The Benediction The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. Amen
Announcements Christmas Day:
The Gift of Glory No Early Worship Service
9:15 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
Christmas Potluck Brunch Blended Worship
January 1 Worship Schedule: No Early Worship Service 9:15 a.m. Sunday School and Bible Class 10:30 a.m. Blended Worship
(Songs in this service folder printed with permission CCLI # 1311259)
Ministers: Members of Grace Pastor ................... Michael J. Mattil Organist ..................... Cheryl Mattil
Secretary ......................... Elaine Botka Children’s Minister ....... Jeana Parsons 8
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Luke 2:10
Christmas Eve 2016 Grace Lutheran Church 2411 Woodlake Road Denison, Texas 75021 glcdenison.org 903 465 1016
Opening Hymn
“From heav’n above to earth I come to bear good news to ev’ry home; Glad tidings of great joy I bring, whereof I now will say and sing: “To you this night is born a child of Mary, chosen virgin mild; This little child of lowly birth shall be the joy of all the earth. “He will on you the gifts bestow prepared by God for all below, That in his kingdom, bright and fair, you may with us his glory share.” My heart for very joy must leap; my lips no more can silence keep. I, too, must sing with joyful tongue that sweetest ancient cradlesong.
Opening Litany In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Every good and perfect gift is from heaven above, Coming down from the Father of lights. We gather to celebrate the good and perfect gift of joy. God’s Word does not return empty. But accomplishes what he desires And achieves the purpose for which he sends it. So that we go out in joy And are led forth in peace. The mountains and hills burst into song. And all the trees of the field clap their hands. In the town of David a Savior is born. He is Christ the Lord. This is good news of great joy For all the people!
Sermon Praise Team: Joy to the World! Offering Prayers O Christ, you came to bring good news of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Sharing the Light
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head; The stars in the 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 cradle 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 take us to heaven to live with Thee there. Silent Night! Holy Night! All is calm, All is Bright. Round yon 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, Heav'nly hosts sing "Alleluia," Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born. Silent Night! Holy Night! Son of God, love's pure light; Radiant beams from Thy Holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
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should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, O Christ.
The Advent Wreath Now sing we, now rejoice, now raise to heav’n our voice; He from whom joy streameth poor in a manger lies; Not so brightly beameth the sun in yonder skies. Thou my Savior art! Thou my Savior art!
On this Christmas Eve we light the Christ candle and call it Joy. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. In this we greatly rejoice And are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy. In the town of David a Savior is born. He is Christ the Lord. This is good news of great joy For all the people! Oh, where shall joy be found? Where but on heav’nly ground? Where the angels singing with all his saints unite, Sweetest praises bringing in heav’nly joy and light. Oh, that we were there! Oh, that we were there!
Confession and Absolution
Sermon Hymn
Angels we have heard on high sweetly singing o’er the plains, And the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains. Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song? Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo! Come to Bethlehem and see Christ whose birth the angels sing; Come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
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Good and giving God, as much as we want Christmas to be the best of times, sometimes it is the worst of times. Some of us have spent too much money and we are worried sick about it. Others of us are struggling with our health, or the health of a loved one. Some are wrestling with old hurts that won’t heal and new wounds that won’t go away. Still others are missing loved ones this Christmas— Either because of distance, death or because of cruel design. Our hurts and lost hopes rob us of Christmas joy. And we dwell in the darkness of sin and unbelief.
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I bring you good news of great joy. Not for some of the people. Not for most of the people. Not for a lot of the people. This is good news of great joy for all the people. Joy and forgiveness are Christ’s gifts to everyone! In the town of David a Savior is born. He is Christ the Lord. This is good news of great joy For all the people! Now through his Son doth shine the Father’s grace divine. Death was reigning o’er us through sin and vanity. Till he opened for us a bright eternity. May we praise him there! May we praise him there!
The Prayer of the Day Heavenly Father, may the birth of Jesus—announced by the angels, witnessed by the shepherds and marveled at by the magi—empower us on this holy night to be filled with joy, an inexpressible and glorious joy; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Praise Team: Psallite
Psallite, unigenito, Christo Dei Filio, Redemptori Domino puerulo jacenti in praesepio. Ein kleines Kindelein liegt in dem Krippelein Alle liebe Engelein dienem dem Kindelein, und singen ihm, fein. Psallite, unigenito, Christo Dei Filio, Redemptori Domino puerulo jacenti in praesepio.
Sing we clear! Sing we true! That all men may know Lying in a manger low; Savior and Redeemer, tender babe, God’s only Son: on Him all praise bestow! Born of a virgin maid, in tiny cradle laid. Angels bright with stars bedight, have come to bless the sight, serve and sing all night. Sing we clear! Sing we true! That all men may know Lying in a manger low; Savior and Redeemer, tender babe, God’s only Son: on Him all praise bestow!
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Isaiah 55:10-13 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
1 Peter 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Luke 2:1-20 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she 5