Christmas Eve December 24, 2021
Prayer at the Close of Day on Christmas Eve
Opening
Hymn 55 Oh
Come, All Ye Faithful
1
Oh,
come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
Oh,
come ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem;
Come
and behold him, Born the King of angels.
Refrain:
Oh,
come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh,
come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
2
God
from true God, and Light from Light eternal,
Born
of a virgin, to earth he comes,
Only
begotten Son of God the Father.
Refrain:
Oh,
come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh,
come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
3
Sing,
choirs of angels, Sing in exultation;
Sing,
all ye citizens of heav’n above.
Glory
to God, all Glory in the highest.
Refrain:
Oh,
come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh,
come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
4
Yea,
Lord, we greet thee, Born this happy morning;
Jesus,
to thee be all glory giv’n,
Word
of the Father, Now in flesh appearing.
Refrain:
Oh,
come, let us adore him, Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh,
come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Text: John F. Wade, c. 1711-86; tr. Frederick Oakeley, 1802-80, alt.
P: The Lord
Almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last.
C: (sing) Amen.
P: It is good to
give thanks to the Lord,
C: (sing) To sing
praise to your name, O Most High;
P: To herald your
love in the morning,
C: (sing) Your
truth at the close of day.
P: Jesus, remember
me when you come into your kingdom.
C: (sing) Jesus,
remember me when you come into your kingdom.
P: The people who
walked in darkness have seen a great light.
C: The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
P: Those who dwelt in
the land of deep darkness, on them light has shined.
C: We have seen
the glory of the Christ, the glory of the only Son of the Father, full of grace
and truth.
P: For to us a child
is born, to us a Son is given.
C: In him was life, and the life was the
light of men.
The presiding minister
sings:
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.
The
Congregation sings:
Ah,
dearest Jesus, holy Child, Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled
Within
my heart, made clean and new, A quiet chamber kept for you.
Glory
to God in highest heaven, Who unto us his Son has
given!
While
angels sing with pious mirth A glad new year to all the earth.
Text: Martin Luther, 1483-1546; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78, alt.
P: The grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray:
Almighty God, you made this holy night shine with the
brightness of the true light. Grant that as we have known on earth the wonder
of that light, we may also behold him in all his glory in the life to come;
through your only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen. (spoken)
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7; Jeremiah 23:1-6; Zechariah 9:9-10; Micah 5:2-5
Isaiah
9:2, 6-7
2The
people walking in darkness have seen a great light.
For those living in the land of the shadow of death, the light has
dawned.
6For to us
a child is born.
To us a son is given.
The authority to rule will rest on his shoulders.
He will be named:
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
7There
will be no limit to his authority
and no end to the peace he brings.
He will rule on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
from now on, into eternity.
The zeal of the Lord of
Armies will accomplish this.
Jeremiah
23:1-6
Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!
declares the Lord.
2Therefore,
this is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd my people.
You have scattered my flock.
You have driven them away.
You have not taken care of them,
but I will certainly take care of you,
because of the evil things you have done,
declares the Lord.
3I will
gather what is left of my flock
out of all the countries
where I have driven
them,
and I will bring them back to their pastures.
They will be fruitful and multiply.
4I will raise up shepherds over them
who will shepherd
them.
They will no longer be afraid or terrified,
nor will any be missing, declares the Lord.
5Listen, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
who will reign wisely as king
and establish justice and righteousness on earth.
6In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will dwell securely.
This is his name by which he will be called:
The Lord Our Righteousness.
Zechariah 9:9-10
9Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your King is coming to you.
He is righteous and brings salvation.
He is humble and is riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the horse from Jerusalem.
The battle bow will be taken away,
and he will proclaim peace to the nations.
His kingdom will extend from sea to sea,
from the River to the ends of the
earth.
Micah 5:2-5a
2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me
in Israel.
His goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of
eternity.
3Therefore the LORD
will give them up,
until the time when the woman who is in labor bears a
child.
Then the remaining survivors from his brothers will return
to the people of Israel.
4He will stand and shepherd with the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
They will dwell securely, for at that time he will be great
to the ends of the earth.
5This one will be their peace.
