Sunday Service - 25 December 22

Welcome to our service - 25 December

This service sheet can be used individually or with households.
We would encourage you to say (or even sing) hymns and songs out loud.
Prayers, other liturgy or readings can be said out loud or silently, corporately or individually.

If you are able, we would also like invite you to join us for our main Sunday service, 10am, live on Zoom. Even if you have never been to St Gabriel’s before we would love you to join you. Please get in touch with the vicar Alistair (vicar@saintgs.co.uk) and he will send you the Zoom details.

SERVICE

There will be no 11:30am service in church on 1st January.

SERVICE

Opening

Alleluia, alleluia,

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,

and we have seen his glory.

Alleluia, alleluia.

SING: https://youtu.be/FLURukXoht8

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

let earth receive her King;

let every heart prepare Him room

and heaven and nature sing,

and heaven, and heaven and nature sing!

2 Joy to the earth, the Saviour reigns!

your sweetest songs employ

while fields and streams and hills and plains

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,

the wonders of His love,

the wonders, wonders of His love.

Isacc Watts (1674-1748)

CONFESSION

Lord of grace and truth, we confess our unworthiness to stand in your presence as your children.

We have sinned:

All: forgive and heal us.

The Virgin Mary accepted your call to be the mother of Jesus. Forgive our disobedience to your will.

We have sinned:

forgive and heal us.

Your Son our Saviour was born in poverty in a manger. Forgive our greed and rejection of your ways.

We have sinned:

forgive and heal us.

The shepherds left their flocks to go to Bethlehem. Forgive our self-interest and lack of vision.

We have sinned:

forgive and heal us.

The wise men followed the star to find Jesus the King. Forgive our reluctance to seek you.

We have sinned:

forgive and heal us.

Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners,

bring you his pardon and peace, now and for ever.

Amen.

COLLECT

God in Trinity,

eternal unity of perfect love:

gather the nations to be one family,

and draw us into your holy life

through the birth of Emmanuel,

our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

ACCLAMATION

Let us bless the living God:

He was born of the Virgin Mary,

revealed in his glory,

worshipped by the angels,

proclaimed among the nations,

believed in throughout the world,

exalted to the highest heavens.

Blessed be God, our strength and our salvation,

now and for ever. Amen.

SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgR48OpNmOA

Once in royal David's city

Stood a lowly cattle shed,

Where a mother laid her baby

In a manger for his bed:

Mary was that Mother mild,

Jesus Christ her little Child.

2. 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 and mean and lowly

Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

3. 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.

4. Not in that poor lowly stable

With the oxen standing by,

We shall see him; but in heaven,

Set at God's right hand on high;

When his children gather round

bright, like stars, with glory crowned.

Mrs C F Alexander

READINGS

Hebrews 1: 1 - 4

Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honour at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.

John 1. 1-14

In the beginning the Word already existed.

The Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He existed in the beginning with God.

God created everything through him,

and nothing was created except through him.

The Word gave life to everything that was created,

and his life brought light to everyone.

The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness can never extinguish it.

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognise him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Reflection

Instead of a talk this Christmas we would like to offer you a beautiful reflection written for John 1.

Take some time to read the reflection below. You might like to read it 2 or 3 times, asking God’s Spirit to speak to you through particularly words or phrases.

Where did it all start?

A reflection from the perspective of John the Apostle

‘Where did it all start?’ they ask me.

‘Tell us the story again.’

And I know just what they want to hear –

about the inn and the stable,

the baby lying in a manger,

shepherds out in the fields by night,

and wise men travelling from afar.

I know why they ask, of course I do,

for which of us hasn’t thrilled to those marvellous events,

that astonishing day when the word became flesh,

dwelling here on earth amongst us?

Yet wonderful though that all is, it’s not where it started,

and if we stop there, then we see only a fraction of the picture,

the merest glimpse of everything God has done for us in Christ.

We have got to go right back to see more –

before Bethlehem,

before the prophets

before the law,

before time itself, would you believe? –

for that’s where it started:

literally ‘in the beginning’.

Yes, even there the saving purpose of God was at work,

his creating, redeeming word

bringing light and love into the world,

shaping not just the heavens and the earth

but the lives of all,

every man, woman, and child.

