For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
-Isaiah 9:6
Dear Heavenly Father, we come to the stable in Bethlehem this Holy Season, our hearts overflowing with adoration and gratitude, as we kneel with Joseph and Mary before the manger of Your only-begotten Son.
Unto us, who have lost our innocence and sense of wonder, a Child is born. Unto us, who have hardened our hearts and misplaced our joy, a Son is given. Upon His shoulder rests a government both compassionate and servant, for Jesus has come to embrace us, wash our feet, and save us on the Cross. Truly, in all our trials, He is born to be our Friend!
O Lord, please send out Your Spirit this Christmas and soften our hearts. Help us take time to look into each other’s eyes, listen a little more closely, and appreciate the goodness of each person standing in front of us.
Help us take time also to seek You in the quiet of our hearts, and homes, for time with You is our greatest treasure. Watch over our loved ones near and far, especially those who protect us at home and abroad. Bring peace to every part of our world, every room of our homes, and every corner of our hearts.
Lord Jesus, bless each of your children with Your warmth and light. May You be born again in us this Christmas and forever. Amen!
When we worship God, our ideas of God are formed by the
Scriptures we hear, read and by the songs and hymns we sing. Many of us can sing parts or all of our favorite Christmas Carols from
memory. Because we remember the words, these carols and songs
have greatly helped to form our faith.
For many of us the hymns act as a statement of faith. In the ones we call favorites the composer has captured our emotion and our understanding of faith. The music of Christmas teach us about the mystery and wonder of a child born to be King of kings and Lord of lords.
This morning we will lift our voices in joyous celebration, remembering the one who was born in a manger to die on a cross to be resurrected on the third day, who ascended into heaven and even this day takes an interest in our lives. He will come again, to take all the faithful to live with him forever.
The first Noel 179
What Child is This 180
The story of this favorite carol is that on Christmas Eve, 1818, the organ of Saint Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Bavaria, was in need of repair. With no way to repair it before the midnight Mass, the priest of the church and the organist composed this beautiful hymn in just hours. It was sung in three-part arrangement with the accompaniment of a guitar.
Silent Night 195
Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus
1At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2(This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3All returned to their own towns to register for this census. 4And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5He took with him Mary, his fiancé, who was obviously pregnant by this time.
6And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.
Away in a manger 185
Oh Little Town of Bethlehem 178
It came upon a midnight clear 197
The Shepherds and Angels
8That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, 10but the angel reassured them. "Don’t be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! 11The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!"
13Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God:
14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to all whom God favors."
15When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing 184
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly 194
Angels We have heard on High 192
Matthew 2
The Visit of the Wise Men
1Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2"Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose,[b] and we have come to worship him."
3Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem. 4He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law. "Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?" he asked them.
5"In Bethlehem," they said, "for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 `O Bethlehem of Judah,
you are not just a lowly village in Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’[c] "
7Then Herod sent a private message to the wise men, asking them to come see him. At this meeting he learned the exact time when they first saw the star. 8Then he told them, "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!"
9After this interview the wise men went their way. Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12But when it was time to leave, they went home another way, because God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
O come all ye faithful 193
Go Tell it on the Mountain 205
