GREETINGS:

A CHILD IS BORN TO US; A SON IS GIVEN TO US. HE WILL BE CALLED ‘WONDERFUL’, ‘COUNSELLOR’, PRINCE OF PEACE.’
(Isaiah 9:6)

LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLES:

CAROL: Carol of Dreams (remain seated)
Dream a dream, a hopeful dream
As children do on Christmas Eve,
Imaginings, surprising things to hold and to believe.

Dream a time this Christmas time
When no-one’s hungry or afraid;
That weapons go and harvests grow,
That friends are met and made.

Dream a peace, our planet’s peace,
The greening of the earth at play,
The holy ground where life is found,
Where God has touched the clay.

Dream a gift, the Christmas gift
That changes everything we see:
The shimmering of angel wing,
The Child, the Mystery. ©Shirley Murray (FFS)

CHRISTMAS THEN – BETHLEHEM
The first Christmas – the story from the Gospel of Luke.
Who received word of the birth?
Who gave the word?
What was the response?

CAROL: Silent Night (WOV 236)
Silent night, holy night: all is calm, all is bright
round the virgin mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night: shepherds quake at the sight;
glories stream from heaven afar, heavenly hosts sing, ‘Alleluia;
Christ the Saviour is born, Christ the Saviour is born.’

Silent night, holy night: wondrous star, lend your light;
with the angels let us sing Alleluia to our King;
Christ our Saviour is born, Christ our Saviour is born. C/A

BIBLE READING: Luke 2: 1-7

CAROL: Away in a Manger (WOV 242)
Away in a manger no crib for a bed the little Lord Jesus lays down his sweet head. The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing the baby awakes but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes. I love thee Lord Jesus look down from the sky and stay by my side till morning is nigh.

Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay close by me forever and love me I pray. Bless all the dear children in thy tender care and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.

BIBLE READING: Luke 2: 8-14

CAROL: While Shepherds Watched their Flocks (WOV 223(i)) (remain seated)
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down
and glory shone around.

‘Fear not’, said he (for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind),
‘glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and humankind.

‘To you in David’s town this day
is born of David’s line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:

‘the heavenly babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swaddling clothes
and in a manger laid’. C/A

BIBLE READING: Luke 2: 15-20

CAROL: O Little Town of Bethlehem (WOV 240)
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth! For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

CHRISTMAS NOW – CHRISTCHURCH, NZ
What is the city like at Christmas?
How do we celebrate Christmas?
How do we make meaning of the story today?

CAROL: Upside down Christmas (remain seated)
Carol our Christmas, an upside down Christmas;
Snow is not falling and trees are not bare.
Carol the summer and welcome the Christ child,
Warm in our sunshine and sweetness of air.

Sing of the gold and the green and the sparkle,
Water and river and lure of the beach.
Sing in the happiness of open spaces,
Sing a nativity summer can reach!

Shepherds and musterers move over hillsides,
Finding not angels, but sheep to be shorn;
Wise ones make journeys, whatever the season,
Searching for signs of the truth to be born.

Right side up Christmas belongs to the universe.
Made in the moment a woman gives birth;
Hope is the Jesus gift, love is the offering,
Everywhere anywhere, here on the earth. © Shirley Murray (CoC)

CAROL: No Snow is on the Mountain Tune WOV 250 (remain seated)
No snow is on the mountains,
The grass is gold and dry.
The sheep and cattle grazing
Beneath the North West sky.
Waimakariri flowing
Rakaia running low.
In paddocks Shepherds hasten
To greet the child they know.

The wise people of Christchurch
Follow the Southern Star.
Worship the holy Christ child
In townships near and far.
Waimakariri flowing
Rakaia running low.
Love is restored at Christmas
Our joy will overflow. © Mary Helson

Anticipation, excitement, awe and wonder, hope and peace.

OUR PRAYER FOR CHRISTMAS (sung): (remain seated)
Come now Lord Jesus, enter our Christmas
Be to us no stranger in this new-made manger.

Come, small and human, born of a woman,
Yet a Son much greater of our own Creator.

Come,cold and crying, comfort denying,
No place to receive you, few yet to believe you.

Come, poor and simple, our flesh your temple,
In your body feeling hurt as well as healing.

Come, gift and token, bread to be broken –
Star and sign still point you, myrrh will yet anoint you.
Shirley Murray (CoC)

CHRISTMAS BLESSING:

CAROL: Joy to the World (WOV 224)
Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
let earth receive its king;
let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! The Saviour reigns;
let us our songs employ;
while fields and streams, rocks, hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love,
and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love. C/A

WE SING:
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Good tidings we bring
To you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas
And a Happy New Year C/A

24th Dec 11.30pm Beckenham Christmas Eve Service
25th Dec 9.30am Combined Christmas Day Celebration

Please note that our combined Sunday Services on 28th December and for all of January will be 10am.

We wish you all a happy and blessed Christmas