FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
ORDER OF WORSHIP
First Sunday of Christmas
December 29, 2024
PRELUDE
WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS
· TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP, 9:30ish AM at the Mission Coffee House.
· THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY will be meeting again on January 9, 2025 at 9:30 AM in the center meeting room.
· CHURCH OFFICE will be closed for the Christmas holiday December 24-January 1, 2025
-MISSION OUTREACH COMMITTEE will be meeting next Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 after worship service.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: New dreams have come to life. The Promise is fulfilled!
People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace.
Leader: Hope has given way to joy!
People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace.
Leader: The Light of the world has come.
People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace.
Leader: And this light is a light for all, igniting a flame within the soul, warming us from within, and radiating love.
People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill to all.
*OPENING HYMN: #41 (Blue) “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!
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
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, all Glory in the highest!
O come, let us adore Him; O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!
*CALL TO CONFESSION: We sing “O Come All ye Faithful” but so often, we find that we fail in our call to be faithful. Let us confess our sins together, trusting that our God, who, on the first Christmas day demonstrated how much we are loved will forgive and redirect us.
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION:
Lord Jesus Christ, you are loving and merciful. Forgive us for being so captivated by Christmas that we forget that you, the little baby in the manger, grew up as the Lord over all creation. It is sometimes easier to leave you in the manger than it is to reckon with your difficult teachings and fierce challenges. So often we do not follow these teachings, and we do not live up to your challenges. We need your grace and your strength to follow you more closely. Forgive us for all of our sins, as we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
*ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
Leader: Friends, believe this good news, God’s grace is for everyone, you need only have faith. Through Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
People: Thanks be to God, Amen
*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, Amen.
LESSONS IN SCRIPTURE AND CAROLS:
SCRIPTURE: Haggai 2: 6-9
6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
HYMN: #22 (Blue) “Angels from the Realms of Glory
Angels, from the realms of glory, wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye, who sang creation's story now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
Shepherds, in the field abiding, watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing, yonder shines the infant light:
Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
Sages, leave your contemplations, brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations; ye have seen His natal star:
Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
SCRIPTURE: Luke 1: 26a-31
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
HYMN: #27 (Blue) “Gentle Mary Laid her Child”
Gentle Mary laid her child lowly in a manger;
There He lay, the undefiled, to the world a stranger:
Such a babe in such a place, can He be the Savior?
Ask the saved of all the race who have found His favor.
Angels sang about His birth; Wise men sought and found Him;
Heaven's star shone brightly forth, Glory all around Him:
Shepherds saw the wondrous sight, heard the angels singing;
All the plains were lit that night, all the hills were ringing.
Gentle Mary laid her child lowly in a manger;
He is still the undefiled, but no more a stranger:
Son of God, of humble birth, beautiful the story;
Praise His name in all the earth, hail the King of glory!
SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 40: 1
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
“God Rest You Merry Gentlemen” (on screen)
God rest you merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day
to save us all from Satan's pow'r when we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.
From God our heav'nly Father a blessed angel came
and unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same;
how that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.
"Fear not," then said the angel, "Let nothing you affright;
this day is born a Savior of a pure virgin bright,
to free all those who trust in Him from Satan's pow'r and might."
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.
Now to the Lord sing praises all you within this place,
and with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace;
this holy tide of Christmas all other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.
SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:15-18
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
HYMN: #37 (Blue) “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly”
Infant holy, Infant lowly, for His bed a cattle stall;
Oxen lowing, little knowing Christ, the babe is Lord of all.
Swift are winging angels singing, noels ringing, tidings bringing:
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping vigil till the morning new.
Saw the glory, heard the story, tidings of the gospel true.
Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow, praises voicing greet the morrow:
Christ the babe was born for you.
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:20a
Jesus says: “And lo, I am with you always even until the end of the age.”
SPECIAL MUSIC: “Away in a Manger”
Nancy O. and daughter Anna Lisa (violin and cello)
OFFERING OF OURSELVES AND OUR RESOURCES
We give to the church, not out of an obligation to God nor to this church; but out
of gratitude. Please prayerfully consider how God is calling you to give of your time, talents, intellect, and resources to further the mission of this church.
This church accepts your gifts with gratitude and with a commitment to use all that you offer to the glory of God.
*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
HYMN: “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” (on screen)
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace of earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th'unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Here we are Lord, on our knees, asking for your mercy;
Mercy for our souls,
Mercy for one another,
Mercy for our churches,
Mercy for our nation,
Mercy for our world.
Here we are Lord, on our knees, the needs of our friends, family, church,
community, nation and world we lay at your feet.
We give to you the struggles of the world.
We give to you those who are in pain, sick, in the hospital, rehab,
homebound, nursing homes and those on their death bead.
We give to you the divisions and conflict in our lives,
our families, our churches, our communities, our nation and our world.
We give to you those who live in poverty, those who are starving,
those who are in prisons, and those who live under oppression.
Lord, pour out your mercy like healing, comforting rain. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Go Tell it on the Mountain” #29 (Blue)
Refrain:
Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
While shepherds kept their watching o’er silent flocks by night,
behold, throughout the heavens there shone a holy light.
Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
The shepherds feared and trembled when lo, above the earth
rang out the angel chorus that hailed our Savior’s birth.
Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and ev'rywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
3. Down in a lowly manger the humble Christ was born,
and God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn.
Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and ev'rywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
BENEDICTION: Go Tell it on the mountain and tell it everywhere…Jesus Christ is born! Amen
POSTLUDE
ORDER OF WORSHIP
First Sunday of Christmas
December 29, 2024
PRELUDE
WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS
· TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP, 9:30ish AM at the Mission Coffee House.
· THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY will be meeting again on January 9, 2025 at 9:30 AM in the center meeting room.
· CHURCH OFFICE will be closed for the Christmas holiday December 24-January 1, 2025
-MISSION OUTREACH COMMITTEE will be meeting next Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 after worship service.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: New dreams have come to life. The Promise is fulfilled!
People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace.
Leader: Hope has given way to joy!
People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace.
Leader: The Light of the world has come.
People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace.
Leader: And this light is a light for all, igniting a flame within the soul, warming us from within, and radiating love.
People: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill to all.
*OPENING HYMN: #41 (Blue) “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!
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
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, all Glory in the highest!
O come, let us adore Him; O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!
*CALL TO CONFESSION: We sing “O Come All ye Faithful” but so often, we find that we fail in our call to be faithful. Let us confess our sins together, trusting that our God, who, on the first Christmas day demonstrated how much we are loved will forgive and redirect us.
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION:
Lord Jesus Christ, you are loving and merciful. Forgive us for being so captivated by Christmas that we forget that you, the little baby in the manger, grew up as the Lord over all creation. It is sometimes easier to leave you in the manger than it is to reckon with your difficult teachings and fierce challenges. So often we do not follow these teachings, and we do not live up to your challenges. We need your grace and your strength to follow you more closely. Forgive us for all of our sins, as we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
*ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
Leader: Friends, believe this good news, God’s grace is for everyone, you need only have faith. Through Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
People: Thanks be to God, Amen
*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, Amen.
LESSONS IN SCRIPTURE AND CAROLS:
SCRIPTURE: Haggai 2: 6-9
6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
HYMN: #22 (Blue) “Angels from the Realms of Glory
Angels, from the realms of glory, wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye, who sang creation's story now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
Shepherds, in the field abiding, watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing, yonder shines the infant light:
Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
Sages, leave your contemplations, brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations; ye have seen His natal star:
Come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King!
SCRIPTURE: Luke 1: 26a-31
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
HYMN: #27 (Blue) “Gentle Mary Laid her Child”
Gentle Mary laid her child lowly in a manger;
There He lay, the undefiled, to the world a stranger:
Such a babe in such a place, can He be the Savior?
Ask the saved of all the race who have found His favor.
Angels sang about His birth; Wise men sought and found Him;
Heaven's star shone brightly forth, Glory all around Him:
Shepherds saw the wondrous sight, heard the angels singing;
All the plains were lit that night, all the hills were ringing.
Gentle Mary laid her child lowly in a manger;
He is still the undefiled, but no more a stranger:
Son of God, of humble birth, beautiful the story;
Praise His name in all the earth, hail the King of glory!
SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 40: 1
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
“God Rest You Merry Gentlemen” (on screen)
God rest you merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day
to save us all from Satan's pow'r when we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.
From God our heav'nly Father a blessed angel came
and unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same;
how that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.
"Fear not," then said the angel, "Let nothing you affright;
this day is born a Savior of a pure virgin bright,
to free all those who trust in Him from Satan's pow'r and might."
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.
Now to the Lord sing praises all you within this place,
and with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace;
this holy tide of Christmas all other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.
SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:15-18
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
HYMN: #37 (Blue) “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly”
Infant holy, Infant lowly, for His bed a cattle stall;
Oxen lowing, little knowing Christ, the babe is Lord of all.
Swift are winging angels singing, noels ringing, tidings bringing:
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping vigil till the morning new.
Saw the glory, heard the story, tidings of the gospel true.
Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow, praises voicing greet the morrow:
Christ the babe was born for you.
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:20a
Jesus says: “And lo, I am with you always even until the end of the age.”
SPECIAL MUSIC: “Away in a Manger”
Nancy O. and daughter Anna Lisa (violin and cello)
OFFERING OF OURSELVES AND OUR RESOURCES
We give to the church, not out of an obligation to God nor to this church; but out
of gratitude. Please prayerfully consider how God is calling you to give of your time, talents, intellect, and resources to further the mission of this church.
This church accepts your gifts with gratitude and with a commitment to use all that you offer to the glory of God.
*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
HYMN: “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” (on screen)
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace of earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th'unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Here we are Lord, on our knees, asking for your mercy;
Mercy for our souls,
Mercy for one another,
Mercy for our churches,
Mercy for our nation,
Mercy for our world.
Here we are Lord, on our knees, the needs of our friends, family, church,
community, nation and world we lay at your feet.
We give to you the struggles of the world.
We give to you those who are in pain, sick, in the hospital, rehab,
homebound, nursing homes and those on their death bead.
We give to you the divisions and conflict in our lives,
our families, our churches, our communities, our nation and our world.
We give to you those who live in poverty, those who are starving,
those who are in prisons, and those who live under oppression.
Lord, pour out your mercy like healing, comforting rain. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Go Tell it on the Mountain” #29 (Blue)
Refrain:
Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
While shepherds kept their watching o’er silent flocks by night,
behold, throughout the heavens there shone a holy light.
Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
The shepherds feared and trembled when lo, above the earth
rang out the angel chorus that hailed our Savior’s birth.
Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and ev'rywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
3. Down in a lowly manger the humble Christ was born,
and God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn.
Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and ev'rywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
BENEDICTION: Go Tell it on the mountain and tell it everywhere…Jesus Christ is born! Amen
POSTLUDE