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Invitation to Worship
Christ is born to us; come, let us adore him!
Light Christmas Candles and say or sing:
O Holy ONE + open my lips,
~And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Glory to God in the highest
~And peace to God’s people on Earth.
CHRISTMAS MORNING HYMN
All may sing or alternate the verses of any Christmas Morning Carol .
From east to west from shore to shore, let ev’ry heart awake and sing:
The holy child whom Mary bore, The Christ, to whom all praise we bring.
Behold, the world’s Creator wears The form and fashion of a slave;
Our human flesh our Maker shares, This human race God comes to save.
He shrank not from the oxen’s stall Nor scorned a lowly manger bed;
For he who feeds and cares for all At Mary’s breast himself was fed.
And while the angels in the sky Sang praise above the silent field:
To shepherds poor the Lord Most High, the one great Shepherd was revealed.
“All glory be to God above And on the Earth let there be peace
To all who long to share God’s love Till time itself shall come to cease.”
Text: Coelius Sedelius (+ ca. 450); Tune: A SOLIS ORTUS CARDINE
PSALMODY
Antiphon
Lift up and open, O eternal gates,
and the Sovereign of Glory will enter in! Alleluia!
Psalm 23/24
The Earth and its fullness belong to you;
the world and all its peoples.
It is you who set it on the seas,
on the waters you made it firm.
Who shall climb your mountain, Adonai,
or stand in your holy place?
Those with clean hands and pure heart,
who desire no worthless thing.
They shall receive blessings from your Love
and reward from your saving Presence.
Such are the people who seek you,
who seek you, God of Jacob.
Stretch toward heaven you gates,
open high and wide.
Let the glorious sovereign enter.
Who is this splendid ruler?
Adonai, Adonai Sabbaoth
The One who conquers the chaos.
Stretch toward heaven, you gates.
open high and wide.
Let the glorious sovereign enter.
Who is this splendid ruler?
Adonai of heaven’s glory
This splendid ruler is our God.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love.
As always before
so now and evermore. Amen.
Lift up and open, O eternal gates,
and the Sovereign of Glory will enter in! Alleluia!
!
READING Hebrews 1:1-2
In times past, God spoke in fragmentary and varied ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in this, the final age, God has spoken to us through his WORD, whom God has made heir of all things and through whom God first created the universe.
Silent Prayer
Responsory
R. A child is born to us, a Son is giv’n to us, And upon his shoulders rests all power.
V. His dominion will increase, and the world know peace without end. and upon his shoulders rests all power. V. Glory to the Abba and the Word, and the Holy Breath of Love. R. A child is born to us, a Son is giv’n to us, And upon his shoulders rests all power.
Canticle of Zachary– Luke 1:68-79
Antiphon
And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and singing: “Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace among those with whom God is pleased!”
Blessed + be Adonai, the God of Israel,
Who visits this people to set us free
Raising for us a sign of salvation
In the house and family of David.
God promised throughout past ages
In words of holy prophets
To save us from our enemies,
And from the control of our oppressors.
Adonai favored our ancestors
And remembered the sacred covenant.
The pledge to Abraham and Sarah
Is now renewed for us;
That freed from the grip of our foes
We might worship without fear
And be both just and holy
For the rest of our days.
And you, child, called “prophet of the Most High,”
Will go ahead to prepare the way,
By teaching this people of salvation
Through forgiveness of their sins.
For the loving compassion of the Holy One
As the Rising Sun will shine upon us
To illumine the darkness and dispel death’s shadow
To guide our feet on the way of peace.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and singing: “Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace among those with whom God is pleased!”
Litany of Intercession
Lord Jesus, Son of the Living God, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, Son of Earth, Human-One,
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, Son of Mary, virgin and mother, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Prayer of Jesus
Our Dear Abba …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
Holy One, Source of all light and life, your eternal Word leapt down in the silent watches of the night, and now your people are filled with wonder at the nearness of our God. Open our hearts to receive him that our lives may be filled with his peace who lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.
May the Word Made Flesh, + full of grace and truth, bless us and keep us.
Amen.
Let us bless Adonai.
~Thanks be to God.