Service of Nine Lessons & Carols – 24th December 2023
Processional Carol: Once in Royal David’s City – choir/soloist to sing the first verse
- Once in royal David’s city 2. He came down to earth from heaven
stood a lowly cattle shed, who is God and Lord of all,
where a mother laid her baby and his shelter was a stable,
in a manger for his bed: and his cradle was a stall:
Mary was that mother mild, with the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Jesus Christ, her little child. lived on earth our Saviour holy.
- And thro’ all his wondrous childhood 4. And our eyes at last shall see him,
he would honour and obey, thro’ his own redeeming love;
love and watch the lowly maiden for that child so dear and gentle
in whose gentle arms he lay: is our Lord in heav’n above:
Christian children all must be and he leads his children on
mild, obedient, good as he. 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.
Welcome and Introduction
All: Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done; in 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, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.
O God the Son, highest and holiest, who humbled yourself to share our birth and our death: bring us with the shepherds and wise men to kneel before you at your holy cradle, that we may come to sing with your angels your glorious praises in heaven: where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, God, world without end. Amen
Choir – Laudate Dominum
1st Reading Genesis 3 (8–15, 17-19) God declares the consequences of human sin.
At the end of the Reading, the reader will say:
God’s word is a lantern to our feet
All: and a light to our path.
Carol: Joy to the World
Joy to the world, the Lord is come 2. Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let earth receive her King! Let men their songs employ,
Let every heart prepare Him room, while fields and floods,
and heav’n and nature sing, rocks, hills, and plains
and heav’n and nature sing, repeat the sounding joy,
and heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing. repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
- 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.
2nd Reading Genesis 22 (15–18) God promises to faithful Abraham that in his descendants the nations of the world will be blessed.
At the end of the Reading, the reader will say:
God’s word is a lantern to our feet
All: and a light to our path.
Carol: In the Bleak Midwinter
In the bleak midwinter 2. Our God, heaven cannot hold him,
frosty wind made moan, nor earth sustain;
earth stood hard as iron, heaven and earth shall flee away
water like a stone: when he comes to reign:
snow had fallen, in the bleak midwinter
snow on snow, snow on snow, a stable place sufficed
in the bleak midwinter, the Lord God Almighty,
long ago. Jesus Christ.
- Angels and archangels 4. What can I give him,
may have gathered there, poor as I am?
cherubim and seraphim If I were a shepherd,
thronged the air, I would bring a lamb,
but only his mother, if I were a wise man
in her maiden bliss, I would do my part,
worshiped the Beloved yet what I can I give him,
with a kiss. give my heart.
3rd Reading Isaiah 9 (2, 6–7) Isaiah proclaims the lasting rule of a king from the line of David.
At the end of the Reading, the reader will say:
God’s word is a lantern to our feet
All: and a light to our path.
Carol: Unto Us a Child is Born
- Unto us a child is born!
King of all creation,
Came he to a world forlorn,
The Lord of ev’ry nation.
The Lord of ev’ry nation.
- Now may Mary’s son, who came
So long ago to love us,
Lead us all with hearts aflame
Unto the joys above us.
Unto the joys above us.
- Cradled in a stall was he
With sleepy cows and asses;
But the very beasts could see
That he the world surpasses.
That he the world surpasses.
- Alpha and Omega he!
Let the organ thunder,
While the choir with peals of glee
Shall rend the air asunder.
Shall rend the air asunder.
4th Reading Isaiah 11 (1–3a, 4a and 6-9a) The prophet declares that Christ’s rule will bring peace.
At the end of the Reading, the reader will say:
God’s word is a lantern to our feet
All: and a light to our path.
Carol: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
- God rest you merry, gentlemen, 3. The shepherds at these tidings
let nothing you dismay, rejoiced in heart and mind,
for Jesus Christ our Savior and on the darkened hillside,
was born on Christmas Day they left their flocks behind,
to save us all from Satan’s pow’r and went to Bethlehem straightway,
when we had gone astray. this blessed Babe to find. [Refrain]
Refrain: 4. And when to Bethlehem they came
O tidings of comfort and joy, where Christ the infant lay,
comfort and joy; They found him in a manger
O tidings of comfort and joy. Where oxen fed on hay
And there beside her new-born child
- From God our heav’nly Father His mother knelt to pray: [Refrain]
a holy angel came
and unto certain shepherds 5. Now to the Lord sing praises
brought tidings of the same; all people in this place,
that Christ was born in Bethlehem With Christian love and fellowship
And Jesus is his name: each other now embrace,
[Refrain] and let this Christmas festival
all bitterness displace. [Refrain]
5th Reading Luke 1 (26-35 and 38) The Annunciation
At the end of the Reading, the reader will say:
God’s word is a lantern to our feet
All: and a light to our path.
