Candlelight Service Christmas Eve

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF MOUNT KISCO

Sunday, December 24, 2023

Christmas Eve

11:00PM

Welcome! We are glad you are here.

If you have any questions or needs during the service, please speak to an usher.

+Please stand in spirit or in body.

WE GATHER

Prelude: “The Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth” choir

Welcome

Tower Bell

Threshold Moment

…There are angels among us,

there are angels among us,

bringing [love] on earth.

Do not be afraid

Prayer

Holy Living God, Blessed Jesus, Guiding Spirit,

alight within us your flame of love this day.

Grant us openness to hear your message.

Grant us courage to be your messengers in the world,

creating more love in the midst of fear.

Pastor: And with the angel messengers above us, among us and within us, we sing…

Do not be afraid

OPENING HYMN:“O Come All Ye Faithful” verses 1, 2, 3 UMH 234

WE PROCLAIM GOD’S WORD

The Story

Narrator: Joanne Hall, Messenger 1: Joe Baldwin, Messenger 2: Dave Visaggio, Messenger 3: Don McCann

Narrator:

This is the story according to the messengers of God, present then and present now. We remember the angel appearance to Zechariah, husband of Elizabeth and cousin to Mary, foretelling the birth of their son, John:

Messenger 1:

“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Narrator:

And so, it was! Elizabeth, even in her old age, was finally pregnant with John who would prepare a way for Jesus’ teachings many years later. Six months later in Nazareth, a city in the rural province of Galilee, the heavenly messenger Gabriel made another appearance. This time the messenger was sent by God to meet with a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David himself. The messenger entered her home and said:

Messenger 2: “

Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you… Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor 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 forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end… “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. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Narrator:

At first perplexed by this, Mary resolved to offer herself as the vessel through which more love was born into the world. But Joseph, her fiancé, needed some encouragement too, for becoming pregnant before their marriage was a serious offense in the eyes of the community. A message was needed:

Messenger 3:

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this takes place to fulfill what has been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”

Narrator:

And so, Joseph stood by her and she grew with the presence of God within her. The story continues: “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 angels said to them:

Messenger 1:

Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people!

Messenger 2:

To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord!

Messenger 3:

This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.

Narrator:

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, Yes! YOU are the multitude of messengers who have gathered this night to proclaim this Good News! And the angels of God praised God and said:

Congregation: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace and goodwill among all people!”

Yes, we can all be messengers of God and we give thanks this night that God has given us the wings of love to help us carry this message. I want to invite any children who would like to come forward at this time. You have each been given two feathers. Bring them with you. You have an important part to play in this song of the angels. Every time we sing “Glo——ria” you will fly with your feathers, waving your arms to spread the message that Christ is born to all the earth!

HYMN: “Angels We Have Heard on High” verses 1, 2, 3 UMH 238

CHOIR ANTHEM “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” Robert McGimsey

soloist, Kooki Laux

Meditation on Love

WE RESPOND

OFFERING

OFFERTORY HYMN “A Cradle in Bethlehem” Al Bryan / Lawrence Stock

soloist, Heather Kent

DOXOLOGY

Tune: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise God, all Spirit messengers below.

Praise God, the source of all our gifts!

Praise Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts!

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel has come to thee, O Israel.

Prayer of Dedication

Communion

Leader: In this moment of gathering together,

…“We hear the message of God, Do not be afraid.”

Prayer of Confession

When we allow darkness to overcome the light,

forgive us, Lord.

When we reduce Christmas to plastic and tinsel,

have mercy on us, Father.

When hardness of heart keeps us from seeing and hearing and touching the needs of others,

let your grace consume us, O God.

When the wars around us are of no concern,

forgive us, Lord, and move us to compassion for those who suffer.

When our caring is not extended to action,

move us to seek justice for our brothers and sisters. We come to confess our sinfulness before you and before each other. Remove all barriers that divide us, and let there be no obstacle to our love for you and for one another. Amen.

Glory to God in the Highest heaven! Your peace surpasses all need, all evil, all understanding. You redeem our harm with your peace. You remove our guilt with your peace You draw near to make us your peaceGlory to God in the Highest heaven!

Amen

All pray in silence.

Glory to God in the Highest heaven! Your peace surpasses all need, all evil, all understanding. You redeem our harm with your peace. You remove our guilt with your peace You draw near to make us your peaceGlory to God in the Highest heaven!

Amen

The Great Thanksgiving

Christmas Carol Communion

To the tune of: Good King Wenscelaus

May the Lord be with you all.

And with you, God’s servant.

Lift your hearts unto the Lord.

Lift our hearts most fervent.

Let us give our thanks to God.

With thankful hearts we’re praising.

Good and right, it is to do,

and it has God’s blessing.

…And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven

we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

To the tune of: Angels We Have Heard on High #238

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of hosts, all praise be given!

All your glory fills the earth; all your power fills the heavens.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Blessed is the one who came, bringing love and light divine.

Blessed is the king who comes in the bread and in the wine.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

…And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

To the tune of: O Come, O Come Emmanuel #211

O Send your Spirit now upon these gifts;

make them to be Christ’s body and Christ’s blood.

Make real in us his life and show

that we are one with him in ministry.

Now, by your Spirit make us one with Christ,

until he comes in love’s great victory.

Through Jesus, your Emmanuel,

and with the Spirit in your holy church,

All honor and glory are yours,

for now, and forever more.

Amen! Amen! To God the glory be.

Amen! Amen! Alleluia! Amen!

The Lord’s Prayer

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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Breaking of the Bread.

Serving communion.

COMMUNION SONG “Still, Still, Still” violin Nicolas Kent Georg Götsch /Traditional Austrian carol

To the tune of: Away in a Manger #217

Lord, now in your mercy, your servants release.

As your word has promised, oh, grant us your peace.

Our eyes your salvation and mercy behold,

prepared for the nations as prophets foretold.

A light to the Gentiles, by whom they now see,

the glory of Israel, the Promised One be,

who lives now and ever, the heaven’s bright Son,

with Father and Spirit, eternally one.