WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 25, 2024
CHRISTMAS DAY
PASTOR: Rev. Harry M. Krolus
CHURCH: 410-356-3400 CELL: 410-707-7663
Church email: ctklclcms@yahoo.com
Church Web Site: ctklchurch.org
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OPENING SENTENCES AND RESPONSES
P. Comfort, oh comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry to her that her warfare is over.
C. Welcome, O my Savior, now!
P. Her penalty is paid.
C. Welcome, O my Savior, now!
P. She has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive its King.
Let every heart prepare him room
And heav’n and nature sing ....
P. A voice cries out: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
C. Welcome, O my Savior, now!
P. “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let all their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy ...
P. Get up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”
C. Welcome, O my Savior, now!
Let no more sin and sorrow grow
Or thorns infest the ground.
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found ....
P. Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him and his recompense before him.
C. Welcome, O my Savior, now!
P. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness
And wonders of his love ...
THE PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Heavenly Father, this is the day you have made. You remembered your promise and gave us the gift of our Savior.
Help us to receive him into our hearts and share the Good News
of the life we have in him with others, as did the shepherds of long ago. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
A CHRISTMAS PSALM: Psalm 98
P. Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
C. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
P. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
C. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
P. make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,
C. with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn-- shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
P. Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
C. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;
ALL: let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see the lie!
Above thy deep And dream-less sleep The silent stars go by;
Yet in the darkness shineth The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears Of all the years Are met in thee tonight.
THE LESSONS FROM SCRIPTURE
ISAIAH 62:10-12
Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, `See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.'" They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.
For Christ is born of Mary, and, gathered all above
While mortals sleep, and 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.
HEBREWS 1:1-6
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father" ? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"? And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."
How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming; but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still the dear Christ enters in.
JOHN 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Hark the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new-born King
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim,”Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new-born King!”
THE HOMILY: “What’s It All About?”
text: Luke 2:6-7
THE OFFERING
THE CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
P. Lo, he who is coming has come!
C. We welcome him with thankful hearts.
P. Lo, he who has come is coming!
C. We wait for him with fervent faith.
P. Lo, he comes!
C. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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 forever and ever. Amen.
THE EXCHANGE OF CHRISTIAN PEACE
THE INVITATION
P. The gifts of God for the people of God.
C. Amen
THE THANKSGIVING
P. Thank the Lord and sing his praise. Tell everyone what he has done.
C. Let everyone who seeks the Lord rejoice and proudly bear his name.
P. He recalls his promises and leads his people forth in joy.
C. With shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia, Alleluia. Amen.
THE CLOSING SENTENCES
P. When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,
C. 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.
P. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
C. so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winters night that was so deep.
Refrain: Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far;
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night. (Refrain)
And by the light of that same star,
Three wise men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went. (Refrain)
HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS!
