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MERRY CHRISTMAS - Saint Paul A.M.E. Church, …stpaulamejax.com/ChristmasCandlelightSvc.pdf · the christmas eve candlelight and communion service december 24, 2015 7:00 p.m

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Page 1: MERRY CHRISTMAS - Saint Paul A.M.E. Church, …stpaulamejax.com/ChristmasCandlelightSvc.pdf · the christmas eve candlelight and communion service december 24, 2015 7:00 p.m

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Page 2: MERRY CHRISTMAS - Saint Paul A.M.E. Church, …stpaulamejax.com/ChristmasCandlelightSvc.pdf · the christmas eve candlelight and communion service december 24, 2015 7:00 p.m

THE CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT AND COMMUNION SERVICE

December 24, 2015 7:00 P.M.

THE GATHERING THE MUSICAL PRELUDE………”The Sound of Christmas”…..The Rev. Marlowe F. Smith *THE DOXOLOGY…..….“Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow”…………...Hymn #647

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host, Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.”

*THE CALL TO WORSHIP……….………………….…......…....…Pastor Marvin C. Zanders, II

Leader: Jesus Christ, the Son of Mary, the Son of God is born this night. People: God’s word has been made flesh among us.

Leader: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. People: Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness–on them a light has shined. Leader: You, O Lord, have multiplied the nation, You have increased it’s joy. For to us a

Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder.

People: His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

All: He is also called Emmanuel, for in Him God is with us. *THE HYMN OF PRAISE…….… “Hark The Herald Angels Sing”…...…....AME Hymn #115

Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King; Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled;

Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies; With th’angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem;

Refrain Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King.

Christ by highest heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord; Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of the virgin’s womb;

Veiled in flesh the God-head see, Hail th’incarnate Deity; Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel;

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace, Hail the Sun of Righteousness; Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings;

Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die; Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth;

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Page 3: MERRY CHRISTMAS - Saint Paul A.M.E. Church, …stpaulamejax.com/ChristmasCandlelightSvc.pdf · the christmas eve candlelight and communion service december 24, 2015 7:00 p.m

THE PRAYER OF INVOCATION….….................................The Rev. Estdella Chaney-Cooper

THE CHORAL RESPONSE……………………...…..…..…….….The Congregation and Choir

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel! Amen

THE MINISTRY OF MUSIC…...…….………………...………...…The Saint Paul Mass Choir

THE ADVENT WREATH AND CHRIST CANDLE LIGHTING

Reader: As we light these candles today, we thank God for the HOPE God gives us, for the PEACE God bestows, for the JOY God pours into our hearts, and for the LOVE of Christ that redeems us and shows us the way.

(Family lights the candles of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love)

The Christ Candle: We thank God that through Christ, light has come into the world and made it

possible for us to see, and in seeing, to rejoice. His truth, His love, His very self, transforms all who receive Him.

THE CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE…“A Candle Is Burning”(Tune: Away in a Manger)

A candle is burning, a flame warm and bright, a candle of HOPE is December’s dark night;

While angels sing blessings from heaven’s starry sky, our hearts we prepare now for Jesus is nigh.

A candle is burning, a candle of PEACE, a candle to signal that conflict must cease; For Jesus is coming to show us the way, a message of peace humbly laid in the hay.

A candle is burning, a candle of JOY, a candle to welcome brave Mary’s new boy. Our hearts fill with wonder, and eyes light and glow, as joy brightens winter like sunshine on snow.

A candle is burning, a candle of LOVE, a candle to point us to Heaven above. A baby for Christmas, a wonderful birth, for Jesus is bringing God’s love to our earth.

We honor Messiah with Christ candle’s flame, our Christmas Eve candles glad tidings proclaim. O come all you faithful, rejoice in this night, as God comes among us, the Christian’s true light.

The Prayer:

Eternal God, this holy night is radiant with the brilliance of Your one true light. May that light illuminate our hearts and shine in our words and deeds. May the Hope, the Peace, the Joy, and the Love represented by the birth in Bethlehem this night, fill our lives and become part of your Son Jesus Christ, even as He humbled Himself to share our humanity. Amen.

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THE OLD TESTAMENT………….Isaiah 9:1-7………………………….The Serving Steward THE GOSPEL …………………,..…Luke 2:1-14………………...…....….The Pulpit Associate THE MINISTRY OF MUSIC…………………...…………………. The Saint Paul Mass Choir THE HOMILY..................................................................................Pastor Marvin C. Zanders, II THE INVITATION TO CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP

THE PRAYER OF DEDICATION AND THE RECEIVING OF THE CHRISTMAS OFFERING

Dear God, we cannot thank you enough for the gift of Your Son. Through Your grace, You have given us everything, including our very lives. On this night, we celebrate the miracle of Christmas! But when the ringing of the bells has ceased, when the angels and shepherds have gone home, may we continue to shine Your light into the world through the giving of these offerings. And so we offer You yet another gift: our partnership to build Your reign here on earth. Amen. *THE OFFERTORY RESPONSE……………….….....……..…..The Congregation and Choir

“We give Thee but Thine own, Whate’er the gift may be, All that we have is Thine alone, a trust, O Lord from Thee. Amen.”

