Order of Service

5:00 PM

Lessons and Carols: A Candle Light Christmas Eve Service 

Led by Rev. Deborah Bennett and Rev. Jeannette Bessinger

Thank you to this morning’s Worship Team

Pianist:  Nonetta Shatakhtsian 
Tech Host:  Lance Collins

 

Gathering Music            Lance Collins

Chime

Westminster Choir            Everywhere Christmas Tonight, words by Phillips Brooks and J. Paul Williams,  music by Joseph M. Martin

Call to Worship     Rev. Deborah

Chalice Lighting     by John O’Donohue

*Opening Carol     Joy to the World by George F. Handel, arr. Debbie Frandsen

Joy to the world! the Lord is come: let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns: let men their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sin and sorrow grow nor thorns infest the ground;
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.

 

Blessing Our Children      Rev. Deborah and Rev. J
Children will be invited to receive a gift and a blessing from our ministers

A Lesson in Wonder from the Gospel According to Luke, read by Bill Stone

 

Carol   O Little Town of Bethlehem   By Phillips Brooks

 O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep 
the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth 
the everlasting light.
The hopes and fears of all the years 
are met in thee tonight. 

For Christ is born of Mary, 
and gathered all above,
while mortals sleep,  the angels keep 
their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together 
proclaim the holy birth.
Let praises ring:  from God they bring 
goodwill to all on earth.

How silently, how silently, the wonder is made known,
when God imparts to human hearts the gift that is our own.
No ear may hear that coming, but in the worldly din
When souls are truly humble, then the dear babe rests within

 

A Lesson in Resilience:      On Angels by Czeslaw Milosz, read by Bruce Ruby

Carol      Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high sweetly singing o’er the plains
and the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains.

(Chorus)

Gloria, in excelsis Deo.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo.

Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why these songs of happy cheer?
What great brightness did you see? What glad tidings did you hear?

(Chorus)

See him in a manger laid whom the angels praise above;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, while we raise our hearts in love.

(Chorus)

 A Lesson in Faith: The Camels Speak by Lynn Ungar, read by Robert Morton-Ranney

Carol   O Come All Ye Faithful

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him, born the King of angels;

Chorus:

O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!
Lo, humble shepherds, hasting to his cradle,
leaving their flocks in the fields, draw near.
We, too, with gladness, thither bend our footsteps;

(Chorus)

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;

A Lesson in Generosity      Christmas Dinner by Peter Paul and Mary, read by Wendy Warburton

Song      I’ll Be Home For the Holidays by Walter Kent, lyrics by Kim Gannon, soloist Linda Hartley

Call for the Offering
Throughout the year, Westminster Unitarian endeavors to support a variety of non-profit organizations that share our values. In addition, we want to ensure that we have the resources to support individuals or groups in need in times of hardship.  To this end, we maintain a ministerial discretionary fund that our minister accesses when that support or a special congregational need arises. As is our tradition, this evening’s offering will go to sustain that fund and help continue our ability to support those
in need throughout the year.

Offertory      Beautiful Christmas by Mike Wilson

A Lesson in Connection      Gate A-4 by Naomi Shihab Nye, adapted and read by Rev. Deborah

Choir  Bells of Christmas  words and music by John Bettis and Dan Shea arr. by Keith Christopher

A Lesson in Peace    Amazing Peace, A Christmas Poem by Maya Angelou, read by Rev. J

Carol It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
by Edmund Hamilton Sears
 

It came upon a midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, goodwill to all,
From heaven the news we bring.”
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.

For lo!, the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.

A Lesson in Light on this Silent Night     Rev. Deborah
            and Rev. J

Carol   Silent Night
            by Joseph Mohr

Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light;
Radiant beams from They holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at They birth.

Benediction      by Howard Thurman, Rev. Deborah, and Rev. J