The Season of Christmas – Liturgical Texts – 56.1

Confession and Pardon

At the baptismal font:
Season of Christmas
Like a great light in a land of deep darkness,
the mercy of the Lord shines upon us.
Trusting in God’s grace, let us confess our sin.
The prayer of confession is included here.

Season of Christmas
The light of Christ
shines in the shadows.
The Prince of Peace
breaks the yoke
of our burden.
With joy
we turn to our mighty God,
whose justice and righteousness
never fail,
and gladly confess our sin.
The prayer of confession is included here.

Season of Christmas, Epiphany of the Lord
With humility before God,
let us confess the ways
we have clenched our hearts
and refused God’s gift of grace.
The prayer of confession is included here.

Declaration of Forgiveness

Lifting water from the font:
Season of Christmas
Hear the promise of the Lord:
See, your salvation has come!
You are a holy people, redeemed by God,
sought out, not forsaken.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.

Season of Christmas
Lift up your voices!
Sing for joy!
Good news of salvation
comes in Jesus Christ—
God’s redemption,
born in a manger.
Tell the world!
The message is clear!
We are forgiven!

Sung Response (GTG #136, “Go, Tell in on the Mountain” refrain)
“Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere;
go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!”

Season of Christmas, Epiphany of the Lord
Arise!
Shine!
Your light has come!
The radiance of God’s glory beams brightly.
Open your eyes and see
the mercy of the Lord.
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

Thanksgiving for Baptism

At the baptismal font:
Season of Christmas
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.
O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the wonder and love you offer us
through the gift of our baptism—
your Word made flesh among us,
a child and Savior born to us,
good news of great joy for all.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
let us be born anew from above
so that we may give glory to you
and live as your beloved children;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Season of Christmas
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.

Season of Christmas, Epiphany of the Lord
God of glory,
you give us life.
Through the waters of baptism,
you have gathered us together
as sons and daughters.
We thank you
for the mystery of your grace
revealed in Jesus Christ,
who offered your deep love
to all creation;
in the name of the One
who claims us as children.
Amen.

Prayer for Illumination

At the lectern or pulpit:
Season of Christmas
Gracious God, by the gift of your Holy Spirit
show us the Word made flesh—
good news of great joy for all—
so that we may sing with the angels:
glory in the highest and peace on earth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Season of Christmas
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.

Season of Christmas, Epiphany of the Lord
Holy One, giver of all light,
lift up our hearts and minds to Christ,
the morning star that never fades.
By the light of your Holy Spirit
reveal to us your saving Word
and lead us to offer our lives to you
in service and in love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Season of Christmas, Epiphany of the Lord
God of light,
whose wisdom shines like stars
in the midnight sky,
make these holy words
clear to us
so that our eyes
will see your salvation
and our lives
will be radiant
before you.
We pray expectantly.
Amen.

Before the readings:
Treasure these words
and ponder them in your heart.
Luke 2:19

After the readings:
And the Word became flesh and lived among us.
Thanks be to God.
John 1:14

Ascription of Praise

After the sermon:
Glory to God in the highest
and peace to God’s people on earth! Amen.
Luke 2:14

Affirmation of Faith

Season of (Advent and) Christmas
Out of Israel, God in due time raised up Jesus.
His faith and obedience were the response
of the perfect child of God.
He was the fulfillment
of God’s promise to Israel,
the beginning of the new creation,
and the pioneer of the new humanity.
He gave history its meaning and direction
and called the church to be his servant
for the reconciliation of the world.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.19

Season of (Advent and) Christmas
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

Season of (Advent and) Christmas
God expressed love for all humankind
through Israel, whom God chose
to be a covenant people
to serve him in love and faithfulness.
When Israel was unfaithful,
God disciplined the nation with judgment
and maintained the covenant
through prophets, priests, teachers,
and true believers.
These witnesses called all Israelites
to a destiny
in which they would serve God faithfully
and become a light to the nations.
The same witnesses proclaimed
the coming of a new age,
and a true servant of God
in whom God’s purpose would be realized.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.18