That’s the mind-boggling wonder of it –

the fact not just that God made us,

but that through Christ he was determined from the outset

to share our lives,

to take on our flesh

to identify himself totally with the joys and sorrows,

the beauty and the ugliness of humankind.

It defies belief, doesn’t it?

Yet it’s true –

God wanting us to know him not as his creatures

but as his children,

not as puppets forced to dance to his tune

but as people responding freely to his love,

and to achieve that he patiently and painstakingly prepared the way,

revealing year after year a little more of his purpose,

a glimpse more of his kingdom,

until at last,

in the fullness of time,

the word became flesh and lived among us,

full of grace and truth.

It wasn’t an afterthought, the incarnation,

a last-ditch attempt to make the best of a bad job –

it was planned from the dawn of time.

So next time you hear the story of the stable and the manger,

of the shepherds gazing in wonder

and the magi kneeling in homage,

stop for a moment

and reflect on everything which made it all possible,

the eternal purpose which so carefully prepared the way of Christ,

and then ask yourself this:

are you prepared to respond to his coming?

Published in No Ordinary Man 2

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth

I believe in Jesus Christ,

his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand

of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen

O LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER,

O Lord, hear my prayer:

When I call answer me.

O Lord, hear my prayer,

O Lord, hear my prayer:

Come and listen to me.

Jacques Berthier/Taizé.

PRAYERS - written by John Gough

Lord Jesus, your birth at Bethlehem draws us to kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth: accept our heartfelt praise as we worship you, our saviour and our eternal God.

Christ, for whom there was no room at the Inn and was born in a stable. Give strength and courage to all who are homeless or living in poor conditions.

Mary and Joseph fled in to Egypt with our Lord to keep him safe. Give comfort to all refugees across the globe who are struggling and in such difficult circumstances at this time.

Lord Jesus, who fasted for 40 days in the desert, give relief to all who are hungry and starving, let us remember them in our prayers this Christmas as we sit down to tables of plenty.

Lord as we are able to worship in church or in the comfort of our homes on zoom, let us remember and pray for those across the world who have to meet in secret to worship you, for those on the battle field in the Ukraine praying for your protection in these dire circumstances, Draw close to them all and shelter them in your loving arms.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son our saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your Kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those

who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours

now and for ever.

Amen

SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAU5Xg-o-eM

O little town of Bethlehem,

How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by:

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

the everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight.

2. For Christ is born of Mary;

And, gathered all above,

While mortals sleep, the angels keep -

Their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars, together

Proclaim the holy birth,

And praises sing to God the King,

And peace to men on earth.

3. How silently, how silently,

The wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of his heaven.

No ear may hear his coming;

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive him, still

The dear Christ enters in.

4. O holy Child of Bethlehem,

Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin, and enter in:

Be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels -

The great glad tidings tell:

O come to us, abide with us,

Our Lord Emmanuel.

Bishop Phillips Brooks

OFFERTORY - Take a moment to consider how you are going to continue to give to the life of the church and support other aid agencies and mission organisations.

Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power,

the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;

for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.

All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.

SING: https://youtu.be/7pH29CKXhhc

The first nowell the angel did say

was to Bethlehem’s shepherds in fields as they lay;

in fields where they lay keeping their sheep,

on a cold winter's night that was so deep:

Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,

born is the King of Israel!

2. Then wise men from a country far

looked up and saw a guiding star;

they traveled on by night and day

to reach the place where Jesus lay:

Nowell, Nowell….

3. At Bethlehem they entered in,

on bended knee they worshipped Him;

they offered there in His presence

their gold and myrrh and frankincense:

Nowell, Nowell…

4. Then let us all with one accord

sing praises to our heavenly Lord,

for Christ has our salvation wrought

and with His blood mankind has bought:

Nowell, Nowell……

English traditional carol arranged by David Willcocks, Jubilate Hymns Music

FINAL BLESSING:

Christ the Son of God, born of Mary,

Fill you with his grace to trust his promises and obey his will;

and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,

be upon you and remain with you always.

Amen

WE WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR