Once in Royal David's City Music Makers

arr. Phillip Ledger

Once in royal David's city stood a lowly cattle shed, where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed; Mary, loving mother mild, Jesus Christ, her little child. 
 

He came down to earth from heaven who is God and Lord of all, and his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall. With the poor, the scorned, the lowly lived on earth our Savior holy.
 

And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love; for that child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heaven above; and he leads his children on to the place where he is gone.

Please stand for the procession.
 

Entrance Hymn Congregation and Choir

1. Congregation and Choir

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him born the king of angels; REFRAIN: O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
 

2. Congregation and Choir

True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal, lo, he shuns not the Virgin's womb; Son of the Father, begotten, not created; REFRAIN
 

3. Choir

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation; O sing, all ye citizens of heav'n above! Glory to God, all glory in the highest; REFRAIN
 

4. Congregation and Choir

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning, Jesus, to thee be all glory giv'n. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing. REFRAIN.
 
 
 
 
 
 

All remain standing for the bidding prayer.

A Bidding Prayer Dr. John M. Brannon

This Christmastide, let it be our joyful task to hear once again the message of the angels and to journey in our minds to Bethlehem. There let us see this thing which has come to pass--a babe lying in a manger. We shall hear in the scriptures how Almighty God has lovingly cared for us from our early days of disobedience in the Garden of Eden until our redemption through the Christ Child. But first, let us pray for the needs of the world today--for peace on earth and goodwill among all nations. And let us remember the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the persecuted, the sick and those who mourn. Almighty God, we ask you to hear our prayers and to accept our praises for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
 

Please be seated.

There's a Voice in the Wilderness Crying Tenor Solo and Choir

Craig Phillips

There's a voice in the wilderness crying, a call from the ways untrod. Prepare in the desert a highway, a highway for our God! The valleys shall be exalted, the lofty hills brought low; make straight all the crooked places where the Lord our God may go!
 

O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up to the heights and sing! Proclaim to a desolate people the coming of their King. Like the flowers of the field they perish, like grass our works decay, the pow'r and pomp of nations shall pass like a dream away; but the word of our God endureth, the arm of the Lord is strong; he stands in the midst of nations, and he will right the wrong. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, the lambs he'll gently hold; to pastures of peace he'll lead them, and bring them safe to his fold.
 

First Lesson Reader: Doni Ingram

Of the Father's Love Begotten Soprano Solo and Choir

Webber

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.
 

Of the Father's love begotten ere the worlds began to be, he is Alpha and Omega, he the source, the ending he, of the things that are, that have been, and that future years shall see, evermore and evermore!
 

O that birth forever blessed when the virgin, full of grace, by the Holy Ghost conceiving, bare the Saviour of our race; and the babe, the world's redeemer, first revealed his sacred face, evermore and evermore!
 

O ye heights of heav'n, adore him; angel hosts his praises sing! All dominions bow before him, and extol our God and King; let no tongue on earth be silent, ev'ry voice in concert ring evermore and evermore!

Second Lesson Reader: Tom Murphree

Carol Congregation and Choir

1. O come, O come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. REFRAIN: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

2. O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times once gave the law in cloud and majesty and awe. REFRAIN
 

3. O come, thou Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home. The captives from their prison free, and conquer death's deep misery. REFRAIN
 

4. O come, Desire of nations bind all peoples in one heart and mind. From dust thou brought us forth to life; deliver us from earthly strife. REFRAIN
 

Third Lesson Reader: Elaine Bassett

My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord Baritone Solo and Choir

Purifoy

Peace be unto you, do not be afraid for you have found favor with your God. You shall bear a son, the Son of the Most High, His name will be great, and His kingdom will never end.
 

My soul doth magnify the Lord my God, my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. My soul doth magnify the Lord my God, for Holy is His name for evermore. He has shown His strength with His holy arm, He has filled the hungry poor with joy and gladness. He has scattered the proud and the humble lifted up. His mighty hand has done great things. My soul doth magnify the Lord my God. My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. My soul doth magnify the Lord my God, for holy is His name for evermore. My soul doth magnify the Lord.
 

Fourth LessonReader: Buddy Starling

Carol Congregation and Choir

1. 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.
 

2. 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.
 

3. 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.
 

4. Silent night, holy night, wondrous star, lend thy light; with the angels let us sing, Alleluia to our King; Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born!
 

Fifth Lesson Reader: Mary Hilyer

CarolCongregation and Choir

1. Angels we have heard on high sweetly singing o'er the plains, and the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains. REFRAIN: Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo! 

2. Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song? REFRAIN

3. Come to Bethlehem and see Christ whose birth the angels sing; come, adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King. REFRAIN
 

4. See him in a manger laid, whom the choirs of angels praise; Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, while our hearts in love we raise. REFRAIN
 

Sixth Lesson Reader: Brock Collier

Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning Webber
 

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid; star of the east, the horizon adorning, guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
 

Cold on his cradle the dewdrops are shining, low lies his head with the beasts of the stall; angels adore him in slumber reclining, Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all.
 

Say, shall we yield him, in costly devotion, odours of Edom and off'rings divine, gems of the mountain, pearls of the ocean, myrrh from the forest or gold from the mine?
 

Vainly we offer each ample oblation, vainly with gifts would his favour secure; richer by far is the heart's adoration, dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
 

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid; star of the east, the horizon adorning, guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
 

Seventh Lesson Reader: Sherry Starling

From A Distant Home Men's Choir and Tenor Solo

Hopson

From a distant home the Savior we come seeking, using as our guide the star so brightly beaming.

REFRAIN
 
 
 

Lovely eastern star that tells us of God's morning, heaven's wondrous light, O never cease your shining! Glory in the highest to the Son of Heaven, and upon the earth be peace and love to all. 
 

Glowing gold I bring the newborn babe so holy, token of his power to reign above in glory.

REFRAIN
 

Frankincense I bring the child of God's own choosing, token of our prayers to heaven ever rising.

REFRAIN
 

Bitter myrrh have I to give the infant Jesus, token of the pain that he will bear to save us.

REFRAIN
 

Eighth Lesson Reader: Hal Fulmer

Carol Congregation and Choir

1. 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.
 

2. Joy to the world, the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
 

3. 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, wonders of his love. 

Ninth Lesson Reader: Dale Griffin

Gloria In Excelsis Deo Purifoy

Closing Prayer

Collect: O God, who makes us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ; grant that as we joyfully receive the Word made flesh as our redeemer, we may one day with sure confidence behold the Son of Righteousness, who will come to be our judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

Blessing: May Christ, the Incarnate One, fill you with inward peace and love; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always. Amen.
 

Pause for reflection.
 

Postlude