Gathering Music
“Blue Christmas”
written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson
Performed by Sandy Johnson and Dan Thompson
Prelude
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
Latin c. 9th century
Performed by Peggy and David Webbe
Welcome (Gina Campellone)
Centering (Rev. Josh Pawelek)
Musical Invocation
“We Wish You a Merry Christmas”
Trad. English carol
Performed by The String Sisters
Chalice Lighting and Opening Words
“Reflections on the Resurgence of Joy”
By Dori Jeanine Somers
Spoken by Rev. Josh Pawelek
Opening Hymn
“Joy to the World”
Music by George Frederic Handel, text by Isaac Watts
Led by Jeannine Westbrook
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.
Joy to the world! The Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
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 of His love.
Christmas Pageant
Music
“Wexford Carol”
Performed by Janet Desmarais; audiovisual arrangement by Dan Thompson
Trad. Irish carol; arr. by Dorothea Baker
Christmas Prayer (Rev. Josh Pawelek)
Music
“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
Written by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by Anya Stolzman
Offering for the UUS:E’s Minister’s Discretionary Fund
Offering Music
“O, Holy Night”
Written by Adolphe Adam
Performed by Jeannine Westbrook
Homily (Rev. Josh Pawelek)
Carols (led by Jeannine Westbrook)
“The First Noel”
English carol
Words by Edmund Hamilton Sears
Music by Richard Storrs Willis
The First Noel, the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
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
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far;
To see a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
“In the Bleak Midwinter”
Words ad. by John Andrew Storey from Georgina Rosetti
Music by Gustav Theodore Holst
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.
Christ a homeless stranger,
So the gospels say,
Cradle in a manger
And a bed of hay.
In the bleak mid-winter
Stable-place sufficed,
Mary and her baby,
Jesus Christ.
Once more mother and child
Weave their magic spell,
Touching hearts with wonder
Words can never tell
In the bleak mid-winter,
In this world of pain,
Where our hearts are open
Love is born again.
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
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.
Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the wearly world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing.
And ever o’er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world hath 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:
Oh hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When, with the ever-circling years,
Shall come the Age of Gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And all the world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.
“Silent Night, Holy Night”
Words by Joseph Mohr
Music by Franz Xaver Gruber
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.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born.
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love’s pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.
Extinguishing the Chalice
Postlude
