Invited Home - Christmas Eve

[0:00] 잡아's boulevard My name's John hiçbir organ I canarry I canarry From the elephants Weren't all Auchin There were all ways Other species Amen.

[0:57] Amen. Amen.

[1:57] Amen. Good evening.

[2:51] Good evening. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to this Christmas Eve service. And before we say what we are going to say, let's do this.

[3:05] You tell me yes or no. Lit? We're all good?

[3:17] We're all good? Everybody has some version of supervision around them? They never failed that as a pastor I would sit up here and at the end of the service my children would have the candles melted into shapes around their fingers.

[3:33] Oh, I did not say that. Just in case anybody was thinking, you did not hear me say that.

[3:44] Jesus said, this is my father's house. So come into God's home. Just as you are.

[3:55] Come into this space. Speaking your truth. Come into with your... This is God's home. This is our home.

[4:06] Let us worship God.

[4:21] Thank you, Yeah. Thank you. I really, really gotta let you ever tell them to love you in humanity. Thank you. So I would say, an mountain singing and it makes me think of even the rocks cry out. So I invite you to stand in that joyous celebration as we sing along with the angels in the mountains.

[4:52] Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains and the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous dreams. Gloria in excelsis Deo.

[5:43] Gloria in excelsis Deo.

[5:59] Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous dreams prolong?

[6:10] What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song. Gloria in excelsis Deo.

[6:22] Gloria in excelsis Deo.

[6:35] Gloria in excelsis Deo.

[6:52] Come to Bethlehem and sing Christ whose birth the angels sing.

[7:03] Come adore unbended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Come adore unbidden knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

[7:15] Gloria in excelsis Deo.

[7:30] Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo.

[7:45] Come adore unbidden flew through Vivece of sa defender gewesen to the richtig library of HEAR ly.

[8:14] Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo.

[8:41] You may be seated. You may be seated.

[9:14] Good evening. In God's house, there is hope, for God loves us too much to leave us just as we are. Amen.

[9:53] And in the center of our hope. And in the center of our hope. And in the center of our hope.

[10:03] And in the center of our hope. And in the center of our hope. And in the center of our hope. In the center of our hope. In the center of our hope.

[10:22] In the center of our hope. And in the center of our hope. And in the center of our hope. And in the center of our hope. And in the center of our love. And in the center of our hope. Of our joy.

[10:32] Of our joy. In the center of our hope. And in the center of our hope. And in the center of our love. And in the center of our love is God. Who came to this earth to dwell among us.

[10:43] So tonight we light the Christ candle, for God's love just could not stay away. Welcome home. Amen.

[11:13] Good evening. The first reading is from the book of Luke, chapter 2, verses 1 through 7.

[11:29] In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first sentence that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to their own town to register.

[11:46] So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

[11:58] He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him, and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

[12:13] She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. This is the word of our Lord. Thanks be to God. Christmas is about light and laughter.

[12:43] We experienced our children earlier making a joyful noise and a great message. Christmas is about giving one another gifts.

[12:54] Christmas is about the gift of music. Christmas is also about the giving of the Christ child. Most importantly, the delivery of a child into our lives and into our hearts.

[13:09] So in that spirit, I invite us always to be generous with our hearts and our gifts and our faith. Thank you.

[13:19] Thank you. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

[13:36] Bye. Bye. Baby, lying in the manger Summer it so sweetly What you're gonna be Baby, all the world is watching All the world awaits to see What will you mean?

[14:18] Baby, sleeping in a stable Underneath the heavens What you gonna say?

[14:35] Baby, sleeping in a stable Did you come to hide away? Baby, sleeping in a stable Looking at the shepherds What you gonna do?

[15:02] Baby, will you be the master? Will you bring the kingdom to you?

[15:16] Oh, baby Hope of all the people What you gonna do here? What you gonna say?

[15:32] Baby, can you be the Savior? Come to save the world someday Someday Baby Lying in a manger Will you sing the world One day A loss of the future Leben Lying in ayear vie Amen.

[16:44] Gracious God, your story is one that forever invites us to be our full selves, to take up space, to go where we feel called, and to allow this community to feel like home.

[17:05] Tonight, we especially thank you for the gift of love, your son, that you gave us at Christmas. Please use these gifts to keep building your home here.

[17:16] With gratitude as tall as the ceiling, we pray. Amen. Would you join me in a word of prayer, please?

[17:43] Almighty gracious God, we give you thanks for this moment and this time, and most importantly, for the gift of what tonight means. Move among us, Lord. Move among us, Lord, and plant a seed in us. Be born in us anew tonight, and let that birth grow and go into the world and heal and love just as you did.

[18:05] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So, I'm betting on a night like tonight, there's a few of us who are pretty serious planners and already have many things on our list.

[18:18] Yes? Now, some folks are not planners. They kind of write in the moment. They kind of take it as it comes, and the world just unfolds in front of them.

[18:29] I don't know how life works like that. But for those of you who live in the jazz of life, that's a great thing. But when you think about plans, plans kind of keep us orderly.

[18:43] Plans keep us on schedule. Plans make people feel like they have some modicum of control over things. Plans give some of us a certain sense of peace, a certain sense of order, a certain sense of structure.

[18:57] And plans always go bad. Now, that doesn't mean you don't want to be without one, but they always go awry.

[19:08] And when you think about plans going sideways, you don't have to look too much more than the story in front of us. Because Joseph and Mary had plans.

[19:19] Mary had plans before Gabriel's visit. She was looking forward to a life. She was looking forward to doing the things that a young woman in her culture would do.

[19:32] And then all of a sudden, God shows up. Joseph had plans. He was betrothed to a young woman.

[19:43] And he was excited for what his life was going to be. And then he discovered that this woman was with child, not by him. And then he had a dream. God showed up.

[19:57] Changed everything. Joseph and Mary had plans together, even after these two things happened. And then the governor announces the census.

[20:12] Says, well, I guess we won't be staying in Nazareth for a while. And then they're on their way to Bethlehem. They get closer.

[20:23] And they start to arrive. And Mary starts to feel those things that a woman who is pregnant starts to feel. And they had plans. Because they were going to go someplace safe.

[20:35] Someplace warm. There were going to be people around to help. But there was no room for them in the inn.

[20:49] And in the midst of all of this, chaos breaking loose and so much for our plans, they head out to where the animals are kept.

[21:00] Now, the story usually unfolds in our popular culture with just Joseph and Mary in the stable. We don't know that to be true. But it makes a certain amount of sense.

[21:12] And in the midst of all of this, God shows up. And so much for our plans. Because when you think about plans, most folks know how they want their life to unfold.

[21:28] Or at least have some idea. Most folks think about how they want to an event to unfold. Or at least have some idea. But God always does God's own thing.

[21:42] God shows up. In the middle of a stable. Now, I'm not sure what Joseph and Mary had thought was going to happen. When Jesus came.

[21:57] These were two young people. Probably not ready to be parents. But had told they were going to be. And in the middle of all of this, God shows up.

[22:08] And by showing up. Their hearts. Change. All of the faith that they had already displayed.

[22:20] All of the faith they had already shown to God. All of the love that was behind that faith. That made them say yes. To this extraordinary thing God was asking them to do.

[22:33] And. Even in the midst of this stable. Even in the midst of all the chaos. That had just taken place. As they raced to find somewhere.

[22:44] To be. Some place safe. Some place she could have this child. What are we going to use? How are we going to do this right? And in the midst of all that chaos. It immediately falls away.

[22:56] Because God. Shows up. Now in. This whole experience. This. They loved each other.

[23:08] And they loved. This child. Now we're not sure. What their plan was. For home. We assume that they had planned to live a normal life.

[23:24] But they had already seen. That their plans. Were kind of off the table. Because God had plans of God's own. And in the midst of all that uncertainty.

[23:36] And in the midst of all that crazy. And in the midst of everything. That had just unfolded over the last. However many minutes. However long. Their hearts.

[23:49] Are in this new place. Love is redefined. Home is redefined. Because. Quite literally.