Hymn
12 Hark the Glad Sound! The Savior Comes
1
Hark
the glad sound! The Savior comes,
The
Savior promised long;
Let
ev’ry heart prepare a throne
And
ev’ry voice a song.
2
He
comes the captives to release,
In
Satan’s prison held.
The
gates of brass before him burst;
The
iron fetters yield.
3
He
comes the broken heart to bind,
The
bleeding soul to cure,
And
with the treasures of his grace
To
enrich the humble poor.
4
Our
glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Your welcome shall proclaim,
And
heav’n’s eternal arches ring
With
your beloved name.
Text: Philip Doddridge, 1702-51, abr., alt.
Luke 1:5-17
5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest
named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife was
from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6They were
both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and
righteous decrees of the Lord. 7They did not have a child because
Elizabeth was unable to bear children, and they were both well along in years. 8On
one occasion, while Zechariah was serving as priest before God and his division
was on duty, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the
priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10The
whole crowd of people were praying outside the temple during the hour of the
incense offering.
11An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right
side of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was
startled and overcome by fear. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not
be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth
will bear a son for you, and you are to name him John. 14You will
have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15because
he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to drink wine or beer.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16He
will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17He
will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the
fathers to the children, and to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the
righteous, to prepare a people who are ready for the Lord.”
Luke 1:26-38
26In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to
a town of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin pledged in marriage
to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was
Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are
highly favored! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.”
29But she was greatly troubled by the statement and was
wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30The angel said to
her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31Listen,
you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32He
will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33He will
reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
34Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a
virgin?”
35The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon
you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son
of God. 36Listen, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son
in her old age even though she was called barren, and this is her sixth month. 37For
nothing will be impossible for God.”
38Then Mary said, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it
happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Hymn 24 vv. 1&2 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 to meek and lowly Mary,
“Most
highly favored maiden.” Gloria!
2 “I come from heav’n to tell the Lord’s decree:
A
blessed virgin mother you shall be.
Your
Son shall be Immanuel, by seers foretold,
Most
highly favored maiden.” Gloria!
Matthew 1:18-23
18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His
mother, Mary, was pledged in marriage to Joseph. Before they came together, she
was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19Joseph, her
husband, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her. So he decided to divorce her privately. 20But as
he was considering these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him
in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home
as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She
will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he
will save his people from their sins.”
22All this happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord
through the prophet: 23“Look, the virgin will be with child and will
give birth to a son. And they will name him Immanuel,” which means, “God with
us.”
24When Joseph woke up from his sleep, he did as the angel of
the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary home as his wife, 25but he
was not intimate with her until she gave birth to her firstborn son. And he
named him Jesus.
Hymn
34 vv. 1&4 Now Sing We, Now Rejoice
1
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!
4
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!
Text: Latin hymn, 14th century; tr. Arthur T.
Russell, 1806-74, alt.
Luke 2:1-5
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that
all the world should be registered. 2This was the first census taken
while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3And everyone went to register,
each to his own town. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of
the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called
Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David. 5He
went to be registered with Mary, his wife, who was pledged to him in marriage
and was expecting a child.
Hymn
65 vv. 1&3 O Little Town of Bethlehem
1 O little town of
Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie!
Above
thy deep And dreamless sleep The silent stars go by.
Yet
in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting light.
The
hopes and fears Of all the years Are met in thee
tonight.
3
How
silently, how silently The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts To human hearts The
blessings of his heav’n.
No
ear may hear his coming, But in this world of sin
Where
meek souls will Receive him still, The dear Christ
enters in.
Text: Phillips Brooks, 1835-93, abr., alt.
Luke 2:6-7
6And so it was that
while they were there, the
time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths,
and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Hymn
68 Away in a
Manger
1
Away
in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The
little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The
stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The
little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
2
The
cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But
little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I
love you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky,
And
stay by my side until morning is nigh.
3
Be
near me, Lord Jesus; I ask you to stay
Close
by me forever and love me, I pray.
Bless
all the dear children in your tender care,
And
take us to heaven to live with you there.
Text: Little Children’s Book, Philadelphia,
1885, st. 1-2; Vineyard Songs, Louisville,
1892, st. 3.
Luke 2:8-14
8There were in the same country
shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. 9An
angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were terrified! 10But the angel said to them, “Do not
be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for
all people: 11Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you.
