"The Inn" Christmas Eve 2021

December 24, 2021

Greetings!

Welcome to our virtual bulletin service for Christmas Eve, 2021! We are not meeting in person today, but will be online for Zoom Fellowship at 2pm. If you would like to attend a live service, our Joint Venture Partners, the Episcopal Church in Almaden will be having a service at 5:00 pm, and all are welcome!

There will be no service, here online nor in person, on December 26. The Episcopal Church in Almaden will be having a service of Lessons and Carols at 10:45, if you wish to attend a service in person. We will return here with a virtual service only on January 2. Our next in person service will be January 9.

Our service today includes many of the lessons and carols elements from last year, but also some new music, some new prayers, and a continuation of our theme of The Inn, Housing the Holy. We hope you enjoy this service, and look forward to seeing you in the New Year. Now join us in celebration!

Prelude

Opening Words - Debbie Bemis

Please join us in singing along with the opening song twice, Love waits for us at Christmas, lyrics are in the video.

Opening Hymn - Joy to the World

For the Young at Heart - Jan Blake

Anthem - Welcome to the Manger

Lessons and Carols

The following readings and most of the music were recorded for Christmas Eve 2020, and share the age old story we love so well.

The Prophecy - Dennis Elliot and Judy Martin

Isaiah 9:2-7 (NRSV)

The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
    on them light has shined.

For a child has been born for us,
    a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
    and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
    and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
    He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Hymn - O Come, O Come Emmanuel

The Annunciation - Carla Gerber

Luke 1:26-33, 38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

This Holy Night, Traditional Russian Carol Natalya Kirillova, soprano, Dr. Ilya Blinov, piano

The Magnificat - Kathy and Bonnie Graham

Luke 1:39-55

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
    Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
    and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Panis Angelicus, C. Franck Natalya Kirillova, soprano, Dr. Ilya Blinov, piano

The Birth of Jesus - Sue Hamilton

 Luke 2:1-7

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Tonight Jesus is Born, arr. Eugene Englert Natalya Kirillova, soprano, Dr. Ilya Blinov, piano

The Angels and the Shepherds - Debbie Bemis and Jan Blake

Luke 2:8-20

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.                    

Shepherd’s Lullaby - Joint Venture Hand Bells with Victor Villarreal, flute

The Visit of the Kings - Sandy Baldwin

Matthew 2:1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

We Three Kings - Ruthanne Adams, Harp

The Mystery of the Incarnation - David Hough

John 1:1-5,9-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

O Holy Night, A. Adam Leslie Mason, spinto soprano, Dr. Ilya Blinov, piano

Thus ends the Lessons and Carols

Offerings

We are grateful for all donations and offerings, and for consideration in your end of year giving plans. Online donations can be made at this link:

Click here to give online via PayPal

Prayers of the People - Debbie Bemis

Closing Carol - Silent Night

Friends, this is the moment we’ve been waiting for. For those who are watching online, we feel you, we know you are there, we are so glad that you join us in this moment with a candle lit at your own holy house. The Spirit makes it possible for us to be connected, as we found out last year. Let us sing this beloved song, Silent Night, that has been present through two centuries of ups and downs, steadfast in its message that the light still shines.

Benediction - Debbie Bemis

Postlude

Worship leader: Debbie Bemis
Readers: Sue Hamilton, Jan Blake, Dennis Elliot, Judy Martin, Sandy Baldwin, David Hough, Kathy Graham, Bonnie Graham, Carla Gerber
Worship Production: Kelly Yamanishi, Ruthanne Adams Martinez
Music from: Joint Venture Handbells under the direction of Ruthanne Adams Martinez, Leslie Mason, spinto soprano, Natalya Kirillova, soprano, Dr. Ilya Blinov, piano. Welcome to the Manger, by Amanda Udis-Kessler is performed by Phoebe Lostroh singing lead, with Michael Arsenault singing backup. Amanda Udis-Kessler on piano and keyboards, KJ Braithwaite on guitars and Randy Block on bass.

Worship materials adapted from “The Inn” series, by Worship Design Studio, Marcia McFee.

Merry Christmas!!

end