Gathering Music
Welcome and Announcements
Centering
Prelude
Chalice Lighting and Opening Words
“The Work of Christmas”
by Howard Thurman
#615 in Singing the Living Tradition
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.
Opening Hymn
“Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella”
words: traditional French provencal, music: French carol
#233 in Singing the Living Tradition
Bring a torch, Jeannette, Isabella
bring a torch and quickly run.
Christ is born, good folk of the village,
Christ is born and Mary’s calling,
Ah! Ah! Beautiful is her child.
Come and see within the stable,
come and see the Holy one,
come and see the lovely Jesus,
brown his brow, his cheeks are rosy.
Hush! Hush! Quietly now he slumbers.
Hush! Hush! Quietly now he sleeps.
First Lesson
Matthew 1:18-25
“The Birth of Jesus”
Hymn
“The Hills Are Bare at Bethlehem”
Lyrics by Royce J. Scherf; music from The Southern Harmony
#232 in Singing the Living Tradition
The hills are bare at Bethlehem, no future for the world they show;
yet here new life begins to grow, from earth’s old dust a greenwood stem.
The stars are cold at Bethlehem, no warmth for those beneath the sky;
yet here the radiant angels fly, and joy burns new, a fi’ry gem.
The heart is tired at Bethlehem, no human dream unbroken stands;
yet here God comes to mortal hands, and hope renewed cries out: “Amen!”
Joys and Concerns
Musical Response
Offering
“We do not gather our gifts only for ourselves but to share with the larger community.”
Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our Sunday plate collections for the month of December will go to three area shelters: McKinney Men’s Shelter (Hartford), East Hartford Community Shelter, and Cornerstone Shelter (Rockville).
Offering Music
Second Lesson
Matthew 2: 1-12
“The Visit of the Magi”
Hymn
“We Three Kings of Orient Are”
words and music by John Henry Hopkins, Jr.
#259 in Singing the Living Tradition
We three kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.
(Chorus)
O Star of wonder, star of light, star, with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding, guide us through this perfect night.
Frankincense to offer have I, incense owns a Deity nigh.
Prayer and praising, all are raising, worship God most high.
(Chorus)
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom;
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
(Chorus)
Born a babe on Bethlehem’s plain, gold I bring to crown him again,
love forever, ceasing never, in our hearts to reign.
(Chorus)
Third Lesson
Matthew 2: 13-15
“The Escape to Egypt”
Reflection
“The Work of Christmas”
Rev. Josh Pawelek
Closing Hymn
“On This Day Everywhere”
Words and music based on Theodoric Petri’s Piae Cantiones; arr. by Gustav Theodore Holst
#249 in Singing the Living Tradition
On this day everywhere
children’s songs fill the air,
greet the child, new and fair
Christmas gift so holy,
born in stable lowly.
(Chorus)
Ideo-o-o. Ideo-o-o.
Ideo gloria in excelsis Deo!
Sweet the babe, strange his bed,
manger hay round his head,
cattle there in the shed;
Mary, Joseph by him,
shepherds drawing nigh him.
(Chorus)
Magi three find their way
by a star’s shining ray
to the child in the hay;
give their wondrous presents,
gold and myrrh and incense.
(Chorus)
Extinguishing the Chalice
Closing Circle
May faith in the spirit of life,
And hope for the community of earth
And love of the light in each other
Be ours now, and in all the days to come.
