Christmas Eve Service Tuesday December 24, 2024

Worship Leader: Rev. Max Ward, B.A., M. Div.

Music Director: Melissa Stephens, B. Mus., B. Ed., A. Mus.

(For a Printer Friendly PDF version click this link)

All are Welcome!

Fourth Sunday of Advent - Love

Watch a video recording of the whole service using YouTube below.

The Gathering

Welcome and Announcements.
Focusing Moment.

Acknowledgement of Land

We acknowledge that we live, work, worship, and play on the traditional lands of the Williams Treaties Peoples. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus once again, we remember everything this birth means for our whole world and all people: hope, peace, joy, and love. May we live our lives moving gently in creation, listening, learning, and striving to be people of reconciliation.

Written by Jessica Knoyle, Ottawa, Ont.

Gathering, Advent/Christmas/Easter 2022-2023, p.27. Used with permission.

THE APPROACH

HYMN: “O Come, All Ye Faithful” VU #60 vs 1, 3 & 4

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;

Refrain O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,

O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

3 Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,

sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;

glory to God in the highest: Refrain

4 See how the shepherds summoned to his cradle,

leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear;

we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps; Refrain

CALL TO WORSHIP:

One: The time of awe and wonderment is upon us.

ALL: Holy mystery is in the air!

One: We gather so that we might celebrate a sacred birth.

ALL: It is a birthday like no other! Our world is transformed because of Jesus’ entry into our lives

Written by Laura J. Turnbull, Penticton, B.C.

Gathering, Advent 2024, p.36. Used with permission.

ADVENT CANDLE-LIGHTING LITANY:

FIRST ADVENT HYMN: “Hope Is a Star” VU #7 – verse 5

5 Christ is our friend that gives us the call,

Love to your neighbour and God most of all.

When God is a child there's joy in our song.

The last shall be first and the weak shall be strong,

and none shall be afraid.

One: On Christmas Eve, the eve of Jesus’ birth, we light each candle. We light the candle of hope

All: as we embrace the light brought into this world by the Christ child.

(the first candle is lit)

One: We light to candle of peace,

All: peace brought into us by the Prince of Peace.

(the second candle is lit)

One: We light the candle of joy

All: as we delight in welcoming baby Jesus.

(the third candle is lit)

One: We light the candle of love

All: as we celebrate God’s great gift of love, the birth of Jesus on this holy night.

(the fourth candle is lit)

One: We bring together the light of all the candles to light the Christ candle in celebration of the Christ child’s birth. As we light the Christ candle, we breathe deeply as the Spirit enters our hearts.

(Breathe deeply, and then light the Christ candle.)

Let us pray:

ALL: God of this Christmas Eve, the birth of your son Jesus fills us with awe and wonder. It is the greatest gift we can receive, a saviour who brought gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love. Amen

Written by Irma Nadeau, Trinity U.C., Winnipeg, Man.

Gathering, Advent 2024, p.74. Used with permission.

SECOND ADVENT HYMN: “A Candle Is Burning” VU #6 – verse 5

5 We honour Messiah with Christ-candle's flame,

our Christmas Eve candles glad tidings proclaim.

O come, all you faithful, rejoice in this night,

as God comes among us, the Christian's true light.

MINISTRY OF MUSIC:

THE WORD

Scripture: Luke 2: 1-7

HYMN: “O Little Town of Bethlehem” VU #64 vs 1&2

1 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.

2 For Christ is born of Mary; and gathered all above,

while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth,

and praises sing to God the King, and peace to all on earth.

Scripture: Luke 2: 8-20

HYMN: “Angels We Have Heard on High” VU #38 vs 1&4

1 Angels we have heard on high

sweetly singing o'er the plains,

and the mountains in reply,

echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

4 See him in a manger laid,

whom the choirs of angels praise;

Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,

while our hearts in love we raise. Refrain

MESSAGE

“Why I Hate Christmas (mostly) By: Patti Rogers”

Listen to an audio recording of the Message below or read it at the bottom of this page.

