Preacher: Revd George Mwaura
Celebrant: Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga

Gathering music

Welcome

Gathering Prayer

Jesus, child of the crib,
with Mary, who gave birth to you,
with the innkeeper, who found a stable for you,
with Joseph, who protected you,
with the animals of the stable, who watched over you,
with the angels, who sang of you,
with the shepherds, who ran to you,
with our brothers and sisters throughout the world,
we welcome you.

Jesus, Saviour of the world,
we welcome you.

Amen

Hymn: Joy to the world

Joy to the world! The Lord is come!
let earth receive her King;
let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing!

Joy to the world! The Saviour reigns!
let all their songs employ;
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

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, wonders of his love.

Isaac Watts (1674–1748)
CCLI Licence 31580

The Confession

The sun of righteousness has dawned with healing in his wings.
Let us come to the light of Christ, confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

[Silence]

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

May God, who loved the world so much that he sent his Son to be our Saviour,
forgive us our sins and make us holy to serve him in the world,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

The Lighting of the Christmas Candle

As we light this Christmas candle, may its flame be for us a sign of Jesus’ birth.

Loving God, today – on this special day –
you remind us that you can use anyone and everyone for your purposes.
We willingly offer you all that we are and all that we have,
choosing to believe that who we are is enough to be used by you.
We do this in Jesus’ name.

Amen

Prayer

Loving and Living God,
you brighten our lives by this yearly festival
of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ.
Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer,
may, with sure confidence,
see and receive him when he comes to complete the work of redemption.
For we know he lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Ministry of the Word

Isaiah 9: 2–7

Read by Bob Collard

² The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
³ You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
⁶ For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and for ever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

© NIV

Luke 2: 1–14

Read by Brian Halstead

The Birth of Jesus

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’

© NIV

Meditation

By Revd George Mwaura

Prayers and Intercessions

Led by Rosemary Kearsey

The Peace

May the peace and the love of the Lord be yours today and always.

May the peace of the Lord be with you
And also with you

Let us share a sign of peace

Hymn: What child is this

What child is this, who, laid to rest
on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
while shepherds watch are keeping?
this, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds worship and angels sing:
haste, haste to bring him praise
the babe, the son of Mary.

Why lies he in such mean estate,
where ox and ass are feeding?
come, have no fear, God’s Son is here
his love all loves exceeding:
nails, spear, shall pierce him through,
the cross be borne for me, for you:
hail, hail, the Saviour comes,
the babe, the son of Mary.

So bring him incense, gold and myrrh,
all tongues and peoples own him;
the King of kings salvation brings,
let every heart enthrone him:
raise, raise your song on high
while Mary sings a lullaby,
joy, joy, for Christ is born,
the babe, the son of Mary.

William Chatterton Dix (1837–1898)
CCL31580

Holy Communion

The Thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation: through your goodness we have this bread to set before you, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life.
Blessed be God for ever.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation: through your goodness we have this wine to set before you, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become for us the cup of salvation
Blessed be God for ever.

The Lord be with you!
And also with you!

Lift up your hearts!
We lift them to the Lord!

Let us give thanks!
It is right to give God thanks and praise!

We adore you, creator of the universe.
In the beginning you spoke life into being.

We adore you, God, who kept the promise made to our ancestors
You promised to redeem the earth and set its people free.
In the fullness of time, you came to us in Jesus,
A baby, born of God’s desire to lift up the broken hearted.
We adore you with the simplicity of a shepherd’s conviction.
We adore you with the wise of ancient days, who knelt before you and paid you homage.
We adore you, with the angels who sang glory to you in the highest heavens
and brought peace to all people on earth.
Today we join them to praise your name:

Holy Lord, God of endless love, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The wise men recognised it, the angels and the whole creation sang of it,
the shepherds encountered it, we have been blessed with it.
Blessed is he who is born this day.
Glory to God and on earth peace to all people.

Beloved God you came to come to us, in Jesus Christ,
who on the night he was betrayed, took the bread,
blessed it, broke it, gave it to his disciples saying,
‘Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
After supper, he took the cup, and gave it to them saying,
‘This is my blood of the New Covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in remembrance of me.’

Beloved God send the power of your Holy Spirit upon us,
that we may experience the presence of the Word-made-flesh – Jesus Christ.
Breathe your Spirit in us that we maybe one body with him –
faithfully following and serving him, and awaiting with expectation the coming of his kingdom
when we will adore him forever and ever.

Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray

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

Breaking the Bread

We break this bread and take this cup so that we can all share in the life of Christ.
God’s gifts for God’s people.

Amen

Prayer after Communion

Most gracious God, source of all blessing,
we give you thanks for inviting us to share this meal as your family;
strengthen us to be a blessing to one another and a blessing to all the world,
glorifying you in all things, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

The Collection

Christmas Acclamation

We came to adore the Son of God.
Jesus is the Light of the world.

We came to share the bread of heaven.
Jesus is our way, our truth, our life.

We came to enter the door to life.
Jesus is the first and last.

We came to adore the Lord of all.
Jesus is our wisdom from above.

We came to adore the King of kings.
Jesus is our friend and brother

Immanuel, God with us, joy to the World.

We come from all the corners of the world to adore Him.

Amen

Hymn: O Come, all ye faithful

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.

God of God,
Light of Light,
lo! He abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
very God,
begotten not created:
O come, let us adore him, …

Sing, choirs of angels,
sing in exultation,
sing all ye citizens of heaven above;
glory to God
in the highest:
O come, let us adore him, …

Yea, Lord, we greet thee
born this happy morning,
Jesu, to thee be glory given;
word of the Father,
now in flesh appearing:
O come, let us adore him, …

Latin (18th century)
tr. Frederick Oakeley (1802–1880) and others
CCL31580

The Blessing

May the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the perseverance of the wise men,
the obedience of Joseph and Mary, and the peace of the Christ-child be yours this Christmas;
and the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be upon you and remain with you always.

Amen

The Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ.

Amen