Christmas Service at Universalist National Memorial Church

I will be co-officiating the Christmas morning service at Universalist National Memorial Church this year. It will be a smaller and simpler than usual Sunday service. For example, a responsive reading replaces an anthem, the announcements are up front and there’s no offering.  A litany adds more voices. The sermon, as yet unwritten, will be brief. We’ll meet in the side chapel, rather than the main nave.

I’m publishing this now as a convenience to church members who might be interested but are unable to attend, and for those worship leaders and ministers who are still scrambling, knowing that the Christmas Eve service(s) will be what attracts the larger congregation.

The lessons are Proper 2 for Christmas Day from the Revised Common Lectionary. The hymns are from the 1937 Hymns of the Spirit,  but are traditional and ecumenical favorites.  Much of the service itself comes from the proper Christmas service from the liturgical section of the same hymnal, updated for language. The declaration of faith is proper to the church.

If you are in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. at 11 a.m. Christmas morning, please consider worshiping with us.

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

OPENING SENTENCES

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Isaiah XL: 5.

Blessed be the Lord God; for he hath visited and redeemed his people: and hath raised up a mighty salvation for us. Luke I: 68.

HYMNS

156 O Come, All Ye Faithful

170 Hark the Herald Angels Sing

INVOCATION

Let us pray.

O God of Love, who hast brought us through a time of great longing and loss to the glad season when we commemorate the birth of thy son, Jesus of Nazareth, grant that his spirit may be born anew in our hearts this day, and that we may joyfully welcome him to reign over us. Open our ears that we may hear again the angel choirs of old; open our lips that we too may sing with uplifted hearts, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, toward all good will. Amen.

FREEWILL DECLARATION OF FAITH

In faith and freedom, we are called

to bring hope and healing to the world

so that all may rejoice in God’s grace.

I believe in

the universal love of God

the spiritual authority and leadership of Jesus Christ

the trustworthiness of the Bible as a source of divine revelation

the need for repentance and forgiveness of sin

and the final harmony of all souls with God.

FIRST LESSON

Titus 3:4-7, NRSV

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

RESPONSIVE READING

Magnificat (Song of Mary)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for you, Lord, have looked with favor on your lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed:

You, the Almighty, have done great things for me and holy is your name.

You have mercy on those who fear you from generation to generation.

You have shown strength with your arm and scattered the proud in their conceit, casting down the mighty from their thrones and lifting up the lowly.

You have filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.

All: You have come to the aid of your servant Israel, to remember the promise of mercy, the promise made to our forebears, to Abraham and his children for ever.

ELLC Alternate version

SECOND LESSON

Luke 2:8-18, NRSV

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and 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 heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

Let us pray:

LITANY

O Light which comes into the world as hope for all peoples: we give thanks this day for the birth of Jesus, thy messenger and prophet of truth and light and love.

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. They that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

We give thanks for his ministry, that Jesus was anointed to preach good tidings to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, the recovery of health to the ill, to set at liberty those that are bound.

Help us to make of our present world the acceptable year of the Lord.

We rejoice in the pure light of the spirit of Jesus which has led his followers to seek the highest truth and to walk in friendship with all people.

For this commandment have we also from him: love one another as we have loved him.

We remember before thee this day, and bear in our hearts, the many who are needy and suffering and discouraged. May we rise up to their help and comfort

If we walk in the light we have companionship one with another.

Over the face of the ancient earth, weary and torn with strife, the passing generations have come and are gone, and have not seen the triumph of good will among us: yet we give thanks for the unceasing renewal of life born to new hopes and strong to achieve new victories of good.

For unto us a child is born.

In the light of the shining star that gives happiness to little children and cheer to all, help us to renew our courage for that good time when none shall be far off or forgotten, but all shall live within the circle of the blessed life.

May the dayspring from on high visit us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Amen.

PRAYERS

O God, sanctify unto us, we pray thee, the rich and holy gift of thine abounding love which is manifest to the world in this glad festival of universal joy. Help us to attain unto the fulness of its blessing, that Christ may be born afresh to us this day; in deeper love and reverence for thee, in nobler sense of human familyhood, in hunger and thirst after righteousness, in eager longing for the spirit of peace. May the passion of his faith and the patience of his love be shared by us this day in quickening consciousness of our eternal inheritance with thee, his God and our God, his Father and our Father, Amen.

Almighty God, we commend to thy continual care the homes in which thy people dwell. Put far from them every root of bitterness, the desire of vainglory, and the pride of life. Fill them with faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness. Knit together in constant affection those who in holy wedlock have been made one; turn the heart of the parents to the children, and the heart of the children to the parents; and so kindle charity among us all, that we may be ever more kindly affectioned with holy love. Amen.

And so let thy kingdom come, and thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Now let us pray as Jesus taught, saying,

PRAYER OF JESUS

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

HYMN

165 O Little Town of Bethlehem (Forest Green)

SERMON

HYMN

163 (v, 1, 2, 4) Joy to the Word

BENEDICTION

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with us all. Amen.

2 Replies to “Christmas Service at Universalist National Memorial Church”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.