Extra 01: Christmas Liturgy
Read the passages below out loud together:
Isaiah 9:6-7 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. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
Luke 1:31-32 And behold, [Mary] you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
John 1:14,16-17 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Psalm 95:4-7 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Galatians 4:4-6 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
What child is this? - call & response liturgy
(Speaker, Responders) - Speaker as Father, Grandfather, or another participant.
Open up your ears! Soften your hearts! Do you see what God is doing?
Look at the manger in Bethlehem See the baby there and who he truly is:
Who is this child? Underneath the great star?
It is The Word, through whom the Creator hung the stars of the heavens. (John 1:3)
Who is this child? Asleep in his mother’s arms?
It is he who holds all creation in his arms. (Colossians 1:16)
Who is this child? Of whom the angels have sung about on this night?
It is him whose holiness is being sung of by the angels for eternity. (Isaiah 6:3)
Who is this child? Among the sheep of the stable?
It is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)
Who is this child? That the shepherds have gathered to see?
It is the Great Shepherd who has come to gather his sheep (John 10:11-18)
Who is this child? Laid in a borrowed manger?
It is Christ. Laid in a borrowed tomb. (Matthew 27:57-61)
Who is this child? That King Herod has tried to murder?
It is the True King, who has brought his Kingdom of Life. (Isaiah 9:6)
Who is this child? Born on this dark night?
It is the Light. Who has come to strike out the darkness. (John 8:12)
Who is this child? Born from no Earthly father?
It is he who has shown us the Heavenly Father. (Hebrews 1:3)
Who is this child? Given Gold by wise men?
It is the Lord. Who leads us as his people. (Luke 2:11) (Gold is a symbol of royalty)
Who is this child? Given Incense?
It is Immanuel. God is with us. (Matthew 1:23) (Incense used in temple, symbol of God’s presence)
Who is this child? Given Myrrh?
It is our Savior. Who’s death has saved us. (1 Tim. 3:15) (Myrrh commonly used as an embalming agent, symbol of death)
God, keep our hearts from growing hard. Keep us from ignoring the hope in Jesus Christ; Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. To him be all glory forever and ever. Amen.
All Glory Be to Christ, King’s Kaleidoscope
(Play on Speaker, sing along)
Should nothing of our efforts stand
No legacy survive
Unless the Lord does raise the house
In vain its builders strive
To you who boast tomorrow’s gain
Tell me what is your life?
A mist that vanishes at dawn
All glory be to Christ!
All glory be to Christ our king!
All glory be to Christ!
His rule and reign we'll ever sing,
All glory be to Christ!
His will be done
His kingdom come
On earth as is above
Who is Himself our daily bread
Praise Him the Lord of love
Let living water satisfy
The thirsty without price
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
All glory be to Christ!
All glory be to Christ our king!
All glory be to Christ!
His rule and reign we'll ever sing,
All glory be to Christ!
When on the day the great I Am
The faithful and the true
The Lamb who was for sinners slain
Is making all things new.
Behold our God shall live with us
And be our steadfast light
And we shall ere his people be
All glory be to Christ!
All glory be to Christ our king!
All glory be to Christ!
His rule and reign we'll ever sing,
All glory be to Christ!
Closing Prayer, Common Book of Prayer
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen