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(U.S.A.)
Adoration of the Baby, c. 1620, public domain
HOLY NIGHT SERVICE
CHRISTMAS EVE 2014
So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger.
— Luke 2:16
A Christ-centered Community
Called to Deepen Faith, Serve Others and Foster Fellowship
ORDER OF WORSHIP FOR CHRISTMAS EVE
A CHRISTMAS PRELUDE
John Ru er, arr. Pa i Masri-Fletcher
What Sweeter Music
Appalachian carol, arr. Pa i Masri-Fletcher
I Wonder As I Wander
Henri Büsser
The Sleep of the Infant Jesus
W. J. Kirkpatrick, arr. David Willcocks
Away in a Manager
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The li)le Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The li)le Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The ca)le are lowing, the baby awakes,
But li)le Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.
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.
In dulci jubilo
German carol, arr. Robert Pearsall
In dulci jubilo,1
Let us our homage show;
Our heart’s joy reclineth
In praesepio,2
And like a bright star shineth
Matris in gremio.
Alpha es et O3
O patris caritas,
O Nati lenitas!7
Deep were stained
Per nostra criminal;8
But thou hast gained
Coelorum gaudia.9
O that we were there!
O Jesu parvule!4
I yearn for thee alway!
Hear me, I beseech thee,
O Puer optime!5
My prayer let it reach thee,
O Princeps gloriae!
Trahe me post te!6
Ubi sunt gaudia,10
If that they be not there?
There are angels singing
Nova cantica,11
There the bells are ringing,
In Regis curia.12
O that we were there!
with sweet jubilation; 2 in a manger; 3in [your] mother’s lap; You are Alpha and Omega; 4 O infant Jesus;
O best of boys; 6 O Prince of Glory, draw me after you [to heaven]; 7 O love of the Father! O mercy of the Son!;
8 through our sins; 9 the joys of heaven; 10 where are joys(?); 12 new songs; 12 in the courts of the King.
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5
Il est né
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Il est né le divin enfant,
Jouez hautbois, résonez muse)es;
Il es né le divin enfant,
Chantons tous son avènement.
French traditional carol, arr. David Willcocks
He is born the divine Christ-child,
Sound forth the oboes with pipes replying;
He is born the divine Christ-child,
Sing we praise to the infant mild.
More than four thousand years on earth,
Seers his advent were prophesying;
More than four thousand years on earth,
Man awaited this joyous birth.
In a manger thou deignst to be,
Straw the bed where-on thou art lying;
In a manger thou deigns to be,
For a God, what humility!
O what beauty and charm are thine,
Heavenly grace to our hearts supplying;
O what beauty and charm are thine,
O what sweetness thou Child divine!
Jesu, King, whom we bow before,
Yet an infant all power denying;
Jesu, King, whom we bow before,
Ruler our hearts now and evermore.
Adolphe Adam, arr. John Ru er
O Holy Night
O holy night! the stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth;
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared, and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! oh hear the angel voices!
O night divine! O night when Christ was born,
O night divine! O night, O night divine.
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by his cradle we stand;
So, led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend;
He knows our need, to our weakness no stranger;
Behold your King! before the lowly bend!
Behold your King! your King! before him bend.
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name.
Christ is the Lord, then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory evermore proclaim,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
Interlude, from Ceremony of Carols
Polish carol, arr. Dale Wood
Benjamin Bri en
THE PLACING OF THE MISTLETOE BOUGH AT THE ALTAR
In Medieval times in York Minster, at the festival of the Nativity, a bough of mistletoe gleaming with berries was
carried into the church on the shoulders of the celebrants and placed at the high altar, as symbolic of the Guidhel of
“All-heal” of the Gospel of incarnate grace, an effective cure for every root of bi erness.
* All standing at the ringing of the tower bell.
* CAROLS IN PROCESSION
Once in Royal David’s City
Irby
(Stanza one and two, choir alone; stanzas three, four and five, all.)
Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly ca)le shed,
Where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her li)le child.
He came down to earth from heaven who is God and Lord of all,
And his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and meek, and lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy.
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For he is our childhood’s paHern, day by day like us he grew,
He was liHle, weak and helpless, tears and smiles like us he knew,
And he feeleth for our sadness, and he shareth in our gladness.
And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love,
For that child so dear and gentle, is our Lord in heaven above;
And he leads his children on, to the place where he is gone.
Not in that poor lowly stable, with the oxen standing by,
We shall see him; but in heaven, set at God’s right hand on high;
When like stars his children crowned, all in white shall wait around.
Adeste Fideles
O Come, All Ye Faithful
O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him,
Born the King of angels:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him:
Christ the Lord.
Sing, choirs of Angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
Glory to God
In the highest:
O come…
God of God,
Light of Light,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Very God,
BegoHen, not created:
O come…
Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesu, to thee be glory given.
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing:
O come…
* PRAYER OF ADORATION
Eternal God of love and joy and peace, you gave Jesus, your Son, to
be our Savior.
We are humbled by the love of Christ in taking our human nature;
We are surprised by his lowly birth at Bethlehem; We are
challenged by the grace and truth by which he lived, and aHracted
by the peace he came to earth to bring. Enfold us in his peace, his
grace, his truth and love, As we offer now our worship, praise and
adoration, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
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Eternal God, in the beginning of time, you spoke and brought
creation into being, and gave the gift of life to every creature. In the
fullness of time again you spoke, when the Word became flesh in
Jesus, full of grace and truth. In Jesus, you provide the gift of new
life..
Our love is inadequate as a response to your deep love for us.
Forgive us for being weak in faith, empty of hope, lacking in love.
We pray that the miracle and mystery of Christmas may move us,
that Christ may be born in us, and live in our hearts as Lord and
Savior; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
The First Nowell
* RESPONSE
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
That hath made heaven and earth of nought,
And with His blood our life hath bought.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.
LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE
Randy and Lynda Wilds (8:30 p.m.)
Gary, Anita and Cheyenne Pinson (11:00 p.m.)
As we prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ, we light this candle
for Emmanuel, God with us, the Light of the world.
The Word became flesh and lived among us. And we have seen
his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
SUNG RESPONSE
Light a candle bright and tall,
For the Christ we greet today.
Christ has come, incarnate Word,
Truth from God for all the world.
Shine within our hearts today,
Come, O Christ, to us, we pray.
OUR LIFE TOGETHER
ANTHEM
spiritual, arr. William L. Dawson
Mary Had a Baby
Mary had a baby, my Lord!
Where was he born? Born in a manger.
What did they call Him? “King Jesus.”
He is called “King Jesus,” “Mighty Counsellor,”
“King Emmanuel,” “Mighty God,”
“Everlasting Father,” “Prince of Peace.”
SCRIPTURE LESSON
Isaiah 9:2-7 (Pew Bible, Old Testament page 638)
CAROL
Dormi, Jesu
Dormi, Jesu! Mater ridet
Quae tam dulcem somnum videt,
Dormi, Jesu! Blandule!
Si non dormis, mater plorat
Inter fila cantans orat,
Blande, veni, somnule.
SCRIPTURE LESSON
* HYMN 60
John Ru er
Sleep, Jesus! Mother smiles
Who sees such sweet sleep,
Sleep, Jesus, gentling!
If you sleep not, Mother weeps,
While she spins, in song she prays,
Come, gentle li le sleep.
Luke 2:1-20 (Pew Bible, New Testament page 58)
Silent Night, Holy Night
Stille Nacht
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PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION
THE LORD’S PRAYER
* HYMN 37
(‘debts’, ‘debtors’)
W Żlobie leży
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
PRESENTATION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
* PRAYER OF DEDICATION
CAROL
John Ru er
Jesus Child
Have you heard the story that they’re telling ‘bout Bethlehem,
Have you heard the story of the Jesus child?
How he came from heaven and was born in a manger bed?
Mary was his virgin mother pure and mild.
Sing alleluia, brothers, sing alleluia, sisters,
Worship the Jesus child and praise his mother mild.
“Glory to God on high” the angel hosts above are singing:
Listen to the story of the Jesus child.
Have you heard the story of the poor humble shepherd men,
Si)ing on the hillside with their flocks at night?
Suddenly the angel tells them: “Hurry to Bethlehem;
Go and find the Jesus child, the world’s true light.”
Sing alleluia…
Jesus child lying at Bethlehem,
Sleeping safe at Mary’s knee,
Save my soul and bring me to paradise,
Let me join the angels singing glory to thee.
Sing alleluia…
Have you heard the story of the kings from the Orient,
Following the star that’s shining over his head?
Offering their precious gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense,
Kneeling with the ox and ass before his bed?
Sing alleluia…
MEDITATION
“Surprise!”
CAROL
Christmas Night
Rev. R. Sheldon
Softly through the winter’s darkness shines a light,
Clear and still in Bethlehem on Christmas Night
Round the stable where a virgin mother mild
Watches over Jesus Christ the holy child.
Shepherds kneel in adoration by his bed;
Seraphim in glory hover round his head.
Wise men, guided by the leading of a star,
Bring him gifts of precious treasure from afar.
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Choirs of angels sing to greet his wondrous birth:
Christ our Lord in human form comes down to earth.
“Glory to God in highest heaven” their joyful strain:
“Peace on earth, goodwill to men” the glad refrain.
John Ru er
Lullaby! the child lies sleeping: sing lullaby!
Safe in Mary’s tender keeping: sing lullaby!
Guardian angels keep their watch till break of day:
Lullaby! sweet Jesus sleeps among the hay.
Alleluia! let the earth rejoice today!
Christ is born to take our sins and guilt away.
Praise the Lord who sent him down from heaven above:
Holy infant, born of God the Father’s love.
COLLECT FOR CHRISTMAS EVE
God our Father,
Whose glory is sung in the highest heaven,
And whose peace is offered to a hurt and broken world:
So fill us this day with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
That all our thoughts and words and deeds may be acceptable in
your sight,
And all our lives bring honor to your name;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God now and forever. Amen.
BENEDICTION
* HYMN 31
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Mendelssohn
Gustav Holst
CHORAL ORISON
In the bleak mid-winter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give Him my heart.
VOLUNTARY
Toccata on Vom Himmel hoch (Hymn 54)
Garth Edmundson
ON THE COVER
Gerrit van Honthurst (1590-1658) was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age, influenced by the Italian Caravaggio,
and renowned as a portrait painter. He was particularly noted for his night scenes. Intimacy and joy suffuse this
painting—if you look closely, you can see the shadowy figure of Joseph in the background. Oil on canvas, this
painting hangs today in the Uffizi in Florence.
Adoration of the Baby, c. 1620, public domain
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KOPQ OR STU HOVVW
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(248) 626-2515 ● kirkinthehills.org
Office Hours
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Open Door Hours
Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Sunday December 28
A worship service will be held in the sanctuary at 10:00 a.m. only.
Coffee Hour will take place in the Fireside Room following the service.
Stay connected with Kirk in the Hills
Robert L. Sheldon, Interim Pastor
William L. Adams III, Associate Pastor
Troy Hauser Brydon, Associate Pastor
Carol A. Tate, Associate Pastor
James F. Anderson, Pastor Emeritus
Glenn A. Miller, Director of Music & Organist
Dennis N. Curry, Associate Director of Music & Carillonneur
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