Christmas Eve Service

A CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT DRAMA

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

CAMPBELLTON, N.B.

DECEMBER 24, 2008

ORDER OF SERVICE

CALL TO WORSHIP: ISAIAH 9: 2, 6-7

CALL TO MEDITATION: LUKE 2:17-20

MOMENTS OF MEDITATION: SUSAN DOUCET PLAYS HARP

OPENING HYMN: NO. 125 JOY TO THE WORLD

RESPONSIVE READING: NO. 635 CHRIST’S INCARNATION

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND OFFERING:

CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT DRAMA

HYMN: O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL (NO. 145)

NARRATOR:

AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THOSE DAYS, THAT A PROCLAMATION WAS MADE BY CAESAR AUGUSTUS THAT ALL THE INHABITIED WORLD SHOULD BE REGISTERED. THIS WAS THE FIRST CENSUS UNDERTAKEN WHILE CYRENIUS WAS GOVERNOR OF SYRIA; AND EVERYONE WENT TO THE TOWN OF THEIR BIRTH TO BE REGISTERED.

JOSEPH, (LIGHT JOSEPH CANDLE: BLUE) WENT UP FROM THE TOWN OF NAZARETH IN GALILEE TO THE CITY OF DAVID, BETHLEHEM, IN JUDEA, BECAUSE HE WAS A DIRECT DESCENDANT OF DAVID, TO BE REGISTERED WITH HIS FUTURE WIFE MARY, (LIGHT MARY CANDLE: PINK) WHO WAS PREGNANT.

HYMN: O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM: STANZAS 1,2,4 (NO. 141)

NARRATOR:

AND WHILE THEY WERE IN BETHLEHEM, THE TIME CAME FOR HER TO BE DELIVERED. SHE GAVE BIRTH TO HER FIRST CHILD, A SON. (LIGHT JESUS CANDLE: WHITE). THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR THEM INSIDE THE INN, SO SHE LAID HIM IN A MANGER.

SOLO: AWAY IN A MANGER (EVA MALLEY)

NARRATOR:

THERE WERE SOME SHEPHERDS LIVING IN THE SAME PART OF THE COUNTRY, KEEPING GUARD THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT OVER THEIR FLOCKS IN THE OPEN FIELDS. (LIGHT SHEPHERDS CANDLES: GREEN).

HYMN: THE FIRST NOEL: STANZAS 1,2,6 (NO. 136)

NARRATOR:

SUDDENLY, AN ANGEL OF THE LORD STOOD BEFORE THEM, THE SPLENDOR OF THE LORD BLAZED AROUND THEM, AND THEY WERE TERROR STRICKEN. BUT THE ANGEL (LIGHT THE ANGEL CANDLES: YELLOW). SAID TO THEM, “DO NOT BE AFRAID! LISTEN, I BRING YOU GLORIOUS NEWS OF GREAT JOY WHICH IS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE. THIS VERY DAY, IN THE CITY OF DAVID, A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN FOR YOU. HE IS CHRIST THE LORD. LET THIS PROVE IT TO YOU: YOU WILL FIND A BABY, WRAPPED UP AND LYING IN A MANGER.”

AND SUDDENLY THERE APPEARED WITH THE ANGEL A VAST HOST OF THE ARMIES OF HEAVEN, (LIGHT ALL ANGEL CANDLES AS THE NARRATOR CONTINUES READING) PRAISING GOD, SAYING, “GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH, PEACE AMONG THOSE WITH WHOM HE IS PLEASED!”

HYMN: HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING (NO. 133)

NARRATOR:

THE SHEPHERDS SAID TO ONE ANOTHER, “NOW, LET US GO STRAIGHT TO BETHLEHEM AND SEE THIS THING WHICH THE LORD HAS MADE KNOWN TO US.”

SO THEY WENT AS FAST AS THEY COULD AND FOUND MARY AND JOSEPH AND THE BABY LYING IN THE MANGER. AND WHEN THEY HAD SEEN THIS SIGHT, THEY TOLD EVERYONE WHAT HAD BEEN SAID TO THEM ABOUT THE LITTLE CHILD.

HYMN: GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN: STANZAS 1,2 (NO. 138)

NARRATOR: NOW WHEN JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDEA IN THE DAYS OF HEROD THE KING, BEHOLD, THERE CAME WISE MEN FROM THE EAST TO JERUSALEM, SAYING, (LIGHT WISE MEN CANDLES: PURPLE) “WHERE IS HE THAT IS BORN KING OF THE JEWS?”

SOLO: MARCEL (THERE’S A NEW KID IN TOWN)

AND NOW THE STAR, WHICH THEY HAD SEEN IN THE EAST, WENT IN FRONT OF THEM UNTIL AT LAST IT SHONE IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE PLACE WHERE THE LITTLE CHILD LAY.

THE SIGHT OF THE STAR FILLED THEM WITH INDESCRIBABLE JOY. SO THEY WENT INTO THE HOUSE AND FOUND THE LITTLE CHILD WITH HIS MOTHER, MARY. AND THEY FELL ON THEIR KNEES AND WORSHIPED HIM. THEN THEY OPENED UP THEIR TREASURES AND PRESENTED HIM WITH GIFTS – GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, AND MYRRH.

AND MARY WAS IN AWE OF THE EVENTS OF THE NIGHT, AND THOUGHT DEEPLY ON EVERYTHING THAT HAD TRANSPIRED ON THIS SPECIAL AND HOLY NIGHT.

SOLO: O HOLY NIGHT (GERALD WOODWORTH)

NARRATOR:

THEN, SINCE THEY WERE WARNED IN A DREAM NOT TO RETURN TO HEROD, THE WISE MEN WENT BACK TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY BY A DIFFERENT ROUTE. (EXTINGUISH WISE MEN CANDLES: PURPLE)

AND THE SHEPHERDS WENT BACK TO WORK, GLORIFYING AND PRAISING GOD FOR EVERYTHING THEY HAD SEEN AND HEARD. (EXTINGUISH SHEPHERD CANDLES: GREEN)

AND THE ANGELS RETURNED TO HEAVEN. (EXTINGUISH ANGEL CANDLES: YELLOW)

AND MANY YEARS LATER, MARY AND JOSEPH, BEING FLESH AND BONE, CAME TO THE END OF THEIR EARTHLY LIVES. (EXTINGUISH MARY AND JOSEPH CANDLES: BLUE AND PINK)

BUT THE LIGHT THAT BEGAN IN BETHLEHEM WAS LIFE. AND THIS LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF ALL HUMANITY. THE LIGHT STILL SHINES IN THE DARKNESS, AND THE DARKNESS HAS NEVER PUT IT OUT.

AND IT ALL BEGAN ON A SILENT, HOLY NIGHT….LONG AGO….

HYMN: SILENT NIGHT (JAM SESSION MEN PLAY GUITAR) (NO. 147)

BENEDICTION: