Everything you need for Christmas Eve online worship 2022.
Preparations for Worship:
- Do your best to eliminate distractions like the phone, TV, etc.
- Worship actively! Whether you are by yourself or with others, try reading the parts of the service aloud (responses, lessons, and prayers).
- This service is for children too. Help them participate. Ask those who have that ability to read a prayer or lesson aloud. Take a moment to describe what’s happening. Ask questions. Encourage little ones to draw what they are hearing while you all listen. Unlike our more typical Sunday worship at church, you can pause at any time for questions and discussion.
- Before you begin, load each of the videos below. (You might first have to get past a distracting ad.)
- Pause for a moment of quiet meditation. Then pray:
“Heavenly Father, I have come to worship you. Draw near to me in your gracious Word, and assure me of your loving kindness. Curb my wandering thoughts, that with undivided attention I may hear your voice and speak your praise. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.”
CALL TO WORSHIP
In the name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
Those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, on them light has shined.
We have seen the glory of the Christ, the glory of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given.
In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
O Loving God, you once caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light. Turn our thoughts toward Bethlehem and the Christ-child, born to save us. May the words of Scripture we hear tonight remind us again that the old story is ever so new. May the hymns and carols we sing tonight reveal to us again the mystery of his birth. May all who have known that Light on earth come to the full measure of its joys in heaven.
Help us, O Lord, in our worship this night as we grow in faith regarding this Savior who is born. Amen.
CONFESSION OF SINS
Dear friends, let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.
Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin.
For faithless worrying and selfish pride,
For sins of habit and sins of choice,
for the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do,
You should cast me away from your presence forever.
O Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake.
Glory to God in the highest!
In love that astounds us, the eternal God sent his one and only Son to live among us, to obey as we could not, and to suffer what we deserved.
In Christ there is indeed peace on earth In him God extends his good will to all people. He was born to save us.
Because of Christ and by his authority, I say to you what God himself says:
In Christ your sins are forgiven!
Glory to God in the highest! Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Almighty God, you made this holy night shine with the brightness of the true light. Grant that as we have known on earth the wonder of that light, we may also behold him in all his glory in the life to come; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
LESSON – MICAH 5:2-5A
2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel. His goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity. 3Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when the woman who is in labor bears a child. Then the remaining survivors from his brothers will return to the people of Israel. 4He will stand and shepherd with the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. They will dwell securely, for at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth. 5This one will be their peace. When Assyria invades our land and tramples on our citadels, we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.
LESSON – TITUS 2:11-14
11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. 12It trains us to reject ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope, that is, the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are his own chosen people, eager to do good works.
DEVOTION – LUKE 2:1-20
OFFERING
Offerings may be given on-line at tithe.ly/risensavior, mailed to the church, or dropped off at the church.
Our members have joined together in faith and love to do the Lord’s work in this community and around the world. Guests need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Holy and gracious Lord, Your Son became flesh with heart and hands to bear our sins to the cross, that our hearts might be pure and our hands clean before You.
As we give thanks for Your Son’s incarnation, strengthen our faith with the remembrance that He is born to save us by His life, death and resurrection.
Heavenly Father, by the gift of Your Holy Spirit we testify that Your Son is the Savior of the world. Pour out Your Spirit continually upon Your people.
Bless pastors as they proclaim Jesus who became flesh to save us by dying and rising again, and open our mouths to praise the name of the One born in Bethlehem.
God of comfort, You sent an angel to reveal to Joseph that the Child in Mary’s womb was Your own, preserving their marriage and family. Preserve our homes also by Your Holy Word.
Fill them with Your grace, that husbands and wives, parents and children may live in peace and love with one another.
Almighty God, the One born in Bethlehem is Son of David and Lord of David, to whom every knee shall bow.
Look upon all those whom You have placed in authority, and grant that they might govern in the wisdom, justice and mercy of the Christ who came to save.
Holy God, in the manger, despite appearances, we find Immanuel, “God with us,” to deliver us from sin. We give thanks for those gathered here in anticipation and celebration of the Christ child. We thank you, Lord God, that you moved in the hearts of many an opportunity for us to share the good news of a Savior born.
Open our eyes more and more by faith to find this same Savior with us in Word and Sacrament for the forgiveness of our sins.
We give thanks to You, O Lord, for the saints who received Your blessing of righteousness in Christ and now stand in the most holy place before Your throne in heaven.
Preserve us by Your grace in the holiness of Christ so that we, too, might dwell in Your light and life for eternity.
Almighty Father, You have given Your Son, born of Mary, to be the Savior of the world. Send Your Spirit and abide with us, that we might confess that Jesus is the Savior of the world and abide in Your love until He comes again in glory.
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 LORD’S BLESSING
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.
Glory to God in the highest. Amen!