[24:00] God shows up. And because God shows up. In this way. This sense of what home. Is supposed to feel like.

[24:11] Changes. Because nobody would have thought. That this place where the animals were going to be kept. Was supposed to feel. Like home. But with.

[24:22] The three of them. There. With undoubtedly. The presence of the spirit. There. All that mattered. To the three of them.

[24:33] Was that. In this moment. This is what home. Is supposed to feel like. Because home.

[24:45] As the saying goes. Is where the heart is. Is where the heart is. Is where the heart is. And for Joseph. And for Joseph. And for Mary. Their hearts.

[24:57] Were 100% right here. For God. For God. God's heart.

[25:09] Is right. Here. In this place. That nobody would want to call home. Home. Home is created. Because home is where the heart is.

[25:23] And as you think about. Your plans. For tonight. For tomorrow. For the new year. For whatever. Remember.

[25:34] Remember. That you too. Are invited. Home. But home. Is where the heart is. Where will your heart be.

[25:48] This Christmas. Will you let all the crazy of the world. Rob you of it. Have all these distractions. And all these lists. And all these things to be done.

[25:59] Taking your eye off of. What home is supposed to feel like. Because we are surrounded. By love.

[26:09] Here. In this room. Online. And many of us. Will spend the day. Surrounded by love. Even if you are not.

[26:21] With loved ones. That you want to be with. In this current moment. You are still. Surrounded by love. Because. You are indeed home. Because home.

[26:32] Is where your heart is. And hopefully. Your heart. At some point. Over. Tonight. Tomorrow. And as we move forward.

[26:43] Into this future. Will be. With Jesus. However. God shows up. In your life. Let home.

[26:56] Indeed be. Where your heart is. You are indeed. Invited home. Because God's heart. Was made real.

[27:07] In that place. All those years ago. God's heart was made real. On that cross. All those years ago. God's heart was made real. In that empty grave.

[27:17] All those years ago. And God's heart. Is made real. In you. Here. Now. And always.

[27:29] Come home. For Christmas. Be home. For Christmas. And know. How deeply. How amazingly.

[27:40] How totally. You are loved. Amen. Amen. We're told that Jesus is born in a manger, and I guess the question for each and every one of us is where we allow Jesus to be born in us, in our hearts.

[28:18] So I invite you to stand tonight as we continue to sing the story, Away in the Manger. Away in the Manger No crib for a bed The little Lord Jesus lay down His feet and The stars in the sky look down where He lay The little Lord Jesus will sleep on the hay Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay

[29:19] Close by me forever and love me, I pray Bless all my dear children in Thy tender care And let us, O'er heaven, to live with me You may be seated.

[29:47] Merry Christmas everyone.

[30:05] Merry Christmas. Our second reading tonight is also from the book of Luke chapter 2 verses 8 through 14. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

[30:22] An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

[30:39] Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you.

[30:49] You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

[31:09] This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[31:54] Amen. Amen.

[32:26] Amen. Amen. Amen.

[32:40] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[32:51] Amen. Amen. Thank you.

[33:23] Thank you.

[33:53] One of God's greatest gifts to us is a gift of prayer. I invite you to open your heart and let's go to God together. God of shepherds and angels, God of starlight and seekers, God of mangers and unwed teenage mothers, it's almost Christmas.

[34:17] It's almost here. We are close to home. It feels like we have been waiting so long for this night. Amid the hustle and bustle of this busy season, we have been waiting for a quiet, a calm, a stillness.

[34:35] We have been waiting for good news that changes us and for the undeniable sense that you are near. So in this moment, surrounded by community, in the presence of candlelight and hallelujahs, we bow our heads and give thanks.

[34:54] Thank you, God, for the places and people that feel like home. Thank you for the hope on the horizon that carries us through.

[35:04] Thank you for moments of worship that break open our hearts. Thank you for the joy of children on this night, which reminds us of love.

[35:16] Thank you for the stars in the sky, which remind us of you. Thank you for the stars in the sky.

[35:49] Thank you for the stars in the sky.

[36:19] And angel choruses. On this Christmas Eve, as you come to dwell among us, we pray that you would bring us closer to home.

[36:31] Scoop us up. Draw us in. Build the world you have in mind for us. Hover here. Hear our prayers. Take this grief and pain off our shoulders.

[36:44] And hold our hands as we walk through the dark. It's almost Christmas. It's almost here. We can feel it. We are so close to home.

[36:58] Amen. Merry Christmas.

[37:13] Merry Christmas. So, anyone who knows me can tell you that I'm a planner. And I thought it was funny that Scott and I started the same way. So, looking at my calendar, you can see that it's color-coded by family member and churches and items.

[37:30] And I'm flexible within that outline. I just like to know the general path of where I'm going. In 2003, I was pregnant with my son, Thomas.

[37:41] I had made a birthing plan and I had listed every possibility that I could think of and what my plan was going to be. And it was Memorial Day weekend and I was on the phone with a friend.

[37:52] And I said, go ahead. Go away for the weekend. Not going to have them yet. Don't worry. And stepped out of the car and I walked into Applebee's with Mike.

[38:04] We sat down and he ordered. And I became increasingly uncomfortable. And I got up and the seat was wet. And I called my doctor and, of course, I was sent to the hospital.

[38:18] And, yes, my water had broken. And I spent the next three days in the hospital in anticipation of meeting my child. My parents came to see me and they were getting anxious.

[38:34] And at one point, they went out to eat near the hospital. And my dad ordered a chicken sandwich. Now, this might not seem like anything to most of you, but my dad didn't eat chicken.

[38:46] And when he ordered it, my mom stopped to the waitress and looked at him and said, do you know what you just ordered? And he said, yeah, I ordered fish.

[38:56] The nervousness and the anticipation of his first child having his first grandchild made him forget what he was doing.

[39:09] And on that third day, late in the evening, Thomas' heartbeat started to drop. And it was decided without me that a C-section was needed.

[39:22] And they came in to tell me and prep me. And I said, that's not on my plan. We can't do that. That's not what I wanted. This isn't going to happen.

[39:33] And they said, it needs to happen. I'm sure that that was somehow how Mary was feeling. I'm sure that having a baby and finding out she was pregnant while she was still engaged in the early stages of their relationship wasn't what she was planning either.

[39:53] She certainly would not have planned to travel all that way and sleep in a barn. And I'm sure she would not have planned on the suffering that her child was going to have to go through.

[40:05] There's nothing more ordinary than having a baby. It happens at the rate of 250 babies born every minute. But a baby, a newborn helpless baby lying in a manger.

[40:23] The sign that the shepherds were looking for. God chose to send his son as a vulnerable small baby. And there's no greater way to learn about love than to care for a child.

[40:39] A small baby born to save us all. To give us new hearts. That's the love that came down and continues to come down at Christmas.

[40:50] Something fragile and innocent and helpless for us to protect. There's something so magical and special about Christmas time.

[41:02] You can feel it in the air. That anticipation of leading up to Christmas. God created each one of us because he loves us. And wants us to have a relationship with him.

[41:16] He wants us to come home. He sent his one and only son to us at Christmas time. To show us pure love. The love we hear when we hear a baby cry.

[41:29] Or we see children in a pageant. Or we hear them laugh or run through the church. God's gift to us is a gift of love.

[41:39] A generous love. It's a grace filled love. A gift of love. Free to each one of us. The love of God is there no matter what we feel.

[41:53] About how worthy we are. Our goodness. If we're deserving. God isn't like Santa. He doesn't make a list. And check it twice.

[42:04] To find out who's naughty or nice. Before he gives you your Christmas gift. His gift is free. And undeserved. And unsolicited. And given.

[42:16] God's love is here for each one of us. But it means caring for all. Love comes down to help our dying planet. To lift those up on the margins.

[42:27] Love comes down to lift up the poor ones. The weird ones. The sad ones. The vulnerable ones. The mentally and spiritually ill ones.

[42:38] Love comes down. When we stand for people who are bullied. Love comes down. When we fight. For those who can't. Love comes down.

