1st Sunday of Christmas

Little Farms United Church of Christ

John Calvin Presbyterian Church

December 26, 2021 10:30 am

Ministers: The Reverend Susan Lassalle

The Reverend Aaron Ochart             

Please silence all cell phones.. 

Bold face indicates congregational participation.

GATHERING

HYMN 41                “O Come All Ye Faithful”                  ADESTE FIDELES

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant;

O come ye; O come ye; O come ye to Bethlehem!

Come and behold him, born the King of angels. 

(Refrain) O Come Let us adore him; O come let us adore him;

O come let us adore him; Christ the Lord!

True God from true God, Light from light eternal,

born of a virgin, a mortal he comes;

ve-ry G-od, begotten not created. (Refrain)

Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation;

sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!

Glory to God, all glory in the highest! (Refrain) 

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)

WORDS OF WELCOME

PRELUDE                       

ADORATION

CALL TO WORSHIP                                                       (Isaiah 9, 60) 

Leader: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Congregation: For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; 

Leader: but the Lord will arise upon you, and God’s glory will appear over you.

Congregation: Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Leader: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;

Congregation: Those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined.

All: Let us celebrate the Light of the world, for upon us has the Light shined.

SCRIPTURE READING                                                       Luke 2:41-52   

Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travellers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, ‘Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.’ He said to them, ‘Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favour.

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN 

OFFERITORY                    “Tiny Miracle”                         Pepper Choplin

Come and see this tiny miracle, come and see this holy Child. 

Come and see this tiny miracle, there’s a spiritual presence here. 

O come and see this tiny being and know we’re seeing the holy Christ child. 

Come and see this tiny miracle, hear the lyrical baby’s cry.

It is the sound of new creation, the Incarnation, the holy Christ Child.

Come and see this holy Child. Come bow and worship.

We bring gifts of praise to lay before Him as we adore Him, the Lord, 

the Lord of Lords is here in this town, the town of Bethlehem,

few will welcome Him on His birth day

until the angels rouse the shepherds and start forever to celebration.

We come bow to worship We bring gifts of praise to lay 

before Him as we adore Him, the Lord. 

O Come and see this tiny miracle, there’s a spiritual presence here. 

O come and see this tiny being and know we’re seeing the holy Christ Child.

Come and see, the holy Child of God. 

PRAYERS of the PEOPLE                                                         

HYMN                      “The First Nowell”                    THE FIRST NOWELL

1. The first Nowell the angel did say 

was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,

in fields where they lay keeping their sheep, 

on a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

Refrain: Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, born is the king of Israel. 

2. They look-ed up and saw a star shining in the east beyond them far;

and to the earth it gave great light, 

and so it continued both day and night. (Refrain) 

And by the light of that same star

three wisemen came from country far;

to seek for a king was their intent,

and to follow the star wherever it went. (Refrain)

This star drew nigh to the northwest;

o’er Bethlehem it took its rest,

and there it did both stop and stay,

right over the place where Jesus lay. (Refrain)

SCRIPTURE                                                                   Matthew 2:1-18

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

   who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’

When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

‘A voice was heard in Ramah,

   wailing and loud lamentation,

Rachel weeping for her children;

   she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’

Many: Glory to God in the highest!

Christ has been born! Give him glory! 

Christ has come down from heaven! receive him!

Christ is now on earth! Exalt him!

O earth, sing to the Lord!

O you nations, praise him in joy, for he has been glorified!

Amen!

PROCLAMATION

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN     “What Christmas Means”

ANTHEM               “Unless You Consider the Child”             Mary Kay Beall

It was an ordinary night, a night like many nights before.

It was an ordinary night, so ordinary, nothing more.

A common, ordinary night, a night like many nights you’ve known…

Unless you consider the child. 

It was a simple, little town, a town like many towns before.

It was a simple, little town, a common place and nothing more.

A place you never would recall, a place so easy to forget…

Unless you consider the child.

Unless you consider the star; unless you consider the kings from afar.

Unless you consider the angels who sang, it was an ordinary night.

It was an ordinary night, and in a simple, quiet town.

A humble stable set the stage, while sheep and cattle gathered round.

There was a manger filled with hay. “So ordinary,” some would say…

Unless you consider the child, the Son, the Promised One.

Unless you consider the child.

FIRST LESSON                                                           Luke 2:1-14 

 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.

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 Saviour, 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 favours!’

L: The Word of the Lord.

P: Thanks be to God.                    

HOMILY                       “Word made Flesh”              The Rev. Aaron Ochart

RESPONSE  

OFFERTORY                      “Angel Song”       Patricia Mock and Jon Paige

Angels soar into the night singing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Fill the earth with heav’nly light singing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Tell the news to ev’ry nation.  Celebrate what God has done!

Miracles are just beginning.  Glory to the King! Glory to the newborn King!

Shepherds listen to the call, bringing glory to the newborn King!

Lift your voices one and all singing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

All the world as one rejoices, lifting carols of joy and praise!

Fill the earth with joyful noises.  Glory to the King! Glory to the King! 

Glory to the newborn King! Gloria in excelsis Deo!

All creatures greet your Lord, singing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Songs of joy have been restored!  Singing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Come and join the celebration.  Come and raise your voice as one!

This our cry of jubilation! Glory to the King! Glory to the newborn King!

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. 

It is right to give our thanks and praise…

…Therefore with all creation we sing your praise:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest…

According to Christ’s commandment:

We remember his death, we proclaim his resurrection, we await his coming glory…

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

The gifts of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

SCRIPTURE READING, John 1:1-14 

CANDLE LIGHTING, and CLOSING HYMNS: (on Back)