Christmas Eve at Grace
Worship Script by Walt Harrah
God’s With Us
Greeting
Dave Talley
Christmas Eve Candle Lighting
1. Explanation of the candle:
The fifth and final candle is the candle of joy. The angel said to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11
2. Light the candle
3. Scripture Reading (responsively)
Isaiah 35
LEADER:
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
CONGREGATION:
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.
LEADER:
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”
CONGREGATION:
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
LEADER:
Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
CONGREGATION:
And a highway will be there, it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.
LEADER:
No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return.
CONGREGATION:
They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Of The Father’s Love Begotten
Kenny Clark
ZECHARIAH:
Elizabeth and I were both descendents of Aaron. In terms of lineage, that’s pretty special. And everything about the priesthood was a delight to us. God’s prescribed ways delighted us. And since we loved each other deeply, we were able to endure the one big disappointment in our life, which was that we had not been able to have children.
Of course people talked, and wondered. Children after all, were considered a sign of God’s blessing, and we wondered sometimes as well. After all, when your life is given over to serving God…..you’d think that – well, you know…. to be denied the joy of children got to us at times. Then suddenly we were just too old to hold out hope any longer.
But God had other plans. One day, maybe the greatest day of my life, I was selected by lot to go into the temple of the Lord and to burn incense. Do you know what the chances of that are? There were 24 divisions of priests, and my division was eighth in the rotation. So twice every year my division was called up for duty and we traveled to Jerusalem to work in the Temple. Each day about 50 priests would be on duty, and to be the one person chosen by lot to offer the prayers of the people was a great honor, one that could only come once in a lifetime, if at all.
Elizabeth was as excited as I was, and made me go over my responsibilities one more time. The altar would be heated, and my job was to place incense on it, and then prostrate myself in prayer. The time came, and everything went just as expected. The incense filled the room, the people were outside praying “May the merciful God enter the Holy Place and accept with favor the offering of his people,” My joyful task was to offer prayers on behalf of the people, and believe you me, I uttered those words with all the heart I could muster. The privilege of it all was overwhelming!
And then suddenly – right in the middle of my prayer – the most amazing thing happened. An angel of the Lord appeared – at the right side of the altar of incense. I’m dead serious, an angel. I must have looked terrified, because the first words he spoke had a calming effect. He continued.
“Your prayer has been heard, you wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.” I was speechless. Well not really – that came later, but I didn’t know what to say.
The angel had just started. “He will be a joy and a delight to you,” he said, “and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.”
I was numb, but still I recall hearing how our boy was not to take wine or other fermented drink, because he would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth!
There was more. “He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” This was my son he was talking about! My boy!
And then, without thinking, unbelief crept in. I just couldn’t seem to find it in my heart to trust that what the angel said would happen. It seemed too good to be true.
So I stupidly said what I was thinking, blurting out, “How can I be sure of this? Have you forgotten how old we are?!” Suddenly the angel’s mood darkened. It was too late to take my words back, and I deserved what came next.
“I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I came here to give you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”
Sure enough, I lost my voice. I tried to speak. Nothing. So when I went back outside, I made signs as best I could, but it was pretty obvious that something unusual had happened. You could sense the buzz, the excitement. Four hundred years of waiting, and now God was moving.
All the way back home I was kicked myself for the way I had reacted. And sure enough, Elizabeth got pregnant. I can’t describe the change that came over her. She simply glowed, overwhelmed with the goodness of the Lord, and thought it best to seclude herself for the first five months.
“The Lord has done this for me,” she would say. “He is showing me favor by removing the disgrace I have always felt.”
If I would have had a voice, I would have said, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” But instead I wrote it down.
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Congregation
MARY:
Just like Zechariah, I had an angel visit as well. And just like Zechariah, everything changed. God had something in mind for me that I couldn’t possibly have imagined, something stunningly wonderful.
Sure I had plans. What young girl doesn’t? Joseph and I were engaged to be married, and excited about our future together. And we wanted what everyone else wants, a nice happy wedding, to enjoy life together, to have children eventually, nothing terribly dramatic.
But as the angel delivered his message, everything I ever imagined my life would be like flew out the window. The first words out of Gabriel’s mouth – that I was special to God – did little to calm my beating heart. He tried to reassure me, telling me to not be afraid, reassuring me again that I was favored of God. I began to sense, almost like a fragrance, that this was all about the goodness of God being displayed, and my heart rate lowered a bit.