He is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: You will
find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in
a manger.” 13Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the
heavenly army, praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.”
53
vv. 1 & 2 To Shepherds as They Watched by Night
1
To
shepherds as they watched by night
Appeared
a host of angels bright;
“Behold
the tender babe,” they said,
“In
yonder lowly manger laid,
2 “At Bethlehem, in
David’s town,
As
Micah did of old make known.
is the Christ, your Lord and King,
Who
will to all salvation bring.”
Text: Martin Luther, 1483-1546; tr. Richard
Massie, 1800-87, alt.
Luke 2:15-20
15When the angels went away from
them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Now let’s go to Bethlehem
and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16So
they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the
manger. 17When they had seen him, they told others the message they
had been told about this child. 18And all who heard it were amazed
by what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all
these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God for all the
things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Hymn
54 vv. 1&2 Where Shepherds Lately Knelt
1
Where
shepherds lately knelt and kept the angel’s word,
I
come in half-belief, a pilgrim strangely stirred;
But
there is room and welcome there for me,
But
there is room and welcome there for me.
2
In
that unlikely place I find him as they said:
Sweet
newborn Babe, how frail! and in a manger bed,
A
still, small voice to cry one day for me,
A
still, small voice to cry one day for me.
Text: Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919-2008. © 1987
Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Sermon
Offering
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Hymn
707 Peace Came to Earth
1
Peace
came to earth at last that chosen night
When
angels clove the sky with song and light
And
God embodied love and sheathed his might-
Who
could but gasp: Immanuel! Who could but sing: Immanuel!
2
And
who could be the same for having held
The
infant in their arms and later felt
The
wounded hands and side, all doubts dispelled-
Who
could but sigh: Immanuel! Who could but shout: Immanuel!
You show the Father
none has ever seen,
In
flesh and blood you bore our griefs and pain,
In
bread and wine you visit us again-
Who
could but see: Immanuel! Who could but thrill: Immanuel!
4
How
else could I have known you, O my God!
How
else could I have loved you, O my God!
How
else could I embrace you, O my God!
Who
could but pray: Immanuel! Who could but praise: Immanuel!
The
picturesque language of this Jaroslav Vajda hymn vividly illustrates the
weighty significance of God becoming man in Christ.
Text:
Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919-2008 © 1984 Concordia Publishing House. All rights
reserved. Used by permission.
Prayer
P: Hear my prayer,
O Lord.
C: (sing) Listen
to my cry.
P: Keep me as the
apple of your eye.
C: (sing) Hide me
in the shadow of your wings.
P: In
righteousness I shall see you.
C: (sing) When I
awake, your presence will give me joy.
Prayer of the Church
P: As once the night shone with the
brightness of the one, true Light, enlighten our hearts this night, that
rejoicing in the birth of our Savior we may approach Your throne of grace with
courage and confidence, praying on behalf of ourselves and for all people as
they have need.
Brief silence
P: Merciful Father, we give You thanks for
all of Your mercies new each morning, but most especially do we praise Your
goodness for giving to us the gift of Your only Son and for His revelation of
Your grace and His mighty acts of deliverance by which
we shall be saved. Keep us faithful to Christ, that we may know and delight in
His Word.
C: Through the ministry of this Word,
bring forth in us good fruit in keeping with Your will and purpose.
P: We pray to You, O Lord, on behalf of
Your Church here and throughout the world. Keep her ministers faithful in
preaching and teaching the pure doctrine of Your saving Word. Through their
ministry, strengthen us in faith toward You and in love toward one another.
C: Raise up those who will bring Your
saving Gospel to those who have not heard, that by hearing they may believe and
by believing they may rejoice in the incarnation of Your Son and His work to
save us from our sins and rescue us from death and the grave.
P: Grant Your blessing, O Lord, to all
citizens of this land and those who serve us in Your name, especially the
president, the Congress of these United States, the governor of this state, and
all judges and magistrates. Grant that they may exercise the authority
entrusted to them according to Your divine providence and seek to fulfill Your
will and purpose in holding the criminal accountable to justice, keeping us
secure against any and all threats and violence, and
enabling us to live a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and holiness.
