Welcome! Join us IN PERSON at 4:00 for our Christmas Eve service. In the meantime here are some worship resources for the fourth Sunday of Advent, which coincides with Christmas Eve, this year! We hope these are helpful, and look forward to seeing you in person at 4. Along with the collect and scriptures appointed for today, we have wonderful music for our online Advent resources, thanks to our church musicians Rhonda Stanton and Zoë Pouliot having made recordings a few years back.
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Children’s Lesson: Godly Play Story of the Week
Prelude: Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella – piano solo
Opening Hymn: Awake, awake, and greet the new morn
1 Awake! Awake and greet the new morn,
for angels herald its dawning.
sing out your joy, for Jesus is born,
behold! the Child of our longing.
Come as a baby weak and poor,
to bring all hearts together,
to open wide the heavenly door,
and lives now inside us forever.
2 To us, to all in sorrow and fear,
Emmanuel comes a-singing,
whose humble song is quiet and near,
yet fills the earth with its ringing.
Music to heal the broken soul
and hymns of loving kindness,
the thunder of the anthems roll
to shatter all hate and injustice.
3 In deepest night Christ’s coming shall be,
when all the world is despairing,
as morning light so quiet and free,
so warm and gentle and caring.
One without voice breaks forth in song,
a lame one leaps in wonder,
the weak are raised above the strong,
and weapons are broken asunder.
4 Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night,
though cold the winter and cheerless,
the rising sun shall crown you with light,
be strong and loving and fearless;
Love be our song and love our prayer,
and love, our endless story,
may God fill every day we share,
and bring us at last into glory.
Collect of the Day
Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Advent Hymn: O come, o come, Emmanuel
O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid thou our sad divisions cease
and be thyself our King of Peace. Refrain
Refrain: Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Canticle 15 – ‘The Song of Mary’
Second Reading: Romans 16:25-27
Gospel Hymn: #265 The angel Gabriel from heaven came
1. The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
“All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary,
most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
2. “For know a blessed Mother thou shalt be,
all generations laud and honor thee,
thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
3. Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
“my soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name.”
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!
4. Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say–
“Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!
Gospel Reading: Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Hymn: My soul gives glory to my God
1 My soul gives glory to my God,
My heart pours out its praise.
God lifted up my lowliness
In many marvelous ways.
2 My God has done great things for me:
Yes, holy is this Name.
All people will declare me blessed,
And blessings they shall claim.
3 From age to age to all who fear,
Such mercy love imparts,
Dispensing justice far and near,
Dismissing selfish hearts.
4 Love casts the mighty from their thrones,
Promotes the insecure,
Leaves hungry spirits satisfied;
The rich seem suddenly poor.
5 Praise God, whose loving covenant
Supports those in distress,
Remembering past promises
With present faithfulness.
Closing Hymn: 66 Come thou long expected Jesus
1 Come, thou long expected Jesus
born to set Thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in Thee.
2 Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
3 Born thy people to deliver,
born a child, and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
4 By thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by Ttne all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
this image is included in the wonderful Godly Play lesson called The Mystery of Christmas