Lighting the Candle (Isaiah 9:2, John 12:46).

The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.

Jesus said: ⁴⁶ I have come as light into the world,

so that everyone who believes in me

should not remain in the darkness. –  

Let us be mindful of each other as we engage in worship,

those who worship at home

and those who worship in the chapel:

Greeting:

The Lord be with you AND ALSO WITH YOU

We Focus on God     Psalm 72

Give the king your justice, O God,
    AND YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS TO A KING’S SON.
² May he judge your people with righteousness,
    AND YOUR POOR WITH JUSTICE.
³ May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
    AND THE HILLS, IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
⁴ May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    GIVE DELIVERANCE TO THE NEEDY,
    and crush the oppressor.

⁵ MAY HE LIVE WHILE THE SUN ENDURES,
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
⁶ MAY HE BE LIKE RAIN THAT FALLS ON THE MOWN GRASS,
    like showers that water the earth.
⁷ IN HIS DAYS MAY RIGHTEOUSNESS FLOURISH
    AND PEACE ABOUND, UNTIL THE MOON IS NO MORE.

We Sing:

TIS 315  MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF THE COMING OF THE LORD

Prayer

Gracious LORD God Almighty,

we come into your presence

mindful of the beauty of creation,

the grandeur of creation,

the minute detail of your creation,

yet as the wise men learned,

we need a Word from you

to enable us to make sense of it!

As we gather to offer you praise and our attention,

enlighten our minds to the mystery of your grace

which brings your way of truth for living

to our consciousness

and leads us to an obedience of faith

through which your Spirit can testify

to the power of your plan for all the nations;

therefore we pray as our Lord taught us to pray:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

now and forever. Amen

WE LISTEN FOR A WORD FROM GOD

Prayer for Illumination

HOLY AND MERCIFUL GOD,

THROUGH YOUR HOLY SPIRIT

INSTRUCT US

THAT WE MIGHT RIGHTLY UNDERSTAND

THE WORD OF TRUTH

AND FIND OURSELVES AS PEOPLE

WHO REFLECT THE LIVING WORD,

JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD,   AMEN

Scripture

Isaiah 60:1-6

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
² For darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will appear over you.
³ Nations shall come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

⁴ Lift up your eyes and look around;
    they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
    and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
⁵ Then you shall see and be radiant;
    your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
    the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
⁶ A multitude of camels shall cover you,
    the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
    all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
    and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.

Ephesians 3:1-12

 This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner forChrist Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— ² for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³ and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, ⁴ a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. ⁵ In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: ⁶ that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

⁷ Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. ⁸ Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages inGod who created all things; ¹⁰ so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. ¹³ I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.

In this is the Word of the Lord   WE HEAR AND REJOICE, O LORD

Matthew 2:1-15

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ ³ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiahwas to be born. ⁵ They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

⁶ “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who is to shepherd my people Israel.”’

⁷ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸ Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ ⁹ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹ On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

The Escape to Egypt

¹³ Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ ¹⁴ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, ¹⁵ and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’

This is the Gospel of our Lord  PRAISE TO YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST

Prayer of Confession Ps. 72:1–7, 10–14[1]

Merciful God,

you have given light to the world in Jesus Christ,

but we have preferred to live in darkness.

Lord have mercy   LORD HAVE MERCY

Your justice protects the weak and the distressed,

yet we seek the shelter of privilege and power.

Your righteousness redeems the poor and the needy,

yet we seek the status of wealth and possessions.

Christ have mercy. CHRIST HAVE MERCY

Your peace upholds the oppressed and the defenceless,

yet we seek the security of weapons and retribution.

Spirit have mercy SPIRIT HAVE MERCY

Forgive us our sins, and lead us to true repentance,

that we may trust you in all things;

through Jesus Christ we pray. AMEN.

Declaration of Reconciliation

This is the good news:

Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God

in boldness and confidence through faith in him…

 Christ is the light of the world,

who grants forgiveness and healing of our sins.

so we say with joy in our hearts THANKS BE TO GOD

Passing the Peace.. as we raise our hands in blessing to those unseen…
The peace of the Risen Lord be with you all  AND ALSO WITH YOU.