OUR RESPONSE

HYMN: “He Is Born, Little Child” VU #50 vs 1, 3 & 4

Refrain He is born, little Child divine;

play on the reeds while the lutes are strumming.

He is born, little Child divine;

join the song to announce the day.

1 Through long ages of the past,

prophets have foretold his coming;

through long ages of the past,

now the time has come at last! Refrain

3 Lowly lodged in a stable poor,

laid on straw for his infant cradle.

Lowly lodged in a stable poor,

God came down to our mortal aid. Refrain

4 Jesus, Lord of all the world,

coming as a child among us,

Jesus, Lord of all the world,

grant to us your heavenly peace. Refrain

PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY PRAYER:

Ever-loving God, may our homes and communities echo with sounds of our giving. May we experience joy from unexpected gifts and welcoming meals. Let peace resound, smothering anger and fear. May we discover the hope of fresh starts and new opportunities. Let love abound with gratitude and acceptance. May our lives reflect the love you shared by sending us your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Written by Gill Le Fevre, Walton Memorial U.C., Oakville, Ont.

Gathering, Advent 2024, page 40. Used with permission.

HYMN: “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” VU #58

1 Infant holy, infant lowly, for his bed a cattle stall;

oxen lowing, little knowing Christ the babe is Lord of all.

Swift are winging angels singing,

noels ringing, tidings bringing:

Christ the babe is born for all.

Christ the babe is born for all!

2 Flocks were sleeping; shepherds keeping vigil till

the morning new

saw the glory, heard the story, tidings of a gospel true.

Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow,

praises voicing greet the morrow:

Christ the babe was born for you.

Christ the babe was born for you!

DISTRIBUTION OF THE LIGHT OF CHRISTMAS

CAROL: Silent Night, Holy Night” VU #67

1 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.

2 Silent night! Holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight:

glories stream from heaven afar,

heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah,

Christ the Saviour is born, Christ the Saviour is born.

3 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.

Sending Forth:

One: As we move from this sanctuary today may God help us to let go of our expectations and assumptions as we encounter anew the miracle of Christ’s birth, love’s pure light.

ALL: Amen!

Written by Laura Rousseau, Winnipeg, Man.

Gathering, Advent, 2024, p.40. Used with permission.

SUNG BLESSING: (MV #220)

Love shines as the solitary star.

Faith is the inner light.

You and I together mirror the Light of Lights,

and illumine the pathway home. ©

A Time of Fellowship

Sermon 24 December 2024

“Why I Hate Christmas (mostly) By: Patti Rogers”

Luke 2:1-20

Gracious God, be with us today in this place, in the Scriptures and in our words.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts praise your Holy name. Amen.

Why I hate Christmas (mostly)

Sure, the holiday season can be a pain, but it also brings the miracle of hope.

…says Patti Rogers.

I first met Patti when I was a student minister.

I was serving as a Student Supply Minister at Lefroy United Church (just a little south of Barrie)

I was serving there while I was finishing up my last year at Emmanuel College way back in 2002 & 2003 before coming here.

Patti attended the Lefroy United Church and was involved in everything.

She was the kind of person that showed her faith and she also was good at talking about it too.

I was only at that church for 10 months but I had learned so much and it was a wonderful time for both Amanda and I.

We moved here in July of 2003 and have been blessed ever since.

Patti and I have crossed paths a few more times even though we were not always in the same Regions.

She helped me to become a Supervising Minister by being my practice Student while she was also discerning her path in ministry at the time.

Now, Patti Rodgers is a designated lay minister at Bond Head (Ont.) United Church.

Her sermon, the message I will share with you, was the runner-up in Broadview’s Best Christmas Sermon Ever Contest.

I know you will enjoy it as I did too.

Thanks Patti. She begins…

I hate Christmas.

I hate the busy stores.

I hate feeling guilty about avoiding busy stores by ordering gifts on Amazon.