[42:50] When we feed the hungry. And visit the prisoner. And heal the sick. Love comes down. When we care for our body. As houses for God.

[43:01] Love comes down. When we protect. What is most vulnerable in us. Our hearts. Our relationship. Our communities. Our earth. If you want to show the true meaning of the season.

[43:14] Teach. That love comes down. Earlier the children put on a play. And they talked about how God changes our hearts. And how that love is unconditional.

[43:25] Coming down wasn't a sign of weakness. And don't think for a moment that this kind of love. Isn't powerful. And full of influence.

[43:38] Because this love just doesn't come down. It brings down. This love brings down the powerful from their thrones. And lifts up the lowly.

[43:49] This love has the power to unseat kings. And fight corruption. This love has the power to bless the forgotten people.

[44:01] The least. The last. And the lost. With justice. And righteousness. This love has the power to change the world we live in.

[44:12] On earth as it is in heaven. Imagine. Imagine. Lifting the most fragile among us. Onto the seat of a king's throne. Imagine.

[44:23] Good will to all. So tonight. This Christmas time. Rejoice. For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given.

[44:35] And the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called wonderful counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace.

[44:46] Truly. He taught us to love one another. His law is love. And his gospel is peace. Bring love down this Christmas.

[44:57] Amen. Amen. Emmanuel means God with us.

[45:18] So I invite you to stand again if you are able as we sing Emmanuel, Hallow at manger ground. What hope we hold this starlit night.

[45:36] The King is born in Bethlehem. Our journey long received the light that leads to the hallowed manger ground.

[45:50] Emmanuel, Emmanuel, Emmanuel. What fear we felt in this silent age. Four hundred years can we be found.

[46:01] But broken by a baby's cry. Rejoice in the hallowed manger ground. Emmanuel, Emmanuel, Emmanuel.

[46:21] God in God and here to know. Emmanuel, Emmanuel. For Christ of Saint Eccleons.

[46:51] The Son of God here born to bleed The crown of thorns would pierce His brow And we beheld His offering Exalted now the King of kings Praise God for the hallowed nature now Emmanuel, Emmanuel God in God I fear to know Emmanuel, Emmanuel Praise His name, Emmanuel Praise His name, Emmanuel

[48:00] You may be seated.

[48:23] Amen Merry Christmas Our scripture reading this time is also from the book of Luke Chapter 2 verses 15 through 20 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven The shepherds said to one another Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened Which the Lord has told us about So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby Who was lying in the manger When they had seen him They spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them

[49:27] But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God For all the things they had heard and seen Which were just as they had been told This is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God For unto us A son is given A child born Emmanuel God with us Does it make a difference?

[50:09] Does it make a difference? To you? To the people you love? The gift of the gospel The gift of the gospel that tells us Whether it's in Matthew, Mark, or Luke Tells us that this baby is born A savior who would be Christ the King A savior whose coming was foretold Throughout the Old Testament And we find ourselves now In the gospel of Luke Unto us A son is given His name shall be called Jesus The Messiah What difference does it make?

[51:00] Does it make a difference that This child was born so long ago? That this child was born to Mary and Joseph?

[51:11] Maybe you're not sure what difference it makes In your own personal life Maybe you're not sure how a baby How Jesus showing up as a baby Makes any difference in your life Growing up There was Christmas And there was Easter We always did Christmas We always got presents We always got new pajamas On Christmas Eve from Santa And my mother told me Before she died That the reason was That she didn't want us looking scrappy In pictures the next day None of those ratty Comfortable Worn in pajamas No We had to have new ones My children have said No more pajamas Easter Was a far less common thing

[52:15] In our family There are pictures of us When we were little With matching patent leather shoes And little socks with lace And my brother would have a shirt With a tie But they weren't connected There was no bridge Between the two of them So it made no difference To me as a child Because it was Christmas Presents A tree Our mother sitting on the couch Telling us every piece of tinsel Had to be put in the correct place I'll tell you When she turned around Or went to the restroom We just We had to take them all off And put them all back Easter Church I don't remember Past those little Days When I went to college

