Christmas Eve service 2023

24 December 2023 — Christmas Eve, 7pm
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson & student minister Rob Thomson
Manse: 632143 Mobile: 07549 866888
Email: TPeterson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk
Email Charlene, Parish Assistant: CMitchell (at) churchofscotland.org.uk
Email Rob, student minister: RThomson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk

Prelude Music

Welcome

Opening Prayer
Living God,
you push your way into this world
up-ending our careful plans and orderly systems,
turning up in middle-of-nowhere places
among people who don’t matter
and changing the world when we weren’t even looking, much less ready.
As we sing our glorias this night, Lord,
tune us in to both the wonder and the gritty truth of your birth.
Make us like the family who found a safe space for Mary and Joseph amidst the chaos of the day,
and like the shepherds who run immediately toward the Christ-child in the night,
like those who work behind the scenes to serve in a difficult situation
and those who simply marvel at the miracle of life.
On this night of contrasts:
light in the darkness
vulnerable strength
witnesses we wouldn’t choose to call
respectable and marginalised
celebration and uncertainty
attune us to your world-changing truth in the middle of it all.
Amen.

Lighting the Christ Candle 
1: Day or night,
2: in the house and out in the fields,
3: orderly and organised or chaotic and unclear,
4: alone or crowded in together,
All: may we be ready to hear God’s good news!
1: Looking for a place,
2: paying attention to every movement,
3: overwhelmed and amazed,
4: listening and pondering and treasuring,
All: may we be ready to receive God’s good news:
unto us is born this day a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
~candle is lit~

Hymn 306: O Come All Ye Faithful

Happy Birthday, Jesus! (Teri and Rob)
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.

Teri:
The name “Bethlehem” in Hebrew means House of Bread. It is the town mentioned by the prophets as being one of the smallest…and yet the source of hope for the future. Even two thousand years ago, Bethlehem already had a long and proud history, even though it was a village on the periphery, a few hours walk away from Jerusalem. Today, of course, it takes the same amount of time to travel between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, even though it’s by car, because of the wall, the checkpoints, the segregated highways, and the assumption that those who live in Bethlehem are dangerous and less than human. In Roman times that was the same assumption, that those who lived on the periphery of the empire, on the outskirts, far from the important centres of power, were less important, more expendable, easily overlooked, and more trouble. And yet it’s there, on the outskirts of the margins, that the greatest king had come from. And it’s there, in the back of beyond by Roman standards, that Joseph and Mary would go. It’s there, behind the wall and amidst the rubble, that no Christmas celebrations are happening tonight because they’re not allowed, and yet it’s there, in normal life of normal people, not in the centre of power but out beyond the edges of what we have mistaken for important, in the place where people live everyday lives in the shadow of great history and great pain, the One who gave himself as the Bread of Life would be born.

*Hymn 304 verse 1: O Little Town of Bethlehem

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.

Rob:
There was no private suite, no midwife or hospital staff to comfort poor Mary. Jesus came in to the world the way He would live in it. Amongst the hustle and bustle, often relying on the support of others. Not rich benefactors but women busy with the work of keeping their family fed and together, men exhausted from gruelling work, all doing what they needed to do to survive.

It was in the hospitality of those who willingly shared what little they had, that Jesus was born. Not in a lordly manner, not even a back bedroom or an attic space. Not in a separate building as we often imagine, far away from the people they were lodging with. No the manger was in the single room, where everyone slept, human and animal alike.

Jesus who came to save all creation. The light of the world was placed in the safety of a straw filled manger. In the middle of a family home. May we this Christmas Place Him at the centre of our home and willingly share with Him what little we have to give.

*Hymn 313: See in Yonder Manger Low

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.

Rob:
Imagine being these men, standing or sitting, huddled freezing, wrapped in cloaks and holding meagre sticks to fend off predators. This is far from the types of places we tend to think of having a religious experience.

Yet these were the people, not kings or philosophers, not priests or warriors, that the Lord chooses to make the heralds of His good news.

When my daughter was born two months ago I was overwhelmed, exhausted, full of every emotion. I quickly text my mum and then my best friend, thankful that we have that facility now and I didn’t have to talk on the phone because I was exhausted. But as tired as I was I wanted to share the news as quickly as possible!

It’s says a lot that the author of all creation, upon the birth of His only son, sent His Holy messenger to rush and tell the Shepards of His chosen people. Men who would give their lives defending the helpless sheep of their flocks.

*Hymn 323 verses 1-2: The First Nowell

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 Saviour, 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.’

Rob:
These men were terrified! It’s no wonder, angels are described in many forms throughout scripture. Some animal like, some truly bizarre and alarming and others in the form of men. They are sent on important work, they are far more than just messenger pigeons, these are Gods attack helicopters, the sense of danger and power would have been tangible in the air.

What a surprise then that this being of immense importance and power speaks soft words to these lowly men. What they are told may not have been fully apparent to them, as terrified as they were at reflection of the glory of the Lord this being carried with it. They were to go and find the saviour, a child who contained the full glory and power of the Lord. Yet lay in a lowly manger in the midst of His people.

*Hymn 322 verse 1: Good Christians, All

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 favours!’