We Sing:  WE THREE KINGS OF ORIENT ARE

1.5 We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light

2.5 Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign
O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

3.5 Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high
O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

4.5 Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb
O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

5.5 Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and Sacrifice
Alleluia, Alleluia
Earth to heav’n replies
O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Contemporary Word

Herod seems to have been the first recorded person

to have been interested in the actual birth date of Jesus; we read:

¹⁶ When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, 

he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.(Matthew2:16f)

He, or his agents, it seems, could not even determine the exact year,

let alone a date.

Fast forward to the twenty-first century…

Writes Josh Daffern[1],

“ If you look back at some of the earliest church controversies,

they did not surround predestination, homosexuality

or women in ministry.

The Bible in its final canonical form hadn’t been finalized yet

so the inerrancy of Scripture wasn’t even up for discussion.

And yet there was a major theological controversy

surrounding the nature and divinity of Jesus.

Because ancient Greek thought held that all matter was evil,

it strained the capacities of many to think

that Jesus could have actually come in the flesh

and yet remained sinless. 

Docetism is an example of a theological heresy

that denied the full humanity of Jesus in the first centuries of the church.

To combat these heresies, the Council at Nicea (325 AD)

and the Council at Constantinople (381)

reaffirmed the full divinity and humanity of Jesus,

and that view still reigns today.

We hold that Jesus was fully God and fully human.

So how could the church popularize

and spread this very orthodox view of Jesus?

In the face of cultural opposition,

how could they help people remember and celebrate

the humanity (not just the divinity) of Jesus?

Give God a birthday. 

What better way to emphasize the humanity of Jesus

than to celebrate his human birth?

Since the biblical accounts never specify a date for Jesus’ birth,

that was up for grabs,

which could very easily explain the attempt to co-opt

(or some could say redeem)

an already popular celebration and utilize it

to point people to Jesus.

So yes, Christmas on December 25th

has its origins in ancient pagan traditions,

but it might not be as bad as you think.

Whenever and however you celebrate

the humanity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

do so in a way that gives glory to God.”

So wrong, Josh… respectfully.

Perhaps a reasonable guess as to the motivation

to propose a birthday date,

but SO WRONG to assume those discerning early church leaders

decided to piggyback on an existing festive season.

You are so wrong when you claim:

The link between the celebration of Christmas

on the winter solstice in December

and the ancient pagan celebration of Saturnalia 

at the same time is undeniable…[2]

Despite its popularity today,

this theory of Christmas’s origins has its problems.[3]

so argues Andrew McGowan… he continues:

Christian authors of the time do note a connection

between the solstice and Jesus’ birth:

The church father Ambrose (c. 339–397), for example,

described Christ as the true sun,

who outshone the fallen gods of the old order.

But early Christian writers never hint

at any recent calendrical engineering;

they clearly don’t think the date was chosen by the church.

Rather they see the coincidence as a providential sign,

as natural proof that God had selected Jesus over the false pagan gods.

It’s not until the 12th century that we find the first suggestion

that Jesus’ birth celebration

was deliberately set at the time of pagan feasts.

A marginal note on a manuscript of the writings

of the Syriac biblical commentator Dionysius bar-Salibi

states that in ancient times the Christmas holiday

was actually shifted from January 6 to December 25

so that it fell on the same date

as the pagan Sol Invictus holiday.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Bible scholars spurred on

by the new study of comparative religions latched on to this idea.

They claimed that because the early Christians

didn’t know when Jesus was born,

they simply assimilated the pagan solstice festival

for their own purposes,

claiming it as the time of the Messiah’s birth

and celebrating it accordingly.

More recent studies have shown that many

of the holiday’s modern trappings

do reflect pagan customs borrowed much later,

as Christianity expanded into northern and western Europe.

The Christmas tree, for example,

has been linked with late medieval druidic practices.

This has only encouraged modern audiences to assume that the date, too, must be pagan.

Other problems with this popular theory

are recognized by many scholars.

Most significantly, the first mention of a date for Christmas (c. 200)

and the earliest celebrations that we know about (c. 250–300)

come in a period when Christians

were not borrowing heavily from pagan traditions

of such an obvious character.

Granted, Christian belief and practice were not formed in isolation.

Many early elements of Christian worship—including eucharistic meals, meals honouring martyrs and much early Christian funerary art—

would have been quite comprehensible to pagan observers.

Yet, in the first few centuries CE, the persecuted Christian minority

was greatly concerned with distancing itself from the larger,

public pagan religious observances,

such as sacrifices, games and holidays.

This was still true as late as the violent persecutions

of the Christians conducted by the Roman emperor Diocletian

between 303 and 312 CE.