The next words I heard were words unique to me, never to be repeated again in all of history, words that would soon bring me both blessing and disgrace. I was to have child, a son that was to be named Jesus. And that was not all. This child would be the Son of the Most High. He would not only assume the throne of David, he would reign forever, and his kingdom would never end.
My heart went back into my throat. What was I hearing? How could I possibly have a child? Since this was just a dream, and when I woke up, I could just go back to being a young girl making wedding plans.
The next thing I knew, I heard myself talking to the angel. “Just how will this happen,” I heard myself say, “since I am a virgin?” His answer was strangely mysterious and wonderful. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,” he said, “and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”
He continued slowly and deliberately, to let the words sink in. “The holy one to be born to you will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”
This was too much at once. Elizabeth pregnant? Could it be, after all these years? What on earth was going on? Oh no, my parents! What will they think when they find out? What will Joseph think when he finds out? And our wedding plans…..then I remembered those words, favor with God – he loves me….somehow this will turn out for the best, because God is good…..he has a plan……my heart once again settled down, and a unexplanable came over me. I knew what I had to do.
“I am the Lord’s servant. Let it happen to me as you have said.” And just like that, Gabriel was gone. Elizabeth. I had to go see Elizabeth.
Earth Was Waiting
Mindy Price, solo
ELIZABETH:
Six months of having Zechariah miming or writing on a tablet got old fast, but gradually I was able to piece together the story of what took place in the temple. And like the angel had said, I got pregnant. For the first five months I thought it best to stay out of sight, but in truth I couldn’t wait to tell the world. Everyone was thrilled, of course. Zechariah, still voiceless, just smiled a whole lot. There was this air of, well - expectancy – so much hope about this boy growing inside of me.
About that time a young relative of mine named Mary came to see me. All the family was excited about her pending marriage to a carpenter named Joseph. You never know what a day might bring. When I opened the door, there stood Mary. As she greeted me the baby in my womb began kicking. To be truthful, it was different than kicking. It felt like leaping! And just as suddenly I began to speak, and the words I spoke were more than just me – I felt – I don’t know, propelled, caught up in the wonder of what Mary was experiencing: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear,” I heard myself say. “But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”
MARY:
Elizabeth’s words came as a stunning and timely confirmation for me. Ever since Gabriel’s visit, I had been bombarded by questions – from without and from within, and God knew that I needed to have my faith in Him renewed. Elizabeth’s words seem to bathe me in God’s love.
How did Elizabeth know? I had told no one. And here she was, confirming what the angel had said. It was all so overwhelmingly wonderful, and just like Elizabeth, praise began to pour out of me, spiritual words, prophetic words. I couldn’t believe my ears or my tongue.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed; the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name. He has mercy on those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm and has scattered the proud in their conceit, Casting down the mighty from their thrones and lifting up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, to remember his promise of mercy, The promise made to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children for ever.
ELIZABETH: (simultaneously)
I clearly remember what she spoke: She began, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” She seemed to comprehend the privilege she had been given of bearing the Son of God, how future generations would call her blessed. The Mighty One had done great things for me, she said, as she blessed his holy name.
She spoke of his mercy that goes on and on, his mighty deeds that he had performed, how he puts down kings and rulers and the proud, while at the same time he raises up the humble. The hungry are fed, but not so the rich. He is a friend to Israel, being faithful to Abraham and all his promises.
(let Mary finish)
That beautiful moment passed, John inside of me settled instead for an occasional kick. Mary and I had shared a holy moment, and I cherished the days spent with her. She stayed until it was time for me to deliver, when she returned to her home.
Song Of Mary
Annie Jimenez, solo
ZECHARIAH:
Nine months of no talking. Believe me, I told God over and over that with his help I would try harder to think before I spoke. My desire was to use my mouth to bless him in the future. Well, the time came for our son to be born, and I’ve never seen everybody so excited as that village was with the birth of my little boy. They totally entered into our joy. We were the ones who had waited so long, but it was like this was their child. I just nodded and smiled approvingly, hoping to convey that “yes, he does look a lot like me!”
Well, the eighth day came when the circumcision ceremony would take place. Hebrew custom is that this is the day that the child is officially named. Everyone was already calling our boy Zechariah Jr., having no idea of the angel’s clear instruction to me. Elizabeth, bless her heart, set everyone straight. “No!” she said. “He is to be called John” Everybody was confused. No one in my family tree had ever been given the name John. They looked at me, expecting me to set Elizabeth straight. So I asked for a tablet, and shocked everyone when I wrote – for the last time on my tablet – HIS NAME IS JOHN.
