Christmas Eve Liturgy — 2010

Charlotte Christian Reformed Church Christmas Liturgy 2010
*–Congregation Stands

Prelude – Miss Rachel Bacon

*Call to Worship Psalm 98
1Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2The LORD has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
8Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9before the LORD, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.

Invocation

Benevolent Father we gather to offer up praise for sending forth, out of your great compassion for your name, the Redeemer and Savior of humanity, who, as your only begotten Word, was conceived by thy Spirit and born of a virgin. We exalt you O Sovereign God for providing Jesus as your reconciliation. We confess that we did not deserve your tender mercies and so we humbly exalt you that in the sending forth of Christ you are forever just and justifier unto those who have faith in Jesus – who you named “Jehovah is Salvation.” We thank you now that you have gathered with us to honor the incarnation of the Second person of the Trinity. Remind us, that even now, we are in your presence. Grant us thy Spirit to honor your name in our worship. — In Christ’s name we pray … Amen.

Special Music — Christian Timmis & Gary Douma – Cantique Noel

Creedal Affirmation – Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day XIV (pg. 28 Psalter)

Christmas Worship

Brothers and Sisters our Psalter’s Church Order informs us that “Worship services shall be held in observance of Christmas” as well as other high days on the Church calendar. The conducting and attendance of such worship provide one objective marker for us as well as those outside of the faith that we are a Christian people. By the conducting and attendance of such services we testify to all who have eyes to see that our understanding and celebrating of Christmas is distinct from the modern pagan who is reduced, at best, to singing Christ-less Winter Carols and to celebrating seasonal rituals that have no eternal meaning because they are not anchored to anything eternal. Mirth, Merriment, Large gathering of family accompanied with food, fun and festivity on 25 December makes little sense apart from the birth of God’s reconciliation with man.

By the marking of such days as Christmas for worship the ebb and flow of our whole lives, year in and year out, are Christ formed and Christ shaped by a calendar itself formed by Christ. Finally, our gathering gives us one more opportunity to publicly placard Christ as the only hope for the weary, the heavy laden, the alienated and the Christian.
On this Christmas Eve then, we gather together once more as Christians have done for centuries, and as the ever swelling numbers of newly converted will continue to do until our Lord Christ shall return. We do so to mark the birth of our Lord Christ and to together offer up praise that he made Himself of no reputation in order to glorify the Father, save His people from their sins, and to lead them from triumph unto triumph until the Kingdoms of this world increasingly become the Kingdoms our Lord. In keeping with the purpose of our gathering let us confess our undoubted Catholic Christian faith

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Prayer

Benevolent and Sovereign Father, we thank thee for thy eternal covenant that predestined the coming of your Messiah for the redemption of the world. We thank thee that thou promised the Messiah upon mankind’s rebellion to reverse the effects of our treason. We exalt thee that thou deigned to gain your victory by crushing the serpent’s head and by overturning his Kingdom. We are humbled Father by how you ordered redemptive history so that coming of Christ was articulated by the patriarchs and prophets who spoke of the coming of your Messiah. We thank thee for all in Holy Scripture that limned the coming of Christ and we thank you that after ordering history for the coming of thy eternal Son in the fullness of time our Lord Christ came as one born under the law.

Father, we come humbly before to thank you for your faithful Church – that ark of Christ – which was guided by your Holy Spirit to embrace the full divinity and humanity of Christ while affirming his singular person. We thank you for your faithful Church that continues to speak Christ to us today and we ask of you Father that you would continue to build up your faithful Church so that future generations will have the nativity of Christ set before them in all its saving splendor that thy name may be honored among men. In the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, who taught us to pray, saying,

Our Father, who art in heaven: Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

*Hark The Herald Angels Sing Brown Hymnal 184

Old Testament Reading – Isaiah 52:7-10

Special Music — Of The Father’s Love Begotten – Christian Timmis

New Testament Reading – John 1:1-18

*Come Thou Long Expected Jesus Brown Hymnal 168

Epistle Reading – Hebrews 1:1-6

Greensleeves – Brown 180

Offering General Fund

Offertory — Bacon Strings – Linda, Rachel & Sarah Bacon

Offertory Thanksgiving Adapted from the Book of Common Worship, 1906

O most merciful and gracious God, from whose open hand we all have received much: We ask you to accept this offering of your people. Remember in your love those who have brought it. Remember also those persons and purposes for which it is given. So follow this sacrifice with your blessing that it may promote peace and good will, and advance the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen!

Special Music – Anna McAtee, Rachel Bacon – Joy To The World

Homily

*Silent Night (Candle Light) 195 Brown Hymnal 316

*Benediction 2 Corinthians 13:14