Choral Eucharist for Christmas Night will be livestreamed and available online at Holy Trinity’s YouTube site from 10.55pm at
https://www.youtube.com/live/QkbiM9mcucQ
OPENING HYMN
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.
All: 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 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.
BIDDING PRAYER
ANTHEM Adam lay-y-bounden (Boris Ord 1897-1961)
Adam lay ybounden, bounden in a bond, Four thousand winter thoughte he not too long; And al was for an apple, and apple that he took, As clerkes finden writen, writen in hire book. Ne hadde the apple taken been, the apple taken been, Ne hadde nevere Oure Lady ybeen hevene Queen. Blessed be the time that apple taken was: Therfore we mown singen Deo Gratias.
FIRST LESSON Genesis 1:1-5, 24-31
A reading from the book of Genesis
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’ And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’
So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
HYMN
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 mid-winter,
Long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him,
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.
Enough for him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay:
Enough for him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.
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 my heart.
ANTHEM O Magnum Mysterium
Tomas Luis de Victoria 1548-1611
O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament,that animals should see the newborn Lord, lying in a manger.blessed virgin, whose womb was worthy to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!
THE GOSPEL St John 1: 1-14
When it is announced:
Glory to Christ our Saviour.
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
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.
At end:
Give thanks to the Lord for his glorious Gospel.
Praise to Christ our Lord.
HYMN
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:'
Chorus
SERMON
PEACE
We meet in Christ’s name
Let us share his peace
OFFERTORY HYMN
1 It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
'Peace on the earth, good will to men
from heaven's all-gracious King!'
The world in solemn stillness lay
to hear the angels sing.
3 Yet with the woes of sin and strife
the world has suffered long;
beneath the angel-strain have rolled
two thousand years of wrong;
and man, at war with man, hears not
the love-song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
and hear the angels sing.
5 For lo, the days are hastening on,
by prophet-bards foretold,
when, with the ever-circling years,
comes round the age of gold;
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendours fling,
and the whole world give back the song
which now the angels sing.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Worship and praise belong to you, Almighty God,
For you created all things;
In you we live and move and have our being.
Your power is shown in land and sea and sky.
As a mother gathers her children
So you gather your people,
To teach us the way of compassion and love.
On this holy night,
You sent Christ your son to dwell among us;
By the message of an angel,
To be born of the Virgin Mary.
You send your Holy Spirit
To draw us into deeper faith,
To inspire us to greater works,
To sustain us in our calling.
Now with all creation,
Who seek Christ in the darkness and in the light,
We raise our voices in joy and praise,
Singing the hymn of your unending glory.
Holy, holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:
Heaven and earth are full of Thy Glory:
Glory be to Thee O Lord Most High.
Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord:
Hosanna in the Highest.
Glory and thanksgiving be to you,
most Holy God,
in Jesus Christ,
who came among us as servant and king.
Through him,
The light to all nations,
You call a people to yourself,
To deliver them from bondage to a land of promise,
Where all your people shall be free.
On the night when he was given up to death
Alight with the vision of the Kingdom
Which his new life would bring,
At supper with his disciples
He took bread and offered you thanks.
He broke the bread,
And gave it to them,
Saying: Take, eat.
This is my body;
It is broken for you.
After supper, he took the cup,
He offered you thanks,
And gave it to them, saying:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood of the new covenant;
It is poured out for you, and for all,
That sins may be forgiven.
Do this in remembrance of me.
We now obey your Son’s command.
We recall his blessed passion and death,
His glorious resurrection and ascension;
and we look for the coming of his Kingdom.
Made one with him,
We offer you these gifts and with them ourselves,
A single, holy, living sacrifice.
Hear us, most merciful God,
And send your Holy Spirit upon us
And upon this bread and this wine,
That, overshadowed by his life giving power,
They may be the Body and Blood of your Son,
And we may be kindled with the fire of your love
And renewed for the service of your Kingdom.
Help us,
who are baptised into the fellowship of Christ’s body
to live and work to your praise and glory;
may we grow together in unity asnd love,
until at last, in your new creation,
we enter into our heritage
in the company of the Virgin Mary,
the apostles and prophets,
and of all our brothers and sisters
living and departed.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
With whom, and in whom,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
All honour and glory be to you,
Lord of all ages,
World without end. Amen.
Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning,
Jesus, to thee be 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!
LORD’S PRAYER
As our Saviour Christ has commanded and taught us, we are bold to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come; thy will be done;
on 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.
INVITATION
Gracious God,
you came among us in the darkness of this night.
Be with us now in your gifts of bread and wine.
COMMUNION
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.
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'.
3 Silent night, holy night.
Son of God, love's pure light,
radiance beams from thy holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace:
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.
THANKSGIVING
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious.
And his mercy endures for ever.
Post Communion Prayer
Father of all,
Tonight, you have united earth and heaven
In sending your Son to take our human nature.
May we who have tasted heavenly things
Share in the life of his eternal Kingdon.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BLESSING
Now may Christ,
Who by his incarnation
Gathered all things earthly and heavenly into a single peace,
Fill us with all joy and peace in the power of believing.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Be with us, and all who need our prayers,
This night and for evermore.
DISMISSAL
Let us go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
HYMN
1 Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
2 Joy to the earth, the Saviour reigns!
Let us our songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
3 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.
VOLUNTARY Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645 (Bach)CCROL SERVICCS