This would change only after Constantine converted to Christianity.

From the mid-fourth century on,

we do find Christians deliberately adapting

and Christianising pagan festivals.

A famous proponent of this practice was Pope Gregory the Great,

who, in a letter written in 601 CE to a Christian missionary in Britain, recommended that local pagan temples not be destroyed

but be converted into churches,

and that pagan festivals be celebrated as feasts of Christian martyrs.

At this late point, Christmas may well have acquired

some pagan trappings.

But we don’t have evidence of Christians adopting pagan festivals

in the third century, at which point dates for Christmas were established. Thus, it seems unlikely that the date was simply selected to correspond with pagan solar festivals.

The December 25 feast seems to have existed before 312—

before Constantine and his conversion.

As we have seen, the Donatist Christians in North Africa

seem to have know it from before that time.

Furthermore, in the mid- to late fourth century,

church leaders in the eastern Empire concerned themselves

not with introducing a celebration of Jesus’ birthday,

but with the addition of the December date

to their traditional celebration on January 6.

There is another way to account for the origins of Christmas

on December 25:

Strange as it may seem, the key to dating Jesus’ birth

may lie in the dating of Jesus’ death at Passover.

This view was first suggested to the modern world

by French scholar Louis Duchesne in the early 20th century

and fully developed by American Thomas Talley in more recent years.

But they were certainly not the first

to note a connection between the traditional date of Jesus’ death

and his birth.

Around 200 CE Tertullian of Carthage reported the calculation

that the 14th of Nisan

(the day of the crucifixion according to the Gospel of John)

in the year Jesus died was equivalent to March 25

in the Roman (solar) calendar.

March 25 is nine months before December 25;

it was later recognized as the Feast of the Annunciation—

the commemoration of Jesus’ conception.

Thus, Jesus was believed to have been conceived

and crucified on the same day of the year.

Exactly nine months later, Jesus was born, on December 25.

This idea appears in an anonymous Christian article titled

On Solstices and Equinoxes,

which appears to come from fourth-century North Africa.

The article states: “Therefore our Lord was conceived

on the eighth of the kalends of April in the month of March (March 25), which is the day of the passion of the Lord

and of his conception.

For on that day he was conceived on the same he suffered.”[4]

Based on this, the essay dates Jesus’ birth to the winter solstice. Augustine, too, was familiar with this association.

In On the Trinity (c. 399–419) he writes:

“For he (Jesus) is believed to have been conceived on the 25th of March, upon which day also he suffered;

so the womb of the Virgin, in which he was conceived,

where no one of mortals was begotten,

corresponds to the new grave in which he was buried,

wherein was never man laid, neither before him nor since.

But he was born, according to tradition, upon December the 25th.”

In the East, too, the dates of Jesus’ conception and death were linked. But instead of working from the 14th of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, the easterners used the 14th of the first spring month (Artemisios)

in their local Greek calendar—April 6 to us.

April 6 is, of course, exactly nine months before January 6—

the eastern date for Christmas.

In the East too, we have evidence that April was associated

with Jesus’ conception and crucifixion.

Bishop Epiphanius of Salamis writes that on April 6,

“The lamb was shut up in the spotless womb of the holy virgin,

he who took away and takes away in perpetual sacrifice

the sins of the world.”

Even today, the Armenian Church

celebrates the Annunciation in early April (on the 7th, not the 6th)

and Christmas on January 6.

Thus, we have Christians in two parts of the world

calculating Jesus’ birth on the basis that his death and conception

took place on the same day (March 25 or April 6)

and coming up with two close

but different results (December 25 and January 6).

Connecting Jesus’ conception and death in this way

will certainly seem odd to modern readers,

but it reflects ancient and medieval understandings

of the whole of salvation being bound up together.

One of the most poignant expressions of this belief

is found in Christian art.

In numerous paintings of the angel’s Annunciation to Mary—

the moment of Jesus’ conception—

the baby Jesus is shown gliding down from heaven

on or with a small cross;

(see below, a detail from Master Bertram’s Annunciation scene)

a visual reminder that the conception

brings the promise of salvation through Jesus’ death.

McGowan concludes:

In the end we are left with a question:

How did December 25 become Christmas?

We cannot be entirely sure.

Elements of the festival that developed from the fourth century until modern times may well derive from pagan traditions.