And that did it. My tongue was loosed and my mouth was opened. Suddenly the most wonderful praise came out of my mouth…..
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel : for He has visited, and redeemed His people; And has raised up a mighty salvation for us : in the house of His servant David; As He spoke by the mouth of His holy Prophets : which have been since the world began; That we should be saved from our enemies : and from the hands of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers : and to remember His holy covenant; To perform the oath which He swore to our forefather Abraham : that He would give us, That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies : might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him : all the days of our life.
ELIZABETH: (while Zechariah is speaking)
It was not him speaking, it was the Holy Spirit speaking through him, just like what happened to Mary and myself. He began by blessing the Lord, exactly like Mary. He emphasized that the plan of redemption was now accelerating, and that salvation promised by the prophets long ago was now being confirmed. And again, just as Mary pointed out, God still had every intention of fulfilling his promise to Abraham. The day of serving God without fear would soon be a reality.
(Elizabeth, let Zechariah finish)
Then he spoke these precious words to our infant son……
ZECHARIAH:
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.
ELIZABETH:
Everyone was profoundly moved, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. Of course the word spread, and soon everyone was talking about this child and all the events surrounding his birth. “What then, is this child going to accomplish?” they wondered. God was definitely up to something. You could feel it in the air.
Carol Medley
Elizabeth Shackleton, flute
JOSEPH
Everybody knows I had a really hard time accepting Mary’s story straight up. I mean, who’d of ever heard of such a thing? Her pregnancy put me in a very awkward spot. All my life I had tried to live righteously, to do the right thing according to God’s ways and instructions. And then this….it really threw me. So…..what to do…..after much pondering, the only option that seemed open to me was to simply break off the engagement as quietly as possible, and move on with my life.
But God had other ideas, and took steps to make sure I didn’t foul up His plan. Gabriel appeared to me in a dream. He knew my name. He knew all about my fears, of my disappointment in Mary, of not believing her, of the difficulty of having to face everyone, and my resolve to cut off all ties with Mary. Slowly and deliberately he confirmed – point by point – everything Mary had said. Yes, the baby forming inside her was conceived of the Holy Spirit. And this baby’s name was already picked out – it was to be Jesus, just as Mary had said. He would be a savior, in that people would be saved from their sins.
Now you can imagine how I felt. How could I have doubted Mary? She had tried to tell me, and I wouldn’t listen. I began to feel ashamed that I had not taken my precious Mary’s account more seriously.
As I awoke and pondered all this, it dawned on me of the privilege I was being given, to be an earthly father to the very Son of God. And as peace settled over me, those nagging questions seemed to not matter so much any more. God was clearly in this, I now knew what I had to do. Mary needed me, and God would get us through this somehow, though just how wasn’t at all clear. What I now knew for sure was that it was God’s desire that Mary be my wife, and whatever came after that, well, I would be there for her in this unique calling. Imagine. My Mary, the mother of God.
I Wonder As I Wander
Kurt and Kasey Johnson
JOSEPH
Talk about lousy timing – or so it seemed – the government required that I return to my hometown to register for a census, of all things!
What about Mary? Taking her with me seemed foolhardy, with the baby due and all. But the more I thought about it, with people talking the way they do, and the worst-case scenario of what the authorities can do to betrothed women who are found to be pregnant, and furthermore if she had the baby while I was gone I wouldn’t be around to protect her and just be there for her…..given all that, it seemed better to take Mary along. Surely the favor Mary enjoyed with God would apply anywhere, anytime.
Since I belonged to the house of David, it meant traveling all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem – 80 miles of bumpy roads, not to mention the discomfort of a donkey! We wondered what God must have thought, as his Son was being carried about inside Mary, in less than ideal conditions. Clearly from the start this child was not being treated as royalty. Son of God withstanding, He would apparently receive no special favors.
The road was filled with travelers all doing what we were doing, and when we got to Bethlehem, wouldn’t you know – the city was all booked up. No vacancy anywhere.
