Christmas Day

Christmas Day
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Luke 2.8-20, Psalm 123.1-2

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them,

Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day
in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will towards men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go even until Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God.

Christmas Bells

 “Christmas Bells,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth

The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound

The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent

The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;

“There is no peace on earth,” I said;

“For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

Christmas Eve Night 2024

 

• Tuesday, December 24, 2024: Christmas Eve Night

• Psalm 96

• 

Sing to the LORD a new song!

Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Sing to the LORD, bless His name,

Bring tidings every day of His rescue.

Recount among the nations His glory,

among all the peoples His wonders.

For great is the LORD and most praised,

fearsome is He over all the gods.

For all gods of the peoples are ungods,

but the LORD has made the heavens.

Greatness and grandeur before Him,

strength and splendor in His sanctuary.

Grant to the LORD, O families of peoples,

grant to the LORD glory and strength.

Grant to the LORD His name’s glory,

bear tribute and come to His courts.

Bow to the LORD in sacred grandeur;

quake before Him, all the earth.

Say among the nations: The LORD reigns.

Yes, the world stands firm, will not shake.

          He metes out justice to peoples righteously.

Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult,

let the sea and its fullness thunder. 

Let the field be glad and all that is in it,

then shall all the trees of the forest gladly sing

before the LORD, for He comes,

He comes to judge the earth.

He judges the world in justice

and peoples in His faithfulness.

Candlelight Christmas Eve 2024

Candlelight Christmas Eve
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Luke 2.1-14

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them,

Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Christmas Eve 2024

 “Christmas Carol,” by Sara Teasdale

The kings they came from out the south,

All dressed in ermine fire;

They bore Him gold and chrysoprase,

And gifts of precious wine.

The shepherds came from out the north,

Their coats were brown and old;

They brought Him little new-born lambs –

They had not any gold.

They wise men came from out the east,

And they were wrapped in white;

They star that led them all the way

Did glorify the night.

The angles came from heaven high,

And they were clad with wings;

And lo, they brought a joyful song

The host of heaven sings.

The kings they knocked upon the door,

The wise men entered in,

The shepherds followed after them

To hear the song begin.

The angels sang through all the night

Until the rising sun,

But little Jesus fell asleep

Before the song was done.

Psalm 113: ADVENT 4

Psalm 113: ADVENT 4

Monday, December 23, 2024

Hallelujah.

Praise, O servants of the LORD,

praise the LORD’s name.

May the LORD’s name be blessed 

now and forevermore. 

From the place the sun rises to where it sets,

praised be the name of the LORD

High over all nations, the LORD,

over the heavens His glory.

Who is like the LORD our God,

Who sits high above,

Who sees down below

in the heavens and on the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust,

from the dung-heap lifts the needy,

to seat him among princes,

among the princes of his people.

He seats the barren woman in her home

a happy mother of sons.

Hallelujah.