C: Give peace to the nations and
preserve those who suffer the threat of persecution and death for Your sake.
P: Be with those who cry to You in any
need. Grant to them grace sufficient to preserve them in the day of trouble,
and provide for them, according to Your will, healing
and comfort for all their needs of body and soul. We pray to You especially on
behalf of ___________ and those we name in our hearts.
C: Grant to them strength, that they
may not lose heart or grow weary under the strain of affliction but rejoice in
Your comfort and peace.
P: As our families gather in this holy
season of our Savior’s birth, give to us patience
that we may be slow to judge and quick to forgive. Give to the lonely the
comfort of Your presence and help us to extend to them the welcome of our homes
and the friendship of Your grace. Make us mindful of those less fortunate, who
celebrate this blessed feast in poverty and want.
C: Teach us to be generous in the care
of those in need and to cheerfully return to You the tithes and offerings of a
grateful heart. Accept with these offerings the living sacrifice of our bodies
to Your service and our voices in praise and thanksgiving.
P: Bless the places where we gather to be
taught the good news of the Savior who comes as God in flesh and guide our
hearts so that we may faithfully discern the voice of truth from error.
C: Lead us to know and confess with all
joy the good news of our Savior, that those who hear may rejoice with us and
with the angels and shepherds who worship Christ, the newborn King.
P: O Lord, gracious and merciful, keep us
steadfast amid the temptations of the evil one, that we may walk in Christ and
live out our days in holiness and righteousness, doing the good works that
testify to Christ and serving our neighbor in love, to the glory of Your holy
name. Grant to us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, that we may with godly faith
and holy life prepare in this world for the life which is to come.
C: When our last hour comes, prevent us
from succumbing to the power of fear, and enable us to rest in Christ all our
hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Then
at last, bring us to the full consummation of all Christ began, to the blest
reunion with those who have gone before, and to see You face to face in Your
Kingdom without end.
P: All these things we pray You, O Lord,
in the name of Jesus Christ, Your own Son, whom You have made known to us in
the mystery of the Word made flesh, who has fulfilled all the Law and the
prophets and delivered us to You as Your own people through the blood of the
everlasting covenant, that we may do what is good and right and pleasing in
Your sight.
C: To You be all glory
and honor, worship and praise, now and forevermore. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
C: (sing) Our
Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as
we forgive those who sin against us; Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are
yours now and forever.
Amen.
Special
Music A Son Emmanuel
Gospel Canticle
P: Guide us
waking, O Lord,
C: (sing) And
guard us sleeping:
P: That awake we
may watch with Christ,
C: (sing) And
asleep we may rest in peace.
C: (sing) In
peace, Lord, in peace you let your servant now depart according to your
word. For my eyes have seen your
salvation, which you have prepared for every people, a light to lighten the
Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.
In peace, in peace.
Hymn 42 vv. 1,3,5 Come Your Hearts and Voices
Raising
1
Come,
your hearts and voices raising,
Christ
the Lord with gladness praising;
Loudly
sing his love amazing,
Worthy
folk of Christendom.
2
See
how God, for us providing,
Gave
his Son and life abiding;
He
our weary steps is guiding
From
earth’s woe to heav’nly joy.
3
Christ,
from heav’n to us descending
And
in love our race befriending,
In
our need his help extending,
Saved
us from the wily foe.
4
Jacob’s
Star in all its splendor
Beams
with comfort sweet and tender,
Forcing
Satan to surrender,
Breaking
all the pow’rs of hell.
5
Gracious
Child, we pray you, hear us;
From
your lowly manger cheer us.
Gently
lead us and be near us
Till
we join th’ angelic choir.
Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607-76, abr.; tr. The
Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis, 1941.
Blessing
P: The almighty
and merciful Lord - the Father, the Son,† and the Holy
Spirit - bless us and keep us.
C: Amen.
Adult Choir
Peace, Peace
(congregation
joins for Silent Night, Hymn 60)
1
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.
2
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!
3
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.
Text: Franz Joseph Mohr, 1792-1848, abr.; tr. John
F. Young, 1820-85.
Pastor Schamber, Mr. Scherschel,
the Faculty and Staff at Holy Trinity would like to wish you a Blessed
Christmas and a Joyous New Year!
For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 EHV