THE CHRISTMAS COMMUNION

THE COMMUNION HYMN THE COMMUNION LITANY…(All Standing)………….…...….Pastor Marvin C. Zanders, II

Leader: The peace of the Lord be with you. People: And also with you.

Leader: Lift your hearts up to the Lord. People: It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Leader: Let us proclaim our faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Broth-er, and our Savior.

People: We come before Him, thankful for all His love and mercy. THE CHRISTMAS CONFESSION…(All Standing)…………..Pastor Marvin C. Zanders, II

Leader: I believe in Jesus Christ and the beauty of the gospel begun in Bethlehem.

People: I believe in the One whose spirit glorified a little town; and whose spirit still brings joy to people all over the world in towns both large and small.

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Page 5: MERRY CHRISTMAS - Saint Paul A.M.E. Church, …stpaulamejax.com/ChristmasCandlelightSvc.pdf · the christmas eve candlelight and communion service december 24, 2015 7:00 p.m

Leader: I believe in the One for whom the crowded inn could find no room, and I confess that my heart still sometimes wants to exclude Christ from my life today.

People: I believe in the One who the rulers of the earth ignored and the proud could never understand, whose life was among common people, whose welcome came from persons of hungry hearts.

Leader: I believe in the One who proclaimed the love of God to be invincible.

People: I believe in the One whose cradle was a mother’s arms, whose modest home in Nazareth had love for its only wealth, who looked at people and made them see what God’s love saw in them, who, by love, brought sinners back to purity, and lifted human weakness up to meet the strength of God.

Leader: I confess the many things that stand in the way of true celebration of God’s love.

People: I confess those things in my life that have caused me to become separated from my God, my neighbors, and myself.

………..SILENT PRAYER OF PERSONAL CONFESSION…………

Leader: I confess my everlasting need of God.

People: The need of forgiveness for selfishness and greed, the need of new life for empty souls, the need of love for hearts grown cold.

Leader: I believe in God who gives us the best of Himself.

People: I believe in Jesus, the Son of the living God, born in Bethlehem, for me and for the world. I believe that in and through Him comes God’s gift of forgiveness and new life, both here and in the world to come.

THE PRAYER OF CONSECRATION…(all kneeling or seated)...Pastor Marvin C. Zanders, II

Indeed, O God, we believe in the One born in Bethlehem this night and we give You thanks for all the gifts that You have given us through Him. We praise You for His birth, for how He lived His life as the servant of Your most Holy Will and for how, in obedience and in love, He finally gave Himself over to death, even death on a cross, for our sakes, thereby opening to all people the gates of heaven and the way to eternal life. Wherefore, O God, we spread this table before You as He commanded us to do on the night He was betrayed. We remember how He took bread, and gave You thanks for it, as even now we give You thanks, O God, for our daily bread, and how He broke it and gave it to His disciples saying, “take, eat, this is My body, broken for you”. In like manner, we recall how when the meal was done, Jesus took the cup, the cup of blessing, and after giving thanks, offered it to His disciples saying “take, drink, this is My blood, the blood of the new covenant for the forgiveness of sins; as often as you do this, do it in remembrance of Me.” Bless O God, this bread and this wine that it may be for us communion in the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Send Your spirit upon these elements and upon us and grant that we may obtain maturity of faith and live in Him and

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through Him - faithful and righteous all our days. We ask through Christ our Lord, as we pray and sing the prayer He taught us….

THE LORD’S PRAYER (sung) THE BIDDING AND THE RECEIVING COMMUNION AND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

After receiving communion, receive and light your candle from the Stewards and Acolytes and return back to your pew via the center aisle.

THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING….(All Standing)……. The Rev. Dr. Robert L. Mitchell

Leader: May the body and blood under the bread and cup nourish you in Hope, Peace, Joy, Faith and Love, keeping you safe in God’s family.

People: Amen.

Leader: God of our salvation, You have gathered Your people, all people, at the table of love. Through this gift of Yourself, You feed us and instill in us the need to share this feast. Show us the way to serve You in all that we are and do. Amen.

God of all, hold us close and keep us safe. As night becomes day, as the dark becomes the light, as Word becomes Flesh; Care for us. Bless us. Love us. Now and always.

People: Amen. THE HYMN………………..…….O Holy Night…………….………The Congregation & Choir

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Refrain Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine,

O night when Christ was born. O night divine! O night, O night divine!

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming, With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. So led by the light of a star sweetly gleaming, Here came the wise men from the Orient land.

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our friend.

Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother And in His name all oppressions shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His Holy Name!

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THE BENEDICTION …………………………………………..….Pastor Marvin C. Zanders, II THE MUSICAL POSTLUDE

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See you in a few hours!

Page 8: MERRY CHRISTMAS - Saint Paul A.M.E. Church, …stpaulamejax.com/ChristmasCandlelightSvc.pdf · the christmas eve candlelight and communion service december 24, 2015 7:00 p.m

Merry Christmas from

Pastor Marvin C. & Mrs. Wini H.

Zanders