First Sunday after Christmas
Join us on the First Sunday after Christmas for pre-recorded Lessons and Carols. The video is here and on the YouTube channel.
Christ Episcopal Church Online
Lessons and Carols
December 27th, 2020
Prelude “Noel Novellette” Craig A. Penfield
Opening Hymn “Once in royal David’s city” Hymnal 102, v. 1 & 2
Verse 1 L. & T. Davis
1 Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed,
where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.
2 He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all,
and his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall;
with the poor, the scorned the lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy.
Bidding Prayer Mother Elizabeth
Lesson I Genesis 3:8 – 19
Adam & Eve rebel against God and are cast out of the Garden of Eden.
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’The Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.’ To the woman he said, ‘I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.’ And to the man* he said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, “You shall not eat of it”, cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’
Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.
A period of silence is kept.
Congregational Hymn “Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming” Hymn 81 vs. 1
1 Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming as seers of old have sung.
It came, a blossom bright, amid the cold of winter, when half spent was the night.
Lesson II Luke 1:26-35, 38
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’* But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him 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 ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’* The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born* will be holy; he will be called Son of God.Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.
A period of silence is kept.
Congregational Hymn “The angel Gabriel from heaven came” Hymn 265
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!
Lesson III Luke 2:1-7
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.All went to their own towns to be registered.Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Music Meditation “Away in a manger” & “What Child is This?” S.Steflik
Bassoon arrangement
Lesson IV Luke 2:8-16
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,* the Lord.This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and 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 heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’* When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.
Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.
Congregational Hymn “Angels we have heard on high” Hymn 96 vs. 1 & 4
1 Angels we have heard on high, singing sweetly through the night,
and the mountains in reply echoing their brave delight.
Gloria in excelsis Deo, Gloria in in excelsis Deo.
4 See him in a manger laid whom the angels praise above;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, while we raise our hearts in love.
Gloria in excelsis Deo, Gloria in in excelsis Deo.
Lesson V Hebrews 1:1-4
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son,* whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains* all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.
Congregational Hymn “Joy to the world” Hymnal 100 vs. 1
1 Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her King;
let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and heaven and nature sing.
Lesson VI John 1:1-14
The Gospel According to John
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 came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being4in him was life,* and the life was the light of all people.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.* He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.He came to what was his own,* and his own people did not accept him.But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,* full of grace and truth.
Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.
Congregational Hymn “O come, all ye faithful” Hymn 83 vs. 1
1 O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come, and behold him, born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord.
Prayer:
Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of
your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our
hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Blessing
Dismissal
Recessional Hymn “Hark! The herald angels sing” Hymnal 87 vs. 1 & 3
1 Hark! The herald angels sing glory to the new born King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic host proclaim Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! The herald angels sing glory to the new born King!
3 Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.
Risen with healing in his wings, light and life to all he brings,
hail the Sun of Righteousness! Hail, the heaven born Prince of Peace!
Hark! The herald angels sing glory to the new born King!
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