MARY
The innkeeper took one look at me and his mood softened. “I have a stable for the animals,” he said. “It’s not much, and you’ll have to share it with the cattle, but it’s better than nothin’.” We decided we’d better take it. All-to-familiar barnyard smells hit us long before we opened the door. But there was no turning back now, for my contraction were getting close apart. What timing! An unfamiliar town, no place to stay, in labor, no family, no midwife, the cattle looking on. My sweet Joseph. What had he gotten himself into? But if I was highly favored, God would see me through.
Many times I had anticipated, God willing, that someday I would give birth, but I never imagined a setting like this. What was it about this stable that brought God glory? No fanfare, at least that we could see. Certainly no comfort….I spotted the manger trough and felt that would do…..
I pushed, Joseph cheered me on, and before long, here He was, our baby boy. The world’s baby boy. We counted his toes, his fingers. All there. He was perfect. I wrapped him up as tightly as I could and laid him in the manger.
Mary Did You Know
Kenny Clark
Silent Night
Congregation
SHEPHERD
Some jobs you’re just born into, and that’s what you end up doing. Some jobs don’t carry much respect. Tending sheep is one of those jobs, and that’s what I ended up doing. Not much training required. You mainly have to be vigilant. A sheep wanders off, you better go looking for it. You keep an eye out for marauders. But most the time, there’s nothing goin on, like that night. At least when it began.
Oh yeah, that night. The night that changed our lives. It was winter, quiet, boring. The sheep were behaving themselves. We may of dozed off.
Suddenly there was a blinding light. It seemed like a thousand lightning strikes all at once, without the thunder. We never seen a light like that. It lit up the whole sky. And on top of that, an angel appeared. I don’t mind telling you, it was terrifying.
We shook uncontrollably as the angel said, “Don’t be afraid,” and it hardly calmed us at all. He was very excited: “Today in Bethlehem a Savior has been born – to you.” We still shook. “He is Christ the Lord.” And to confirm that what he was sayin’ was the truth, he said that we would find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger, just like he said. He wanted us to go see. Us. He invited us!
(Cue: SANCTUS from the B Minor Mass)
And then all heaven broke loose. It was wild. Angels all over the sky, millions it seemed – they began praising God…”Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
And then, it was over. Just like that, they were gone. We looked at ourselves. It wasn’t a dream. It was real. We knew we had to see for ourselves, sheep or no sheep. This was once in a lifetime, and we weren’t gonna miss it. If heaven thought this birth was worth celebrating, how could we just shrug and walk away? Before we could think of all the reasons why not to, we took off for Bethlehem. It wasn’t very far.
How Far Is It To Bethlehem
Jane Green, solo
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Timothy Pinkham, tin whistle
Chuck Koontz, tuba
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Kenny and Lily Mei Clark and congregation
INNKEEPER
Sure I remember that night. Some things stay with you forever. I had to tell them we were full up – it was true. Of course I felt bad, she being pregnant and all. And, feeling some pity for the young girl, I offered the animal shed out back, and they seemed happy enough. Knowing now who they were – and who she gave birth to – you bet I regret not having tried harder to give him a decent welcome to this world. My own bed, even.
The inn had settled down, and everyone had been asleep it seems for half the night when there was a knock at the door. Some shepherds, wouldn’t you know, were standing outside asking if I knew anything about a baby boy that had just been born.
Remembering the pregnant couple, I muttered something about “out back” and closed the door. “What was that about,” my wife mumbled. “Crazy shepherds,” I said, and we went back to sleep. I should have followed them. I still kick myself for missing out.
It took a while to piece the whole story together. It seems that those “crazy shepherds” had gotten in on an amazing piece of history. Not only had a multitude of angels appeared in the sky, but they had been told about a newborn child, who was no ordinary child, but a savior. And he had just been born in Bethlehem. They had been told to go and see the child, and that they would find him all wrapped up and lying in a manger – as it turns out, my manger out back! Would you believe that – the Son of God born in my stable? And I was clueless to the whole thing.
At first, the story seemed preposterous. And coming from shepherds didn’t make believing any easier. But these shepherds were different. Something about that night rang true. You just don’t see shepherds glorifying and praising God. They had to have witnessed something, something so earth shattering, so monumental that they didn’t talk about sheep any more. They talked about Christ the Lord. They talked about glory, and singing, and wonder. Something about their amazement was contagious. Even though I wish I would have done more at the time, I am grateful that my stable out back was used of God to house his Son here on earth. A truly humble beginning for a most amazing Savior.
O Holy Night
Congregation
