Christmas Eve Communion

ORDER OF SERVICE- MIDNIGHT COMMUNION 24th Dec 2005

Piano music as prelude

Reading 1: The Annunciation

LK 1:26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

LK 1:29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

LK 1:34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

LK 1:35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God."

LK 1:38 "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Minister: …. But this promises’ fulfilment had been thousands of years in the making… patient waiting… hoping

CANDLE 1: HOPE

L: The Lord be with you.

P: And also with you.

L: We gather to celebrate the birth of the one who is the light

of the world.

P: We are here to worship God - and his Son Jesus - born this

night in Bethlehem of Judea.

L: We light the candle of hope to remind us of the promises

made by all the prophets that God would raise up a saviour

for his people Israel.

P: Christ is our hope and our salvation. He calls us to share

our hope in him with each other.

Readings 2: Hope

Isaiah 9:1,2

there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. 2The people who walk in darkness will see a great light--a light that will shine on all who live in the

land where death casts its shadow.

ISA 40:30 Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

ISA 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Roms 5:1 And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

1CO 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Prayer (minister):

Lord as we look to the birth of Jesus- fill us with hope and expectancy of Him filling our lives and being sufficient for all our needs- in this world and the next. May our whole lives radiate the hope of heaven and the hope of the gospel- that does not disappoint us. May the light of your love in our lives become lights in the lives of those around us. Prepare our hearts for the joy and gladness of your coming, for Jesus is our hope.

Amen.

CAROL 1 : See amid the winter’s snow

CANDLE 2: PEACE

L: We light the candle of peace to remind us that it is only

with God and by following in his path that true peace can be

found.

P: Christ brings the peace of God to us. He calls us to share

the peace he gives with each other.

Readings 3: Peace

Isaiah 9:6

6For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counsellor,[1] Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!