Carol: See Amid the Winter’s Snow
- See, amid the winter’s snow,
born for us on earth below,
see the tender Lamb appears,
promised from eternal years.
Refrain:
Hail, thou ever blessed morn!
Hail, redemption’s happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
- Lo, within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies;
He who, throned in height sublime,
sits amid the cherubim! [Refrain]
- Say, ye holy shepherds, say,
what’s your joyful news today?
Wherefore have ye left your sheep
on the lonely mountain steep? [Refrain]
- “As we watched at dead of night,
Lo! we saw a wondrous light;
angels singing ‘Peace on earth’
told us of the Savior’s birth.” [Refrain]
- Teach, O teach us, Holy Child,
by Thy face so meek and mild,
teach us to resemble Thee,
in Thy sweet humility! [Refrain]
6th Reading Luke 2 (1 and 3-7a) St Luke tells of the birth of Jesus At the end of the Reading, the reader will say:
God’s word is a lantern to our feet
All: and a light to our path.
Choir – O little One sweet, O little One mild
Carol: Away in a Manger (Soloist to sing the first verse)
Solo: Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay, The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
- The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes,
I love You, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.
- Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask You to stay
Close by me forever and love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Your tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with You there
Carol: While shepherds watched their flocks by night
- While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
an angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.
- “To you, in David’s town, this day
is born of David’s line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:
- Thus spoke the angel. Suddenly
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:
- “Fear not,” said he for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind
“glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind.
“The heavenly babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all simply wrapped in swaddling clothes
and in a manger laid.”
- “All glory be to God on high,
and to the earth be peace;
Goodwill henceforth from Heaven to all
begin and never cease.”
8th Reading Matthew 2(1–12) The wise men are led by the star to Jesus.
At the end of the Reading, the reader will say:
God’s word is a lantern to our feet
All: and a light to our path.
Choir – All my heart this night rejoices (Ebeling)
Carol: O Little Town of Bethlehem
- O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light.
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
- How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
- For Christ is born of Mary
And, gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to all on earth!
- O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Immanuel!
7th Reading Luke 2 (8–16a) The shepherds go to the manger.
At the end of the Reading, the reader will say:
God’s word is a lantern to our feet
All: and a light to our path.
Carol: Good King Wenceslas
- (ALL) Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gathering winter fuel - (MEN) Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I shall see him dine
When we bear them thither.
(ALL) Page and monarch, forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude winds wild lament
And the bitter weather
- (MEN) Hither, page, and stand by me,
If thou knowst it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
(LADIES) Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.
- (LADIES) Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
I can go no longer.
(MEN) Mark my footsteps, good my page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winters rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
- (ALL) In his masters step he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
9th Reading John 1 (1–14) St John unfolds the great mystery of the Incarnation.
At the end of the Reading, the reader will say:
God’s word is a lantern to our feet
All: and a light to our path.
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;
Refrain:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord!
- God of God, Light of Light eternal,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Son of the Father, begotten, not created,
[Refrain]
- Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above:
“Glory to God, all glory in the highest!”
[Refrain]
The Collect of Christmas Eve;
Almighty God,
as we prepare with joy
to celebrate the gift of the Christ-child,
embrace the earth with your glory
and be for us a living hope
in Jesus Christ our Lord: who is alive and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Blessing:
May the Father, who has loved the eternal Son from before the foundation of the world, shed that love upon us his children. Amen.
May Christ, who by his incarnation gathered into one, things earthly and heavenly, fill us with joy and peace. Amen.
May the Holy Spirit, by whose overshadowing Mary became the Godbearer, give us grace to carry the good news of Christ. Amen.
And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon us and upon everyone we love, this Christmas time and always. Amen.
Carol: Hark! The herald angels sing
- 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”
- Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail th’incarnate Deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
- Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King”
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
All: In the name of Christ. Amen
Process out to Laudate Dominum
Happy Christmas to one and all! Love, health and peace for 2024.
Our next service:
Christmas Morning 10.00
No Comments