I hate buying toys that will be broken by Boxing Day.

I hate trimming the tree.

Or more precisely I hate when someone else trims the tree and I can’t stop myself from re-trimming it when they’re not looking.

I hate pulling out the decorations I’ve had for 40 years and realizing I’ve had them for 40 years!

I hate trying to co-ordinate everyone’s busy schedules so we can sit down for a meal together.

I hate it when I burn the cookies everyone expects me to craft to perfection.

I hate sappy Christmas movies and radio stations that start playing Christmas music on the 1st of November and I HATE Bruce Springsteen singing Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town almost as much as Mariah Carey singing All I Want for Christmas is You.

I hate the commercials that insist… $129.99 for a contraption that heats bath towels… is the perfect gift.

I hate the dozen or so emails I get every day asking for money for this or that charity whose CEO earns 50 times the minimum wage.

I hate those Facebook posts that say: “It’s Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays. Like if you agree!”

I hate that. I hate it all.

There. I said it. I feel so much better now.

Let’s be honest; you hate some of that too.

That’s why you go to a darkened sanctuary on Christmas Eve to leave all that behind and to soak up the feeling that is in this sacred space.

What is that feeling, exactly?

I think it’s hope.

There are two elements to hope: expectation and trust.

Hope is an expectation that something good is going to happen and the trust that it will happen, even if the outcome is not what we expected.

Hope is knowing there is more than one outcome to every situation, and it might just be better than we imagined.

The people of Israel were hoping, 2,000 years ago.

Fueled by the predictions of prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, they were expecting a king to kick out the Romans and give them back their country, their way of life, the power they used to have.

Steeped in the tradition of David, the warrior king, the people of Israel longed for a leader who could call on the power of God to knock down fortress walls like Joshua did, or bring on plagues and fiery tornadoes like Moses did.

What they got was a baby.

Not quite what they had in mind.

It’s like when you open that big mysterious box under the Christmas tree and inside you find a vacuum cleaner.

Not quite what you had in mind, but exactly what you need to clear away the mess Christmas leaves behind.

Who would think what was needed to transform and save, not only Israel, but the whole world, is not a king or an army, but a baby?

A baby who grew into a man.

A man who healed people.

And the people he healed went out and healed other people, and the hope became, because of him, that the whole world would be healed.

It isn’t yet.

The powers of fear are strong in our world right now, but today we remember that a child called Emmanuel came, a child whose name means “God is with us.”

Us with God.

God with us.

Not up there somewhere, not 2,000 years ago, but here, now, drifting around in the hope that fills our sanctuary you have chosen this afternoon.

With hope, the crazy, messed up, commercialized, militarized, money-grubbing, hate-filled, bigoted world doesn’t stand a chance.

Bring on the demagogues and the tyrants; we’ve got a baby born in a manger.

Bring on the pipelines and the climate deniers; we’ve got shepherds of the land who will not be moved.

Bring on the short-sighted, bottom-liners.

We will dismantle their empire one stone at a time without raising an army or firing a single shot because God – not nations, nor principalities, nor powers – God, determines the future, and God is with us.

God, in human form, the Christ-child born, in you.

For there to be hope in the world, you must hope.

For there to be peace in the world, you must pursue peace.

For there to be love in the world, you must love.

Not alone, not in silence, but loudly, boldly, clearly.

Tell it on the mountains.

Ring the bells.

Call your member of Parliament, or, better yet, sit on her doorstep.

Carry a sign.

Hold out a hand in peace.

Don’t let anonymous hateful comments go unchallenged.

Hope.

And trust in the power of hope.

Yes, I hate lots of things about Christmas.

But every sparkling light, every cookie baked, every gift exchanged, every carol sung is meant to give us hope, again and again and again.

So bring it on, Prince of Peace, little baby in a manger, and let the celebration begin!

Thanks be to God.

Amen.

By: Patti Rodgers DLM

Edited By: Rev. Max Ward