG 440, PH 303
-
Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts (G) QUEBEC GTG 494, PH 510, 511
-
Bread of the World in Mercy Broken (G) RENDEZ À DIEU GTG 499, PH 502
-
Heaven Is Singing for Joy (O) ALEGR.A GTG 382
-
Loving Spirit (E) OMNI DIE (Corner) GTG 293
SENDING
-
Jesus, Light of Joy (EG) LAUDA ANIMA GTG 673
-
O Radiant Light, O Sun Divine (G) CONDITOR ALME SIDERUM GTG 671, PH 548
-
We Are Marching in the Light of God (G) SIYAHAMBA GTG 853, STF 2235
-
God of the Ages, Whose Almighty Hand (O) NATIONAL HYMN GTG 331
-
Bwana awabariki / May God Grant You a Blessing (E) BWANA AWABARIKI VT 845
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 147:12–20
Metrical
-
Sing to God, with Joy and Gladness [GLENDON]; GTG 657
-
O Praise the Lord, for It Is Good [MINERVA]; PAS 147D
-
Praise the Lord Who Heals; PAS 147B
Organ Music
-
“Carol of the Birds,” James Biery, MSM, downloadable (ME)
-
“I WONDER,” Augsburg Organ Library: Christmas, David Evan Thomas, AF (ME)
-
“QUEM PASTORES,” Augsburg Organ Library: Christmas, Helmut Walcha, AF (E)
-
“O SANCTISSIMA,” O Sanctissima: A Trio of Carols, James Biery, AF (M/MA)
Piano Music
-
“Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne,” MARGARET, Oh, How Joyfully, Cindy Berry, LOR (M)
-
“All My Heart This Night Rejoices,” WARUM SALLT ICH, Carols A to Z, Sandra Eithun, LOR (M)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
-
“O Nata Lux,” Michael John Trotta, Hampton Roads Music, SATB, acap (M)
-
“Carol for a New Year,” Howard Helvey, BP, SATB, org (M)
-
“A Mystery, A Miracle,” Jayne Southwick Cool, AF, SATB, pno (E)
-
“All the Stars Looked Down,” John Rutter, OUP, SATB, org (ME)
-
“The First Noel,” Carl F. Shalk, CON, SATB, stngs, perc (ME)
Art
-
The Newborn Child, Georges de la Tour, 1645 (VCS)
-
Ephesians 1:3–5, Timothy R. Botts, 2016 (EYE)
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John 1:14-B, Timothy R. Botts, 2016 (EYE)
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Awake My Soul, Mike Moyers, 2011 (VDL)
