CAROL
1. Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
let earth receive her King;
let ev’ry heart prepare him room,
and heav’n and nature sing,
and heav’n and nature sing.
and heav’n, and heav’n
and nature sing.
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, and wonders
of his love.
2. Joy to the earth!
The Saviour reigns;
let us our songs employ;
while fields and floods, rocks,
hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
ST GILES’ CHURCH, ICKENHAM
CHRISTMAS DAY 2015
All-age Celebration and Holy Communion
10.00 am
WELCOME and NOTICES
CAROL
1. 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;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord!
3. Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation,
sing all ye citizens of heaven above:
Glory to God in the highest:
4. Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
born this happy morning,
Jesu, to thee be glory given:
word of the Father, now in flesh
appearing:
BLESSING
God sent his angels from glory to bring to shepherds
the good news of Jesus' birth.
Yes! We thank you Lord.
2. God of God,
Light of Light,
lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
very God, begotten, not created:
You have heard his story, the story of God's own Son.
Yes! We thank you Lord.
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Loving God, like the shepherds, we have come to worship you
Help us to praise you, to listen to your word,
and to eagerly obey you, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
May he fill you with joy to bring this good news to others today.
Yes! We thank you Lord.
And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen
BIBLE READING – Luke 2.1-20
CAROL
1. While shepherds watched their
flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.
2. ‘Fear not’, said he (for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind)
‘glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind.
3. To you in David’s town this day
is born of David’s line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:
4. The heavenly babe
you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped
in swathing bands,
and in a manger laid.’
5. Thus spake the seraph;
and forthwith
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song:
6. ‘All glory be to God on high,
and on the earth be peace,
goodwill henceforth from heaven to all
begin and never cease.’
TALK
PRAYERS
CONFESSION
As we kneel with the shepherds before the newborn Christ child,
we open our hearts in penitence and faith.
God of mercy, we acknowledge that we are all sinners.
We turn from the wrong that we have thought and said and done, and are
mindful of all that we have failed to do. For the sake of Jesus, who died
for us, forgive us all that is past, and help us to live each day in the light
of Christ our Lord. Amen.
May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure
us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
THE PEACE
Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,
and his name shall be called the Prince of Peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you,
And also with you
CAROL - during which the offertory will be taken. Our Christmas offerings this
year will be donated to Crisis, the national charity for homeless people.
1. Silent night, holy night.
3. Silent night, holy night.
All is calm, all is bright,
Son of God, love’s pure light,
round yon virgin mother and child;
radiant beams from thy holy face,
holy infant, so tender and mild,
with the dawn of redeeming grace:
sleep in heavenly peace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,
sleep in heavenly peace.
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
2. Silent night, holy night.
Shepherds quake at the sight,
glories stream from heaven afar,
heavenly hosts sing alleluia:
Christ, the Saviour is born,
Christ, the Saviour is born!
COMMUNION
The Lord is here.
His Spirit is with us.
Lift up you hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is right to praise you, Father, Lord of all creation; in your love you made us
for yourself. When we turned away you did not reject us, but came to meet us
in your Son.
You embraced us as your children and welcomed us to sit and eat with
you.
In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us.
He opened his arms of love upon the cross and made for all the perfect
sacrifice for sin.
On the night he was betrayed, at supper with his friends he took bread, and
gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to them, saying: Take, eat, this is my
body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
Father, we do this in remembrance of him:
his body is the bread of life.
At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine, he gave you thanks, and said:
Drink this all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for
you for the forgiveness of sins; do this in remembrance of me.
Father we do this in remembrance of him;
his blood is shed for all.
As we proclaim his death and celebrate his rising in glory, send your Holy Spirit
that this bread and this wine may be to us the body and blood of your dear
Son.
As we eat and drink these Holy gifts make us one in Christ,
our risen Lord.
With your whole church throughout the world
we offer you this sacrifice of praise
and lift our voice to join the eternal song of heaven:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Draw near with faith. Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which he gave
for you, and his blood which he shed for you.
Eat and drink in remembrance that he died for you, and feed on him in your
hearts by faith with thanksgiving.
Please come forward as directed. If you are visiting today, are baptised and
receive Holy Communion in your own church, you are very welcome to take
Communion with us. If you would like to receive a prayer of blessing instead
please come to the altar rail keeping your hands by your sides.