Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship
December 24, 2006, 7:30 PM
Valley Christian Reformed Church
Preparation for Worship
Call to Worship
All God’s people – boys and girls, women, men:
Come and worship!
Shepherds, Magi, saints, and angels:
Come and worship! Come and worship!
All who need the Savior, all who long for comfort:
Come and worship, come and worship Christ, the newborn King!
Welcome and Invocation
*Congregational Songs – “How Great Our Joy!”
“Joy to the World!” “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You”Lighting the Christ Candle
Reader: Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
People: Let earth receive her king!
Reader: Let every heart prepare him room!
People: And heaven and nature sing!
Reader: On Christmas Eve we light this white candle as a visible sign that Jesus Christ is at the center of our lives and at the heart of this church.
People: He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried;
He descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead.He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.Reader: Let us pray to our Lord who has come and is coming again:
Our heavenly Father, what an indescribable gift is your Son Jesus. Through him you have given us eternal life. This evening, with hearts full of gratitude and joy, we celebrate and give you thanks. Accept our offering of praise, we pray in Jesus’ name.
People: Amen.
A Musical Gift – “Heirlooms” – Melissa Talma
Great Anticipation – Isaiah 9:2-7
Congregational Song – 345 “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
A Surprise Announcement – Luke 1:26-38
A Musical Gift – “Welcome to Our World” – Julie Roossien
A Special Birth – Luke 2:1-7
A Musical Gift – “O Holy Night” - Linda Lowell
The Angelic Announcement – Luke 2:8-14
*Congregational Song – 340:1,3,4 “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
A Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Offering – for Valley Church Youth Ministries
Candle Lighting
(The pastor will light his candle from the Christ candle and pass this light to the candle lighters. They in turn will light the candles of the worshipers sitting along the center aisle, and this light will be passed on down the row. Please dip the unlighted candle to the lighted one; do not dip lit candles. Hold your lighted candle upright at all times and be careful of those around you.)
Song – “Silent Night, Holy Night” –
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.
Reflection – “Safe in God’s Love” (John Ortberg)
A Musical Gift – “Sleep, Holy Child” - Peter De Young
(After the song is concluded, please extinguish candles. Hold candles upright for a short time to allow wax to harden.)
A Call to Action – Luke 2:15-20
*A Musical Gift – “Go Light Your World” – Paige Vermaat
* God’s Blessing
May God, who sent his angels to proclaim the glad news of the Savior’s birth, fill you with joy and make you heralds of the good news.
Amen.* Closing Song – 355 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice”
Postlude