Yet the actual date might really derive more from Judaism—

from Jesus’ death at Passover,

and from the rabbinic notion that great things might be expected,

again and again, at the same time of the year—than from paganism.[5] 

Keep in mind though, this does not ‘prove’

that Jesus was born on 25^th December.

The argument is based on two assumptions (at least)

with which we might well not agree:

namely that Jesus’ conception and death

are necessarily on the same date of the month;

and that his time in the womb was indeed an exact nine months

following his conception!

Let us not forget that even accepting those two assumptions,

two major sections of the church put forward two differing dates,

December 25^th, and January 6^th… 

because their starting point is different.

Nevertheless, we can debunk the idea

that early Christians merely rode the back of a pagan festival

to celebrate the birth of the Word become flesh

It was not just that the wise men observed a star…

more importantly they discerned its meaning!

Likewise, it is not merely the fact that Jesus was born

which captures our imagination,

regardless of when exactly.

(I take as truth that if the actual date had an import,

God would have revealed it somehow).

Rather God arranged that the meaning of Jesus’ birth

should be made very clear.

As Paul has it in Ephesians,

(concerning)… the mystery of Christ. 

⁵ In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles

and prophets by the Spirit: 

⁶ that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs,

members of the same body,

and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

God now includes all the nations in promises made,

as Isaiah foretold!

God’s promises to us are,

as communicated through the birth of the Son,

the Word become human form,

that through Jesus,

we have the assurance of God being Immanuel,

that is God with us!

and the assurance of reconciliation

through the forgiveness of sin…

because the Word incarnate is called Jesus…

---

[1] DAFFERN, JOSH,   DECEMBER 19, 2016 CHRISTIAN CENTURY (bold type his)

[2] DAFFERN, JOSH,   DECEMBER 19, 2016 CHRISTIAN CENTURY (bold type his)

[3] McGown, Andrew,  “How December 25 Became Christmas” Bible Review, December 2002 revised essay accessed on 29/12/2020:  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/how-december-25-became-christmas/

[4] McGown, Andrew,  “How December 25 Became Christmas” Bible Review, December 2002 revised essay accessed on 29/12/2020:  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/how-december-25-became-christmas/

[5] McGown, Andrew,  “How December 25 Became Christmas” Bible Review, December 2002 revised essay accessed on 29/12/2020:  https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/how-december-25-became-christmas/  

   WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

We Sing: TiS 314 AS WITH GLADNESS MEN OF OLD

We Share Our Community Life

News and Notices

Prayers of the People[2]

Sisters and brothers, in Jesus, God’s Word became flesh

to birth love in our hearts and peace in our world.

As we celebrate this gift of life in Christ,

let us pray for the church and the world saying,

O God of Love, DRAW US TOGETHER IN PEACE..

O LORD, Your messenger announces peace in shouts of breathless joy; drive out the warring ways of our world

and protect all who face danger this day

as you guide our feet to travel with the One who is your peace.

 O God of Love, DRAW US TOGETHER IN PEACE.

Your Word comes with justice to rule the earth with fairness;

inspire the leaders of all nations and citizens of the world

to order our economic lives to promote dignity and equality

for all in your global household.

O God of Love, DRAW US TOGETHER IN PEACE

Mountains and rivers clap and sing as your Word makes all things new; awaken us to the damage we do to your world and mend our ways,

that all creation might breathe again the liveliness of your blessing.

O God of Love, DRAW US TOGETHER IN PEACE.

When shepherds met your newborn Christ

they eagerly ran to tell the news;

make us joyful messengers of your good news

who freely share your love in the world.

O God of Love, DRAW US TOGETHER IN PEACE.

In Jesus, your love takes on human form

to seek us out and guide us home;

may Christ be born afresh in us today;

his body was abused, bruised, broken,

as in so many different ways

our bodies and minds suffer as we age

and realise the pain in this world.

We pause to remember those known to us

• name aloud or in silence…

O God of Love, DRAW US TOGETHER IN PEACE

From your majesty on high to the lowliness of the stable,

your Word has power to sustain all things,

and through him we become your precious children;

comfort those who are hungry, sick, or suffering,

and in all our afflictions anoint us with the oil of gladness

as you visit us with your salvation.

O God of Love, DRAW US TOGETHER IN PEACE

Unto us a child is born this day, to live and die and rise again;

bless all who are born today and all who will die,

that your will for them may be fulfilled

in the one who is the way, truth, and life.

