My Soul Is Filled With Joy Christmas Eve 2015 Georgetown Presbyterian Church 7:00 pm Service

Prepare the Way of the Lord!

Isaiah 40:3

Prelude

On this Holy Night, when the separation between earth and heaven is bridged byGod’s coming, we do not simply remember a past event. Rather we participate inthis night as an on-going reality. We are present in Bethlehem. Joseph is here;Mary is holding her newborn; the angels are singing in the heavens above; theshepherds are nearing the stable; the Magi are marveling at a new star in theEastern sky. All in this moment and in this place. For on this night, there is noseparation of time or geography. For on this night we are in God’s timelesspresence. As we gather in this Holy Presence, may we hear the songs of angels; feel the joy of shepherds; ponder with Mary; worship beside Joseph; and begin thejourney with the Magi. On this night we are not separated from the reality of theworld around us, but neither are we confined to it. As we worship together, maywe come to know the truth of this night in the depth of our souls.

Lighting the Candle of Discovery Acts 17:26, 27

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Verse 1 (Hymnal #154)

Lighting the Candle of Promise Jeremiah 33:14-16

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Verse 2

Lighting the Candle of Renewal Isaiah 11:1-3

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Verse 3

Lighting the Candle of Anticipation John 3:16

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Verse 4

Behold, the home of God is among mortals!

Rev. 21:3

Our Hymns of Reflection will not be announced. You may remain seated as you sing.

First Lesson Luke 1:26-38, 46,48 Betty Kasperski

Hymn My Soul Is Filled With Joy

Our Canter will sing the verses with the Congregation joining in the refrain:

And holy is his name, through all generations!

Everlasting is his mercy to the people he has chosen,

and holy is his name.

Second Lesson Isaiah 9:6,7 Darrell Moore

Hymn Blessed Be the God of Israel Hymnal #158

Third Lesson Micah 5:2 Linda Williams

Hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem Hymnal #180

Fourth Lesson Luke 2:1-7 Ben Barron

Hymn It Came upon the Midnight Clear Hymnal #191

Fifth Lesson Luke 2:8-14 Chris Umsted

Hymn Angels, from the Realms of Glory Hymnal #189

Sixth Lesson Luke 2:15-20 Dee Van Ingen

Hymn O Holy Night Carly Jo Hosbach-CannonSoloist

Meditation Are We There Yet? Rev. Mike Williams

Lighting the Christ CandleRevelation 21:1-5

*Affirmation of Faith (Unison) John 1:1-5, 14-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word

was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being

through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come

into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light

shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory,

the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness

we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through

Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen

God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made

him known.

Glorifying and praising God!Luke 2:20

Throughout Advent (which means “Coming” or “Arrival”) we have been seeking to “Un-Lock” the traditions and rituals of Christmas to more deeply engage the story within. Using the keys of “Discovery, Promise, Renewal and Anticipation” we have sought towitness the Christmas miracle anew. You are now invited to take a key with you, toperhaps hang on your tree or another visible space, not as ornament, but as areminder of the treasure, and the ministry, that awaits us as God’s children.

During the singing of the Hymns of Joy, you may come forward to receive your“Christmas Key.” If you wish, you may also place an offering in one of the plates tosupport the ministries of Georgetown Presbyterian Church.

*Hymns of Joy Joy to the World! (Verse 1)

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 earth! The Savior 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.

O Come, All Ye Faithful (Verse 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.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Verse 3)

Hark! The Herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King.”

“Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations, rise. Join the triumph of the skies.

With the angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the new-born King.”

*Hymn of Celebration Go, Tell It on the Mountain Hymnal #218

I Wonder as I Wander Organ Solo, Linda C. Wolfe

(See Hymn #225 for the text of this Appalachian carol.)

Christmas Prayer Pastor

Candle Lighting As you receive the light, please pass it to those beside you.

The candle to be lit should be tipped to the candle that is already burning.

The sanctuary lights will be dimmed; please remain seated.

Silent Night(We will sing three verses, receive the benediction, then sing the fourth verse.)

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.

Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar, heave’nly hosts sing Alleluia; Christ the Savior is born; Christ the Savior is born.

Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light. Radiant beams from Thy holy face; with the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord at thy birth. Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

Benediction Pastor

(Please raise your candles as the fourth verse is sung.)

Silent night, holy night, wondrous star lend thy light. With the angels, let us sing. Al-le-lu-ia to our King; Christ the Savior is born. Christ the Savior is born.

Postlude

~~ Carefully extinguish candles before leaving the Sanctuary ~~

Notes on Tonight’s HymnsO Come O Come Emmanuel began as an 8 century Latin chant of seven verses eachth

starting with a different title for Christ. By the 12 or 13 century an unknown poetth th

rearranged the chant into the hymn we recognize today. You can still see the relationshipto the earlier chant as each verse begins with a Biblical title for Christ; Emmanuel,Dayspring, Wisdom and Desire.

Blessed Be the God of Israel with words by Michael Perry (1942-1996) and music by HalHopson (1933- ) was written in 1973. It is a paraphrase of Luke 1:68-79, known asZechariah’s song.

O Little Town of Bethlehem was written by the pastor of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

in Philadelphia. On Christmas Eve of 1865, author Phillips Brooks rode horseback from

Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Inspired, he wrote this hymn text in 1868.

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, written by Pastor Edmund Sears, was first published in

December of 1849. It was the first carol-like hymn to be written by an American.

Angels From the Realms of Glory was first published in the “Sheffield Iris” newspaper on

Christmas Eve Day, 1816. The author of the text, James Montgomery, was educated in

seminary but became a printer and owner of the paper in 1794. The music, by Henry

Smart, was matched with the hymn poem in the late 1860s.

Oh Holy Night first sung on Christmas Eve 1847,was the product of an occasional Christian,

Placide Cappeau and a non-religious Jew, Adolphe Charles Adam. In 1855, a Unitarian minister,

translated the carol into English. On Christmas Eve,1906, the hymn became the first musical

piece to ever be broadcast live via radio!

Joy to the World was penned by Isaac Watts (1674-1748) who authored over 600 hymns.

The tune was adapted from two different George Frederick Handel works by a choirmaster

of a Presbyterian Church, Lowell Mason (1792-1892).

O Come All Ye Faithful was originally written in Latin by John Wade in the mid 1700s

although the author wasn’t known until an original manuscript was found in 1946. Wade

also wrote the well known music specifically for his poem. The hymn was translated into

English by Frederick Oakeley in 1841.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing, written by Charles Wesley was first published in 1739. The

original text has been altered many times, including by Wesley himself. Felix

Mendelssohn authored the tune which was matched to the poem in 1857.

Silent Night was written by Father Joseph Mohr for a Christmas festival near Salzburg,

Austria. Some years later, in 1838 his hymn was published in German. The translation we

sing tonight dates from 1863.

Go Tell it on the Mountain is an African-American Carol. The origin of the refrain is

unknown but having heard it, John Wesley Work Jr. wrote the commonly sung verses

around 1900.

Carly Jo Hosbach-Cannon is currently finishing work for her PhD in Speech-Language

Pathology at Syracuse University. (She has completed all the hard part!) Before leaving

for Syracuse, Carly Jo was involved in local community theater, playing featured roles at

both Possum Point Players and Second Street Theater. Her husband Steve is a native of

Milford and we are fortunate to have them visiting during the holidays.

Georgetown Presbyterian ChurchP.O. Box 46 Georgetown, DE 19947

856-6842 (office) 344-1912 (pastor’s cell)

Worship Leaders and Staff

The Reverend Michael Williams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PastorMrs. Linda C. Wolfe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Music, Tonight’s OrganistMrs. Sallie Horner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Co-Director of MusicScripture Readers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Members of GPCElder Bill Taylor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clerk of SessionMrs. Jennine Money Groene. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Candidate for MinistryMrs. Beth Garvilla.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Church OfficeMr. Mark Amendt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Building Service

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You are invited to join us for a Christmas Eve gathering in the EducationalBuilding immediately following the service. Please join us for a few minutes.