Christmas Eve
Evening Prayer
✠ The Nativity of Our Lord ✠
Christmas Eve
DECEMBER 24, A. D. 2020
In Nomine Jesu
Dear worshipper of the Holy Christ Child, we greet you on this, the holiest of nights. May the Infant who long ago found no home in Bethlehem gain a lasting place to live in your heart. Please follow the order of service as set forth below. God's peace in Christ be yours!
Pre-service Music
(Please access the full screen version in 1080p by pressing the pop-out icon for each of the musical selections and hymns. Thank you).
Prelude and Opening Hymn
Service of Light
Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
The light no darkness can overcome.
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening
And the day is almost over.
Let Your light scatter the darkness
And illumines Your church.
Joyous Light of glory:
Of the immortal Father;
Heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ.
We have come to the setting of the sun
And we look to the evening light.
We sing to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy of being praised with pure voices forever,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
The Universe proclaims Your glory.
Blessèd are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who led Your people Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Enlighten our darkness by the light of Your Christ; may His Word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for You are merciful, and You love Your whole creation and we, Your creatures, glorify You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Psalmody
Psalm 141:1-4, 8:
Let my prayer rise before You as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
O Lord, I call to You; come to me quickly;
hear my voice when I cry to You.
Let my prayer rise before You as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O Lord,
and guard the door of my lips.
Let not my heart incline to any evil thing;
let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers.
But my eyes are turned to You, O God; in You I take refuge.
Strip me not of my life.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Let my prayer rise before You as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
✠ silence for individual prayer ✠
Let the incense of our repentant prayer ascend before You, O Lord, and let Your loving-kindness descend on us that, with purified minds, we may sing Your praises with the Church on earth and the whole heavenly host and may glorify You forever.
Amen
Psalm 96:1-4, 11-12 (Wisdom of Solomon 18:14-15 as Antiphon):
When all was still and it was midnight,
Your almighty Word, O Lord, descended from the royal throne.
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvellous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
Let the fields be jubilant and everything in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
When all was still and it was midnight,
Your almighty Word, O Lord, descended from the royal throne.
Office Hymn
Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; Isaiah 9:2-7; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-20
(after each reading)
O Lord, have mercy on us.
Thanks be to God.
In many and various ways, God spoke to His people of old by the prophets.
But now in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son.
Prelude and Hymn of the Day
Sermon: Luke 2:1-20 - "The Real Christ of Christmas"
Hymn
Magnificat
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden.
For behold, from this day all generations will call me blessèd.
For the Mighty One has done great things to me, and holy is His name;
and His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
The Litany and Prayers
In peace let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For all pastors in Christ, for all servants of the Church, and for all the people, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For Elizabeth our Queen, for all public servants, for the government and those who protect us, that they may be upheld and strengthened in every good deed, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For those who work to bring peace, justice, health, and protection in this and every place, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For those who bring offerings, those who do good works in this congregation, those who toil, those who sing, and all the people here present who await from the Lord great and abundant mercy, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For favourable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and need, let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For grace to trust You during this time of great distress, that in mercy you would put an end to the pandemic that is afflicting the whole world, that you would grant relief to those who are suffering and comfort to those who mourn the death of loved ones, that you would sustain all medical personnel who are attending to the sick, and strengthen us by Your Word and Spirit to continue steadfast in the one, true, saving faith; let us pray to the Lord:
Lord, have mercy.
For the faithful who have gone before us and are with Christ, let us give thanks to the Lord:
Alleluia.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
✠ silence for individual prayer ✠
Rejoicing in the fellowship of the saints, let us commend ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ, our Lord:
To You, O Lord.
O God, you have made this most holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light. We beg of you, grant that we who have known on earth the mysteries of that Light may also come to the fullness of its joys in heaven; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works, give to us, Your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey Your commandments and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
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 and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Benedicamus and Blessing
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the ✠ Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us.
Amen.
Closing Hymn and Postlude
✠ ✠ ✠
Evening Prayer from Lutheran Service Book. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.