Christmas Worship Service

24 December 2024 — Christmas Eve
Gourock St. John’s Church of Scotland
Service prepared by Rev. Teri Peterson
Manse: 632143 
Email: TPeterson (at) churchofscotland.org.uk
Email Charlene, Parish Assistant: CMitchell (at) churchofscotland.org.uk

Prelude Music

Welcome

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~

Opening Prayer
Holy God,
we give you thanks for coming among us once again,
revealing your love for your world,
calling us into new life by bringing your kingdom to earth in a baby.
Your presence shines with glory,
even as your fullness dwells in fragile flesh —
not in the official structures,
but in borrowed homes and among working people,
in an occupied land and a troubled time.
We give you thanks that
as you walked in the garden,
as you led your people,
as you spoke with your prophets,
you meet us here again, tonight.
Whether we are prepared, or not;
whether it feels familiar or strange;
whether we have succeeded or failed at our faithfulness;
even now you break open the barrier between heaven and earth.
We expected you, O God,
yet still your coming surprises us.
When you break through,
pushing your way into our lives when we aren’t quite ready,
all we can do is give you our full attention.
Like a baby we can’t take our eyes off of,
we look to you in wonder, in awe, and a little bit of fear.
What will you be like?
How will you change us?
How can we do our best for you?
Yet you just reach out and take hold of our hands and our hearts,
offering love beyond measure,
and asking only the same in return.
Thank you, Lord.
Amen.

Hymn 306: O Come All Ye Faithful

Mystery Box Christmas Story (Luke 2.1-20)
Things in the box that will help us tell the story:
Scroll
Shoes
Water
Blanket
Hay
Lamb
Lights
Tambourine
Glasses
Baby doll

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.

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 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.’
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!’

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.

Hymn: Angels We Have Heard On High (tune: Gloria/Iris (angels from the realms))
Angels we have heard on high,
sweetly singing o’er the plains,
and the mountains in reply
echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Come to Bethlehem and see
him whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
*with Hymn 303 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear 

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 and pray 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.
And in this world that feels so often upside down and mixed up,
set us right, show us our place in your story,
and bring your love and justice to birth just as you did that night long ago.
You came in the night, to Bethlehem —
then, as now, a very troubled town,
bringing light to all who came to trust you.
Come again now, into the harsh world and our hard hearts,
to Bethlehem and Gaza and so many places that need to see at the manger
the peace and hope, the promise of new life,
the light that shines not just at Christmas, not just in celebration,
but every day of the year, in every kind of situation, even the hardest days.

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.

It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, good will to you
from heaven’s all-gracious King!”
The world in solemn stillness lay
to hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come,
with peaceful wings unfurled:
and still their heavenly music floats
o’er all the weary world;
above its sad and lowly plains
they bend on hovering wing,
and ever o’er its Babel-sounds
the blessèd angels sing.

But with the woes of sin and strife
the world has suffered long:
beneath the angels’ hymn have rolled
two thousand years of wrong:
and warring humankind hears not
the love-song which they bring:
oh, hush the noise and still the strife
to hear the angels sing.

And you, beneath life’s crushing load
whose forms are bending low,
who toil along the climbing way
with painful steps and slow,
look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing:
oh, rest beside the weary road,
and hear the angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on,
by prophet bards foretold,
when, with the ever-rolling years,
still dawns the Age of Gold,
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendours fling,
and all the world give back the song
which now the angels sing.

We pray these and all things in the name of the Prince of Peace,
the One whom heaven and earth cannot contain and who yet lies in the manger,
Jesus the Christ, 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 322: Good Christians All Rejoice

Benediction

Postlude

Announcements:

Teri is away until the 13th of January, so if you have a pastoral need or a question, please contact Charlene or Cameron. Please note there is no online worship or weekly email while Teri is away. Upcoming events are below, and all are welcome!