Teri:
One angel is strange and terrifying enough, but a multitude! Can you even imagine the moment when the sky bursts into song?
When we think of Christmas angels, this is almost always what we think — singing the gloria and blessing the earth with peace. It has become almost the only thing we can imagine them doing. But they are described as the heavenly “host” — the army of heaven. That feels a strange image because an army’s purpose is to secure territory for its sovereign, and the way they do so is often violent. What if the army of heaven is actually doing that same task — securing the kingdom — but its method is to wing its way through the universe singing God’s glory and offering blessings of peace to the world? What if that’s happening above us all the time, and we have just never looked closely enough to notice? An army of actual peace, rather than force. Imagine if we joined up and carried on their work on earth, as well? Perhaps the kingdom of God would become more visible as we join our voices with the heavenly host.

*Hymn 301: Hark the Herald Angels Sing

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.

Teri:
I think this might be my favourite part of the story of Jesus’ birthday…the part where everyone is amazed and can’t stop talking about what’s happened, telling the story to anyone who will listen, probably making it bigger and better each time…except for Mary. Mary just held the baby and held the story and felt the weight of it all: the weight of joy and of responsibility, of a baby in her arms and the expectations of the world in her mind and the promise of God in her heart. She treasured it all, pondering every syllable, going back over each moment of the last year, remembering the angel’s words and Joseph’s reaction and the walk to Bethlehem on swollen ankles and the way people made room for them even when there seemed to be no room — the same way her body had made room for a baby, Joseph’s heart made room for an unexpected son, their little family made room for all those onlookers…she treasured it all. She didn’t want to forget a single moment. May we too feel the weight of the baby and the weight of the wonder, and treasure every moment of the story God is still unfolding.

*Hymn 321: Come and Join the Celebration

Sanctuary: Birthday Cake!

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer (Rob)
Heavenly Father. Life giving and loving God.

We thank you for the opportunity to gather to worship, with family, friends and fellow travellers.

We thank you for your generosity and provision, for all that you give and how happily you give it.

The very sky above and the ground bellow are a testament to you. The food we share and the warmth of our fellowship together, we have thanks to you.

You are with us while we wake or sleep. While we work or rest. While we rejoice together and celebrate. While we take a moment to remember.

We ask that those here tonight and others in our community would be given a real awareness of the presence of your Holy Spirit on their lives, especially over the next few days . Touch our hearts and help us to reflect your love, in how we serve, how we host and the types of guest we are.

Help us to celebrate Jesus in a way that makes him proud, makes him happy. Help us to laugh and celebrate together as Jesus did with his disciples.

Help us to remember Jesus birthday story and the life of love, sacrifice, healing and peace He lived. May this Christmas season inspire us to emulate him, to be more like him.

We pray in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray together:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

*Hymn: Love Has Come (words: Ken Bible; tune: Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella)

Benediction (Teri)

Announcements:

* On Christmas Day our service is at 10am in the sanctuary only. Sunday 31 December we have an informal communion service for Hogmanay, including receiving our Star Words for 2024, at 11am in the sanctuary.

* JUMP INTO JANUARY holiday club will be on 3-4 January, from 9am – 1pm each day. We are looking for volunteers who can help in the kitchen preparing snacks and lunches — please speak to Teri ASAP! Thanks!

* The next Bowl & Blether is 15 January, with doors open from 11:30-1:30. It’s a great opportunity to get out and meet some people and have a meal and some social time!

* We worship in the sanctuary on Sundays at 11am, and all Sunday worship is also online. If you are able, please enter by the front door in Bath street, and only those who need step-free access should use the back door. If you feel unwell, please worship online, to protect both yourself and others in our community.

* Starter Packs are short of Razors/Shaving Foam, Bathroom/Kitchen Cleaner, Tea Towels and Cleaning Cloths.

The FoodBank are requesting UHT milk, rice pudding, long-life fruit juice & confectionery. You can bring donations to the church and place them into the boxes in the vestibule. Thank you!

* Did you know that the ministry we do at St John’s costs about £3000 per week? Everything we do is funded by your generous giving — all our support for young people, older people, bereavement care, community outreach, worship, study, spiritual growth, and community work is because of your offering. If you would like to set up a standing order in order to facilitate your spiritual discipline of giving, or if you would like to make an extra gift to support the ministry St. John’s does in our parish, you can give online by clicking here. If you would like to set up a standing order, please contact Teri and she can give you the treasurer’s details. You can also send your envelopes to the church or the manse by post and we will ensure they are received. 
It is also possible to donate to the work of the new parish assistant, speak to Anne Love about how to go about directing new donations to that new item in the budget.

* Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Youtube, and to sign up for our email devotions! Midweek you can watch Wine and the Word on Youtube, pray with video devotions on Facebook, and consider a new angle on something with a devotional email. Feel free to share with your friends, too!

* Registration is now open for Jump Into January, the Winter mini-Exploratorium: 3rd-4th January, 9am – 1pm, we’ll be Jumping Into January with children in P1-P7 — tell all the kids you know! If you can volunteer for breakfast club (8am), during the morning, or in the kitchen for snacks and lunch, please speak to Teri or Charlene or Graham Bolster.

* Wednesday Evening Bible Study is off until the 10th of January.

* Free period products are available in the church toilets for anyone who might need them, thanks to Hey Girls and Inverclyde Council.

* A funeral service celebrating the life of Mrs Dorothy Grey will be held at Greenock Crematorium at 3pm on Thursday 28 December.