A Service of Lessons & Carols
The First Sunday after Christmas December 27, 2020
This service of nine lessons and carols is inspired by a traditional English Christmas service written by the Rev. Edward White Benson in 1880.
Carol 1 Angels from the Realms of Glory (LSB 367)
Angels from the realms of glory, Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story, Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
Come and worship, come and worship; Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Shepherds in the field abiding, Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing, Yonder shines the Infant Light.
Come and worship, come and worship; Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Δ All creation, join in praising, God the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising, To th’ eternal Three in One.
Come and worship, come and worship; Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Invocation
P: In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.
Confession and Holy Absolution
P: Let us confess our sins to God our Father.
C: Lord of heaven and earth, no secrets are hidden from Your sight. You know our sins: our rebellions of thought,
word, and deed; our failure to do what You command. We admit that we have sinned against You and deserve nothing but Your eternal anger and punishment. But we are sorry for our sins and repent of them. Forgive us, we pray, for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior, and fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we may live to Your praise and glory. Amen.
P: In love and mercy God sent His only Son for you, who was born in human flesh to be your Savior. By His death on the cross, Jesus Christ made full atonement for your sins and by His resurrection from the dead He has sealed the triumph of eternal life to you and to all believers. May the Lord who has begun this good work in us, bring it to completion on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
C: Amen.
The Collect for the First Sunday after Christmas P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray.
C: O God, our Maker and Redeemer, You wonderfully created us and in the incarnation of Your Son yet more wondrously restored our human nature. Grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The First Lesson Micah 5:2-5a
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore He shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of His brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And He shall stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they shall dwell secure, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And He shall be their peace.
The Second Lesson Galatians 4:4-7 Epistle for the 1st Sunday after Christmas
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Carol 2 On Christmas Night, All Christians Sing (LSB 377)
On Christmas night all Christians sing, To hear the news the angels bring, (Repeat) News of great joy, news of great mirth, News of our merciful King's birth.
Then why should men on earth be so sad, Since our Redeemer made us glad, (Repeat) When from our sin He set us free, All for to gain our liberty?
All out of darkness we have light, Which made the angels sing this night, (Repeat) "Glory to God and peace to men Now and forevermore. Amen."
The Third Lesson Isaiah 52:7-10 Old Testament for Christmas Day How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” 8 The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. 9 Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
The Fourth Lesson Hebrews 1:1-6 Epistle for Christmas Day Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days He has
spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? Or again, “I will be to Him a father, and He shall be to Me a son”? 6 And again, when He brings the Firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all God's angels worship Him.”
Carol 3 O Little Town of Bethlehem (LSB 361)
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.
For Christ is born of Mary, And, gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep, Their watch of wond’ring love. O morning stars together, Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the king, And peace to all the earth!
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The Fifth Lesson Revelation 1:1-6 First Reading for St. John’s Day (Dec 27) The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to His servants the things that must soon take place. He
made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood 6and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The Sixth Lesson 1 John 1:1-2:2 Epistle for St. John’s Day (Dec 27)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon
and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 the Life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal Life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And 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 into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Carol 4 It Came upon the Midnight Clear (LSB 366)
It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold: "Peace on the earth, goodwill to all, From heav'n's all-gracious king." The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing.
All you, beneath your heavy load, By care and guilt bent low, Who toil along a dreary way, With painful steps and slow:
Look up, for golden is the hour, Come swiftly on the wing,
The Prince was born to bring you peace; Of Him the angels sing.
For lo, the days have come to pass, By prophets seen of old, When down into the circling years, Came Christ as was foretold. His word of peace shall to the earth, God's ancient promise bring, And all who take this gift will hear, The song the angels sing.
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The Seventh Lesson Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Old Testament for the 1st Sunday after Christmas I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. 62:1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
Carol 5 What Child Is This (LSB 370)
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 guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The babe, the son of Mary!
Why lies He in such mean estate, Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear; for sinners here, The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, The cross be borne for me, for you; Hail, hail the Word made flesh, The babe, the son of Mary!
So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh; Come, peasant king, to own Him. The King of kings salvation brings; Let loving hearts enthrone Him. Raise, raise the song on high, The virgin sings her lullaby;
Joy, joy, for Christ is born, the babe, the son of Mary!
The Eighth Lesson Luke 2:22-40 Gospel for The First Sunday after Christmas When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to
Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 “Lord, now you are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; 30 for my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”
33 And His father and His mother marveled at what was said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon Him.
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Carol 6 See Amid the Winter’s Snow (LSB 373)
See amid the winter's snow, Born for us on earth below, See, the gentle Lamb appears, Promised from eternal years.
Refrain: Hail, O ever-blessed morn! Hail, redemption's happy dawn! Sing through all Jerusalem: "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Lo, within a stable lies, He who built the starry skies,
He who, throned in height sublime, Sits amid the cherubim. Refrain
Sacred Infant, all divine, What a tender love was Thine,
Thus to come from highest bliss, Down to such a world as this! Refrain
The Ninth Lesson John 1:1-14 Gospel for Christmas Day In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with
God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but came to bear witness about the Light.
9 The true Light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. 12 But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Carol 7 A Great and Mighy Wonder (LSB 383)
A great and mighty wonder, A full and holy cure: The virgin bears the infant With virgin honor pure!
Refrain Proclaim the Savior's birth: "To God on high be glory, And peace to all the earth!" The Word becomes incarnate, And yet remains on high,
And cherubim sing anthems, To shepherds from the sky. Refrain Since all He comes to ransom, By all be He adored,
The infant born in Bethl'em, The Savior and the Lord. Refrain All idols then shall perish, And Satan's lying cease,
And Christ shall raise His scepter, Decreeing endless peace. Refrain
Reflection on the Word
Carol 8 Go Tell It on the Mountain (LSB 388)
Refrain Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and ev'rywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain, That Jesus Christ is born. While shepherds kept their watching, O'er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens, There shone a holy light. Refrain The shepherds feared and trembled, When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus, That hailed our Savior's birth.
Down in a lowly manger, The humble Christ was born, And God sent us salvation, That blessed Christmas morn.
Refrain Refrain
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The Prayers & The Lord’s Prayer
The Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: Amen.
Carol 9 Let Us All With Gladsome Voice (LSB 390)
Let us all with gladsome voice, Praise the God of heaven, Who, to bid our hearts rejoice, His own Son hath given.
To this vale of tears He comes, Here to serve in sadness,
That with Him in heav’n’s fair homes, We may reign in gladness.
We are rich, for He was poor; Is this not a wonder? Therefore praise God evermore, Here on earth and yonder.
Christ, our Lord and Savior dear, Be Thou ever near us. Grant us now a glad new year, Amen, Jesus, hear us.
***ANNOUNCEMENTS***
Altar Flowers are given to the glory of God by the Todd Family in loving memory of their beloved Abbey Todd.
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