Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship Service - 7:00 P.M. Monday, December 24, 2012
REV. RUDY VISSER, PASTOR
“To Know Christ, and to Make Him Known”For to us a child is born, to us a son is given . . . And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

                                       Organ Prelude
    IV Noel (en duo, sur les jeux d’anches, sans tremblant)   Louis Claude Daquin
The Congregation Carols the Story of Christ’s Birth

  HYMN #133 (vs 1 & 3)                                            O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
  CAROL #162 (vs 1 & 2)                                                                      The First Noel
  CAROL #155 (vs 1 & 4)                                              O Little Town Of Bethlehem
  CAROL #146 (All verses)                            Joy To The World! The Lord Is Come

In Adoration We Come
*CAROL #152 (vs 1 & 3)                                      Angels We Have Heard on High
  DUET, Nancy Baker and Deborah Spaulding                     A Simple Christmas
  WELCOME
         GOD’S GREETING AND LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES
Pastor:  The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
All:   And also with you.
Visser Family:  Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, the son of God is born this night.
All:   God's word has been made flesh among us.
All sing (as candles are relit):
                      A Candle is Burning (Tune:  Away in a Manger)
We honor Messiah with Christ candle's flame                                                                                                       
our Christmas Eve candles glad tidings proclaim.                                                                                                  
O come all you faithful, rejoice in this night,                                                                                                       
as God comes among us, the Christian's true light  
Visser Family:  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.  (The Christ candle is lit.)
All:   Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness - on them a light has shined.
Visser Family: You, O Lord, have multiplied the nation. You have increased its joy. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
All:  Let it be known too that His name is Emmanuel, for in Him God is with us.
All Pray:   Eternal God, this holy night is radiant with the brilliance of Your one true light. May that light illuminate our hearts and shine in our words and deeds. May the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love represented by the birth in Bethlehem this night fill our lives and become part of all that we say and do. May we share the divine life of Your son, Jesus Christ, even as he humbled himself to share our humanity.  Amen.
*CAROL # 170                                                  It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
The Birth of the Christ
  SCRIPTURE LESSON     Luke 2:1-14     English          Melissa Welcome
                                            Luke 2:13-14   Spanish         Carly Rippel
                                                                    French           Isabelle Bosquet- Morra
                                                                    Swedish        Birgitt Sherman
                                                                    Afrikaans       Paul Zietsman                                                          

                                                                    Zului               Lekunutu Matima 
                                                                    Sesotho         Lekunutu Matima 

 MESSAGE                              "We Are Tracking Jesus. Leave Him Alone."
*CAROL #160                                                                                          O Holy Night
We Celebrate and Pay Tribute to God
  PRESENTATION OF GIFTS and OFFERINGS/OFFERTORY
     Introduction and Variations on an Old Polish Noel, op. 60     Alexandre Guilmant
  SOLO, Deborah Spaulding, soprano                                              Mary’s Lullaby
  LITANY OF PRAISE FOR CHRIST’S BIRTH (Responsive)
This Small Place Made Glorious
God of unimaginable love, on the first Christmas You became one of us.
     We celebrate Your love for every person in every place and time.
God of all humanity, You offered Your peace to anyone who would be satisfied with Your presence.
     We celebrate Your peace in Your Church and accept Your     
    commission to share it in all the world.
God of the shepherds, You announced Your arrival among us to the poorest, the most humble.
     We  celebrate Your good news to each of  us and to everyone, right   
     here where we are.
God of the manger, You came to us through Your Son in a small and simple place.
(Continued over)
   
     We celebrate Your presence with us this day in this small place made      
     glorious by Your being in it.
God of deliverance, You came to be one of us in order to deliver all of us.      
     We  celebrate Your protection and mercy toward all who are sick or
     in trouble
God of birth, when You became as we are, You opened Yourself to each of us, no matter who or what we are.
       We  celebrate this day Your Kingdom, and that we are welcome in  
       it right now and always. Keep us close, now and in the life to come.
God of Christmas, bless us as we once again celebrate Your coming into Your creation.  Amen.
*SHARING THE LIGHT - CAROL #164                             Silent Night! Holy Night!
  BENEDICTION
 
Postlude
“Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her”   Johann Pachelbel

Guest Organist
David Smith

Greeters
Jim and Nancy Baker

Ushers
Alan Dick, Merrill Johnson, Leré Visagie, Paul Zietsman