Welcome to Christmas! Our journey to Bethlehem is complete. Now we rejoice with angles and shepherds because Jesus Christ is born! If you are unable to worship in person you may wish to set up your own Advent Candles at home and follow along with the liturgy in the bulletin. If you would like a home visit, conversation, or home communion, please call me at 573-437-2779 (church) or 573-832-2475 (cell).
- Thank you to all who rang the Salvation Army Bells!
- Christmas Eve worship will be at 6:30pm and 11pm.
- Christmas Day is on a Sunday, and worship will be at 9am
- I will be on vacation from December 26 to January 2. Pastor Jeff Remelius and Pastor Van Lahmeyer will be filling in for her.
Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year,
Pastor Stephanie DeLong
Scripture for Christmas Eve: Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 96, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
If you are unable to attend worship on Christmas Eve, I would like to encourage you to light a Christ Candle of your own and to read the Christmas Story as told in Luke 2:1-20. You may wish to sing quietly by yourself or with your family favorite Christmas Carols before and after the scripture reading.
I have created an example of a home service.
Advent Candle/Christ Candle Lighting
One: For unto us a child is born! Unto us a Son is given!
All: We are overwhelmed with joy!
One: God brings us hope in the Christ child!
All: We celebrate the birth of love!
(All five candles are lit.)
One: Tonight, we light all five candles: the candles of hope, peace, joy, love, and today’s candle, the Christ candle. All five together represent God’s constant and continuing flame of love in the world. Let us worship confident that, like these candles, God’s presence is with us.
O Come All Ye Faithful
Refrain: O Come let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord.
Luke 2:1-7 The Birth of Jesus
Away in a Manger
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The Little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus, a sleep on the hay.
Luke 2:8-14 The Shepherds and the Angels
The First Nowell
The first Nowell, the angel 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.
Refrain: Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Born is the King of Israel.
Luke 2:15-20 The Shepherds see the Baby
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.
Prayer: O God, may our hearts rejoice with angel voices and share in the amazement of the shepherds as we ponder the meaning of Christmas. Amen.
Scripture for Christmas Day:
Isaiah 52:7-10, Psalm 98, Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12), John 1:1-14
Reflection: Take time to reflect on your own personal memories of Christmas.
As a teenager, I remember singing in the youth choir during the 11pm Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. The choir would sit in the balcony which overlooked the sanctuary. I loved watching from above as people lit one another’s candles and the sanctuary filled with the light of all those candle flames. Imagine just how filled with love, joy, hope and peace the world would be, if we passed the light of Christ to all.
A favorite Christmas poem of mine is by Howard Thurman. I know that I have shared it before, but I love it because it reminds us that the true work of Christmas begins after we finish celebrating Jesus’ birth.
The Work of Christmas
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.
Howard Thurman
Prayer list: All who have been on our list in the past and Elizabeth, Cheryl, Dave, David, Ken and Evelyn, Jason, Paulette, Friends of Shelby, Bobby, Kevin, Jim, Darryl (doing better!), Marilee, Beverly, Jim, Jenny, Jaqueline-Dixon’s daughter, Barbara, Melvin, Mitchell, Mahala, Maybelle and Mary, La Rae, Bud, Bob, Ruth, Tyra, Ed, Marilyn, Tom, Jeff, Ken’s mom and for peace in troubled and war-torn places
The family and friends of Baily Mistler who passed recently.
The family and friends of Terry Jett who passed recently.