[53:18] Which is when I began Going to church Those of you who are College students At our home Those of you who Teach in other places You might understand this That we would be At college In Geneseo Up until About the 18th The 20th of December And then we would go home And we wouldn't come back For five weeks Or whatever Whatever And then As it most often was Somewhere towards Approaching Easter We would go home And we would come back Maybe a week later So for someone Who didn't grow up In the church Went to college And found the church Where were the holes The holes were Christmas And Easter And mind you That's when they had communion Christmas And Easter And a couple of other times When we college students

[54:18] Probably weren't there So what difference To me And my story Is the one that I have The gift Of the gospel Was in the celebration Of a newborn child And then being invited To come To receive communion Because This baby This small child Showed up at Easter In an amazing way This baby Who probably didn't sleep Through the night Who probably Got into mischief As a toddler Who probably ran Where his mother Told him not to run Probably in the synagogue Because he knew everybody This child Became an adolescent This child

[55:21] The son of God Was born To remind us That no matter What your home Looked like No matter What my home Looked like And like So many people In so many Different places And times Home sometimes Can look different For different families It can look like Peaceful And reading The Christmas story Or the night Before Christmas Before you go to bed Opening new pajamas Then the kids Go to bed Then the parents Start working But it can look Peaceful Candles in the windows Or sometimes It can look like Someone is all alone And there is no tree Sometimes it can look Like a family That is filled with conflict And maybe alcohol

[56:23] Plays a big part In Christmas Eve So it doesn't look The way the other days Look And so the gift Of the gospel Says that There is no place That has to be Your home There is no Memory That has to be The romanticized Hallmark movie Home There is no Anything That says That if you Didn't have that That you don't Understand this Because the gift Of the gospel Says That he would Give up his life So that you And I Could know A home That was Filled with love That is Filled with love Because At the end Of the day The journey

[57:24] The journey From Bethlehem To the cross Is something That we can connect It's something That you And I And people Who hear God's good word Can understand That this baby We celebrate This child Mary carried Is the child That came To give You and I A home This home The house Of the Lord Nothing Can take that away Nothing Can fight it away Argue it away No difference Of opinion Because this

[58:25] Is the truth Of creation For me And for you That the past Can be the past Gone Forgiven Every Sunday We say A prayer Of confession Together And When I Was young Meaning a college Student I used to think This was a time To air all the things That I did wrong And All the reasons I was a bad person And I believed it Because I didn't know About the Easter part However When Easter And Christmas Were combined In my heart And in my soul I realized That this is just A small moment

[59:25] For us to pause And recognize That we're not perfect I'm not perfect And you aren't perfect Either We Are works in progress And we need God's help To grow So amazing And powerful So where else Does a group of people Gather every week And say out loud I'm sorry I want to grow Help me get there I need this to change So tonight As we pray I want us to remember How powerful this is This is one small way That we accept God's invitation To a deeper faith To life changing love And so I invite you To pray with me now Holy God You throw open the door

[60:26] And invite us Into relationship Day in and day out And we pray However Instead of running Toward you We dip our toes In the water Of this faith We hold our breath We play it safe We struggle to believe That a love So unfettered So unfiltered Could be for us As a result We often deny This worth For ourselves And others Forgive us For ignoring Your invitation To be the people You call us To be Forgive us For the ways In which we hold back From deeper connection To you Or withhold Your radical love From others Open our ears To not only hear Your invitation But to trust That this good news Exists Even for us Gratefully we pray Amen Family of faith

[61:28] Even when we fail To trust God's love And even when we fail To love others As we should God still loves us The door never closes So hear and believe Hear and believe This good news God invites us Into a life of faith God loves us Through every season of life God forgives us When we lose our way And invites us deeper Every step of the way We are loved Invited Claimed Celebrated And forgiven Thanks be to God Come For the way Has been lit Before you Come And take in And take on The peace

[62:28] The joy The love And the hope Of Christ Being reborn In us This night Now before We begin With this Let's do What we often do At the beginning Of the service And I offer You May the peace Of Christ Be with you I just invite us To pause Look one way Look the other way If you're in the front Look back If you're in the back Look front And in your mind Just offer The peace of Christ Be with you all Can you say that?

