Grace
UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
THE ORDER
FOR WORSHIP
December 25, 2005
Christmas
Day
9:25 a.m. o’clock
Liturgical Color: White
In the gift of a baby in Bethlehem, God
comes to dwell with us. Through Him, we
are never out of God’s sight or mind.
Through Him, we are eternally and intimately the object of God’s love
and affection. O come, let us adore Him.
(The asterisk (*) designates when
the congregation will please stand.
Worshipers who find standing difficult
are invited to remain seated.
Bold print is read or sung by the congregation.
)
THE WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
(You
are invited to sign and pass the Ritual of Friendship pads.
When
it reaches the end of the pew, please pass it back so that all may note those
worshiping today.
Cards
are available in the pew for those desiring to request prayer or praise
for
specific needs, concerns and joys.
Please place the card in the offering plate during the offering.)
THE PRELUDE
“Joy to the
World” (Hymn
246)
John Ness Beck
THE CALL TO WORSHIP
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!
THE CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS MORNING Liz Harper
“On Bethlehem Morning”
THE OPENING PRAYER
O God our
Father, you have brought us again to the glad morning when we celebrate the
birth of your
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant that
his Spirit may be born anew in our
hearts this
day and that we may joyfully welcome him to reign over us. Open our ears that
we may hear
again the angelic chorus of old. Open
our lips that we, too, may sing with
uplifted
hearts. Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth, peace, goodwill toward all;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE SINGING OF THE
CAROLS OF CHRISTMAS
“Angels We Have
Heard on High”
Hymn #238
“Away in a
Manger”
Hymn #217
(The
congregation is invited to request the singing of a favorite Christmas carol
{Hymns
216 – 250}
during
this time of praise and rejoicing.)
THE CALL TO PRAYER
Leader: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Leader: Let us pray.
We yearn, our Father, for the simple
beauty of Christmas – for all the old familiar melodies and words that remind
us of that great miracle when He who had made all things was one night to come
as a Babe, to lie in the crook of a woman’s arm.
Before such mystery we kneel, as we follow
the Shepherds and Wise Men to bring You the gift of our love – a love we
confess that has not always been as warm or sincere or real as it should have
been. But now, on this Christmas Day,
that love would find its Beloved, and from You receive the grace to make it
pure again, warm and real.
We bring to You our gratitude for every
token of Your love. Hear us now as we
pray, each in our own words and our own way.
Moments of
Silent Prayer
(The altar of this church is open to you…come.
Come
to witness, come to repent, come to pray.)
The Pastoral
Prayer
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.
*THE GOSPEL LESSON Luke 2
Kyle Hartzog
A MESSAGE FOR CHILDREN
THE ANTHEM
Altar
Choir
A Stable
Lamp is Lighted Allan Mahnke
A
stable lamp is lighted whose glow shall wake the sky;
The
stars shall bend their voices, and ev’ry stone shall cry,
And
ev’ry stone shall cry and straw like gold shall shine;
A
barn shall harbor heaven, a stall become a shrine.
This
child through David’s city shall ride in triumph by;
The
palm shall strew its branches, and ev’ry stone shall cry.
And
ev’ry stone shall cry, though heavy, dull, and dumb,
And
lie within the roadway to pave his kingdom come.
Yet
he shall be forsaken and yielded up to die;
The
sky shall groan and darken, and ev’ry stone shall cry.
And
ev’ry stone shall cry for stony hearts of men;
God’s
blood upon the spearhead, God’s love refused again.
But
now, as at the ending, the low is lifted high;
The
stars shall bend their voices, and ev’ry stone shall cry.
And
ev’ry stone shall cry in praises of the child
By
whose descent among us the worlds are reconciled.
THE PROCLAMATION
Pastor
Stephen Beutler
THE GIVING OF OUR
CHRISTMAS GIFTS TO OUR GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
(If you are visiting this
morning, you are our guest. If
the biblical expectation
is that you will give your tithe to your church. May we all remember that giving to
God in response to His
great love is the most celebrative moment of corporate worship. Today’s loose
coin offering is dedicated
to the Bishop’s Christmas Offering for Children.)
The Giving of
our Tithes and Offering
The Offertory
“The First Noel” (Hymn 245) Jay
Rouse
*The Festival
Doxology and Prayer of Dedication
Hymn No. 94
Praise
God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise
God, all creatures here below; Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise
God, the source of all our gifts!
Praise
Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts!
Praise
the Spirit, Holy Spirit! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
*THE HYMN
Hymn No. 246
“Joy to
the World”
*THE BENEDICTION
*THE POSTLUDE
“Angels We
Have Heard on High” (Hymn
238) Hugh S.
Livingston Jr.