The Carol Service
Service will be livestreamed and available on our YouTube site from 6.25pm Sunday 21st December at
https://www.youtube.com/live/9iNj_FXoK_A
PROCESSIONAL CAROL
Solo
Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little 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 mean and lowly
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.
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;
Where like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around.
THE BIDDING PRAYER
We have come together as the family of God, and in God’s presence, to celebrate the festival of Christmas.
So at this time, let it be our care and delight to hear again the message of the angels; to receive the good news of the birth of Christ; to go, in heart and mind, to the stable in Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass.
But first, as we gather together in the name of God, let us pray for the needs of the world which Christ came to save, and for peace and goodwill over all the earth; for the church, that she may be enabled to share the good news of God’s love to this generation; and because this above all things would rejoice his heart, let us remember in Christ’s name all those who are in any kind of need this night: the cold and the hungry; the poor and the oppressed; the sick and the lonely; the fearful and the bereaved; that the peace and light of the Christ-child may bring hope and healing to all the dark places of our world. Finally, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but on another shore and in a greater light, and with whom, in Christ, we are one for evermore. Let us commend all whom we love, and all who have asked for our prayers, to the mercy and protection of God this night, in the words which Jesus himself taught us:
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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 them that 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.
ANTHEM And the Glory of the Lord from “Messiah”
(G.F. Handel 1685-1759)
And the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Isaiah 40:5
FIRST LESSON
God announces in the Garden of Eden that the seed the of woman shall bruise the serpent’s head.
Genesis 3:8—15.
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ The Lord God said to the serpent,
‘Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.’
ANTHEM Adam Lay ybounden (Boris Ord 1897-1961)
Adam lay ybounden, Bounden in a bond; Four thousand winter Thought he not too long. And all was for an apple, An apple that he took, As clerkes finden written In their book. Nay had one apple taken been, The apple taken been, Then had never Our Lady A-been heavene queen. Blessed be the time That apple taken was. Therefore we moun singen Deo gratias!
words from a 14th century manuscript
SECOND LESSON
God promises to faithful Abraham that in his seed shall the nations of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 22:15–18.
The angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, ‘By myself I have sworn, says the LORD: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.’
CAROL
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 to-night.
choir only
How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given;
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His Heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
Where children pure and people free
Pray to the blessed Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee,
Son of the Mother mild;
Where Charity stands watching
And Faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,
And Christmas comes once more.
O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray!
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas angels,
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!
THIRD LESSON
Christ’s birth and kingdom are foretold by Isaiah.
Isaiah 9:2,6–7
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
ANTHEM See Amid the Winter’s Snow (John E West 1863-1929)
See, amid the winter's snow, Born for us on Earth below, See, the tender Lamb appears, Promised from eternal years. 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 among the cherubim. Hail… Say, ye holy shepherds, say, What your joyful news today; Wherefore have ye left your sheep On the lonely mountain steep? Hail… "As we watched at dead of night, Lo, we saw a wondrous light: Angels singing 'Peace On Earth' Told us of the Saviour's birth." Hail… Sacred Infant, all divine, What a tender love was Thine, Thus to come from highest bliss Down to such a world as this. Hail… Teach, O teach us, Holy Child, By Thy face so meek and mild, Teach us to resemble Thee, In Thy sweet humility. Amen.
Words: Fr. Edward Caswell 1814-1878
FOURTH LESSON
The peace that Christ will bring is foreshown.
Isaiah 11:1–9.
A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
CAROL
Of the Father's heart begotten,
Ere the world from chaos rose,
He is Alpha, from that Fountain
All that is and hath been flows;
He is Omega, of all things,
Yet to come the mystic Close,
Evermore and evermore.
By His Word was all created
He commanded and 'twas done;
Earth and sky and boundless ocean,
Universe of three in one,
All that sees the moon's soft radiance,
All that breathes beneath the sun,
Evermore and evermore.
Sing, ye heights of heaven, his praises;
Angels and Archangels, sing!
Wheresoe’er ye be, ye faithful,
Let your joyous anthems ring,
Every tongue his name confessing,
Countless voices answering,
Evermore and evermore.
FIFTH LESSON
The angel Gabriel salutes the virgin Mary.