O God of Love, DRAW US TOGETHER IN PEACE.

O God, receive our prayers through Christ who is our glorious light.

May we, like him, shine forth like the sun in bodies,

breath, and beating hearts to sing your praise forevermore,

and as holy partners in a heavenly calling, dwell with you eternally.

Lord hear us LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

We Bring Our offering to God

setting aside our gifts to support the local and wider work of the church

and bless our gifts in an act of praise… (we sing)

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,

Praise God, all creatures here below,

Praise God above, you heavenly host,

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Great Prayer Of 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 God.

It is right to give God our thanks and praise.

It is right that we give you our thanks and praise, O God,

origin of the beginning of all that is,
creator of heaven and earth.

You brought our world into being

and formed man and woman in your image,

breathing into them the breath of life.

We do indeed give you our thanks and praise, O God,
with all our heart and soul and mind and strength,
for you keep faith forever with all peoples
and revealed the plan of the mystery

of the boundless riches of mercy of Christ.

He is the one who judges your people with righteousness,
    and your poor with justice.
⁴ who defends the cause of the poor of the people,
    gives deliverance to the needy,
    and crushes the oppressor.

⁷ in his days may righteousness flourish
    and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

Almighty LORD,

Grant we join with the whole company on earth and in heaven

singing the hymn of unending praise:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of grace and truth,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

God of wonder, as the magi brought gifts of gold,[3]

frankincense, and myrrh,

so we bring these gifts of bread and wine.

In these gifts we see your grief at the way

we crucified your Son, the Holy one among us,

but also the wonder

of how you raised him to be our king in glory forever.

Grant your Holy Spirit, that we might discover

what it means to be of you and in you,

and that this bread and wine

may be for us the very presence of your Son, Jesus Christ.

The Words of Institution

Holy are you O God, and blessed is your Son, Jesus Christ
who revealed your mercy and grace so powerfully,
especially on that night,

when on the night he was betrayed, took bread,

 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 

“This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying,

 “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; 

do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 

26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Great is the mystery of faith.

CHRIST HAS DIED;

CHRIST IS RISEN;

CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN.

The Present Christ (Rev.3:21)

it is Jesus who invites himself to sup with us here,

joining us if we but say the word:

Here I am! Jesus said, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, 

I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

COME, LORD JESUS

The Distribution of the Bread

My body, broken for you, Jesus said.

Do this for the remembrance of me…

The Distribution of the Cup

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood; Jesus said

do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me

Prayer following communion                      

Generous and welcoming God,

in Jesus Christ

you desire to embrace all.

Grant us of your own generous Spirit

that we might speak words of invitation

and practice actions of welcome

in a Spirit of hospitality

to bring all within your embrace.

May they and we enjoy feasting

at your table,

revelling in your gracious gift

of abundant life,

to the praise and glory of your name. AMEN

WE GO OUT TO SERVE GOD

We Sing: MH 130 IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR

1.5 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 Heav’n’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

2.5 Still through the cloven skies they come
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heav’nly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains,
They bend on hov’ring wing,
And ever o’er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.

3.5 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;
Oh, hush the noise, ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing.

4.5 And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing.
Oh, rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

5.5 For lo! the days are hast’ning on,
By prophet seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold
When Christ shall come and all shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And saints shall meet Him in the air,
And with the angels sing.

words. Edmund Hamilton Shaw, 1810-76

music D.C.M. Arr. by A Sullivan 1842-1900

Sending Out  

Go as a people open to the wonders of creation,

recognising grace given sign posts to the LORD;

Go as a people open to the Word,

the Word who became flesh,

offering to enlighten and enliven our lives!

Go as a people alerting one and all

that there is no mystery to God anymore…

God is Immanuel, with us, not against us!

Blessing

May the Christ inhabit you,

the Father uphold you,

and the Spirit sustain you,

now and foreverAMEN,

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[1] Bracken Long, Kimberly (EDITOR)  2012 FEASTING ON THE WORD, Worship Resources P.40  Westminster John Knox:Louisville

[2] Bracken Long, Kimberly (EDITOR)  2012 FEASTING ON THE WORD, Worship Resources pp.41,2  Westminster John Knox: Louisville

[3] Wells, Samuel and Kocher, Abigail 2016, EUCHARISTIC PRAYERS p.74 Eerdmans : Grand Rapids