[63:11] The peace of Christ Be with you all The Lord be with you And also be Lift up your hearts Lift up your hearts Lift up your hearts Let us give thanks To the Lord Our God Holy God In the beginning You called it Let there be light Just as your light Of creation Spread in response So too Does your light Rise each day Offering us A new chance To make today A little brighter Than yesterday When we feel Overcome Or succumb To the dark night Of our souls You offer us A way back Into the light Of hope And so we praise You saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of power And might Heaven and earth Are full of your glory Hosanna In the highest Blessed is he Who comes In the name Of the Lord

[64:11] Hosanna In the highest A star Appeared On a silent And holy night And brought with it Your presence In the form Of a baby This holy infant Tender and mild Was a sign Of new life A sign Of holy Vulnerability A sign Of your presence Enflushed In our human form This would be The light That showed forth The truth That all humanity Is beloved And called us To care For each one As beloved The grown people Gathered around Tables With Jesus And by candlelight Showed their radiance Jesus gathers Around this table And says This bread And this cup Are my life And light

[65:11] For you And because I shine In you Let your light Shine For the world And so We offer Ourselves In union With Christ's Offering of salvation Christ has died Christ is risen Christ will Come again Pour out Your holy spirit Upon us And these gifts Transform us Into the light Of your love For all And make us One in you Thanks and praise Be to God The creator Jesus Christ Our redeemer And the holy spirit Who sustains us Amen Longing for food Many are hungry Longing for water Many still thirst Make us your bread Broken for others Shared until all Are fed Christ be our light

[66:13] Shine in our hearts Shine through the dark Christ be our light Shine in your church Gathered today The body of Christ Broken for you And for all Blood of Christ Shed for you And for all I invite those Who are serving To join me At the table And we will pray 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

[67:14] Forever and ever Amen And the glory The Lord's prayer Thank you.

[67:53] Thank you.

[68:23] Thank you.

[68:53] Thank you.

[69:23] Thank you. Thank you.

[70:23] Thank you. Thank you.

[70:55] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[71:07] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[71:19] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. God has come to raise the lowly.

[71:31] Is there room in your heart? Is there room in your heart? Is there room in your heart for God to write His story?

[71:47] You can come as you are. It may set you apart. You may room in your heart.

[72:00] Oh God, your dreams are His glory. Leave me in your heart. Leave me in your heart.

[72:13] Oh God, your dreams are His glory. Mother who holds the promised time.

[72:24] Every wrong will be made right. Throat is straight, the burden's light. But in His hands He holds tomorrow.

[72:37] Is there room in your heart? Is there room in your heart? Is there room in your heart for God to write His story?

[72:54] You can come as you are. It may set you apart. But you may room in your heart.

[73:07] And trade your dreams for His glory. May it ruin your heart. May it ruin your heart.

[73:20] May it ruin your heart. May it ruin your heart. May it ruin your heart. Oh, my God.

[73:58] Do that right from up here. Do that right from up here. Do that right from up here.

[74:58] We will come and we will light your candles by you tipping your candle to me. Do that right from up here.

[75:35] Do that right from up here. Do that right from up here.

[75:49] Do that right from up here. Do that right from up here. Do that right from up here.

[76:00] Do that right from up here. Do that right from up here. Do that right from up here.

[76:11] Do that right from up here. Do that right from up here. Do that right from up here.

[76:22] Do that right from up here. Amen. Amen.

[77:29] Amen. Amen.

[78:29] Amen. Christ the Savior is born.

[79:05] Christ the Savior is born. It's been a year.

[79:20] Oh, Lord, it's been a year. So as these lights are raised, may the light of God who is our Heavenly Father shine among us.

[79:33] May there be healing. May there be hope. And may you know the gift of the gospel in Jesus the Christ. Amen.

[79:44] And Merry Christmas. May you be so blessed. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[80:24] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[80:39] Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you.

[81:48] Thank you.