Carols By Candlelight

We are one people with all kinds of pasts and backgrounds, graciously forgiven at the cross and called together by God encouraging one another to be faithful to our risen Saviour Jesus in the power of the Spirit by living our whole lives according to his word, and by making Him known throughout Willerby and Kirk Ella, and beyond.

WELCOME

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,
heav’nly hosts sing, Alleluia!
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.

Franz Xavier Gruber (1787-1863)
© Public Domain

Reading: Isaiah 8:19-21: The world is in deep darkness

1. In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

2. Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

3. Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

4. What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-94)
© Public domain

Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7: The Light of God breaks into the darkness.

The following song will be sung by the choir

1. Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would one day walk on water
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would save our sons and daughters
Did you know
That your baby boy
Has come to make you new
This Child that you delivered
Will soon deliver you

2. Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would give sight to the blind man
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Would calm a storm with His hand
Did you know
That your baby boy
Has walked where angels trod
And when you kiss your little baby
You’ve kissed the face of God
Mary did you know
Mary did you know

The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb

3. Oh Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Is Lord of all creation
Mary did you know
That your baby boy
Will one day rule the nations
Did you know
That your baby boy
Is heaven’s perfect Lamb
And the sleeping Child you’re holding
Is the great I Am
Oh Mary did you know

Buddy Greene (born 1953) and Mark Lowry (born 1958)
© 1991, 1993 Curb Word Music, Rufus Music (Admin. Integrity Music Ltd.)

1. See amid the winter’s snow,
born for us on earth below,
see the tender Lamb appears,
promised from eternal years.

Hail, thou ever-blessèd morn!
Hail, redemption’s happy dawn!
Sing through all Jerusalem,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!

2. Lo, within a manger lies
he who built the starry skies,
he who, throned in height sublime,
sits amid the cherubim.

Hail, thou ever-blessèd morn!…

3. Say, ye holy shepherds, say,
what your joyful news to-day;
wherefore have ye left your sheep
on the lonely mountain steep?

Hail, thou ever-blessèd morn!…

4.’As we watched at dead of night,
lo, we saw a wondrous light:
angels, singing ‘peace on earth’,
told us of the Saviour’s birth.’

Hail, thou ever-blessèd morn!…

5. Sacred Infant, all divine,
what a tender love was thine,
thus to come from highest bliss
down to such a world as this!

Hail, thou ever-blessèd morn!…

6. Teach, O teach us, holy child,
by thy face so meek and mild,
teach us to resemble thee
in thy sweet humility.

Hail, thou ever-blessèd morn!…

Edward Caswall (1814-1878)
© Public Domain (Admin. Public Domain)

Reading: Luke 2:8-20: Shining angels announce Jesus’ birth.

1. While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down,
and glory shone around.

2. Fear not’ said he (for mighty dread
had seized their troubled mind);
‘glad tidings of great joy I bring
to you and all mankind.’

3. ‘To you in David’s town this day
is born of David’s line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
and this shall be the sign:

4.’The heavenly babe you there shall find
to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
and in a manger laid.’

5. Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith
appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
addressed their joyful song;

6. ‘All glory be to God on high,
and to the earth be peace;
good will henceforth from heaven to men
begin and never cease.’

Nahum Tate (1652-1715)
© Public Domain

Reading: Matthew 2:1-12: The Magi follow the light.

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;

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

2. God of God,
Light of light,
Lo, He abhors not the virgin’s womb;
Very God,
Begotten, not created:

O come, let us adore Him…

3. Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
Glory to God
In the highest:

O come, let us adore Him…

From the Latin (18th Century) tr. Frederick Oakley (1802-80)
© Public Domain (Admin. Public Domain)

1. Joy to the world the Lord has come!
let earth receive her king,
let every heart prepare him room
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing!

2. Joy to the earth the saviour reigns!
Your sweetest songs employ.
while fields and streams and hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

3. No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found
Far as the curse is found
Far as far as the curse is found

4. He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness,
the wonders of his love,
the wonders of his love,
the wonders, wonders of his love.

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
© Public Domain (Admin. Public Domain)

Prayers

1. 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.

2. Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a Virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
hail, the incarnate Deity,
pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark, the herald-angels sing
glory to the new-born King.

3. Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace:
hail, the Sun of Righteousness.
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that man no more may die,
born to raise the sons of earth,
born to give them second birth.
Hark, the herald-angels sing
glory to the new-born King.

Charles Wesley (1707-1788), George Whitfield (1714-1770), Martin Madan (1726-1790)
© Public Domain

May the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the perseverance of the wise men, the obedience of Joseph and Mary, and the peace of the Christ child be yours this Christmas; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.

You are invited to stay for mulled wine, juice and mince pies and other Christmas goodies.

We wish you a merry Christmas and hope to see you again in the new year

Copyright material included under CCL licence 249420

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