First Presbyterian Church
December 24, 2020
7:30 PM
Worship Service
Christmas Eve Service
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
On this Christmas Eve, we
come humbly before our God.
Let us come to the manger of the Prince of
Peace.
May the blessings of your
Son’s birth wash over us.
Let us worship the Living
God.
*HYMN OF PRAISE “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 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 thee, Lord Jesus, look down
from the sky and stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
3. 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 fit us for heaven to live with thee there.
*PRAYER OF
CONFESSION (Unison)
God, Creator of all life, you
made us in your image and sent your Son to be our flesh. Grant us now in this glad time of his birth,
that we, who have been made new through his grace, may daily find all things
made new in him. We offer to you our old
lives, laden with sin and evil. Take
these lives from us and fill us with the new life in your grace. In the name of Jesus, born in the manger, we
pray. Amen.
*SILENT PRAYERS
OF CONFESSION
*ASSURANCE OF
PARDON
*THE GLORIA
PATRI
Glory be to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is
now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
THE PEACE
Since God has forgiven us in
Christ,
let us forgive one another.
The peace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all.
And also with
you.
WORDS OF WELCOME
LESSON: Luke 2:1-20
2In those days a decree went out
from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This
was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of
Syria. 3All went to their own towns to
be registered. 4Joseph 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. 5He went to
be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a
child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver
her child. 7And 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.
8In that region there were
shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then
an angel of the Lord stood before 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 see—I am bringing you good news of
great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in
the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This
will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in
bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and
saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest
heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” 15When
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.” 16So they went with haste
and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When
they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and
all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But
Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her
heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising
God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
This is the Word of the Lord,
Thanks Be To God.
SERMON: Rev. Peter
Hofstra “A Moment at the Manger”
Dear God, on
this night we pray for peace. We pray for peace to enter our hearts and our
minds that this Christmas will be a renewal of our commitment to you and a
revival of your Spirit in our community.
Amen.
*HYMN OF RESPONSE: “Joy To The World”
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 nature sing.
2. Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy.
THE OFFERING OF
OUR TITHES & GIFTS
*DOXOLOGY
Praise God, from
whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him
above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
*OFFERTORY
PRAYER
*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 debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the
kingdom and the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.
*SHARING OF THE
CHRIST LIGHT
*CLOSING HYMN:
“Silent Night”
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,
heavenly 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.
4. Silent night,
holy night, wondrous star, lend thy light; with the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King; Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born!
*BENEDICTION
Go
in peace, go in joy to serve God and neighbor in all that you do.
We are sent in the name of the
Christ child.
THREE FOLD AMEN
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