Luke 1:26–38.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
ANTHEM Gabriel’s message
(13th Century Basque carol arr. Edgar Pettman 1866-1943)
The angel Gabriel from heaven came, His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame, All hail, said he, thou lowly maiden Mary! Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria!
For known a blessed mother thou shalt be, All generations laud and honour thee, Thy son shall be Emmanuel by seers foretold, Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head, “To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said, “my soul shall laud and magnify his holy Name.” Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria!
Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born in Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn, and Christian folk throughout the world will ever say, Most highly favoured Lady, Gloria!
Words: trans. Rev. S. Baring-Gould 1834-1924
SIXTH LESSON
Matthew tells of the birth of Jesus.
Matthew 1:18–23.
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’
CAROL
The first Nowell, the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay;
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star,
Shining in the east, beyond them far;
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the King of Israel!
Then entered in those wise men three,
Full reverently upon their knee,
And offered there in His presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense:
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell
Born is the King of Israel!
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 mankind has bought:
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the King of Israel!
SEVENTH LESSON
The shepherds go to the manger.
Luke 2:8–16.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘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 Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.
ANTHEM The Nativity Carol
(words and music John Rutter b.1945)
Born in a stable so bare Born so long ago Born 'neath light of star He who loved us so Far away, silent he lay Born today, your homage pay For Christ is born for aye Born on Christmas Day. Cradled by mother so fair Tender her lullaby Over her son so dear Angel hosts fill the sky Far away, silent he lay Born today, your homage pay For Christ is born for aye Born on Christmas Day Wise men from distant far land Shepherds from starry hills Worship this babe so rare Hearts with his warmth he fills Far away, silent he lay Born today, your homage pay For Christ is born for aye Born on Christmas Day. Love in that stable was born Into our hearts to flow Innocent dreaming babe Make me thy love to know Far away, silent he lay Born today, your homage pay For Christ is born for aye Born on Christmas Day.
EIGHTH LESSON
The wise men are led by the star to Jesus.
Matthew 2:1–11
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
ANTHEM Tomorrow shall be my dancing day
(John Gardner 1917-2011)
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day; I would my true love did so chance To see the legend of my play, To call my true love to my dance; Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love, This have I done for my true love. Then was I born of a virgin pure, Of her I took fleshly substance Thus was I knit to man's nature To call my true love to my dance. Sing oh! my love… In a manger laid, and wrapped I was So very poor, this was my chance Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass To call my true love to my dance. Sing oh! my love… Then afterwards baptized I was; The Holy Ghost on me did glance, My Father’s voice heard I from above, To call my true love to my dance. Sing oh my love…
(16th century trad.)
NINTH LESSON
John unfolds the great mystery of the incarnation.
John 1:1–14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And 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.
ANTHEM Whence is that goodly fragrance
(C.H. Kitson 1874-1944)
Whence is the goodly fragrance flowing, Stealing our senses all away, Never the like did come a-blowing, Shepherds, in flow'ry fields of May, Whence is that goodly fragrance flowing, Stealing our senses all away. What is that light so brilliant, breaking Here in the night across our eyes. Never so bright, the day-star waking, Started to climb the morning skies! What is that light so brilliant, breaking, Here in the night across our eyes. Bethlehem! there in manger lying, Find your Redeemer haste away, Run ye with eager footsteps vieing! Worship the Saviour born today. Bethlehem! there in manger lying, Find your Redeemer haste away.
17th French anon.
THE COLLECT FOR CHRISTMAS
O God, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only Son, Jesus Christ: Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may, with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
BLESSING
May the joy of the angels.
the eagerness of the shepherds,
the perseverance of the wise men,
the obedience of Mary and Joseph
and the peace of the Christ child be yours this Christmas;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
come down upon you and remain with you always. Amen.
RECESSIONAL CAROL
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled:
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem:
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King.
Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb!
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel:
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born 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 man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth:
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King.
ORGAN VOLUNTARY
WE HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US FOR CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS EVE
6pm Christingle Service at the Parish Church
11.00pm Service of the Nativity
CHRISTMAS DAY
10.30am Family Eucharist
SUNDAY 7TH JANUARY
6.30pm Epiphany Carol Service