Christmas Eve 24 December 2022

Welcome

Singing: Joy To The World

George Frederic Handel and Isaac Watts

Verse 1
Joy to the world! The Lord is come
Let earth receive her king
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n, and heav’n, and nature sing

Verse 2
Joy to the world! The saviour reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

Verse 3
No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found
Far as the curse is found
Far as, far as the curse is found

Verse 4
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness
And wonders of his love
And wonders of his love
And wonders, wonders of his love

Public Domain.
Copied by permission. CCLI Music Reproduction Licence NO 97524.

Singing: We Three Kings Of Orient Are

John Henry Hopkins

Verse 1
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

Chorus
O star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

Verse 2
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign

Chorus
O star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

Verse 3
Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a deity nigh
Prayer and praising, all men raising
Worship him, God on high

Chorus
O star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

Verse 4
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone cold tomb

Chorus
O star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

Verse 5
Glorious now behold him arise
King and God and sacrifice
Alleluia, alleluia
Sounds through the earth and skies

Chorus
O star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light

Public Domain
Copied by permission. CCLI Music Reproduction Licence NO 97524.

Bible Reading

Singing: Joy Has Dawned

Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

Verse 1
Joy has dawned upon the world
Promised from creation
God’s salvation now unfurled
Hope for ev’ry nation
Not with fanfares from above
Not with scenes of glory
But a humble gift of love
Jesus born of Mary

Verse 2
Sounds of wonder fill the sky
With the songs of angels
As the mighty prince of life
Shelters in a stable
Hands that set each star in place
Shaped the earth in darkness
Cling now to a mother’s breast
Vulnerable and helpless

Verse 3
Shepherds bow before the Lamb
Gazing at the glory
Gifts of men from distant lands
Prophesy the story
Gold – a king is born today
Incense – God is with us
Myrrh – his death will make a way
And by his blood he’ll win us

Verse 4
Son of Adam, son of heav’n
Given as a ransom
Reconciling God and man
Christ, our mighty champion
What a saviour, what a friend
What a glorious myst’ry
Once a babe in Bethlehem
Now the Lord of hist’ry

Tag
What a saviour, what a friend
What a glorious myst’ry
Once a babe in Bethlehem
Now the Lord of hist’ry

2004 Thankyou Music
Copied by permission. CCLI Music Reproduction Licence NO 97524.

Giving: Christmas Offering (click here for details)

Prayer for the reading and preaching of Scripture

Bible Reading: Luke 2:8-18

Singing: Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Felix Mendelssohn and Charles Wesley

Verse 1
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With th’angelic hosts proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king

Verse 2
Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold him come
Offspring of a virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail th’incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell
Jesus our Emmanuel
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king

Verse 3
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace
Hail the sun of righteousness
Light and life to all he brings
Ris’n with healing in his wings
Mild he lays his glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark the herald an gels sing
Glory to the newborn king

Public Domain
Copied by permission. CCLI Music Reproduction Licence NO 97524.

Sermon: Welcome Our Peace (Preacher: Mark Vivian)

Singing: Silent Night (Christ The Saviour Is Born)

Ben Cantelon, Franz Xaver Gruber, John Freeman Young, Joseph Mohr, and Nick Herbert

Verse 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

Verse 2
Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heav’nly hosts sing alleluia
Christ the saviour is born
Christ the saviour is born

Chorus
Christ the saviour
Christ the saviour is born
Peace and hope have come
Through Jesus Christ the Son
Christ the saviour
Christ the saviour is born
Peace and hope have come
Through Jesus Christ the Son

Verse 3
Silent night, holy night
God’s great love giving life
Let the world together rejoice
Sing forever with one voice
Heaven’s hope is here
Heaven’s hope is here

Chorus
Christ the saviour
Christ the saviour is born
Peace and hope have come
Through Jesus Christ the Son
Christ the saviour
Christ the saviour is born
Peace and hope have come
Through Jesus Christ the Son

Verse 4
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

© Hope Ltd (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) and Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Copied by permission. CCLI Music Reproduction Licence NO 97524.

Benediction